Cellular automata model for urban road traffic flow considering pedestrian crossing street

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Han-Tao; Yang, Shuo; Chen, Xiao-Xu

2016-11-01

In order to analyze the effect of pedestrians' crossing street on vehicle flows, we investigated traffic characteristics of vehicles and pedestrians. Based on that, rules of lane changing, acceleration, deceleration, randomization and update are modified. Then we established two urban two-lane cellular automata models of traffic flow, one of which is about sections with non-signalized crosswalk and the other is on uncontrolled sections with pedestrians crossing street at random. MATLAB is used for numerical simulation of the different traffic conditions; meanwhile space-time diagram and relational graphs of traffic flow parameters are generated and then comparatively analyzed. Simulation results indicate that when vehicle density is lower than around 25 vehs/(km lane), pedestrians have modest impact on traffic flow, whereas when vehicle density is higher than about 60 vehs/(km lane), traffic speed and volume will decrease significantly especially on sections with non-signal-controlled crosswalk. The results illustrate that the proposed models reconstruct the traffic flow's characteristic with the situation where there are pedestrians crossing and can provide some practical reference for urban traffic management.

StreetMekka - Ledelse af Københavns nye streetkulturhus

OpenAIRE

Gjelstrup, Mikkel

2009-01-01

Street culture is spreading out through the streets of Denmark and in the summer of 2009 the City of Copenhagen will open up an indoor street culture facility called StreetMekka. Moving street culture from its natural concrete habitat to a communal facility presents challenges. The City of Copenhagen has made official guideline for the StreetMekka facility to follow, but the free and self organized street culture is not an easy thing to keep within guidelines. This master thesis discusses fro...

Evaluating the Interference of Bicycle Traffic on Vehicle Operation on Urban Streets with Bike Lanes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ziyuan Pu

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Many urban streets are designed with on-street bike lanes to provide right-of-way for bicycle traffic. However, when bicycle flow is large, extensive passing maneuvers could occupy vehicle lanes and thus cause interferences to vehicle traffic. The primary objective of this study is to evaluate how bicycle traffic affects vehicle operation on urban streets with bike lanes. Data were collected on six street segments in Nanjing, China. The cumulative curves were constructed to extract traffic flow information including individual bicycle and vehicle speeds and aggregated traffic parameters such as flow and density. The results showed that as bicycle density on bike lanes continuously increases faster bicycles may run into vehicle lanes causing considerable reductions in vehicle speeds. A generalized linear model was estimated to predict the vehicle delay. Results showed that vehicle delay increases as bicycle flow and vehicle flow increase. Number of vehicle lanes and width of bike lane also have significant impact on vehicle delay. Findings of the study are helpful to regions around the world in bike infrastructure design in order to improve operations of both bicycles and vehicles.

Exploiting street-level panoramic images for large-scale automated surveying of traffic sign

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hazelhoff, L.; Creusen, I.M.; With, de P.H.N.

2014-01-01

Accurate and up-to-date inventories of traffic signs contribute to efficient road maintenance and a high road safety. This paper describes a system for the automated surveying of road signs from street-level images. This is an extremely challenging task, as the involved capturings are non-densely

A Traffic Prediction Algorithm for Street Lighting Control Efficiency

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

POPA Valentin

2013-01-01

Full Text Available This paper presents the development of a traffic prediction algorithm that can be integrated in a street lighting monitoring and control system. The prediction algorithm must enable the reduction of energy costs and improve energy efficiency by decreasing the light intensity depending on the traffic level. The algorithm analyses and processes the information received at the command center based on the traffic level at different moments. The data is collected by means of the Doppler vehicle detection sensors integrated within the system. Thus, two methods are used for the implementation of the algorithm: a neural network and a k-NN (k-Nearest Neighbor prediction algorithm. For 500 training cycles, the mean square error of the neural network is 9.766 and for 500.000 training cycles the error amounts to 0.877. In case of the k-NN algorithm the error increases from 8.24 for k=5 to 12.27 for a number of 50 neighbors. In terms of a root means square error parameter, the use of a neural network ensures the highest performance level and can be integrated in a street lighting control system.

Influence of traffic conditions on polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon abundance in street dust.

Science.gov (United States)

Xiang, Li; Li, Yingxia; Yang, Zhifeng; Shi, Jianghong

2010-01-01

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) concentrations were quantified in sieved street dusts from eight sampling sites with different traffic conditions in Beijing. The parent diagnostic ratio test and multi-regression analysis were used to identify the different PAH pollution sources. Results showed that more than 93% of the cumulative 16 priority pollutant PAHs (Sigma 16EPA-PAH) load was present in street dust with a diameter less than 300 microm across all the sampling sites. The concentration of Sigma 4-6 ring PAHs was 93 to 284% higher than that of Sigma 2-3 ring PAHs for most of the sites except the cycle lane site, indicating the dominance of pyrogenic inputs in street dusts at these sites. Cooking oil is an important PAH source in street dusts for all the sampling sites. Tire debris and vehicle emissions were also identified as significant contributors to the PAH loading in the heavy traffic zone, vehicle parking areas, the frequent brake usage zone, and the construction area.

Street level society

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Vinum, Christine; Nissen, Morten

2006-01-01

This paper aims to reflect on research findings from different empirical studies of social work with young drug users and socially excluded young people in Copenhagen. In the paper we account for historical changes in social policy and interventions into young people's drug taking in Copenhagen......, and partly from the decentralizing and specializing efforts characteristic of the Danish welfare state and its institutions. We discuss a general turn towards street level interventions to address the problems of social exclusion, as well as different attempts to create what we term street level heterotopias...

The impact of traffic-flow patterns on air quality in urban street canyons.

Science.gov (United States)

Thaker, Prashant; Gokhale, Sharad

2016-01-01

We investigated the effect of different urban traffic-flow patterns on pollutant dispersion in different winds in a real asymmetric street canyon. Free-flow traffic causes more turbulence in the canyon facilitating more dispersion and a reduction in pedestrian level concentration. The comparison of with and without a vehicle-induced-turbulence revealed that when winds were perpendicular, the free-flow traffic reduced the concentration by 73% on the windward side with a minor increase of 17% on the leeward side, whereas for parallel winds, it reduced the concentration by 51% and 29%. The congested-flow traffic increased the concentrations on the leeward side by 47% when winds were perpendicular posing a higher risk to health, whereas reduced it by 17-42% for parallel winds. The urban air quality and public health can, therefore, be improved by improving the traffic-flow patterns in street canyons as vehicle-induced turbulence has been shown to contribute significantly to dispersion. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Dispersion of pollutants in a street canyon and street intersection under traffic-induced flow and turbulence using a low Re k-{epsilon} model

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jicha, M.; Katolicky, J.; Pospisil, J. [Brno University of Technology (Czech Republic). Faculty of Mechanical Engineering

2002-07-01

A 3-D Eulerian-Lagrangian approach to moving vehicles is presented that takes into account the traffic-induced flow rate and turbulence. The method is applied to pollutant dispersion in an individual street canyon and a system of two street canyons forming a perpendicular intersection. The approach is based on computational fluid dynamics (CFD) calculations using a Eulerian approach for continuous phase and a Lagrangian approach for moving vehicles. The wind speed was assigned values of 4, 7 and 12 m/s. One-way and two-way traffic with different traffic rates per lane is considered. In the case of the intersection, a longitudinal wind direction was assumed. Predictions show differences in the pollutant dispersion in the case of one-way and two-way traffic. (author)

Impacts of traffic composition and street-canyon geometry on on-road air quality in a high-rise building area

Science.gov (United States)

Kwak, Kyung-Hwan; Kim, Kyung Hwan; Lee, Seung-Bok; Woo, Sung Ho; Bae, Gwi-Nam; Sunwoo, Young; Baik, Jong-Jin

2016-04-01

Mobile measurements using a mobile laboratory and numerical simulations using a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model were conducted over different time periods of multiple days in a high-rise building area, Seoul, Republic of Korea. Mobile measurement can provide actual on-road emission levels of air pollutants from vehicles as well as validation dataset of a CFD model. On the other hand, CFD modeling is required for the process analysis of mobile measurement data and the quantitative estimation of determining factors in complex phenomena. The target area is characterized as a busy street canyon elongated along a major road with hourly traffic volumes of approximately 4000 vehicles during working hours on weekdays. Nitrogen oxides (NOx), black carbon (BC), particle-bound polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (pPAH), and particle number (PN) concentrations were measured during 39 round trips of mobile laboratory. The associations of the measured NOx, BC, pPAH, and PN concentrations with the traffic volumes of individual compositions are analyzed by calculating the correlation coefficients (R2) based on linear regressions. It is found that SUV, truck, van, and bus are heavy emitters responsible for the on-road air pollution in the street canyon. Among the measured pollutants, the largest R2 is shown for pPAH. The measured NOx, BC, pPAH, and PN concentrations are unevenly distributed in the street canyon. The measured concentrations around an intersection are higher than those in between intersections, particularly for NOx and pPAH. The CFD modeling for different dispersion scenarios reveals that the intersection has counterbalancing roles in determining the on-road concentrations. The emission process acts to increase the on-road concentrations due to accelerating and idling vehicles, whereas the dispersion process acts to decrease the on-road concentrations due to lateral ventilations along the crossing street. It is needed to control the number of heavy emitters and

Actual car fleet emissions estimated from urban air quality measurements and street pollution models

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Palmgren, F.; Berkowicz, R.; Hertel, O.; Ziv, A.

1999-01-01

A method to determine emissions from the actual car fleet under realistic driving conditions has been developed. The method is based on air quality measurements, traffic counts and inverse application of street air quality models. Many pollutants are of importance for assessing the adverse impact of the air pollution, e.g. NO 2 , CO, lead, VOCs and particulate matter. Aromatic VOCs are of special great concern due to their adverse health effects. Measurements of benzene, toluene and xylenes were carried out in central Copenhagen since 1994. Significant correlation was observed between VOCs and CO concentrations, indicating that the petrol engine vehicles are the major sources of VOC air pollution in central Copenhagen. Hourly mean concentrations of benzene were observed to reach values of up to 20 ppb, what is critically high according to the WHOs recommendations. Based on inverse model calculation of dispersion of pollutants in street canyons, an average emission factor of benzene for the fleet of petrol fuelled vehicles was estimated to be 0.38 g/km in 1994 and 0.11 in 1997. This decrease was caused by the reduction of benzene content in Danish petrol since summer 1995 and increasing percentage of cars equipped with three-way catalysts. The emission factors for benzene for diesel-fuelled vehicles were low

Numerical Study of Traffic Pollutant Dispersion within Different Street Canyon Configurations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yucong Miao

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The objective of this study is to numerically study flow and traffic exhaust dispersion in urban street canyons with different configurations to find out the urban-planning strategies to ease the air pollution. The Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD model used in this study—Open Source Field Operation and Manipulation (OpenFOAM software package—was firstly validated against the wind-tunnel experiment data by using three different k-ε turbulence models. And then the patterns of flow and dispersion within three different kinds of street canyon configuration under the perpendicular approaching flow were numerically studied. The result showed that the width and height of building can dramatically affect the pollution level inside the street canyon. As the width or height of building increases, the pollution at the pedestrian level increases. And the asymmetric configuration (step-up or step-down street canyon could provide better ventilation. It is recommended to design a street canyon with nonuniform configurations. And the OpenFOAM software package can be used as a reliable tool to study flows and dispersions around buildings.

Actual situation analyses of rat-run traffic on community streets based on car probe data

Science.gov (United States)

Sakuragi, Yuki; Matsuo, Kojiro; Sugiki, Nao

2017-10-01

Lowering of so-called "rat-run" traffic on community streets has been one of significant challenges for improving the living environment of neighborhood. However, it has been difficult to quantitatively grasp the actual situation of rat-run traffic by the traditional surveys such as point observations. This study aims to develop a method for extracting rat-run traffic based on car probe data. In addition, based on the extracted rat-run traffic in Toyohashi city, Japan, we try to analyze the actual situation such as time and location distribution of the rat-run traffic. As a result, in Toyohashi city, the rate of using rat-run route increases in peak time period. Focusing on the location distribution of rat-run traffic, in addition, they pass through a variety of community streets. There is no great inter-district bias of the route frequently used as rat-run traffic. Next, we focused on some trips passing through a heavily used route as rat-run traffic. As a result, we found the possibility that they habitually use the route as rat-run because their trips had some commonalities. We also found that they tend to use the rat-run route due to shorter distance than using the alternative highway route, and that the travel speeds were faster than using the alternative highway route. In conclusions, we confirmed that the proposed method can quantitatively grasp the actual situation and the phenomenal tendencies of the rat-run traffic.

Impact of local traffic exclusion on near-road air quality: Findings from the New York City 'Summer Streets' campaign

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Whitlow, Thomas H., E-mail: thw2@cornell.edu [Department of Horticulture, 23 Plant Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853 (United States); Hall, Andrew; Zhang, K. Max [Sibley School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853 (United States); Anguita, Juan [Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003 (United States)

2011-08-15

We monitored curbside airborne particulate matter (PM) concentrations and its proinflammatory capacity during 3 weekends when vehicle traffic was excluded from Park. Ave., New York City. Fine PM concentration peaked in the morning regardless of traffic while ultrafine PM was 58% lower during mornings without traffic. Ultrafine PM concentration varied linearly with traffic flow, while fine PM spiked sharply in response to random traffic events that were weakly correlated with the traffic signal cycle. Ultrafine PM concentrations decayed exponentially with distance from a cross street with unrestricted traffic flow, reaching background levels within 100 m of the source. IL-6 induction was typically highest on Friday afternoons but showed no clear relationship to the presence of traffic. The coarse fraction (>2.5 {mu}m) had the greatest intrinsic inflammatory capacity, suggesting that coarse PM still warrants attention even as the research focus is shifting to nano-particles. - Highlights: > During a period of traffic exclusion morning PM2.5 concentration remained high. > Ultrafine concentrations were lower during mornings without traffic. > While ultrafine PM varied linearly with traffic flow, fine PM was unrelated to flow. > Ultrafine PM decayed exponentially with distance from a cross street with traffic. > The coarse fraction (>2.5 mm) had the greatest intrinsic inflammatory capacity. - Traffic exclusion had variable effects on local particle concentrations and biomarker induction that were inconsistent with the simple expectation that air would be cleaner without traffic.

Traffic lanes for vehicles of mass public passenger transport on city streets

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gladović Pavle V.

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Some of the basic measures of regulating public mass passenger transport in a city network are the introduction and management of traffic lanes reserved for the public transportation. These traffic lanes are important for several reasons: faster moving and shorter travelling time for the vehicles, reducing operating costs, improving the safety, increasing passenger comfort, maintaining of the timetable quality, etc. In most cities, an intensive use of the public transport is concentrated in the morning and the afternoon peak period. The state of the public transport system during these periods is reflected in the crowds inside the vehicles, long vehicle queues at intersections and at bus stops, which cause congestion on the streets and result in delays of public transport vehicles. This paper provides an overview of the current situation on an example in the city of Belgrade. The capacity and the quality of service for the street surfaces reserved for the public transportation vehicles were analysed on the aforementioned example.

Comparison between measurements and OSPM calculations of NO{sub 2} at 10 street sections in Copenhagen. [OSPM - Operational Street Pollution Model]; Sammenligning af NO{sub 2}-maelinger og OSPM-beregninger for 10 gadestraekninger i Koebenhavn

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ellermann, T.; Ketzel, M.; Solvang Jensen, S.

2012-10-15

This report presents results from a comparison between measurements and model calculations of nitrogen dioxide (NO{sub 2}) at ten selected street sections in Copenhagen. Force Technology has carried out the measurements of NO{sub 2} during a few weeks period from October 24{sup th} to November 28{sup th} 2011. DCE has carried out model calculations using the Operational Street Pollution Model (OSPM) in two stages. The model calculations at stage 1 (''blind test'') are carried out without knowledge about the results from the measurements. Model version and input data corresponds to those used for the most recent model calculations presented in the reports from 2011 for the routine monitoring programme and a surveillance project, respectively. At stage 2 input data have been updated and revised in order to analyze the differences between measured and model calculated concentrations at stage 1. This report from AU/DCE presents only the results from the model calculations and the comparison between measurements and model results. Comparison for the two permanent measurement stations at both H.C. Andersen's Boulevard (HCAB) and Jagtvej shows good agreement between measurements from Force Technology using passive sampling and measurements from DCE using the EU reference method. The results from the ''blind test'' of OSPM at stage 1 show that the OSPM calculations are in good agreement with the measurements for seven out of nine street sections. The model results show good agreement for all street sections with two sided building facades. Large discrepancies between measurements and model results are found for two street sections (Sydhavnsgade and Fredensgade) both with one sided building facades. However, there are two other street sections with one sided building facades, where the model is in good agreement with the measurements. The discrepancies observed for Sydhavnsgade and Fredensgade are therefore not solely related to

Studying empowerment in a socially and ethnically diverse social work community in Copenhagen, Denmark

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mørck, Line Lerche

2011-01-01

communities of young men. The social street work is analyzed at the time of the street riots and fires that took place in Copenhagen, in February 2008. It is analyzed how social street workers, facilitated meetings of the opposing factions, parties who usually do not enter into dialogue. It is discussed how...

Violence in the Street, Violence of the Street

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Heinskou, Marie Bruvik; Liebst, Lasse Suonperä

While in his early and general theory of interaction rituals Randall Collins emphasised that social situations are both ’symbolic’ and ’material’, the latter dimension is largely absent from Collins’ theory of violence(Collins 2004; 1993: 214). Compared with criminology’s more recent situational...... studies of violence, it is noticeable that the analytical success of these studies is closely linked with understanding street violence as a spatial-situational phenomenon (Clarke 1997; Eck & Weisburd 1995; Bragand & Weisburd; 2010; Wikström et al. 2012; Sampson et al. 1997). In light of evidence...... for the spatial concentration of street violence, this paper takes its point of departure in a large study of Street Violence among youth in Copenhagen, Denmark (combining quantitative data from filed police reports (N = 501), data from CCTV (N=100) and qualitative analysis of selected cases of street violence...

Impacts of Traffic Tidal Flow on Pollutant Dispersion in a Non-Uniform Urban Street Canyon

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tingzhen Ming

2018-02-01

Full Text Available A three-dimensional geometrical model was established based on a section of street canyons in the 2nd Ring Road of Wuhan, China, and a mathematical model describing the fluid flow and pollutant dispersion characteristics in the street canyon was developed. The effect of traffic tidal flow was investigated based on the measurement results of the passing vehicles as the pollution source of the CFD method and on the spatial distribution of pollutants under various ambient crosswinds. Numerical investigation results indicated that: (i in this three-dimensional asymmetrical shallow street canyon, if the pollution source followed a non-uniform distribution due to the traffic tidal flow and the wind flow was perpendicular to the street, a leeward side source intensity stronger than the windward side intensity would cause an expansion of the pollution space even if the total source in the street is equal. When the ambient wind speed is 3 m/s, the pollutant source intensity near the leeward side that is stronger than that near the windward side (R = 2, R = 3, and R = 5 leads to an increased average concentration of CO at pedestrian breathing height by 26%, 37%, and 41%, respectively. (R is the ratio parameter of the left side pollution source and the right side pollution source; (ii However, this feature will become less significant with increasing wind speeds and changes of wind direction; (iii the pollution source intensity exerted a decisive influence on the pollutant level in the street canyon. With the decrease of the pollution source intensity, the pollutant concentration decreased proportionally.

Atmospheric BTEX-concentrations in an area with intensive street traffic

Science.gov (United States)

Buczynska, Anna Jolanta; Krata, Agnieszka; Stranger, Marianne; Locateli Godoi, Ana Flavia; Kontozova-Deutsch, Velichka; Bencs, László; Naveau, Inge; Roekens, Edward; Van Grieken, René

The major threat to clean air in developed and industrializing countries is now posed by traffic emissions. The effects of traffic road modifications on the air quality are, however, rarely reported in the literature. The aim of this study was to determine the influence of the modernization and renovation of a traffic artery in the region of Mortsel (Antwerp, Belgium) on the concentration of volatile organic compounds such as: benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and m-, p-, o-xylenes (BTEX). The original goal of the reconstruction works was to reduce the traffic lanes of one of the busiest streets in Antwerp, in order to discourage the road traffic and in consequence also to improve the air quality in this region. The average concentrations of BTEX before these works in 2003 were: 1.6, 7.0, 0.9, 2.3, and 0.9 μg/m 3, for benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, m + p xylenes, and o-xylene, respectively. However, after the completion of the works, in 2005, they were slightly higher: 2.5, 9.5, 1.6, 3.4, and 1.3 μg/m 3, respectively. The scatter plots of benzene against toluene, ethylbenzene and xylenes in 2003 and 2005 showed very good correlations. This fact indicated that all of the measured compounds originated from the same source, namely the road traffic. Moreover, the data obtained from an air-monitoring station at less than 6 km distance from the sampling site (operated by the Flemish Environment Agency, and located in Borgerhout, Antwerp), confirmed the lack of influence of background concentrations of BTEX. The obtained results led to the conclusion that the reduction of the number of traffic lanes had apparently increased the traffic jams and also increased the emission from cars. Therefore, these modernization works had even a negative impact on the local concentration of traffic-related pollutants as BTEX.

Mutation detection for inventories of traffic signs from street-level panoramic images

Science.gov (United States)

Hazelhoff, Lykele; Creusen, Ivo; De With, Peter H. N.

2014-03-01

Road safety is positively influenced by both adequate placement and optimal visibility of traffic signs. As their visibility degrades over time due to e.g. aging, vandalism, accidents and vegetation coverage, up-to-date inven­tories of traffic signs are highly attractive for preserving a high road safety. These inventories are performed in a semi-automatic fashion from street-level panoramic images, exploiting object detection and classification tech­niques. Next to performing inventories from scratch, these systems are also exploited for the efficient retrieval of situation changes by comparing the outcome of the automated system to a baseline inventory (e.g. performed in a previous year). This allows for specific manual interactions to the found changes, while skipping all unchanged situations, thereby resulting in a large efficiency gain. This work describes such a mutation detection approach, with special attention to re-identifying previously found signs. Preliminary results on a geographical area con­taining about 425 km of road show that 91.3% of the unchanged signs are re-identified, while the amount of found differences equals about 35% of the number of baseline signs. From these differences, about 50% correspond to physically changed traffic signs, next to false detections, misclassifications and missed signs. As a bonus, our approach directly results in the changed situations, which is beneficial for road sign maintenance.

RESEARCH OF AIR POLLUTION FROM TRAFFIC IN «STREET CANYONS» OF CITY

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

T. I. Rusakova

2014-12-01

Full Text Available Purpose. The article is devoted to state analyze of atmospheric air at its pollution with vehicle emissions in Dnipropetrovsk city, the development a numerical model and applied computing program for research of air pollution level with vehicle emissions on the streets when several buildings are located on the scheme «street canyon». Methodology. To achieve the research purpose it was studied the dynamic of change concentration of different pollutants that have been fixed on monitoring station of air quality in Dnipropetrovsk city. It was performed level assessment of air pollution from traffic (according to the Main Statistical Office in Dnipropetrovsk region. It was developed methodology for numerical calculation of concentration the atmospheric air pollution from vehicle emissions. To solve hydrodynamic task of determining velocity field of wind flow in streets the model of separated flows of an inviscid fluid was used; to solve the task of the calculation process of dispersion pollution the equation of convective-diffusion transfer of pollutant was used. To implement the proposed methodology we used implicit difference schemes. Findings.In the work a mathematical numerical model was developed and computing programs on its base were created. It allows conducting the computational experiments for evaluation the level of air pollution from vehicle emissions on the streets when several buildings are located on the scheme «street canyon». As a result of research regulations on change concentration of carbon monoxide near a considered group of buildings at different pollutant emissions were established. Originality.This numerical model was developed which allows accounting the hydrodynamic impact of group buildings on dispersion of pollutants when the wind speed and the vertical diffusion coefficient vary with height. Practical value. Conducting such class of computational experiments is necessary in the case of reconstruction of city

On the impact of trees on dispersion processes of traffic emissions in street canyons

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Gromke, C.B.; Ruck, B.

2009-01-01

Wind-tunnel studies of dispersion processes of traffic exhaust in urban street canyons with tree planting were performed and tracer gas concentrations using electron capture detection (ECD) and flow fields using laser Doppler velocimetry (LDV) were measured. It was found that tree planting reduces

[Distribution of and changes in Danish traffic deaths].

Science.gov (United States)

Bjerre, Johannes; Kirkebjerg, Peer Gregersen; Larsen, Lars Binderup

2006-05-01

Traffic accidents were the primary cause of death for Danes aged 15 to 24 years in 1999; per million inhabitants, that figure was 62% higher than in Great Britain. Reduction to the level in Great Britain would have reduced the number killed in traffic accidents in Denmark in 2002 from 465 to 289. The data used are from StatBank Denmark, the Danish Road Directorate and the Danish Transport Research Institute. The number of traffic deaths per billion kilometers driven was 57% higher in 1994 than in 2001. Those aged 65 and over had the largest decrease, with 67% fewer traffic deaths. Per billion kilometers driven, rural roads had around twice the number of traffic deaths as city streets and motorways. The geographic distribution showed few traffic deaths in the capital, Copenhagen, while the rest of the country had up to twice the number per 100,000 inhabitants from 1997 to 2002. Car drivers were well protected by seat belts, while people who were walking or on a motorcycle had high casualty rates per billion kilometers driven. 29% of the traffic deaths in Denmark in 2002 were registered as alcohol-related, while only 1% of drivers overall were influenced by alcohol. Men had twice the risk of traffic death compared with women per kilometer driven. Men were convicted in 93% of cases involving illegal blood alcohol level and 84% of cases involving other traffic offences. The greatest potential for reduction of traffic deaths seems to be traffic behaviour; females' behaviour, with rare drunk driving and few convictions for traffic offences, seems rational. If all drivers adhered to women's traffic behaviour, the number of road deaths in 1999 could have been reduced by 169, equivalent to 30%.

Studying empowerment in a socially and ethnically diverse social work community in Copenhagen, Denmark

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mørck, Line Lerche

2011-01-01

of the social street workers, their dilemmas, everyday learning and possibilities for expansive learning. A boundary community, such as the "wild" social work community, is constituted by an overlap of communities of social street workers, established professionals with formal educations, and local street...... communities of young men. The social street work is analyzed at the time of the street riots and fires that took place in Copenhagen, in February 2008. It is analyzed how social street workers, facilitated meetings of the opposing factions, parties who usually do not enter into dialogue. It is discussed how...

Numerical Study of Traffic Pollutant Dispersion within Different Street Canyon Configurations

OpenAIRE

Yucong Miao; Shuhua Liu; Yijia Zheng; Shu Wang; Yuan Li

2014-01-01

The objective of this study is to numerically study flow and traffic exhaust dispersion in urban street canyons with different configurations to find out the urban-planning strategies to ease the air pollution. The Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) model used in this study—Open Source Field Operation and Manipulation (OpenFOAM) software package—was firstly validated against the wind-tunnel experiment data by using three different k-ε turbulence models. And then the patterns of flow and dispe...

Dispersion of traffic exhausts in urban street canyons with tree plantings : experimental and numerical investigations

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Gromke, C.B.; Denev, J.; Ruck, B.

2007-01-01

Wind tunnel experiments and numerical computations have been performed in order to investigate the influence of avenuelike tree plantings on the dispersion of traffic exhaust in an urban street canyon. Reduced natural ventilation and enhanced pollutant concentrations have been found in the presence

Characterization of traffic-related PM concentration distribution and fluctuation patterns in near-highway urban residential street canyons.

Science.gov (United States)

Hahn, Intaek; Brixey, Laurie A; Wiener, Russell W; Henkle, Stacy W; Baldauf, Richard

2009-12-01

Analyses of outdoor traffic-related particulate matter (PM) concentration distribution and fluctuation patterns in urban street canyons within a microscale distance of less than 500 m from a highway source are presented as part of the results from the Brooklyn Traffic Real-Time Ambient Pollutant Penetration and Environmental Dispersion (B-TRAPPED) study. Various patterns of spatial and temporal changes in the street canyon PM concentrations were investigated using time-series data of real-time PM concentrations measured during multiple monitoring periods. Concurrent time-series data of local street canyon wind conditions and wind data from the John F. Kennedy (JFK) International Airport National Weather Service (NWS) were used to characterize the effects of various wind conditions on the behavior of street canyon PM concentrations.Our results suggest that wind direction may strongly influence time-averaged mean PM concentration distribution patterns in near-highway urban street canyons. The rooftop-level wind speeds were found to be strongly correlated with the PM concentration fluctuation intensities in the middle sections of the street blocks. The ambient turbulence generated by shifting local wind directions (angles) showed a good correlation with the PM concentration fluctuation intensities along the entire distance of the first and second street blocks only when the wind angle standard deviations were larger than 30 degrees. Within-canyon turbulent shearing, caused by fluctuating local street canyon wind speeds, showed no correlation with PM concentration fluctuation intensities. The time-averaged mean PM concentration distribution along the longitudinal distances of the street blocks when wind direction was mostly constantly parallel to the street was found to be similar to the distribution pattern for the entire monitoring period when wind direction fluctuated wildly. Finally, we showed that two different PM concentration metrics-time-averaged mean

Influence of geocoding quality on environmental exposure assessment of children living near high traffic roads

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zandbergen Paul A

2007-03-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The widespread availability of powerful geocoding tools in commercial GIS software and the interest in spatial analysis at the individual level have made address geocoding a widely employed technique in epidemiological studies. This study determined the effect of the positional error in street geocoding on the analysis of traffic-related air pollution on children. Methods For a case-study of a large sample of school children in Orange County, Florida (n = 104,865 the positional error of street geocoding was determined through comparison with a parcel database. The effect of this error was evaluated by analyzing the proximity of street and parcel geocoded locations to road segments with high traffic volume and determining the accuracy of the classification using the results of street geocoding. Of the original sample of 163,886 addresses 36% were not used in the final analysis because they could not be reliably geocoded using either street or parcel geocoding. The estimates of positional error can therefore be considered conservative underestimates. Results Street geocoding was found to have a median error of 41 meters, a 90th percentile of 100 meters, a 95th percentile of 137 meters and a 99th percentile of 273 meters. These positional errors were found to be non-random in nature and introduced substantial bias and error in the estimates of potential exposure to traffic-related air pollution. Street geocoding was found to consistently over-estimate the number of potentially exposed children at small distances up to 250 meters. False positives and negatives were also found to be very common at these small distances. Conclusion Results of the case-study presented here strongly suggest that typical street geocoding is insufficient for fine-scale analysis and more accurate alternatives need to be considered.

Allegheny County Street Centerlines

Data.gov (United States)

Allegheny County / City of Pittsburgh / Western PA Regional Data Center — This dataset contains the locations of the street centerlines for vehicular and foot traffic in Allegheny County. Street Centerlines are classified as Primary Road,...

Impact of local traffic exclusion on near-road air quality: findings from the New York City "Summer Streets" campaign.

Science.gov (United States)

Whitlow, Thomas H; Hall, Andrew; Zhang, K Max; Anguita, Juan

2011-01-01

We monitored curbside airborne particulate matter (PM) concentrations and its proinflammatory capacity during 3 weekends when vehicle traffic was excluded from Park. Ave., New York City. Fine PM concentration peaked in the morning regardless of traffic while ultrafine PM was 58% lower during mornings without traffic. Ultrafine PM concentration varied linearly with traffic flow, while fine PM spiked sharply in response to random traffic events that were weakly correlated with the traffic signal cycle. Ultrafine PM concentrations decayed exponentially with distance from a cross street with unrestricted traffic flow, reaching background levels within 100 m of the source. IL-6 induction was typically highest on Friday afternoons but showed no clear relationship to the presence of traffic. The coarse fraction (>2.5 μm) had the greatest intrinsic inflammatory capacity, suggesting that coarse PM still warrants attention even as the research focus is shifting to nano-particles. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Application of a Three-Layer Photochemical Box Model in an Athens Street Canyon.

Science.gov (United States)

Proyou, Athena G; Ziomas, Loannis C; Stathopoulos, Antony

1998-05-01

The aim of this paper is to show that a photochemical box model could describe the air pollution diurnal profiles within a typical street canyon in the city of Athens. As sophisticated three-dimensional dispersion models are computationally expensive and they cannot serve to simulate pollution levels in the scale of an urban street canyon, a suitably modified three-layer photochemical box model was applied. A street canyon of Athens with heavy traffic was chosen to apply the aforementioned model. The model was used to calculate pollutant concentrations during two days with meteorological conditions favoring pollutant accumulation. Road traffic emissions were calculated based on existing traffic load measurements. Meteorological data, as well as various pollutant concentrations, in order to compare with the model results, were provided by available measurements. The calculated concentrations were found to be in good agreement with measured concentration levels and show that, when traffic load and traffic composition data are available, this model can be used to predict pollution episodes. It is noteworthy that high concentrations persisted, even after additional traffic restriction measures were taken on the second day because of the high pollution levels.

Air quality assessment of low emission zones in Copenhagen. [Denmark]; Luftkvalitetsvurdering af ren-luftzone i Koebenhavn

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Solvang Jensen, S.; Ketzel, M.; Brandt, J.; Winther, M.; Ellermann, T.

2012-09-15

According to the government agreement from 2011 improved low emission zones have been identified as a measure to improve the air quality in greater Danish cities, and to ensure compliance with air quality limit values for NO{sub 2} of 40 {mu}g/m{sup 3} as an annual mean. The limit value is violated at H.C. Andersens Boulevard in Copenhagen which is one of the busiest urban streets in Denmark and a fixed air quality monitor station is also located in the street. Air quality model calculations also shows that some other busy streets in Copenhagen violate the annual air quality limit values for NO{sub 2}. The objective of the project is to assess the impacts of a number of improved low emission zone measures in Copenhagen regarding emissions and air quality with focus on NO{sub 2}. The impact assessment of different scenarios includes assessment of emissions and air quality. The assessment is carried out in great details for NO{sub 2} and to a lesser degree for PM exhaust, PM{sub 2.5} and PM{sub 10}. Since air quality assessment is resource demanding only the main scenarios are carried out with the full air quality model whereas the air quality of the scenario variants are assessed based on regression analysis between emissions and air quality in scenarios calculated with the full air quality model. (LN)

Lung cancer risk assessment due to traffic-generated particles exposure in urban street canyons: A numerical modelling approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Scungio, M; Stabile, L; Rizza, V; Pacitto, A; Russi, A; Buonanno, G

2018-08-01

Combustion-generated nanoparticles are responsible for negative health effects due to their ability to penetrate in the lungs, carrying toxic compounds with them. In urban areas, the coexistence of nanoparticle sources and particular street-building configurations can lead to very high particle exposure levels. In the present paper, an innovative approach for the evaluation of lung cancer incidence in street canyon due to exposure to traffic-generated particles was proposed. To this end, the literature-available values of particulate matter, PAHs and heavy metals emitted from different kind of vehicles were used to calculate the Excess Lifetime Cancer Risk (ELCR) at the tailpipe. The estimated ELCR was then used as input data in a numerical CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) model that solves the mass, momentum, turbulence and species transport equations, in order to evaluate the cancer risk in every point of interest inside the street canyon. Thus, the influence of wind speed and street canyon geometry (H/W, height of building, H and width of the street, W) on the ELCR at street level was evaluated by means of a CFD simulation. It was found that the ELCR calculated on the leeward and windward sides of the street canyon at a breathable height of 1.5 m, for people exposed 15 min per day for 20 years, is equal to 1.5 × 10 -5 and 4.8 × 10 -6 , respectively, for wind speed of 1 m/s and H/W equal to 1. The ELCR at street level results higher on the leeward side for aspect ratios equal to 1 and 3, while for aspect ratio equal to 2 it is higher on the windward side. In addition, the simulations showed that with the increasing of wind speed the ELCR becomes lower everywhere in the street canyon, due to the increased in dispersion. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Sensation Seeking in Street Violence

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Heinskou, Marie Bruvik; Liebst, Lasse Suonperä

Sensation seeking leads to violence—runs an influential hypothesis in the social scientific study of violent behavior. Although studies confirm that violence is sometimes structured by sensation-seeking motives, the literature seldom comments on the limits to this explanation of violence....... The present study examines the scale of violence motivated by sensation seeking and the degree to which there are several distinct forms of sensation seeking motives operative in violence, rather than a sensation-seeking motive in the singular. The study draws on a sample of situations from Copenhagen...... involving street violence, which are coded quantitatively and qualitatively. Our analysis shows that sensation seeking only seldom seems to play a role in the structuring of street violence. Moreover, the data indicate that sensation seeking finds expression in street violence situations in two different...

Do suburban residents want to pay for wide streets? a survey on consumer preference and ability to afford towards wide street and on-street parking in American suburbia.

Science.gov (United States)

2016-08-01

All local governments in the U.S. set the street minimum width and cross-section design for local : neighborhood streets. Because local streets typically require no more than two traffic lanes (approx. 20 feet : wide), a minimum width of 26 feet or w...

A socio-economic assessment of proposed road user charging schemes in Copenhagen

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rich, Jeppe; Nielsen, Otto Anker

2007-01-01

-economic analysis of four different proposed road pricing schemes for the Copenhagen area. The purpose was to assess all benefits and costs involved, including impacts on traffic and environment, maintenance and financing costs as well as tax distortion effects. It was concluded that the socio-economic surplus......Road pricing. congestion charging, toll-systems and other road charging instruments are intensively discussed in many countries. Although many partial analyses of the consequences have been published, few overall socio-economic analyses have been carried out. The article presents such a socio...... of the projects depends crucially on the congestion level. With the Current traffic level, road pricing will not yet be socially expedient in Copenhagen. However, if the opening year is postponed to 2015, the two most favourable schemes will turn positive. The analyses also showed that the magnitude of demand...

Indicators of benzene emissions and exposure in Bangkok street

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Leong, S.T.; Laortanakul, Preecha

2003-01-01

Ambient benzene measurements were conducted for the first time at four air monitoring sites in the Bangkok metropolitan region (BMR), from January to December 2001. Analytical results show that the mean benzene concentrations range from 42.4 μg/m 3 at the Din Daeng urban site to 15.1 μg/m 3 at the Chaeng Wattana suburban site. The monitoring results show that at a larger distance from the roadside or a higher level from the street surface, the level of benzene decreases. Analysis of the ambient benzene concentrations was carried out with reference to meteorological influences and traffic density. In traffic analysis, the combined effects of street topography and traffic flows established high impact on the overall benzene concentration in Bangkok. Statistical analysis shows good correlations of blood benzene levels and trans, trans-muconic acid with ambient benzene and demonstrated substantial exposure from traffic

Assessment of ambient noise levels in the urban residential streets of Eastern Alexandria, Egypt.

Science.gov (United States)

Zaki, Gehan R

2012-12-01

Street of Alexandria have numerous unplanned, mixed, and noisy activities that may interfere with public health and comfort. The aim of this study was to assess A-weighted ambient noise levels in urban residential streets of Eastern Alexandria, Egypt, from September 2010 to January 2011, with the objective of recommending corrective actions to minimize high noise levels. A descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out, in which A-weighted ambient noise levels were measured on the basis of 24-h periods, using Ono sokki la-5120--precision integrating sound level meter, from September 2010 to January 2011. The measurements were taken on three streets, which were selected using stratified random sampling. Seven measurement sites, along the three streets under study, were selected by site visits according to predetermined criteria. A-weighted ambient noise levels (LAeq) were the highest [70.7 (24.2) dB] on high-traffic-density and high-human-activity streets followed by streets with moderate and low traffic density and human activity [67.5 (31.3) and 62.8 (38.2) dB], respectively. It varied significantly depending on means of transportation (road traffic, train, and/or tram) and human activities (parking lots, shops, and/or street merchants). The A-weighted ambient noise levels on urban residential streets of Eastern Alexandria, Egypt, exceeded the Egyptian National Standards during the three periods of the day (daytime, evening, and night), except in some relatively quiet locations during the night. Consequently, remedial actions to reduce noise levels were recommended.

Trends of air pollution in Denmark - Normalised by a simple weather index model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kiilsholm, S.; Rasmussen, A.

2000-01-01

This report is a part of the Traffic Pool projects on 'Traffic and Environments', 1995-99, financed by the Danish Ministry of Transport. The Traffic Pool projects included five different projects on 'Surveillance of the Air Quality', 'Atmospheric Modelling', 'Atmospheric Chemistry Modelling', 'Smog and ozone' and 'Greenhouse effects and Climate', [Rasmussen, 2000]. This work is a part of the project on 'Surveillance of the Air Quality' with the main objectives to make trend analysis of levels of air pollution from traffic in Denmark. Other participants were from the Road Directory mainly focusing on measurement of traffic and trend analysis of the air quality utilising a nordic model for the air pollution in street canyons called BLB (Beregningsmodel for Luftkvalitet i Byluftgader) [Vejdirektoratet 2000], National Environmental Research Institute (HERI) mainly focusing on. measurements of air pollution and trend analysis with the Operational Street Pollution Model (OSPM) [DMU 2000], and the Copenhagen Environmental Protection Agency mainly focusing on measurements. In this study a more simple statistical model has been developed for trend analysis of the air quality. The model is filtering out the influence of the variations from year to year in the meteorological conditions on the air pollution levels. The weather factors found most important are wind speed, wind direction and mixing height. Measurements of CO, NO and NO 2 from three streets in Copenhagen have been used, these streets are Jagtvej, Bredgade and H. C. Andersen's Boulevard (HCAB). The years 1994-1996 were used for evaluation of the method and annual indexes of air pollution index dependent only on meteorological parameters, called WEATHIX, were calculated for the years 1990-1997 and used for normalisation of the observed air pollution trends. Meteorological data were taken from either the background stations at the H.C. Oersted - building situated close to one of the street stations or the synoptic

From Copenhagen to Neo-Copenhagen Interpretation

Science.gov (United States)

de Muynck, Willem M.

2007-12-01

Positive and negative features of the Copenhagen interpretation are discussed. As positive features can be mentioned its pragmatism and its awareness of the crucial role of measurement. However, the main part of the contribution is devoted to the negative features, to wit, its pragmatism (once again), its confounding of preparation and measurement, its classical account of measurement, its completeness claims, the ambiguity of its notion of correspondence, its confused notion of complementarity. It is demonstrated how confusions and paradoxes stemming from the negative features of the Copenhagen interpretation can be dealt with in an amended interpretation, to be referred to as `neo-Copenhagen interpretation', in which the role of the measuring instrument is taken seriously by recognizing the quantum mechanical character of its interaction with the microscopic object. The ensuing necessity of extending the notion of a quantum mechanical observable from the Hermitian operator of the standard formalism to the positive operator-valued measure of a generalized formalism yields a sound mathematical basis for a transition from the Copenhagen contextualistic-realist interpretation to the neo-Copenhagen empiricist one. Applications to the uncertainty relations and to the Bell inequalities are briefly discussed.

A Stochastic Route Choice Model for Car Travellers in the Copenhagen Region

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, Otto Anker; Frederiksen, Rasmus Dyhr; Daly, A.

2002-01-01

The paper presents a large-scale stochastic road traffic assignment model for the Copenhagen Region. The model considers several classes of passenger cars (different trip purposes), vans and trucks, each with its own utility function on which route choices are based. The utility functions include...

Improving and optimising road pricing in Copenhagen

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, Otto Anker; Larsen, Marie Karen

2008-01-01

though quite a number of proposed charging systems have been examined only a few pricing strategies have been investigated. This paper deals with the optimisation of different designs for a road pricing system in the Greater Copenhagen area with respect to temporal and spatial differentiation......The question whether to introduce toll rings or road pricing in Copenhagen has been discussed intensively during the last 10 years. The main results of previous analyses are that none of the systems would make a positive contribution at present, when considered from a socio-economic view. Even...... of the pricing levels. A detailed transport model was used to describe the demand effects. The model was based on data from a real test of road pricing on 500 car drivers. The paper compares the price systems with regard to traffic effects and generalised costs for users and society. It is shown how important...

Traffic analysis and control using image processing

Science.gov (United States)

Senthilkumar, K.; Ellappan, Vijayan; Arun, A. R.

2017-11-01

This paper shows the work on traffic analysis and control till date. It shows an approach to regulate traffic the use of image processing and MATLAB systems. This concept uses computational images that are to be compared with original images of the street taken in order to determine the traffic level percentage and set the timing for the traffic signal accordingly which are used to reduce the traffic stoppage on traffic lights. They concept proposes to solve real life scenarios in the streets, thus enriching the traffic lights by adding image receivers like HD cameras and image processors. The input is then imported into MATLAB to be used. as a method for calculating the traffic on roads. Their results would be computed in order to adjust the traffic light timings on a particular street, and also with respect to other similar proposals but with the added value of solving a real, big instance.

Traffic Management as a Service: The Traffic Flow Pattern Classification Problem

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carlos T. Calafate

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Intelligent Transportation System (ITS technologies can be implemented to reduce both fuel consumption and the associated emission of greenhouse gases. However, such systems require intelligent and effective route planning solutions to reduce travel time and promote stable traveling speeds. To achieve such goal these systems should account for both estimated and real-time traffic congestion states, but obtaining reliable traffic congestion estimations for all the streets/avenues in a city for the different times of the day, for every day in a year, is a complex task. Modeling such a tremendous amount of data can be time-consuming and, additionally, centralized computation of optimal routes based on such time-dependencies has very high data processing requirements. In this paper we approach this problem through a heuristic to considerably reduce the modeling effort while maintaining the benefits of time-dependent traffic congestion modeling. In particular, we propose grouping streets by taking into account real traces describing the daily traffic pattern. The effectiveness of this heuristic is assessed for the city of Valencia, Spain, and the results obtained show that it is possible to reduce the required number of daily traffic flow patterns by a factor of 4210 while maintaining the essence of time-dependent modeling requirements.

Study of traffic-related pollutant removal from street canyon with trees: dispersion and deposition perspective.

Science.gov (United States)

Morakinyo, Tobi Eniolu; Lam, Yun Fat

2016-11-01

Numerical experiments involving street canyons of varying aspect ratio with traffic-induced pollutants (PM 2.5 ) and implanted trees of varying aspect ratio, leaf area index, leaf area density distribution, trunk height, tree-covered area, and tree planting pattern under different wind conditions were conducted using a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model, ENVI-met. Various aspects of dispersion and deposition were investigated, which include the influence of various tree configurations and wind condition on dispersion within the street canyon, pollutant mass at the free stream layer and street canyon, and comparison between mass removal by surface (leaf) deposition and mass enhancement due to the presence of trees. Results revealed that concentration level was enhanced especially within pedestrian level in street canyons with trees relative to their tree-free counterparts. Additionally, we found a dependence of the magnitude of concentration increase (within pedestrian level) and decrease (above pedestrian level) due to tree configuration and wind condition. Furthermore, we realized that only ∼0.1-3 % of PM 2.5 was dispersed to the free stream layer while a larger percentage (∼97 %) remained in the canyon, regardless of its aspect ratio, prevailing wind condition, and either tree-free or with tree (of various configuration). Lastly, results indicate that pollutant removal due to deposition on leaf surfaces is potentially sufficient to counterbalance the enhancement of PM 2.5 by such trees under some tree planting scenarios and wind conditions.

Assessment of Traffic Noise Impacts

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rich, Jeppe Husted; Nielsen, Otto Anker

2004-01-01

A steady growth in traffic intensities in most urban areas throughout the world has forced planners and politicians to seriously consider the resulting environmental impact, such as traffic noise, accidents and air pollution. The assessment of such negative factors is needed in order to reveal...... the true social benefit of infrastructure plans. The paper presents a noise assessment model for the Copenhagen region, which brings together GIS technology and non-linear hedonic regression models to reveal the implicit costs of traffic noise measured as the marginal percentage loss in property values...

Effects of canyon geometry on the distribution of traffic-related air pollution in a large urban area: Implications of a multi-canyon air pollution dispersion model

Science.gov (United States)

Fu, Xiangwen; Liu, Junfeng; Ban-Weiss, George A.; Zhang, Jiachen; Huang, Xin; Ouyang, Bin; Popoola, Olalekan; Tao, Shu

2017-09-01

Street canyons are ubiquitous in urban areas. Traffic-related air pollutants in street canyons can adversely affect human health. In this study, an urban-scale traffic pollution dispersion model is developed considering street distribution, canyon geometry, background meteorology, traffic assignment, traffic emissions and air pollutant dispersion. In the model, vehicle exhausts generated from traffic flows first disperse inside street canyons along the micro-scale wind field generated by computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model. Then, pollutants leave the street canyon and further disperse over the urban area. On the basis of this model, the effects of canyon geometry on the distribution of NOx and CO from traffic emissions were studied over the center of Beijing. We found that an increase in building height leads to heavier pollution inside canyons and lower pollution outside canyons at pedestrian level, resulting in higher domain-averaged concentrations over the area. In addition, canyons with highly even or highly uneven building heights on each side of the street tend to lower the urban-scale air pollution concentrations at pedestrian level. Further, increasing street widths tends to lead to lower pollutant concentrations by reducing emissions and enhancing ventilation simultaneously. Our results indicate that canyon geometry strongly influences human exposure to traffic pollutants in the populated urban area. Carefully planning street layout and canyon geometry while considering traffic demand as well as local weather patterns may significantly reduce inhalation of unhealthy air by urban residents.

Designing safe and inclusive streets in India | CRDI - Centre de ...

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

17 nov. 2016 ... Safe streets play a crucial role in enabling livelihoods, mobility, and access to services. In fast-growing Indian cities such as Ahmedabad, streets are also the site of conflict. With incomes and vehicle ownership on the rise, traffic has replaced people as the central point of street design. Vehicle-focused street ...

Experimental investigation of pollutant dispersion within a street in low wind conditions, the experiment Nantes'99

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vachon, G.; Rosant, J.M.; Mestayer, P.; Louka, P.; Sini, J.F.; Lorin, Y.; Violleau, M. [Ecole Centrale de Nantes, Lab. de Mecanique des Fluides UMR 6598 CNRS, 44 (France); Antoine, M.J.; Peneau, J.P. [Ecole d' Architecture de Nantes, CERMA UMR 1563 CNRS, 44 (France); Delaunay, D.; Tetard, Y. [CSTB, 44 - Nantes (France); Ducroz, F.; Molle, F. [Air Pays de la Loire, 44 - Nantes (France); Garreau, J. [Mairie de Nantes, Service Environnement Urbain, 44 - Nantes (France); Griffiths, R. [UMIST, Environmental Technology Center, Manchester (United Kingdom); Jones, Ch. [DERA Porton Down, Salisbury (United Kingdom)

2000-07-01

Nantes'99 is a first experimental campaign of the URBCAP project which aims at assessing the importance of the pollutant transformation processes within the urban canopy and validating the models allowing to predict local air quality within the different quarters of a City. The objectives of Nantes'99 are the determination of wind field in a street canyon, the study of the traffic influence on turbulence, the evaluation of thermo-radiative aspects and the validation of different models. The experiment took place during the whole month of June 1999 in a section of the Rue de Strasbourg, a 3-lane, one-way, highly-trafficked, straight street of the City centre of Nantes. A first data base concerning the measurements during IOP (Intense Observation Period) days throughout Nantes'99 experiment has been built. This paper presents CO concentrations measured at different heights within the rue de Strasbourg in relation to traffic density and reference wind speed and direction. It is shown that high pollution episodes are associated with increased traffic. Furthermore wind direction perpendicular to the street leads to high concentrations at the leeward side of the street. It is also appears that the skimming flow vortex is not observed for wind speeds lover than a threshold between 0.9 and 1.2 m.s{sup -1}. Finally, it is pointed out that the background pollution levels influence the concentration of pollutants within the street canyon. (authors)

THE BOGOR BUS STATION RELOCATION IMPACT ANALYSIS TO THE BOGOR OUTER RING ROAD (BORR AND PANGERAN SOGIRI STREET PERFORMANCE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tri Sudibyo

2015-02-01

Full Text Available As the main bus station in Bogor, West Java, Baranangsiang bus station is currently located in the crowded city centre, near many offices, campuses and department stores. There is a plan of Bogor’s Dinas Perhubungan Komunikasi dan Informasi (Diskominfo to relocate the bus station to the new location in the Pangeran Sogiri Street in Tanah Baru area, near the newly built toll road, the Bogor Outer Ring Road (BORR.This research is conducted to analyze the traffic performance impact of the relocation plan of the bus station to the BORR network and the Pangeran Sogiri Street. The traffic data is obtained from the field survey in the Baranangsiang bus station and the BORR network. Some other secondary data are obtained from the Dinas Lalu Lintas and Angkutan Jalan (DLLAJ Bogor city. Based on the obtained data, a micro simulation model is built by using Aimsun traffic micro simulation program. The analysis is conducted in three traffic performance parameters; the traffic density, speed, and vehicles queue length. With respect to the analysis result, the relocation causes a serious traffic problem to the BORR network and the P. Sogiri Street. To minimize the problem caused by the relocation, three scenarios are proposed and thus simulated based on the findings and observed traffic problems. The first proposed scenario is conducted by widening the P. Sogiri Street and providing a 4-4 toll payment gate system to the BORR. This first scenario is able to reduce traffic problem in some sections, but the average network density, speed and queue length are still high by 132%, -54%, and 200% respectively compared to the existing condition. The second scenario is conducted by widening the P. Sogiri Street and providing a 5-3 toll gate system. This second scenario is also able to reduce traffic problem in most sections, but the average network density, speed and queue length are still high by 248%, -70%, and 95% respectively compared to the main bus station

Traffic forecasts ignoring induced demand

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Næss, Petter; Nicolaisen, Morten Skou; Strand, Arvid

2012-01-01

the model calculations included only a part of the induced traffic, the difference in cost-benefit results compared to the model excluding all induced traffic was substantial. The results show lower travel time savings, more adverse environmental impacts and a considerably lower benefitcost ratio when...... induced traffic is partly accounted for than when it is ignored. By exaggerating the economic benefits of road capacity increase and underestimating its negative effects, omission of induced traffic can result in over-allocation of public money on road construction and correspondingly less focus on other...... performance of a proposed road project in Copenhagen with and without short-term induced traffic included in the transport model. The available transport model was not able to include long-term induced traffic resulting from changes in land use and in the level of service of public transport. Even though...

CODASC : a database for the validation of street canyon dispersion models

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Gromke, C.B.

2013-01-01

CODASC stands for Concentration Data of Street Canyons (CODASC 2008, www.codasc.de). It is a database which provides traffic pollutant concentrations in urban street canyons obtained from wind-tunnel dispersion experiments. CODASC comprises concentration data of street canyons with different aspect

Mutation detection for inventories of traffic signs from street-level panoramic images

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hazelhoff, L.; Creusen, I.M.; With, de P.H.N.

2014-01-01

Road safety is positively influenced by both adequate placement and optimal visibility of traffic signs. As their visibility degrades over time due to e.g. aging, vandalism, accidents and vegetation coverage, up-to-date inven­tories of traffic signs are highly attractive for preserving a high road

POLE-LIKE STREET FURNITURE DECOMPOSTION IN MOBILE LASER SCANNING DATA

OpenAIRE

Li, F.; Oude Elberink, S.; Vosselman, G.

2016-01-01

Automatic semantic interpretation of street furniture has become a popular topic in recent years. Current studies detect street furniture as connected components of points above the street level. Street furniture classification based on properties of such components suffers from large intra class variability of shapes and cannot deal with mixed classes like traffic signs attached to light poles. In this paper, we focus on the decomposition of point clouds of pole-like street furniture. A nove...

Light rail project in Copenhagen

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andersen, Jonas Lohmann Elkjær; Landex, Alex; Nielsen, Otto Anker

2006-01-01

The need for high class public transport service of the increasing travel across the radial urban structure of the greater Copenhagen region was examined through planning of a light rail. The exact corridor (defined as the Ring 2½ corridor) and alignment of the light rail were documented and the ......The need for high class public transport service of the increasing travel across the radial urban structure of the greater Copenhagen region was examined through planning of a light rail. The exact corridor (defined as the Ring 2½ corridor) and alignment of the light rail were documented...... light rail projects...

DNA damage and cytotoxicity in type II lung epithelial (A549) cell cultures after exposure to diesel exhaust and urban street particles

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Danielsen, Pernille Høgh; Loft, Steffen; Møller, Peter

2008-01-01

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Exposure to air pollution particles has been acknowledged to be associated with excess generation of oxidative damage to DNA in experimental model systems and humans. The use of standard reference material (SRM), such as SRM1650 and SRM2975, is advantageous because experiments...... collected at a traffic intensive road in Copenhagen, Denmark. RESULTS: All of the particles generated strand breaks and oxidized purines in A549 lung epithelial cells in a dose-dependent manner and there were no overt differences in their potency. The exposures also yielded dose-dependent increase...... of cytotoxicity (as lactate dehydrogenase release) and reduced colony forming ability with slightly stronger cytotoxicity of SRM1650 than of the other particles. In contrast, only the authentic street particles were able to generate 8-oxo-7,8-dihydro-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-oxodG) in calf thymus DNA, which might...

Methodology for Air Quality Forecast Downscaling from Regional- to Street-Scale

Science.gov (United States)

Baklanov, Alexander; Nuterman, Roman; Mahura, Alexander; Amstrup, Bjarne; Hansen Saas, Bent; Havskov Sørensen, Jens; Lorenzen, Thomas; Weismann, Jakob

2010-05-01

The most serious air pollution events occur in cities where there is a combination of high population density and air pollution, e.g. from vehicles. The pollutants can lead to serious human health problems, including asthma, irritation of the lungs, bronchitis, pneumonia, decreased resistance to respiratory infections, and premature death. In particular air pollution is associated with increase in cardiovascular disease and lung cancer. In 2000 WHO estimated that between 2.5 % and 11 % of total annual deaths are caused by exposure to air pollution. However, European-scale air quality models are not suited for local forecasts, as their grid-cell is typically of the order of 5 to 10km and they generally lack detailed representation of urban effects. Two suites are used in the framework of the EC FP7 project MACC (Monitoring of Atmosphere Composition and Climate) to demonstrate how downscaling from the European MACC ensemble to local-scale air quality forecast will be carried out: one will illustrate capabilities for the city of Copenhagen (Denmark); the second will focus on the city of Bucharest (Romania). This work is devoted to the first suite, where methodological aspects of downscaling from regional (European/ Denmark) to urban scale (Copenhagen), and from the urban down to street scale. The first results of downscaling according to the proposed methodology are presented. The potential for downscaling of European air quality forecasts by operating urban and street-level forecast models is evaluated. This will bring a strong support for continuous improvement of the regional forecast modelling systems for air quality in Europe, and underline clear perspectives for the future regional air quality core and downstream services for end-users. At the end of the MACC project, requirements on "how-to-do" downscaling of European air-quality forecasts to the city and street levels with different approaches will be formulated.

Estimation of urban traffic density from street camera images

OpenAIRE

Chandrakaladharan, Shreyas

2017-01-01

Traffic is a very real problem in today’s world. Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX and Tesla, has created a start-up which aims to bore tunnels to better manage traffic. While we do not dare to challenge him, we propose to better manage traffic on roads by leveraging currently available technologies in a novel way. Our project aims to give accurate real-time predictions of traffic, so that prospective commuters can choose routes that are free of traffic, thereby automatically balanci...

Relationship between rooftop and on-road concentrations of traffic-related pollutants in a busy street canyon: Ambient wind effects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kwak, Kyung-Hwan; Lee, Sang-Hyun; Seo, Jaemyeong Mango; Park, Seung-Bu; Baik, Jong-Jin

2016-01-01

Rooftop and on-road measurements of O_3, NO_2, NO_x, and CO concentrations were conducted to investigate the relationship between rooftop and on-road concentrations in a busy and shallow street canyon with an aspect ratio of ∼0.3 in Seoul, Republic of Korea, from 15 April to 1 May 2014. The median road-to-roof concentration ratios, correlation coefficients between rooftop and on-road concentrations, and temporal variations of rooftop and on-road concentrations are analyzed according to the rooftop wind directions which are two cross-canyon and two along-canyon directions. The analysis results indicate that the relationship is strong when the rooftop is situated on the downwind side rather than on the upwind side. Relative to the cross-canyon wind directions, one of the along-canyon wind directions can more enhance the relationship. A conceptual framework is proposed to explain the effect of ambient wind direction on the relationship between rooftop and on-road concentrations in a street canyon. - One of the along-canyon wind directions can enhance the relationship between rooftop and on-road concentrations of traffic-related pollutants in a busy and shallow street canyon.

The challenges of on-street parking in Nigerian Cities’ transportation routes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

R.A. Asiyanbola

2012-09-01

Full Text Available Parking is an integral component of the transport system. It plays a crucial role in the management of traffic and congestion. On-street parking constitutes one major problem that makes traffic situation chaotic in Nigeria cities. Most roads in Nigeria cities are narrow and lack pedestrian lanes. There are cases of double parking along these narrow roads thereby causing traffic congestion. This is due to the non-availability of off-street parking facilities along the transportation routes. This study examines the challenges of on-street parking in Nigerian cities’ transportation routes using Ibadan North-East Local Government area as a case study. Both primary and secondary data which were collected in 2009 were used in the study. Among the issues examined in the study are the situation of existing parking facilities along the transportation routes in the area; perception of road users (drivers and passengers about motorist’s parking behavior and the effect of on-street parking in the area. Policy implications are discussed in the paper.

A Study on Evaluation for Street Space using AHP Method

OpenAIRE

小塚, みすず; 許, 彦; 川本, 義海; 本多, 義明

2004-01-01

Street space is an important public area which forms the framework of city space. In addition, from the view of the traffic functions, street space also plays a role to support people's activities performed in city. This paper examines the evaluations of street space among the cities of Fukui (Japan), Toyota (Japan) and Suzhou (China). Therefore, a questionnaire has been carried out and actual conditions of street space are grasped. In addition street functions were evaluated with the AHP met...

Copenhagen Airport Cohort

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Møller, Karina Lauenborg; Brauer, Charlotte; Mikkelsen, Sigurd

2017-01-01

PURPOSE: Copenhagen Airport Cohort 1990-2012 presents a unique data source for studies of health effects of occupational exposure to air pollution (ultrafine particles) and manual baggage handling among airport employees. We describe the extent of information in the cohort and in the follow...... covers 69 175 men in unskilled positions. The exposed cohort includes men in unskilled jobs employed at Copenhagen Airport in the period 1990-2012 either as baggage handlers or in other outdoor work. The reference cohort includes men in unskilled jobs working in the greater Copenhagen area. FINDINGS...... TO DATE: The cohort includes environmental Global Positioning System (GPS) measurements in Copenhagen Airport, information on job function/task for each calendar year of employment between 1990 and 2012, exposure to air pollution at residence, average weight of baggage lifted per day and lifestyle...

Copenhagen Airport Cohort

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Møller, Karina Lauenborg; Brauer, Charlotte; Mikkelsen, Sigurd

2017-01-01

TO DATE: The cohort includes environmental Global Positioning System (GPS) measurements in Copenhagen Airport, information on job function/task for each calendar year of employment between 1990 and 2012, exposure to air pollution at residence, average weight of baggage lifted per day and lifestyle...... covers 69 175 men in unskilled positions. The exposed cohort includes men in unskilled jobs employed at Copenhagen Airport in the period 1990-2012 either as baggage handlers or in other outdoor work. The reference cohort includes men in unskilled jobs working in the greater Copenhagen area. FINDINGS...

Road traffic noise: self-reported noise annoyance versus GIS modelled road traffic noise exposure.

Science.gov (United States)

Birk, Matthias; Ivina, Olga; von Klot, Stephanie; Babisch, Wolfgang; Heinrich, Joachim

2011-11-01

self-reported road traffic noise annoyance is commonly used in epidemiological studies for assessment of potential health effects. Alternatively, some studies have used geographic information system (GIS) modelled exposure to road traffic noise as an objective parameter. The aim of this study was to analyse the association between noise exposure due to neighbouring road traffic and the noise annoyance of adults, taking other determinants into consideration. parents of 951 Munich children from the two German birth cohorts GINIplus and LISAplus reported their annoyance due to road traffic noise at home. GIS modelled road traffic noise exposure (L(den), maximum within a 50 m buffer) from the noise map of the city of Munich was available for all families. GIS-based calculated distance to the closest major road (≥10,000 vehicles per day) and questionnaire based-information about family income, parental education and the type of the street of residence were explored for their potential influence. An ordered logit regression model was applied. The noise levels (L(den)) and the reported noise annoyance were compared with an established exposure-response function. the correlation between noise annoyance and noise exposure (L(den)) was fair (Spearman correlation r(s) = 0.37). The distance to a major road and the type of street were strong predictors for the noise annoyance. The annoyance modelled by the established exposure-response function and that estimated by the ordered logit model were moderately associated (Pearson's correlation r(p) = 0.50). road traffic noise annoyance was associated with GIS modelled neighbouring road traffic noise exposure (L(den)). The distance to a major road and the type of street were additional explanatory factors of the noise annoyance appraisal.

Somalis in Copenhagen

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Farah, Abdulkadir Osman

, particularly a very high level of discrimination and stereotyping. The study reveals institutional gaps across different areas that need to be addressed urgently but also good practices at the local level.Somalis in Copenhagen is part of a comparative seven-city research series entitled Somalis in European...

CODASC : a database for the validation of street canyon dispersion models

OpenAIRE

Gromke, C.B.

2013-01-01

CODASC stands for Concentration Data of Street Canyons (CODASC 2008, www.codasc.de). It is a database which provides traffic pollutant concentrations in urban street canyons obtained from wind-tunnel dispersion experiments. CODASC comprises concentration data of street canyons with different aspect ratios subjected to various wind directions and also for street canyons with tree-avenues. The database includes concentration data of tree-avenue configurations of different tree arrangement, tree...

Air pollution in Copenhagen

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Flyger, H.; Palmgren Jensen, F.; Kemp, K.

1976-03-01

Aerosols were monitored in Greater Copenhagen in the period June 1973 to July 1974. Size-fractionated cascade impactor samples and unfractionated filter samples were regularly collected and analyzed be neutron activation analysis, spark emission spectroscopy or proton-induced X-ray emission spectroscopy. Concentrations were determined of the following elements: Al, Si, S, Cl, K, Ca, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, Br, Mo, Cd, Sn, Sb, and Pb. All elements showed orders-of-magnitude fluctuationsthe mean concentrations were roughly the same as in other large cities. In relation to proposed air quality standards, Pb was the most critical component. Statistical analysis of variation patterns, size distributions and interelement correlations indicate that automotive exhaust is the source of Br and Pbfuel-oil combustion is the main source of V and Ni (and partly of S)soil dust raised by wind or by human activity (e.g. traffic) is the main source of Al, Si, Ca, Ti, and Fe. (author)

Influence of roadside hedgerows on air quality in urban street canyons

Science.gov (United States)

Gromke, Christof; Jamarkattel, Nabaraj; Ruck, Bodo

2016-08-01

Understanding pollutant dispersion in the urban environment is an important aspect of providing solutions to reduce personal exposure to vehicle emissions. To this end, the dispersion of gaseous traffic pollutants in urban street canyons with roadside hedges was investigated. The study was performed in an atmospheric boundary layer wind tunnel using a reduced-scale (M = 1:150) canyon model with a street-width-to-building-height ratio of W/H = 2 and a street-length-to-building-height ratio of L/H = 10. Various hedge configurations of differing height, permeability and longitudinal segmentation (continuous over street length L or discontinuous with clearings) were investigated. Two arrangements were examined: (i) two eccentric hedgerows sidewise of the main traffic lanes and (ii) one central hedgerow between the main traffic lanes. In addition, selected configurations of low boundary walls, i.e. solid barriers, were examined. For a perpendicular approach wind and in the presence of continuous hedgerows, improvements in air quality in the center area of the street canyon were found in comparison to the hedge-free reference scenario. The pollutant reductions were greater for the central hedge arrangements than for the sidewise arrangements. Area-averaged reductions between 46 and 61% were observed at pedestrian head height level on the leeward side in front of the building for the centrally arranged hedges and between 18 and 39% for the two hedges arranged sidewise. Corresponding area-averaged reductions ranging from 39 to 55% and from 1 to 20% were found at the bottom of the building facades on the leeward side. Improvements were also found in the areas at the lateral canyon ends next to the crossings for the central hedge arrangements. For the sidewise arrangements, increases in traffic pollutants were generally observed. However, since the concentrations in the end areas were considerably lower compared to those in the center area, an overall improvement remained

Analysis of vehicular traffic flow in the major areas of Kuala Lumpur utilizing open-traffic

Science.gov (United States)

Manogaran, Saargunawathy; Ali, Muhammad; Yusof, Kamaludin Mohamad; Suhaili, Ramdhan

2017-09-01

Vehicular traffic congestion occurs when a large number of drivers are overcrowded on the road and the traffic flow does not run smoothly. Traffic congestion causes chaos on the road and interruption to daily activities of users. Time consumed on road give lots of negative effects on productivity, social behavior, environmental and cost to economy. Congestion is worsens and leads to havoc during the emergency such as flood, accidents, road maintenance and etc., where behavior of traffic flow is always unpredictable and uncontrollable. Real-time and historical traffic data are critical inputs for most traffic flow analysis applications. Researcher attempt to predict traffic using simulations as there is no exact model of traffic flow exists due to its high complexity. Open Traffic is an open source platform available for traffic data analysis linked to Open Street Map (OSM). This research is aimed to study and understand the Open Traffic platform. The real-time traffic flow pattern in Kuala Lumpur area was successfully been extracted and analyzed using Open Traffic. It was observed that the congestion occurs on every major road in Kuala Lumpur and most of it owes to the offices and the economic and commercial centers during rush hours. At some roads the congestion occurs at night due to the tourism activities.

Microbial degradation of street dust polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in microcosms simulating diffuse pollution of urban soil

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Johnsen, Anders R; de Lipthay, Julia R; Sørensen, Søren J

2006-01-01

Diffuse pollution with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) of topsoil in urban regions has caused increasing concerns in recent years. We simulated diffuse pollution of soil in microcosms by spiking sandy topsoil (A-horizon) and coarse, mineral subsoil (C-horizon) with street dust (PM63...... for the persistence and low bioaccessibility of 5- and 6-ring PAHs in diffusely polluted soil.......) isolated from municipal street sweepings from central Copenhagen. The microbial communities adapted to PAH degradation in microcosms spiked with street dust in both A-horizon and C-horizon soils, in spite of low PAH-concentrations. The increased potential for PAH degradation was demonstrated on several...

A Modelling Approach on Fine Particle Spatial Distribution for Street Canyons in Asian Residential Community

Science.gov (United States)

Ling, Hong; Lung, Shih-Chun Candice; Uhrner, Ulrich

2016-04-01

Rapidly increasing urban pollution poses severe health risks.Especially fine particles pollution is considered to be closely related to respiratory and cardiovascular disease. In this work, ambient fine particles are studied in street canyons of a typical Asian residential community using a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) dispersion modelling approach. The community is characterised by an artery road with a busy traffic flow of about 4000 light vehicles (mainly cars and motorcycles) per hour at rush hours, three streets with hundreds light vehicles per hour at rush hours and several small lanes with less traffic. The objective is to study the spatial distribution of the ambient fine particle concentrations within micro-environments, in order to assess fine particle exposure of the people living in the community. The GRAL modelling system is used to simulate and assess the emission and dispersion of the traffic-related fine particles within the community. Traffic emission factors and traffic situation is assigned using both field observation and local emissions inventory data. High resolution digital elevation data (DEM) and building height data are used to resolve the topographical features. Air quality monitoring and mobile monitoring within the community is used to validate the simulation results. By using this modelling approach, the dispersion of fine particles in street canyons is simulated; the impact of wind condition and street orientation are investigated; the contributions of car and motorcycle emissions are quantified respectively; the residents' exposure level of fine particles is assessed. The study is funded by "Taiwan Megacity Environmental Research (II)-chemistry and environmental impacts of boundary layer aerosols (Year 2-3) (103-2111-M-001-001-); Spatial variability and organic markers of aerosols (Year 3)(104-2111-M-001 -005 -)"

The Copenhagen School Health Records Register

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Baker, Jennifer L; Sørensen, Thorkild I A

2011-01-01

The Copenhagen School Health Records Register is an electronic register of health examination information on 372,636 children who attended school in Copenhagen, Denmark from 1936 to 2005.......The Copenhagen School Health Records Register is an electronic register of health examination information on 372,636 children who attended school in Copenhagen, Denmark from 1936 to 2005....

Density and diversity of OpenStreetMap road networks in China

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yingjia Zhang

2015-12-01

Full Text Available OpenStreetMap is a geographic information platform designed to provide real-time updates and user-generated content related to its freely available global map, and it is one of the most widely used examples of volunteered geographic information, a technique associated with so-called neogeography. This paper, based on the data from China’s OpenStreetMap road network in May 2014, taking 340 prefecture-level cities in China as its study area, presents the geometric-related (road density and attribute-related (type diversity spatial patterns of the OpenStreetMap road network, and explores their relationship. The results are as follows. (1 The distribution of OpenStreetMap road density in Shenzhen, Shanghai, Hong Kong, and Macao predominantly obeys a “positive skewness distribution”. OpenStreetMap data for eastern China shows a higher overall and circular structure. In central China, there are noticeable discrepancies in the road density, whereas in western China, the road density is low. (2 The OpenStreetMap road diversity shows a normal distribution. The spatial pattern for the so-called “Hu Huanyong line” was broken by the effect of diplomatic and strategic factors, showing a high diversity along the peripheral border, coastal cities, and core inland cites. (3 China’s OpenStreetMap is partitioned into four parts according to road density and diversity: high density and high diversity; low density and low diversity; high density and low diversity; and low density high diversity. (4 The OpenStreetMap geographical information-collection process and mechanism were analyzed, demonstrating that the road density reflects the preponderance of traffic in the real world. OpenStreetMap road diversity reflects the road-related geographic information demand and value, and it also reflects the interests of users toward to OpenStreetMap geographical information.

Taking the Copenhagen Process apart

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Cort, Pia

that the Copenhagen Process has legitimately extended vocational education and training policy formation to include the EU and its new institutional settings established through the Open Method of Coordination. Furthermore, vocational education and training is being reconfigured within a neoliberal Lifelong Learning......The aim of this thesis is to analyse the EU vocational education and training policy process (The Copenhagen Process) from a critical perspective based on the policy analysis methodology, “What’s the Problem Represented to Be?” (WPR) developed by Professor Carol Bacchi. The main research question...... “How can the European vocational education and training policy process - the Copenhagen Process - be understood from a WPR perspective? “ is addressed in six articles which take apart the Copenhagen Process and deal with specific WPR questions and specific aspects of the Copenhagen Process...

On street observations of particulate matter movement and dispersion due to traffic on an urban road

Science.gov (United States)

Patra, Aditya; Colvile, Roy; Arnold, Samantha; Bowen, Emma; Shallcross, Dudley; Martin, Damien; Price, Catheryn; Tate, James; ApSimon, Helen; Robins, Alan

Empirical models for particulate matter emissions from paved road surfaces have been criticised for their lack of realism and accuracy. To support the development of a less empirical model, a study was conducted in a busy street at the DAPPLE site in Central London to understand the processes and to identify important parameters that influence emission from paved roads. Ordinary road gritting salt was applied to the road and the particulate matter entering the air at near-road surface level was monitored using optical particle counters. The grit acted as a tracer. The grit moved rapidly along the road in the direction of traffic flow. Build-up of material at the kerb indicated material being thrown across the road by the traffic. Coarser particles were resuspended faster than the finer ones. A clear decay profile was seen in the case of particles larger than 2μm; particles smaller than 2μm did not show any decay pattern during the experiment duration. Grinding of material appears to control the reservoir of fine particles on the road surface. The amount of material resuspended by traffic is about 30% less than those removed along the road and a factor of 6 higher than the amount removed across the road. Resuspension accounts for 40% of the total material removed from a road segment and 70% of the material removed together along and across the road. On average a single vehicle pass removes 0.08% of material present on a road segment at that instant. The calculation scheme is obtained from a short-duration study and therefore further studies of long duration involving varying road geometry and different traffic and meteorological condition need to be carried out before applying parameter estimates presented in this paper.

Copenhagen Energy Vision

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mathiesen, Brian Vad; Lund, Rasmus Søgaard; Connolly, David

The short-term goal for The City of Copenhagen is a CO2 neutral energy supply by the year 2025, and the long-term vision for Denmark is a 100% renewable energy (RE) supply by the year 2050. In this project, it is concluded that Copenhagen plays a key role in this transition. The long-term vision...

Traffic accidents: an econometric investigation

OpenAIRE

Tito Moreira; Adolfo Sachsida; Loureiro Paulo

2004-01-01

Based on a sample of drivers in Brasilia's streets, this article investigates whether distraction explains traffic accidents. A probit model is estimated to determine the predictive power of several variables on traffic accidents. The main conclusion drawn from this study is that the proxies used to measure distraction, such as the use of cell phones and cigarette smoking in a moving vehicle, are significant factors in determining traffic accidents.

The influence of street level bureaucracy on the implementation of Strategic Environmental Assessment

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kørnøv, Lone; Zhang, Jasmine; Christensen, Per

2015-01-01

A number of factors are critical to the implementation of measures identified through Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) processes. This paper addresses the challenge of implementation from a street level perspective and studies the role of planners and their use of discretion in the SEA...... implementation process: in which way might planners hinder or facilitate the implementation of SEA? Which coping mechanisms and discretions are deliberately or unconsciously developed and used by the planners? The paper reviews the literature on street level bureaucracy (SLB) in order to identify both factors...... influencing the implementation behaviour of street level bureaucrats and their coping mechanism when confronted with these factors. Based upon the SLB theory, a case study explores the SLB behaviour involved in the implementation of the SEA of the Copenhagen spatial plan. The analysis shows a surprisingly...

Mean Streets: An analysis on street level pollution in NYC

Science.gov (United States)

Parker, G.

2017-12-01

The overarching objective of this study is to quantify the spatial and temporal variability in particulatematter concentration (PM 2.5) along crowded streets in New York City. Due to their fine size and lowdensity PM 2.5 stays longer in the atmosphere and could bypass human nose and throat and penetratedeep in to the lungs and even enter the circulatory system. PM 2.5 is a by-product of automobilecombustion and is a primary cause of respiratory malfunction in NYC. The study would monitor streetlevel concentration of PM2.5 across three different routes that witness significant pedestrian traffic;observations will be conducted along these three routes at different time periods. The study will use theAirBeam community air quality monitor. The monitor tracks PM 2.5 concentration along with GPS, airtemperature and relative humidity. The surface level concentration monitored by AirBeam will becompared with atmospheric concentration of PM 2.5 that are monitored at the NOAA CREST facility onCCNY campus. The lower atmospheric values will be correlated with street level values to assess thevalidity of using of lower atmospheric values to predict street level concentrations. The street levelconcentration will be compared to the air quality forecasted by the New York Department ofEnvironment Conservation to estimate its accuracy and applicability.

Video-based real-time on-street parking occupancy detection system

Science.gov (United States)

Bulan, Orhan; Loce, Robert P.; Wu, Wencheng; Wang, YaoRong; Bernal, Edgar A.; Fan, Zhigang

2013-10-01

Urban parking management is receiving significant attention due to its potential to reduce traffic congestion, fuel consumption, and emissions. Real-time parking occupancy detection is a critical component of on-street parking management systems, where occupancy information is relayed to drivers via smart phone apps, radio, Internet, on-road signs, or global positioning system auxiliary signals. Video-based parking occupancy detection systems can provide a cost-effective solution to the sensing task while providing additional functionality for traffic law enforcement and surveillance. We present a video-based on-street parking occupancy detection system that can operate in real time. Our system accounts for the inherent challenges that exist in on-street parking settings, including illumination changes, rain, shadows, occlusions, and camera motion. Our method utilizes several components from video processing and computer vision for motion detection, background subtraction, and vehicle detection. We also present three traffic law enforcement applications: parking angle violation detection, parking boundary violation detection, and exclusion zone violation detection, which can be integrated into the parking occupancy cameras as a value-added option. Our experimental results show that the proposed parking occupancy detection method performs in real-time at 5 frames/s and achieves better than 90% detection accuracy across several days of videos captured in a busy street block under various weather conditions such as sunny, cloudy, and rainy, among others.

Citygml and the Streets of New York - a Proposal for Detailed Street Space Modelling

Science.gov (United States)

Beil, C.; Kolbe, T. H.

2017-10-01

Three-dimensional semantic city models are increasingly used for the analysis of large urban areas. Until now the focus has mostly been on buildings. Nonetheless many applications could also benefit from detailed models of public street space for further analysis. However, there are only few guidelines for representing roads within city models. Therefore, related standards dealing with street modelling are examined and discussed. Nearly all street representations are based on linear abstractions. However, there are many use cases that require or would benefit from the detailed geometrical and semantic representation of street space. A variety of potential applications for detailed street space models are presented. Subsequently, based on related standards as well as on user requirements, a concept for a CityGML-compliant representation of street space in multiple levels of detail is developed. In the course of this process, the CityGML Transportation model of the currently valid OGC standard CityGML2.0 is examined to discover possibilities for further developments. Moreover, a number of improvements are presented. Finally, based on open data sources, the proposed concept is implemented within a semantic 3D city model of New York City generating a detailed 3D street space model for the entire city. As a result, 11 thematic classes, such as roadbeds, sidewalks or traffic islands are generated and enriched with a large number of thematic attributes.

A geographic approach to modelling human exposure to traffic air pollution using GIS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Solvang Jensen, S.

1998-10-01

A new exposure model has been developed that is based on a physical, single media (air) and single source (traffic) micro environmental approach that estimates traffic related exposures geographically with the postal address as exposure indicator. The micro environments: residence, workplace and street (road user exposure) may be considered. The model estimates outdoor levels for selected ambient air pollutants (benzene, CO, NO{sub 2} and O{sub 3}). The influence of outdoor air pollution on indoor levels can be estimated using average (I/O-ratios. The model has a very high spatial resolution (the address), a high temporal resolution (one hour) and may be used to predict past, present and future exposures. The model may be used for impact assessment of control measures provided that the changes to the model inputs are obtained. The exposure model takes advantage of a standard Geographic Information System (GIS) (ArcView and Avenue) for generation of inputs, for visualisation of input and output, and uses available digital maps, national administrative registers and a local traffic database, and the Danish Operational Street Pollution Model (OSPM). The exposure model presents a new approach to exposure determination by integration of digital maps, administrative registers, a street pollution model and GIS. New methods have been developed to generate the required input parameters for the OSPM model: to geocode buildings using cadastral maps and address points, to automatically generate street configuration data based on digital maps, the BBR and GIS; to predict the temporal variation in traffic and related parameters; and to provide hourly background levels for the OSPM model. (EG) 109 refs.

Establishing a link between vehicular PM sources and PM measurements in urban street canyons.

Science.gov (United States)

Eisner, Alfred D; Richmond-Bryant, Jennifer; Wiener, Russell W; Hahn, Intaek; Drake-Richman, Zora E; Ellenson, William D

2009-12-01

The Brooklyn Traffic Real-Time Ambient Pollutant Penetration and Environmental Dispersion (B-TRAPPED) study, conducted in Brooklyn, NY, USA, in 2005, was designed with multiple goals in mind, two of which were contaminant source characterization and street canyon transport and dispersion monitoring. In the portion of the study described here, synchronized wind velocity and azimuth as well as particulate matter (PM) concentrations at multiple locations along 33rd Street were used to determine the feasibility of using traffic emissions in a complex urban topography as a sole tracer for studying urban contaminant transport. We demonstrate in this paper that it is possible to link downwind concentrations of contaminants in an urban street canyon to the vehicular traffic cycle using Eigen-frequency analysis. In addition, multivariable circular histograms are used to establish directional frequency maxima for wind velocity and contaminant concentration.

Traveler oriented traffic performance metrics using real time traffic data from the Midtown-in-Motion (MIM) project in Manhattan, NY.

Science.gov (United States)

2013-10-01

In a congested urban street network the average traffic speed is an inadequate metric for measuring : speed changes that drivers can perceive from changes in traffic control strategies. : A driver oriented metric is needed. Stop frequency distrib...

The status of preventive behaviors in traffic accidents in junior high school students in Isfahan

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Leila Hosseini

2014-01-01

Conclusions: According to the results obtained, the majority of students walk to school and have the lowest practice score in this respect. It is recommended that as the first step, students be given necessary road traffic rules training, particularly how to cross the street.

Everyday Ageing in Copenhagen

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Stald-Bolow, Nina Rose; Malmborg, Lone; Brandt, Eva

2015-01-01

Senior life in Copenhagen is lived in numerous ways. Through three seniors' stories from their everyday life, we give an insight into this diversity. We lookig into how they imagine a good senior life can unfold in Copenhagen today. The three senior lives portrayed here were part of the everyday ...

Everyday ageing in Copenhagen

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Stald-Bolow, Nina Rose; Malmborg, Lone; Brandt, Eva

2015-01-01

Senior life in Copenhagen is lived in numerous ways. Through three seniors' stories from their everyday life, we give an insight into this diversity. We lookig into how they imagine a good senior life can unfold in Copenhagen today. The three senior lives portrayed here were part of the everyday ...

Individuals with severely impaired vision can learn useful orientation and mobility skills in virtual streets and can use them to improve real street safety.

Science.gov (United States)

Bowman, Ellen Lambert; Liu, Lei

2017-01-01

Virtual reality has great potential in training road safety skills to individuals with low vision but the feasibility of such training has not been demonstrated. We tested the hypotheses that low vision individuals could learn useful skills in virtual streets and could apply them to improve real street safety. Twelve participants, whose vision was too poor to use the pedestrian signals were taught by a certified orientation and mobility specialist to determine the safest time to cross the street using the visual and auditory signals made by the start of previously stopped cars at a traffic-light controlled street intersection. Four participants were trained in real streets and eight in virtual streets presented on 3 projection screens. The crossing timing of all participants was evaluated in real streets before and after training. The participants were instructed to say "GO" at the time when they felt the safest to cross the street. A safety score was derived to quantify the GO calls based on its occurrence in the pedestrian phase (when the pedestrian sign did not show DON'T WALK). Before training, > 50% of the GO calls from all participants fell in the DON'T WALK phase of the traffic cycle and thus were totally unsafe. 20% of the GO calls fell in the latter half of the pedestrian phase. These calls were unsafe because one initiated crossing this late might not have sufficient time to walk across the street. After training, 90% of the GO calls fell in the early half of the pedestrian phase. These calls were safer because one initiated crossing in the pedestrian phase and had at least half of the pedestrian phase for walking across. Similar safety changes occurred in both virtual street and real street trained participants. An ANOVA showed a significant increase of the safety scores after training and there was no difference in this safety improvement between the virtual street and real street trained participants. This study demonstrated that virtual reality

Estimation of air quality improvement at road and street intersections

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hoeglund, P.G. [Royal Inst. of Technology, Stockholm (Sweden). Traffic and Transport Planning

1995-12-31

There has always been a very great problem to quantify the detrimental exhaust air pollution related to the traffic flow, especially at road and street intersections. Until now model calculations have been developed mainly for the links between the intersections. In an attempt to remedy this situation the author has developed a method of estimating emissions on the micro level from motor vehicles at intersections as a help for infrastructural design related to improved environmental conditions. Very parsimonious knowledge exists regarding the deceleration and acceleration patterns at road- and street intersections. Not many surveys are done neither in Sweden nor within other countries. Evidently, the need for knowledge regarding deceleration and acceleration behaviour on the micro level has until now not been given priority. In traffic safety related research studies have been done describing the drivers` deceleration and acceleration behaviour and the vehicles` braking performance. Those results give deceleration data for extreme situations and are not useful for describing normal decelerations and accelerations at road- and street intersections. Environment related problems within the traffic flow analysis are now accentuating the need for the studying of special deceleration and acceleration behaviours in combination with an alternative design of the road and street infrastructure. There is a big difference in different vehicles` amount of emitted exhaust pollutions during the passing of intersections depending on the vehicles` speed levels related to their deceleration and acceleration levels. (author)

Estimation of air quality improvement at road and street intersections

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hoeglund, P G [Royal Inst. of Technology, Stockholm (Sweden). Traffic and Transport Planning

1996-12-31

There has always been a very great problem to quantify the detrimental exhaust air pollution related to the traffic flow, especially at road and street intersections. Until now model calculations have been developed mainly for the links between the intersections. In an attempt to remedy this situation the author has developed a method of estimating emissions on the micro level from motor vehicles at intersections as a help for infrastructural design related to improved environmental conditions. Very parsimonious knowledge exists regarding the deceleration and acceleration patterns at road- and street intersections. Not many surveys are done neither in Sweden nor within other countries. Evidently, the need for knowledge regarding deceleration and acceleration behaviour on the micro level has until now not been given priority. In traffic safety related research studies have been done describing the drivers` deceleration and acceleration behaviour and the vehicles` braking performance. Those results give deceleration data for extreme situations and are not useful for describing normal decelerations and accelerations at road- and street intersections. Environment related problems within the traffic flow analysis are now accentuating the need for the studying of special deceleration and acceleration behaviours in combination with an alternative design of the road and street infrastructure. There is a big difference in different vehicles` amount of emitted exhaust pollutions during the passing of intersections depending on the vehicles` speed levels related to their deceleration and acceleration levels. (author)

[Investigation of heavy metal and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons contamination in street dusts in urban Beijing].

Science.gov (United States)

Xiang, Li; Li, Ying-Xia; Shi, Jiang-Hong; Liu, Jing-Ling

2010-01-01

This paper investigated the contamination levels of heavy metal and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in street dusts in different functional areas in urban Beijing. Results show that the mean concentrations of Cd, Hg, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn in street dusts in Beijing are 710 ng/g, 307 ng/g, 85.0 microg/g, 78.3 microg/g, 41.1 microg/g, 69.6 microg/g and 248.5 microg/g, respectively, which are significantly lower than those in most cities around the world and Shenyang, Shanghai in China. The mean concentration of Sigma 16PAHs in street dusts in Beijing is 0.398 microg/g, which is also lower than those of Handan, Tianjin and Shanghai. Non-parametric Friedman test demonstrates significant differences of heavy metal contents on street dusts from different functional zones. Street dusts in residential area and parks have lower heavy metal and PAHs concentrations than the street dusts from areas of high traffic density. The concentrations of heavy metals follow the order Zn > Cr > Cu > Pb > Ni > Cd > Hg, which is consistent with the situation in other cities around the world. The geoaccumulation index analysis shows that street dust in urban Beijing is moderately polluted by Cd, Zn and Cu, little polluted by Cr and Pb and practically unpolluted by Ni. The contamination levels of Sigma 16PAHs on street dusts vary greatly in different functional zones with parks little polluted, residential areas moderately to strongly polluted and traffic related areas strongly polluted to extremely polluted. Mass loading of heavy metals and PAHs is largely associated with street dusts of size range < 300 microm. Therefore, the urban sweeping vehicles should update the dust sweeping devices to remove not only the fine particle but also the coarser particles.

A geographic approach to modelling human exposure to traffic air pollution using GIS. Separate appendix report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Solvang Jensen, S.

1998-10-01

A new exposure model has been developed that is based on a physical, single media (air) and single source (traffic) micro environmental approach that estimates traffic related exposures geographically with the postal address as exposure indicator. The micro environments: residence, workplace and street (road user exposure) may be considered. The model estimates outdoor levels for selected ambient air pollutants (benzene, CO, NO{sub 2} and O{sub 3}). The influence of outdoor air pollution on indoor levels can be estimated using average (I/O-ratios. The model has a very high spatial resolution (the address), a high temporal resolution (one hour) and may be used to predict past, present and future exposures. The model may be used for impact assessment of control measures provided that the changes to the model inputs are obtained. The exposure model takes advantage of a standard Geographic Information System (GIS) (ArcView and Avenue) for generation of inputs, for visualisation of input and output, and uses available digital maps, national administrative registers and a local traffic database, and the Danish Operational Street Pollution Model (OSPM). The exposure model presents a new approach to exposure determination by integration of digital maps, administrative registers, a street pollution model and GIS. New methods have been developed to generate the required input parameters for the OSPM model: to geocode buildings using cadastral maps and address points, to automatically generate street configuration data based on digital maps, the BBR and GIS; to predict the temporal variation in traffic and related parameters; and to provide hourly background levels for the OSPM model. (EG)

Effective environmental factors on geographical distribution of traffic accidents on pedestrians, downtown Tehran city.

Science.gov (United States)

Moradi, Ali; Soori, Hamid; Kavousi, Amir; Eshghabadi, Farshid; Nematollahi, Shahrzad; Zeini, Salahdien

2017-01-01

In most countries, occurrence of traffic causalities is high in pedestrians. The aim of this study is to geographically analyze the traffic casualties in pedestrians in downtown Tehran city. The study population consisted of traffic injury accidents in pedestrians occurred during 2015 in Tehran city. Data were extracted from offices of traffic police and municipality. For analysis of environmental factors and site of accidents, ordinary least square regression models and geographically weighted regression were used. Fitness and performance of models were checked using the Akaike information criteria, Bayesian information criteria, deviance, and adjusted R 2 . Totally, 514 accidents were included in this study. Of them, site of accidents was arterial streets in 370 (71.9%) cases, collector streets in 133 cases (25.2%), and highways in 11 cases (2.1%). Geographical units of traffic accidents in pedestrians had statistically significant relationship with a number of bus stations, number of crossroads, and recreational areas. Distribution of injury traffic accidents in pedestrians is different in downtown Tehran city. Neighborhoods close to markets are considered as most dangerous neighborhoods for injury traffic accidents. Different environmental factors are involved in determining the distribution of these accidents. The health of pedestrians in Tehran city can be improved by proper traffic management, control of environmental factors, and educational programs.

Using Mobile Device Samples to Estimate Traffic Volumes

Science.gov (United States)

2017-12-01

In this project, TTI worked with StreetLight Data to evaluate a beta version of its traffic volume estimates derived from global positioning system (GPS)-based mobile devices. TTI evaluated the accuracy of average annual daily traffic (AADT) volume :...

POLE-LIKE STREET FURNITURE DECOMPOSTION IN MOBILE LASER SCANNING DATA

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F. Li

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Automatic semantic interpretation of street furniture has become a popular topic in recent years. Current studies detect street furniture as connected components of points above the street level. Street furniture classification based on properties of such components suffers from large intra class variability of shapes and cannot deal with mixed classes like traffic signs attached to light poles. In this paper, we focus on the decomposition of point clouds of pole-like street furniture. A novel street furniture decomposition method is proposed, which consists of three steps: (i acquirement of prior-knowledge, (ii pole extraction, (iii components separation. For the pole extraction, a novel global pole extraction approach is proposed to handle 3 different cases of street furniture. In the evaluation of results, which involves the decomposition of 27 different instances of street furniture, we demonstrate that our method decomposes mixed classes street furniture into poles and different components with respect to different functionalities.

Pole-Like Street Furniture Decompostion in Mobile Laser Scanning Data

Science.gov (United States)

Li, F.; Oude Elberink, S.; Vosselman, G.

2016-06-01

Automatic semantic interpretation of street furniture has become a popular topic in recent years. Current studies detect street furniture as connected components of points above the street level. Street furniture classification based on properties of such components suffers from large intra class variability of shapes and cannot deal with mixed classes like traffic signs attached to light poles. In this paper, we focus on the decomposition of point clouds of pole-like street furniture. A novel street furniture decomposition method is proposed, which consists of three steps: (i) acquirement of prior-knowledge, (ii) pole extraction, (iii) components separation. For the pole extraction, a novel global pole extraction approach is proposed to handle 3 different cases of street furniture. In the evaluation of results, which involves the decomposition of 27 different instances of street furniture, we demonstrate that our method decomposes mixed classes street furniture into poles and different components with respect to different functionalities.

Lasting effects of short-term training on preschoolers' street-crossing behavior.

Science.gov (United States)

Albert, Rachel R; Dolgin, Kim G

2010-03-01

Can short-term training improve preschoolers' knowledge of road-crossing concepts as well as behavior in a real traffic situation? Forty children, aged four to five years, were assigned to one of four conditions (game, story, song, and control). Each condition participated in four 15-min classroom-based lessons over four weeks. Two assessments measuring knowledge of street-crossing concepts and one assessment measuring behavior on a real street were used to evaluate performance at baseline and one week and six months post-training. Children in all three experimental conditions showed a significant improvement over the control on the two conceptual assessments. Only children in the game condition significantly improved their behavior on the street-crossing assessment. Furthermore, children in all three experimental conditions retained the same levels of improvement at the six-month follow-up. These results demonstrate that one hour of training can create lasting improvements on preschool children's conceptual knowledge of traffic safety and road-crossing behavior on a real street. Copyright 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Noxious substances in the air - traffic planning measures - traffic of the future

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Koestenberger, H

1985-01-01

Necessary bundle of measures: Extension of public transport and restriction of individual traffic, extension and activation of large main roads (by-passes) to unload inhabited areas, building garages, creation of residential streets, pedestrian precincts and cycle paths. The best possible traffic system can only be achieved if all means of transport are used efficiently. It is the duty of traffic planners to develop an overall traffic system with the aims of benefiting the whole community. Due to wrong slowing down of traffic, the reduction of emitted quantities of noxious substances from private cars can be counteracted by general slowing down of traffic; frequent braking and restarting. The functional separation of residential areas for living, areas for working, supply, education and leisure pursuits which has been aimed at in recent decades must be slowly changed. This could reduce the traffic and mobility (mixed functions). The aims for traffic of the future are: suitability for the environment, economy, safety and capacity. In an integrated road network, the traffic must take over the correct purpose of traffic. (orig.).

Improving urban visibility through fractal analysis of street edges: The case of John Evans Atta Mills High Street in Accra, Ghana

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R.A. Oppong

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Streets are a representation of cities, and the image of a city is a reflection of its home country. Although attempts to ensure harmonious spatial and environmental development in Ghanaian settlements date back to the colonial era, these efforts have minimal physical manifestation in the urban fabric of the city of Accra. The Independence Arch of Ghana, an important landmark in the urban fabric and history of Accra, lacks the striking vista and approach it deserves. This paper introduces the use of fractal analysis of street edges to understand the characteristics of the John Evans Atta Mills (JEAM High Street for developing recommendations to improve visibility along its stretch and the overall image of the city. The box-counting method with visual survey was used in research. The pertinent questions this paper seeks to address are as follows: What factors affect the visibility and imageability of JEAM High Street? What design aspects should be considered to improve urban visibility along JEAM High Street? What is the link of fractals to urban design and architecture? The paper recommends various design considerations and qualities to improve the urban visibility and imageability of JEAM High Street.

Using Traffic Conflict Method in Evaluating Traffic Safety at the Reconstructed Intersection

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Zdravko Bukljaš

2002-05-01

Full Text Available As part of organised social system, traffic is subjected togeneral social tendency towards adequate safety and sustainabilityof relations in such a system, probabilistically marked bythe risk of danger. Inte1polation of subjective factor facilitatesthe occwTence of negative phenomena. Road traffic system ischaracterised by extremely massive participation in traffic, contributingthus to a greater possibility of negative features characteristicfor imperfect human mechanism. This is precisely thereason why this paper deals with the problem of traffic safety onthe concrete example of the intersection between the SavskaStreet and the Slavonska and LjubljanskaAvenues over the periodof time prior to constmcting the new unde1pass solution,and the period of time immediately after the construction workswere completed. The used data have been provided by the TrafficPolice Department - Lucko.

An open-terrain line source model coupled with street-canyon effects to forecast carbon monoxide at traffic roundabout.

Science.gov (United States)

Pandian, Suresh; Gokhale, Sharad; Ghoshal, Aloke Kumar

2011-02-15

A double-lane four-arm roundabout, where traffic movement is continuous in opposite directions and at different speeds, produces a zone responsible for recirculation of emissions within a road section creating canyon-type effect. In this zone, an effect of thermally induced turbulence together with vehicle wake dominates over wind driven turbulence causing pollutant emission to flow within, resulting into more or less equal amount of pollutants upwind and downwind particularly during low winds. Beyond this region, however, the effect of winds becomes stronger, causing downwind movement of pollutants. Pollutant dispersion caused by such phenomenon cannot be described accurately by open-terrain line source model alone. This is demonstrated by estimating one-minute average carbon monoxide concentration by coupling an open-terrain line source model with a street canyon model which captures the combine effect to describe the dispersion at non-signalized roundabout. The results of the modeling matched well with the measurements compared with the line source model alone and the prediction error reduced by about 50%. The study further demonstrated this with traffic emissions calculated by field and semi-empirical methods. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Pollutant Concentrations in Street Canyons of Different Aspect Ratio with Avenues of Trees for Various Wind Directions

Science.gov (United States)

Gromke, Christof; Ruck, Bodo

2012-07-01

This study summarizes the effects of avenues of trees in urban street canyons on traffic pollutant dispersion. We describe various wind-tunnel experiments with different tree-avenue models in combination with variations in street-canyon aspect ratio W/ H (with W the street-canyon width and H the building height) and approaching wind direction. Compared to tree-free street canyons, in general, higher pollutant concentrations are found. Avenues of trees do not suppress canyon vortices, although the air ventilation in canyons is hindered significantly. For a perpendicular wind direction, increases in wall-average and wall-maximum concentrations at the leeward canyon wall and decreases in wall-average concentrations at the windward wall are found. For oblique and perpendicular wind directions, increases at both canyon walls are obtained. The strongest effects of avenues of trees on traffic pollutant dispersion are observed for oblique wind directions for which also the largest concentrations at the canyon walls are found. Thus, the prevailing assumption that attributes the most harmful dispersion conditions to a perpendicular wind direction does not hold for street canyons with avenues of trees. Furthermore, following dimensional analysis, an estimate of the normalized wall-maximum traffic pollutant concentration in street canyons with avenues of trees is derived.

Street-level Bureaucrats Coping with Conflicts in Area-based Initiatives in Copenhagen and Malmö

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Agger, Annika; Poulsen, Birgitte

2017-01-01

in practice. The contribution of the article, therefore, is to offer an empirical account of what kind of conflicts and coping strategies SLBs use in their everyday practices. The article is based on a study of 16 SLBs in area-based initiatives (ABIs) in Malmö and Copenhagen. By zooming in on ‘microlevel...... on how SLBs deal with conflicts or the tensions they face mediating between different actors and institutional logics. This article shows how the scholarly literature identifies new and more interactive roles for SLBs, but notes that many of these descriptions are unable to unfold what they imply...

Street floods in Metro Manila and possible solutions.

Science.gov (United States)

Lagmay, Alfredo Mahar; Mendoza, Jerico; Cipriano, Fatima; Delmendo, Patricia Anne; Lacsamana, Micah Nieves; Moises, Marc Anthony; Pellejera, Nicanor; Punay, Kenneth Niño; Sabio, Glenn; Santos, Laurize; Serrano, Jonathan; Taniza, Herbert James; Tingin, Neil Eneri

2017-09-01

Urban floods from thunderstorms cause severe problems in Metro Manila due to road traffic. Using Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR)-derived topography, flood simulations and anecdotal reports, the root of surface flood problems in Metro Manila is identified. Majority of flood-prone areas are along the intersection of creeks and streets located in topographic lows. When creeks overflow or when rapidly accumulated street flood does not drain fast enough to the nearest stream channel, the intersecting road also gets flooded. Possible solutions include the elevation of roads or construction of well-designed drainage structures leading to the creeks. Proposed solutions to the flood problem of Metro Manila may avoid paralyzing traffic problems due to short-lived rain events, which according to Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) cost the Philippine economy 2.4billionpesos/day. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Characterization of traffic-generated pollutants in Bucharest

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Raducan, G. [University of Bucharest, Faculty of Physics, Department of Atmospheric Physics, Magurele, Bucharest (Romania)]. E-mail: gabi_raducan@yahoo.com; Stefan, S. [University of Bucharest, Faculty of Physics, Department of Atmospheric Physics, Magurele, Bucharest (Romania)

2009-01-15

European Union Council directive 96/62/EC on ambient air quality assessment and management requires the development of action plans for zones where the concentrations of pollutants in ambient air exceed limit values. In the urban areas the limit values are exceeded, especially due to the traffic. In this paper, we analyzed the temporal variability levels of concentration of NO{sub X}, O{sub 3} and SO{sub 2} in two street canyons. The distribution of concentrations proves that traffic is the most important source of NO{sub X}, this pollutant being emitted during running of the vehicle engines. The level of pollution within U2 street is 25% less than U1 street, even though the measured traffic within U2 street is 50% less than within U1 street. This happen because the streets geometry and locations are different. [Spanish] La directiva 96/62/EC del Consejo de la Union Europea sobre determinacion y manejo de la calidad del aire ambiental establece que deben existir planes de accion para las zonas donde la concentracion de contaminantes excede los valores limite. En las areas urbanas dichos valores limite se rebasan en especial debido al trafico. En este trabajo analizamos la variabilidad temporal de los niveles de concentracion de NO{sub X}, O{sub 3} y SO{sub 2} en dos canones urbanos. La distribucion de las concentraciones demuestra que el trafico es la fuente mas importante de NO{sub X}, contaminante que se emite por la operacion de los motores vehiculares. El nivel de contaminacion en la calle U2 es 25% menor que el de la calle U1, aun cuando el trafico cuantificado en la calle U2 es 50% menor que el de la U1. Esto se debe a que la geometria y la ubicacion de las calles es diferente.

The relationship between high street footfall, attraction and conversion

OpenAIRE

Graham, CD

2016-01-01

The three critical measures of retail performance are often suggested to be “location, location, location”. However this generalisation, like many others in the literature, is of little practical use without underpinning empirical evidence. At a time when high streets find themselves under pressure from emerging omni-channel shopping behaviours, now more than ever retail managers need reliable performance benchmarks and comparators. We report findings from a mass observation of high street sh...

Copenhagen School of Entrepreneurship

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Austin, Robert D.; Minbaeva, Dana; Dimokopoulos, Demetra

2017-01-01

In 2015, the Copenhagen School of Entrepreneurship (CSE), the largest business incubator in Denmark, was admitting 100–125 new start-ups each year and attracting external funding of US$33 million from both public and private sources—all with an annual budget of US$435,000, funded exclusively by t...... to question how they measured the benefits of the program. How should the 53 per cent success rate be compared to the Copenhagen Business School's investment? What changes could the CSE leadership make to create more value for Danish society?......In 2015, the Copenhagen School of Entrepreneurship (CSE), the largest business incubator in Denmark, was admitting 100–125 new start-ups each year and attracting external funding of US$33 million from both public and private sources—all with an annual budget of US$435,000, funded exclusively...... by the Copenhagen Business School. Like most business incubators, CSE worked to provide entrepreneurs with training, mentorship, and investors, and to enhance their visibility in the market. It required all admitted start-ups to participate in a screening/selection tool and a set of incubation activities over three...

Bicyclists’ preferences for route characteristics and crowding in Copenhagen

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Vedel, Suzanne Elizabeth; Jacobsen, Jette Bredahl; Skov-Petersen, Hans

2017-01-01

longer to avoid routes with many stops. The most attractive road environment is a segregated path only for cyclists closely followed by shopping street. Looking into heterogeneity, we find that people who own a car have less disutility of cycling additional distance. The results may support future......Cycling as a mode of transportation is increasingly being advocated due to the many positive effects it has on people's health, the environment and to counteract increasing congestion on the transportation infrastructure. There is a long tradition of using cycling as a mode of transportation among...... the Danish public and this is widespread across people with different socio-demographic characteristics. Copenhagen has an extensive network of cycling facilities and is often used as a role model for other large cities when developing cycling facilities. This setting provides a unique basis...

Exploiting Spatial Abstraction in Predictive Analytics of Vehicle Traffic

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Natalia Andrienko

2015-04-01

Full Text Available By applying visual analytics techniques to vehicle traffic data, we found a way to visualize and study the relationships between the traffic intensity and movement speed on links of a spatially abstracted transportation network. We observed that the traffic intensities and speeds in an abstracted network are interrelated in the same way as they are in a detailed street network at the level of street segments. We developed interactive visual interfaces that support representing these interdependencies by mathematical models. To test the possibility of utilizing them for performing traffic simulations on the basis of abstracted transportation networks, we devised a prototypical simulation algorithm employing these dependency models. The algorithm is embedded in an interactive visual environment for defining traffic scenarios, running simulations, and exploring their results. Our research demonstrates a principal possibility of performing traffic simulations on the basis of spatially abstracted transportation networks using dependency models derived from real traffic data. This possibility needs to be comprehensively investigated and tested in collaboration with transportation domain specialists.

Bicycle traffic in urban areas

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Anđelković Zorica

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Cycling is a term describing the use of bicycles, but also any mean of transport driven solely by human power. Development of bicycle traffic in urban areas involves construction of cycling infrastructure, adapting streets and other traffic infrastructure to a form suitable for cycling and other means of transport (individual motorized traffic, public transport, walking, ensuring the adequate budget and systematic planning and development of sustainable transport in cities. The paper presents basic settings and conditions as input elements to plan bicycle traffic in urban areas, as well as program- design conditions which lead the activities of planners and designers of urban roads in connection with cyclists.

Pro CSS for High Traffic Websites

CERN Document Server

Kennedy, A

2011-01-01

Although web standards-based websites can scale effectively - and basic CSS will give you basic results - there are considerations and obstacles that high traffic websites must face to keep your development and hosting costs to a minimum. There are many tips and tricks, as well as down-to-earth best practice information, to make sure that everything runs quickly and efficiently with the minimum amount of fuss or developer intervention. Targeted at "high traffic" websites - those receiving over 10,000 unique visitors a day - Pro CSS for High Traffic Websites gives you inside informati

Crisis in the Resurgent City? The Rise of Copenhagen

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andersen, Hans Thor; Winther, Lars

2010-01-01

Copenhagen today appears to be a resurgent city and city region. It came back to life in the mid-1990s and, until recently, has shown marked growth in key variables such as jobs, income and inhabitants, primarily as a result of the rise and spatial dynamics of its service- and knowledge-based eco......Copenhagen today appears to be a resurgent city and city region. It came back to life in the mid-1990s and, until recently, has shown marked growth in key variables such as jobs, income and inhabitants, primarily as a result of the rise and spatial dynamics of its service- and knowledge......-based economy. Its resurgence is also evident in the central municipalities that 20 years ago struggled with the repercussions of a long-term urban crisis. Financially, the central city was almost doomed in the late 1980s and early 1990s, and the city of Copenhagen was close to bankruptcy. Central......-city development was characterized by a set of eroding processes that included de-industrialization, suburbanization, high unemployment rates, high welfare costs, an outdated housing market, strong segregation and various other factors. Copenhagen city and its city region have now been revitalized and today...

Empirical Study of How Traffic Intensity Detector Parameters Influence Dynamic Street Lighting Energy Consumption: A Case Study in Krakow, Poland

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Igor Wojnicki

2018-04-01

Full Text Available The deployment of dynamic street lighting, which adjusts lighting levels to fulfill particular needs, leads to energy savings. These savings contribute to the overall lighting infrastructure maintenance cost. Yet another contribution is the cost of traffic intensity data. The data is read directly from sensor systems or intelligent transportation systems (ITSs. The more frequent the readings are, the more costly they become, because of hardware capabilities, data transfer and software license costs, among others. The paper investigates a relationship between the frequency of readings, in particular the averaging window size and step, and achieved energy savings. It is based on a simulation, taking into account a representative part of a city and traffic intensity data, which span over a period of one year. While the energy consumption reduction is simulated, all data, including each luminaire power setting, induction loop locations and street characteristics, come from a representative sample of the city of Krakow, Poland. Controlling the power settings complies with the lighting standard CEN/TR 13201. Analysis of the outcomes indicates that the shorter the window size or step are, the more energy saving that is available. In particular, for the previous standard CEN/TR 13201 2004, having the window size and step at 15 min results in 26.75% of energy saving, while reducing these values to 6 min provides 27%. Savings are more profound for the current standard (CEN/TR 13201 2014, assuming a 15 min size and step results in 47.43%, while having a 6 min size and step provides 47.69%. The results can serve as a guideline for identifying the economic viability of dynamic lighting control systems. Additionally, it can be observed that the current lighting standard provides far greater potential for dynamic control then the previous standard.

Understanding high traffic injury risks for children in low socioeconomic areas: a qualitative study of parents' views.

Science.gov (United States)

Christie, N; Ward, H; Kimberlee, R; Towner, E; Sleney, J

2007-12-01

To gain an in-depth qualitative understanding of parents' views about their children's exposure to road traffic injury risk in low socioeconomic areas. Focus groups facilitated by a moderator with content analysis of data. Focus groups were conducted in 10 low socioeconomic English districts that also have high rates of child pedestrian injury. Research was conducted in community venues within each area. Parents of children aged 9-14 years living in low socioeconomic areas. Parents believe that children play in their local streets for the following reasons: they like playing out with friends near home; there are few safe, secure, and well-maintained public spaces for children; children are excluded from affordable leisure venues because of their costs; insufficient parental responsibility. For children that play in the street, the key sources of risk identified by parents were: illegal riding and driving around estates and on the pavements; the speed and volume of traffic; illegal parking; drivers being poorly informed about where children play; children's risk-taking behavior. Intervention programs need to take into account multiple reasons why children in low socioeconomic areas become exposed to hazardous environments thereby increasing their risk of injury. Multi-agency partnerships involving the community are increasingly needed to implement traditional road safety approaches, such as education, engineering, and enforcement, and provide safe and accessible public space, affordable activities for children, and greater support for parents.

Estimation of Bimodal Urban Link Travel Time Distribution and Its Applications in Traffic Analysis

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Yuxiong Ji

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Vehicles travelling on urban streets are heavily influenced by traffic signal controls, pedestrian crossings, and conflicting traffic from cross streets, which would result in bimodal travel time distributions, with one mode corresponding to travels without delays and the other travels with delays. A hierarchical Bayesian bimodal travel time model is proposed to capture the interrupted nature of urban traffic flows. The travel time distributions obtained from the proposed model are then considered to analyze traffic operations and estimate travel time distribution in real time. The advantage of the proposed bimodal model is demonstrated using empirical data, and the results are encouraging.

Crossing Behaviour of Pedestrians Along Urban Streets in Malaysia

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Al Bargi Walid A.

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Road crossings are considered as an unavoidable part of walking in which the desirable route of pedestrians interacts with vehicles. These interactions may expose the pedestrians to risks or delays. In Malaysia, road accident statistics show that pedestrian casualties are fairly high. Inappropriate gap acceptance when pedestrians cross roads is a main contributing element to this situation. In this context, the purpose of this study was to develop realistic models for pedestrian road crossing behaviour using the regression technique for mid-block street crossing. A choice model was produced to capture the decision making process of pedestrians whereas rejected or accepted vehicular gaps was based on the discrete choice theory. Gap acceptance data under real mix traffic conditions was collected using video camera on a typical unsignalised two lane one way urban street section in the city center of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The lognormal regression model developed for the crossing behaviour model shows that traffic speed, pedestrian waiting time, gender, crossing distance, age group, frequency of attempts and pedestrian number are the significant factors which are able to predict 77.0% of variance or changes in accepted gap size at 0.05 significance level. Higher traffic speed, lower waiting time, being a male, wider crossing distance, older age group, lower frequency of attempts and higher number of pedestrian were found to influence pedestrians to accept a bigger gap size. The binary logistic regression developed for the crossing choice model was found to be influenced by traffic speed, driver yield, pedestrian number and age group. Furthermore, lower traffic speed, willingness of drivers to slow down, more pedestrian crossings at the same time and a younger age group lead to a higher chance or probability of crossing roads. The model was validated again using 100 isolated samples and an accuracy of 98% was obtained compared to the calibrated

Miscasting, TV adaptation inhibit 'Copenhagen' drama

CERN Multimedia

Winn, S

2002-01-01

Review of a television adaptation of the play 'Copenhagen', produced by Howard Davies for PBS, USA . The play speculates on the real reason that Werner Heisenberg came to see Niels Bohr in Copenhagen in 1941 (1 page).

A Comparison of Traffic Operations among Beijing and Several International Megacities

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Yuanzhou Yang

2011-12-01

Full Text Available High-Efficient traffic system is very important for economy and society of cities. Previous studies on the traffic comparison mostly took a city as a whole, but ignored the differences among areas inside the city. But in fact, the traffic congestion in different areas with a city is mostly different. Taking typical mega cities like Beijing, London, New York, and Tokyo as objects, this paper makes cross-comparison in the traffic operation and performance based on intelligent algorithm. Transportation infrastructure and travel demand data are discussed and unbalanced transport system is found in Beijing because of the conflict between too much traffic demand and defect road networks. From the aspects of traffic load, operational efficiency and safety, indexes including traffic v/c ratio, average vehicle speed and accident rate are selected to assess the performance of road traffic. It is concluded that road networks of Beijing have the worst performance compared with other three mega-cities and the primary reasons are the inappropriate distribution of utilization rate among the freeways, arterials, and local streets, and the high traffic concentration in urban area. So, several measures are recommended to improve the operation efficiency of traffic in Beijing especially for the green intelligent traffic system. Keywords: Traffic operation; Operational efficiency; Intelligent traffic system (ITS; Traffic load; traffic safety; Intelligent algorithm.

Numerical Simulation for a Three-Dimensional Air Pollution Measurement Model in a Heavy Traffic Area under the Bangkok Sky Train Platform

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Kewalee Suebyat

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Air pollutant levels in Bangkok are generally high in street tunnels. They are particularly elevated in almost closed street tunnels such as an area under the Bangkok sky train platform with high traffic volume where dispersion is limited. There are no air quality measurement stations in the vicinity, while the human population is high. In this research, the numerical simulation is used to measure the air pollutant levels. The three-dimensional air pollution measurement model in a heavy traffic area under the Bangkok sky train platform is proposed. The finite difference techniques are employed to approximate the modelled solutions. The vehicle air pollutant emission due to the high traffic volume is mathematically assumed by the pollutant sources term. The simulation is also considered in averaged and moving pollutant sources due to manner vehicle emission. The proposed approximated air pollutant concentration indicators can be replaced by user required gaseous pollutants indices such as NOx, SO2, CO, and PM2.5.

pH in exhaled breath condensate and nasal lavage as a biomarker of air pollution-related inflammation in street traffic-controllers and office-workers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Thamires Marques de Lima

2013-12-01

Full Text Available OBJECTIVE: To utilize low-cost and simple methods to assess airway and lung inflammation biomarkers related to air pollution. METHODS: A total of 87 male, non-smoking, healthy subjects working as street traffic-controllers or office-workers were examined to determine carbon monoxide in exhaled breath and to measure the pH in nasal lavage fluid and exhaled breath condensate. Air pollution exposure was measured by particulate matter concentration, and data were obtained from fixed monitoring stations (8-h work intervals per day, during the 5 consecutive days prior to the study. RESULTS: Exhaled carbon monoxide was two-fold greater in traffic-controllers than in office-workers. The mean pH values were 8.12 in exhaled breath condensate and 7.99 in nasal lavage fluid in office-workers; these values were lower in traffic-controllers (7.80 and 7.30, respectively. Both groups presented similar cytokines concentrations in both substrates, however, IL-1β and IL-8 were elevated in nasal lavage fluid compared with exhaled breath condensate. The particulate matter concentration was greater at the workplace of traffic-controllers compared with that of office-workers. CONCLUSION: The pH values of nasal lavage fluid and exhaled breath condensate are important, robust, easy to measure and reproducible biomarkers that can be used to monitor occupational exposure to air pollution. Additionally, traffic-controllers are at an increased risk of airway and lung inflammation during their occupational activities compared with office-workers.

Designed technological systems: the cases of urban transportation in Copenhagen and Bogotá

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pineda, Andres Felipe Valderrama

accomplished in two different parts of the planet: in the city of Bogotá, in Colombia, the first mass bus rapid transit system was designed, built and put into operation becoming the most visible icon of a great urban transformation of the 7 million inhabitants metropolis; in the city of Copenhagen, in Denmark...... is that a problem that has been traditionally conceptualized in technical terms (transportation engineering, transportation economics, planning theory, traffic engineering, urban planning, etc.), has tremendous consequences in the life of cities and citizens. Thus a problem that is often outlined in technical terms...

Traffic intensity monitoring using multiple object detection with traffic surveillance cameras

Science.gov (United States)

Hamdan, H. G. Muhammad; Khalifah, O. O.

2017-11-01

Object detection and tracking is a field of research that has many applications in the current generation with increasing number of cameras on the streets and lower cost for Internet of Things(IoT). In this paper, a traffic intensity monitoring system is implemented based on the Macroscopic Urban Traffic model is proposed using computer vision as its source. The input of this program is extracted from a traffic surveillance camera which has another program running a neural network classification which can identify and differentiate the vehicle type is implanted. The neural network toolbox is trained with positive and negative input to increase accuracy. The accuracy of the program is compared to other related works done and the trends of the traffic intensity from a road is also calculated. relevant articles in literature searches, great care should be taken in constructing both. Lastly the limitation and the future work is concluded.

Trying to explain Copenhagen

CERN Document Server

2003-01-01

The documentary "The Copenhagen Fallout" recounts the friendship and "falling out" of Niels Bohr and Werner Heisenberg, two of the greatest contemporary physicists - friends whom war turned into enemies. It will be shown at CERN on 1st December. During a lecture in Germany towards the end of 1922, a 20-year-old physicist dared to interrupt Physics Nobel-Prize winner Niels Bohr with the words "There is a mathematical error in what you have said." The young scientist in question was none other than Werner Heisenberg. From this audacious beginning a fruitful collaboration and great friendship grew. But World War II threw up a wall of incomprehension between the two scientists, as one worked for the Nazi regime and the other opened his Copenhagen institute to German Jewish scientists. Then came their famous meeting in September 1941, dramatised by the no less famous play "Copenhagen", currently being performed in association with CERN at th...

GIS-based methods for establishing the datafoundation for traffic models

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, Otto Anker

1997-01-01

Traffic models demand large amounts of data - some of which are: Traffic network topology, traffic network data, zone-data and trip matrices. GIS is a natural tool for handling most of these data as it can ease the work process and improve the quality control. However, traffic models demand a com......-plex topology not very well covered by the traditional GIS-topology. The paper describes a number of applications where ARC/INFO and ArcView have been used to automate the process of building a traffic network topology. The methodology has been used on a number of full-scale models, from medium sized urban...... areas to metropolitan areas (Copenhagen, Denmark and Bandung, Indonesia). The paper covers key subjects in the work process which has been eased considerably by using AML and Avenue scripts or by using the information from ARC/INFO in external applications:· Semi-automatic procedures for attaching zones...

46th Street pilot street lighting project.

Science.gov (United States)

2013-01-01

Street lighting improvements provide an opportunity for governments to save money and to reduce their : environmental footprint. New energy-efficient technologies are being perfected that are more efficient than : standard high-pressure sodium street...

Temporo-spatial gait parameters during street crossing conditions: a comparison between younger and older adults.

Science.gov (United States)

Vieira, Edgar R; Lim, Hyun-Hwa; Brunt, Denis; Hallal, Camilla Z; Kinsey, Laura; Errington, Lisa; Gonçalves, Mauro

2015-02-01

Most traffic accidents involving pedestrians happen during street crossing. Safe street crossing by older adults requires complex planning and imposes high cognitive demands. Understanding how street crossing situations affect younger and older adults' gait is important to create evidence-based policies, education and training. The objective of this study was to develop and test a method to evaluate temporo-spatial gait parameters of younger and older adults during simulated street crossing situations. Twenty-two younger (25±2 years old) and 22 older adults (73±6 years old) who lived independently in the community completed 3 walking trials at preferred gait speed and during simulated street crossing with regular and with reduced time. There were significant differences between groups (pstreet crossing walking speed was higher than their preferred speed (pstreet crossing resulted in significant and progressive gait changes. The methods developed and tested can be used to (1) evaluate if people are at risk of falls and accidents during street crossing situations, (2) to compare among different groups, and (3) to help establish appropriate times for older pedestrians to cross streets safely. The current time to cross streets is too short even for healthy older adults. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Dietary patterns in Them and Copenhagen, Denmark

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Helms, P; Jørgensen, I M; Paerregaard, A

1982-01-01

Four-day weighing and 24-hour recall were used to record food consumption in groups of 30 men, aged 50-59 years, in 2 areas of Denmark: Them, a rural Danish community, and Copenhagen. Fat consumption was found to be higher in Them, whereas alcohol consumption was higher in Copenhagen. The absolut...... daily intake of dietary fiber was higher in Them than in Copenhagen. These observations document changes due to industrialization of food production, modern distribution, and marketing methods....

Pollutant Dilution and Diffusion in Urban Street Canyon Neighboring Streets

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, Z.; Fu, Zh. M.

2011-09-01

In the present study we investigated the airflow patterns and air quality of a series of typical street canyon combinations, developed a mass balance model to determine the local pollutant dilution rate, and discuss the impact of upstream canyon on the air quality of downstream canyon. The results indicated that the geometrical size of upstream and downstream buildings have significant impacts on the ambient airflow patterns. The pollution distribution within the canyons varies with different building combinations and flow patterns. Within the upstream canyon, pollution always accumulates to the low building side for non-symmetrical canyon, and for symmetrical canyon high level of pollution occurs at the leeward side. The height of the middle and downstream buildings can evidently change the pollutant dispersion direction during the transport process. Within the polluted canyon, the pollutant dilution rate (PDR) also varies with different street canyon combinations. The highest PDR is observed when the upstream buildings are both low buildings no matter the height of downstream building. However, the two cases are likely to contribution pollution to the downstream canyon. The H-L-H combination is mostly against local pollution remove, while the L-H-L case is considered the best optimistic building combination with both the ability of diluting local pollution and not remarkably decreasing air quality of downstream canyon. The current work is expected instructive for city designers to optimize traffic patterns under typical existing geometry or in the development of urban geometry modification for air quality control.

Operational Street Pollution Model (OSPM) - a review of performed validation studies, and future prospects

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kakosimos K.E., Konstantinos E.; Hertel, Ole; Ketzel, Matthias

2010-01-01

in this context is the fast and easy to apply Operational Street Pollution Model (OSPM). For almost 20 years, OSPM has been routinely used in many countries for studying traffic pollution, performing analyses of field campaign measurements, studying efficiency of pollution abatement strategies, carrying out...... exposure assessments and as reference in comparisons to other models. OSPM is generally considered as state-of-the-art in applied street pollution modelling. This paper outlines the most important findings in OSPM validation and application studies in literature. At the end of the paper, future research...... needs are outlined for traffic air pollution modelling in general but with outset in the research performed with OSPM....

Evaluation of the Street Pollution Model OSPM for Measurements at 12 Streets Stations Using a Newly Developed and Freely Available Evaluation Tool

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ketzel, Matthias; Jensen, Steen Solvang; Brandt, Jørgen

2012-01-01

In the present work, the Operational Street Pollution Model (OSPM) has been evaluated in comparison with continuous half-hourly measurements over a multi-year period for five permanent street monitor stations that constitute part of the Danish Air Quality Monitoring Programme as well as with pass......In the present work, the Operational Street Pollution Model (OSPM) has been evaluated in comparison with continuous half-hourly measurements over a multi-year period for five permanent street monitor stations that constitute part of the Danish Air Quality Monitoring Programme as well...... the observations well, especially for the most recent years, while for NO2 the model over-predicts in two cases. The explanation for this over-prediction is believed to be uncertainties in the traffic or emission input data, but also in model parameters, and the representativeness of the urban background data may....... OSPM calculations for nine streets with passive sampler measurements were conducted as ‘blind test’ i.e. without knowing the measured values. OSPM calculations were in good agreement with the measurements for seven out of nine street sections. Refinements of the input data lead to a significant...

Modelling Black Carbon concentrations in two busy street canyons in Brussels using CANSBC

Science.gov (United States)

Brasseur, O.; Declerck, P.; Heene, B.; Vanderstraeten, P.

2015-01-01

This paper focused on modelling Black Carbon (BC) concentrations in two busy street canyons, the Crown and Belliard Street in Brussels. The used original Operational Street Pollution Model was adapted to BC by eliminating the chemical module and is noted here as CANSBC. Model validations were performed using temporal BC data from the fixed measurement network in Brussels. Subsequently, BC emissions were adjusted so that simulated BC concentrations equalled the observed ones, averaged over the whole period of simulation. Direct validations were performed for the Crown Street, while BC model calculations for the Belliard Street were validated indirectly using the linear relationship between BC and NOx. Concerning the Crown Street, simulated and observed half-hourly BC concentrations correlated well (r = 0.74) for the period from July 1st, 2011 till June 30th, 2013. In particular, CANSBC performed very well to simulate the monthly and diurnal evolutions of averaged BC concentrations, as well as the difference between weekdays and weekends. This means that the model correctly handled the meteorological conditions as well as the variation in traffic emissions. Considering dispersion, it should however be noted that BC concentrations are better simulated under stable than under unstable conditions. Even if the correlation on half-hourly NOx concentrations was slightly lower (r = 0.60) than the one of BC, indirect validations of CANSBC for the Belliard Street yielded comparable results and conclusions as described above for the Crown Street. Based on our results, it can be stated that CANSBC is suitable to accurately simulate BC concentrations in the street canyons of Brussels, under the following conditions: (i) accurate vehicle counting data is available to correctly estimate traffic emissions, and (ii) vehicle speeds are measured in order to improve emission estimates and to take into account the impact of the turbulence generated by moving vehicles on the local

Aerodynamic effects of trees on pollutant concentration in street canyons

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Buccolieri, R.; Gromke, C.B.; Sabatino, Di S.; Ruck, B.

2009-01-01

This paper deals with aerodynamic effects of avenue-like tree planting on flow and traffic-originated pollutant dispersion in urban street canyons by means of wind tunnel experiments and numerical simulations. Several parameters affecting pedestrian level concentration are investigated, namely plant

Prevalence of COPD in Copenhagen

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Fabricius, Peder; Løkke, Anders; Marott, Jacob Louis

2011-01-01

COPD is a leading cause of death worldwide; however, prevalence estimates have varied considerably in previous studies. This study aimed to determine the prevalence and severity of COPD in Copenhagen using data from the 4th examination of The Copenhagen City Heart Study, to investigate...... the relationship between tobacco consumption and COPD, and to characterize the subjects with COPD with regard to BMI, dyspnoea, treatment with respiratory medication and co-morbidities....

Multivariate statistical analysis of heavy metals in street dust of Baoji, NW China

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lu Xinwei; Wang Lijun; Li, Loretta Y.; Lei Kai; Huang Li; Kang Dan

2010-01-01

The concentrations of Pb, Cu, Zn, Mn, Ni, Co and Cr in street dust samples from Baoji in north-west China were measured by wavelength dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometry, while As and Hg in street dust samples were determined by atomic fluorescence spectrometry. Principal component analysis and cluster analysis, coupled with correlation coefficient analysis, were used to analyze the data and to identify possible sources of these heavy metals. The results indicate that street dust in Baoji has elevated heavy metal concentrations, especially Hg, Pb, Zn and Cu, which are 16-77, 7-92, 6-26 and 4-12 times the background levels in Shaanxi soil, respectively. The mean heavy metal concentrations in street dust divided by the corresponding background values of Shaanxi soil decrease in the order of Hg > Pb > Zn > Cu > Cr > As > Ni > Co > Mn > V. Three main sources of these heavy metals were identified. As, V, Pb and Co originated from nature and traffic. Cu, Zn, Hg and Mn, especially the former two, mainly derive from industry sources, as well as traffic. Cr and Ni mainly originate from soil.

The Status of Preventive Behaviors in Traffic Accidents in Junior High School Students in Isfahan

Science.gov (United States)

Hosseini, Leila; Tavazohi, Hossein; Shirdavani, Soheila; Heidari, Kamal; Nobari, Reza Fadaei; Kelishadi, Roya; Yalverdi, Narges

2014-01-01

Background: Population growth and use of the car in daily life entails new incidents and accidents everyday. Adolescents’ entering the new world of adults, their insufficient knowledge of rules, and high-risk behaviors expose them to more risks. Accordingly, a study was conducted with the aim to evaluate the status of preventive behaviors in traffic accidents in boy and girl junior high school students in Isfahan regarding vehicle use. Methods: A descriptive-analytical cross-sectional study was conducted on 7000 junior high school boy and girl students from 20 towns in Isfahan Province using multi-stage cluster sampling method in 2009–2010. A researcher-made questionnaire was used as data collection tool, which evaluated students’ practice and preventive behaviors with 21 questions, each examining students’ practice in accidents and incidents that may occur in school and on the way to school. Data were analyzed with Epi 6 and SPSS software using t-test and Chi-square test. Results: Girls comprised 49.9% of students and 50.1% were boys, 84% lived in urban areas and 15.5% in rural areas. The frequency of an accident location was school in 53.9% with 3739 cases and on the way to school in 10.6% with 732 cases. Mean practice score of preventive behaviors in traffic accidents involving cars, taxi, and school bus (72.6 ± 17.52 girls, 72.7 ± 18.31 boys, P = 0.88), motorbike (79.1 ± 14.048 girls, 74.1 ± 19.73 boys, P traffic rules training, particularly how to cross the street. PMID:26157568

Particulate Matter Concentrations in East Oakland's High Street Corridor

Science.gov (United States)

Lei, P.; Jackson, J.; Lewis, R.; Marigny, A.; Mitchell, J. D.; Nguyen, R.; Philips, B.; Randle, D.; Romero, D.; Spears, D.; Telles, C.; Weissman, D.

2012-12-01

Particulate matter (PM) is a complex mixture of small solid pieces and/or liquid droplets in the air. High concentrations of PM can pose a serious health hazard because inhalation can result in breathing problems and/or aggravate asthma. Long term exposure can increase the likelihood of respiratory problems like asthma and emphysema as well as cancer. The smaller the particles, the deeper they can get into the respiratory system. For this reason, the smallest particles, those smaller than 2.5 micrometers in diameter (PM2.5), are the most dangerous. PM2.5 is largely emitted from motor vehicles burning fuels that don't break down fully. Our research team investigated the levels of PM2.5 as well as particles smaller than 10 micrometers (PM10) and total suspended particulate (TSP) along the northeast-southwest trending High Street Corridor, near Fremont High School in East Oakland, California. Using the Aerocet 531 mass particle counter, team members walked through neighborhoods and along major roads within a 1 mile radius of Fremont High School. The Aerocet 531 recorded two minute average measurements of all the relevant PM sizes, which are reported in mg/m3. Measurements were consistently taken in the morning, between 8:30 and 11:30 am. Preliminary results indicate maximum readings of all PM sizes at sites that are in close proximity to a major freeway (Interstate-880). These results support our initial hypothesis that proximity to major roads and freeways, especially those with high diesel-fuel burning truck traffic, would be the primary factor affecting PM concentration levels. Preliminary median and maximum readings all suggest particulate matter levels below what the EPA would consider unhealthy or risky.

An Assessment of Airport Sustainability, Part 1—Waste Management at Copenhagen Airport

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Glenn Baxter

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Airports play a vital role in the air transport industry value chain, acting as the interface point between the air and surface transport modes. However, substantial volumes of waste are produced as a by-product of the actors’ operations. Waste management is therefore becoming especially important to airports. Using a qualitative and quantitative case study research approach, this paper has examined the waste management strategies and systems at Copenhagen Airport, Scandinavia’s major air traffic hub, from 1999 to 2016. The two major sources of waste at Copenhagen Airport are the waste generated from aircraft serving the airport and the waste arising from ground activities undertaken in the land and airside precincts. The growth in passengers and aircraft movements has had a concomitant impact on the volume of waste generated. Swept waste and sludge are processed by an external provider. Waste generated in the passenger terminals and the airport operator’s facilities is handled at a central container station, where it is sorted for incineration, recycling or for landfill. The environmental impact of the waste produced at the airport is mitigated through the recycling of waste wherever possible.

Implications of tree planting on pollutant dispersion in street canyons

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Gromke, C.B.; Ruck, B.

2009-01-01

Traffic pollutant dispersion processes inside urban street canyons with avenue-like tree planting have been studied in wind tunnel experiments. Tree planting of different crown porosities and their effects on the pollutant concentrations at the canyon walls have been investigated for wind

Neighborhood sampling: how many streets must an auditor walk?

Science.gov (United States)

McMillan, Tracy E; Cubbin, Catherine; Parmenter, Barbara; Medina, Ashley V; Lee, Rebecca E

2010-03-12

This study tested the representativeness of four street segment sampling protocols using the Pedestrian Environment Data Scan (PEDS) in eleven neighborhoods surrounding public housing developments in Houston, TX. The following four street segment sampling protocols were used (1) all segments, both residential and arterial, contained within the 400 meter radius buffer from the center point of the housing development (the core) were compared with all segments contained between the 400 meter radius buffer and the 800 meter radius buffer (the ring); all residential segments in the core were compared with (2) 75% (3) 50% and (4) 25% samples of randomly selected residential street segments in the core. Analyses were conducted on five key variables: sidewalk presence; ratings of attractiveness and safety for walking; connectivity; and number of traffic lanes. Some differences were found when comparing all street segments, both residential and arterial, in the core to the ring. Findings suggested that sampling 25% of residential street segments within the 400 m radius of a residence sufficiently represents the pedestrian built environment. Conclusions support more cost effective environmental data collection for physical activity research.

Study of the road traffic noise in Erzurum-Turkey

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mahir Gökdag

2012-12-01

Full Text Available Road traffic noise affects a large number of people, especially in urban areas and is generally a major source of complaints. This paper refers to a study of the problem of traffic noise on roads which have been transformed into streets in the city of Erzurum. Noise levels are measured and the impacts suffered by the community are documented. Manual noise measurements were made along 12 streets exploring sources of maximum noise levels. Noise from different types of vehicles driven in a realistic way in inner city traffic was measured. The results from the measurements showed that, of 750 measured events, approximately 5% of the vehicles exceeded 70 dB(A and less than 2% exceeded 80 dB(A maximum noise level. In summary, the result showed that the most important vehicle component as regards the maximum noise level in inner city traffic was a medium-weight vehicle. Among the higher noise levels measured (>80 dB(A this type of vehicle was dominant.

Air Pollution Modeling at Road Sides Using the Operational Street Pollution Model-A Case Study in Hanoi, Vietnam

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hung, Ngo Tho; Ketzel, Matthias; Jensen, Steen Solvang

2010-01-01

In many metropolitan areas, traffic is the main source of air pollution. The high concentrations of pollutants in streets have the potential to affect human health. Therefore, estimation of air pollution at the street level is required for health impact assessment. This task has been carried out...... in many developed countries by a combination of air quality measurements and modeling. This study focuses on how to apply a dispersion model to cities in the developing world, where model input data and data from air quality monitoring stations are limited or of varying quality. This research uses...... the operational street pollution model (OSPM) developed by the National Environmental Research Institute in Denmark for a case study in Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam. OSPM predictions from five streets were evaluated against air pollution measurements of nitrogen oxides (NO), sulfur dioxide (SO2), carbon monoxide...

Three-dimensional modeling of air flow and pollutant dispersion in an urban street canyon with thermal effects.

Science.gov (United States)

Tsai, Mong-Yu; Chen, Kang-Shin; Wu, Chung-Hsing

2005-08-01

Effects of excess ground and building temperatures on airflow and dispersion of pollutants in an urban street canyon with an aspect ratio of 0.8 and a length-to-width ratio of 3 were investigated numerically. Three-dimensional governing equations of mass, momentum, energy, and species were modeled using the RNG k-epsilon turbulence model and Boussinesq approximation, which were solved using the finite volume method. Vehicle emissions were estimated from the measured traffic flow rates and modeled as banded line sources, with a street length and bandwidths equal to typical vehicle widths. Both measurements and simulations reveal that pollutant concentrations typically follow the traffic flow rate; they decline as the height increases and are higher on the leeward side than on the windward side. Three-dimensional simulations reveal that the vortex line, joining the centers of cross-sectional vortexes of the street canyon, meanders between street buildings and shifts toward the windward side when heating strength is increased. Thermal boundary layers are very thin. Entrainment of outside air increases, and pollutant concentration decreases with increasing heating condition. Also, traffic-produced turbulence enhances the turbulent kinetic energy and the mixing of temperature and admixtures in the canyon. Factors affecting the inaccuracy of the simulations are addressed.

Smart street lighting management

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pizzuti, S.; Annunziato, M. [Energy New Technologies and Sustainable Economic Development Agency ENEA, Rome (Italy); Moretti, F. [Automation and Computer Science Department, University & #x27; Roma Tre& #x27; , Rome (Italy)

2013-08-15

In this work, we propose a new street lighting energy management system in order to reduce energy consumption. The key idea we want to accomplish is that of 'energy on demand' meaning that energy, in this case light, is provided only when needed. In order to achieve this goal, it is critical to have a reliable demand model, which in the case of street lighting turns out to be a traffic flow rate forecasting model. In order to achieve this goal, several methods on the 1-h prediction have been compared and the one providing the best results is based on artificial neural networks. Moreover, several control strategies have been tested and the one which gave the best energy savings is the adaptive one we carried out. Experimentation has been carried out on real data and the study shows that with the proposed approach, it is possible to save up to 50 % of energy compared to no regulation systems.

Smart street lighting solution for remote rural areas of India

Science.gov (United States)

Hajra, Debdyut

2017-09-01

Though many smart street lighting solutions is available for urban areas, comparatively fewer solutions exist for rural areas. In the recent times, village streets have been illuminated with artificial lights as a part of rural development drive undertaken by the governments of respective countries. But, vehicle and pedestrian traffic is quite low through village roads. Hence, if light remains on all night long on such roads, then there is a huge wastage of energy. This calls for solutions to reduce this energy loss in an efficient manner. There are a lot of factors which must be kept in mind while designing solutions. Many villages lack the proper infrastructure to support new technologies. Communication facilities are limited, lack of local technically skilled labor, lack of security, etc. After evaluating these opportunities and challenges, an attempt has been made to devise a smart street lighting solution tailored for remote rural areas in India. One part of the solution discusses how intensity of the LED street lights can be varied according to the ambient lighting conditions using sensors and LED switching in LED matrix. An artificial intelligence (AI) has also been modelled to identify traffic conditions using PIR sensors and object identification through image processing and independently control the lights. It also tracks the performance and status of each light. It would send this data and necessary notifications to a distant control center for human evaluation. This solution is also applicable for other rural areas throughout the world.

Prevalence and correlates of street racing among Ontario high school students.

Science.gov (United States)

Vingilis, Evelyn; Smart, Reginald G; Mann, Robert E; Paglia-Boak, Angela; Stoduto, Gina; Adlaf, Edward M

2011-10-01

This study examined the prevalence and correlates of street racing among adolescents derived from the 2009 Ontario Student Drug Use and Health Survey (OSDUHS), an epidemiological survey of students in Ontario, Canada. The key response variable, self-reported street racing in past year, was examined in relation to grade level, rural/urban, school marks, cannabis use, drinking and driving, cannabis use and driving, and property, physical, drugs, and weapons delinquencies. All survey estimates were weighted, and variance and statistical tests were corrected for the complex sampling design. Of the 3053 9th- to 12th-graders (66% response rate), 5.6 percent of high-schoolers (an estimated 42,000 in the province) and (20.4% of grade 11 and 12 students with an advanced-level or full license) reported driving a car, truck, or sport utility vehicle (SUV) in a street race in the 12 months before the survey. Logistic regression analysis of the advanced-level or fully licensed students in grades 11 and 12 found that males compared to females and students in grade 11 compared to students in grade 12 had significantly higher adjusted odds of street racing. Supportive of problem behavior theory, students who reported property and drug delinquencies compared to students not engaging in these delinquencies also had significantly higher adjusted odds of street racing. This first population-based study in North America suggested that the prevalence of street racing at 1 in 5 of advanced or fully licensed high-schoolers in grades 11 and 12 poses significant public health concerns, especially related to the potential for unintentional injury.

Analysis of traffic accidents in children

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pavlekić Snežana

2006-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Violent health damages of different origin (accidents, murders, suicides in children and youth are one of the main causes of death and disabilities in this group of population in most countries. Objective: Objective of our paper was to analyze all related factors of traffic accidents involving children and to propose adequate measures of their prevention. Method: The analysis of fatal traffic accidents of children and youth aged to 18 years on the territory of Belgrade, within the period from 1998 to 2002. Results: In relation to other forms of violent death, the traffic mortality rate in children and youth holds the leading position, accounting for 56.9% with pedestrians as the most frequent category (57.4%. The most frequent age was between 7 and 9 years (46.8% and the boys were more frequently injured than the girls. It was established that the majority of children (51.9% was either running across the street outside the pedestrian/ zebra crossings or they were carelessly running out in the street, especially in April, July, August and September. More than a half of them (55.5%, predominantly school children, were injured by the end of working week, on Thursday and Friday. Conclusion: Results of our research have shown that the traffic education of children in our region is inadequate. Due to the abovementioned, it is primarily necessary to establish long-term and permanent education of this category of population. In addition, some public investments in the City infrastructure will be required in order to reduce the risk of traffic injuries in children.

Traffic speed management

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Subotić Jovana Lj.

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Speed, and vehicles themselves, affect the level of service and road safety, quality of life, noise from traffic, the environment, health, air pollution, emission of carbon dioxide, global warming, the economy and consumption of non-renewable energy such as oil. Therefore, the speed management of the traffic of multiple significance and that should be primarily to provide effective and economical conditions of the modern and preventive protection of human life as the greatest treasure and then the material resources. The way to accomplish this is by using various (different measures such as: appropriate planning and projecting roads and streets, speed control, the legislation, enforcement, campaigns, education, advanced technologies (ITS.

Copenhagen Reloaded

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fink, Helmut [Institut fuer Theoretische Physik, Universitaet Erlangen-Nuernberg (Germany)

2009-07-01

The spirit of Copenhagen seems to have lost its convincing power over the past decades, mainly due to its dubious concepts of ''measurement'' and ''observer''. Quantum universalists, on the other side, claim to describe the transition from quantum to classical behaviour in purely quantum-theoretical terms. The quantum logic approach is often considered as corroborating this view, because classical structures can be embedded into quantum structures. Nevertheless, the universalistic turn is misguided: There is a semantic discontinuity between quantum states and classical facts. Decoherence does not solve the measurement problem. Unsharp properties don't either. The concept of classical limit is of course useful, but not for this purpose. Our conclusion is inconvenient: There is a clash of ontologies. The best way out is offered by accepting the legitimacy of both quantum and classical ontology. Classical ontology sets the stage for the quantum play. With this idea in mind, we promote a fresh look at the quantum interpretation debate, from a Neo-Copenhagen perspective, and without ''observers''.

The Status of Preventive Behaviors in Traffic Accidents in Junior High School Students in Isfahan.

Science.gov (United States)

Hosseini, Leila; Tavazohi, Hossein; Shirdavani, Soheila; Heidari, Kamal; Nobari, Reza Fadaei; Kelishadi, Roya; Yalverdi, Narges

2014-12-01

Population growth and use of the car in daily life entails new incidents and accidents everyday. Adolescents' entering the new world of adults, their insufficient knowledge of rules, and high-risk behaviors expose them to more risks. Accordingly, a study was conducted with the aim to evaluate the status of preventive behaviors in traffic accidents in boy and girl junior high school students in Isfahan regarding vehicle use. A descriptive-analytical cross-sectional study was conducted on 7000 junior high school boy and girl students from 20 towns in Isfahan Province using multi-stage cluster sampling method in 2009-2010. A researcher-made questionnaire was used as data collection tool, which evaluated students' practice and preventive behaviors with 21 questions, each examining students' practice in accidents and incidents that may occur in school and on the way to school. Data were analyzed with Epi 6 and SPSS software using t-test and Chi-square test. Girls comprised 49.9% of students and 50.1% were boys, 84% lived in urban areas and 15.5% in rural areas. The frequency of an accident location was school in 53.9% with 3739 cases and on the way to school in 10.6% with 732 cases. Mean practice score of preventive behaviors in traffic accidents involving cars, taxi, and school bus (72.6 ± 17.52 girls, 72.7 ± 18.31 boys, P = 0.88), motorbike (79.1 ± 14.048 girls, 74.1 ± 19.73 boys, P school and have the lowest practice score in this respect. It is recommended that as the first step, students be given necessary road traffic rules training, particularly how to cross the street.

Monitoring Street-Level Spatial-Temporal Variations of Carbon Monoxide in Urban Settings Using a Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) Framework

Science.gov (United States)

Wen, Tzai-Hung; Jiang, Joe-Air; Sun, Chih-Hong; Juang, Jehn-Yih; Lin, Tzu-Shiang

2013-01-01

Air pollution has become a severe environmental problem due to urbanization and heavy traffic. Monitoring street-level air quality is an important issue, but most official monitoring stations are installed to monitor large-scale air quality conditions, and their limited spatial resolution cannot reflect the detailed variations in air quality that may be induced by traffic jams. By deploying wireless sensors on crossroads and main roads, this study established a pilot framework for a wireless sensor network (WSN)-based real-time monitoring system to understand street-level spatial-temporal changes of carbon monoxide (CO) in urban settings. The system consists of two major components. The first component is the deployment of wireless sensors. We deployed 44 sensor nodes, 40 transmitter nodes and four gateway nodes in this study. Each sensor node includes a signal processing module, a CO sensor and a wireless communication module. In order to capture realistic human exposure to traffic pollutants, all sensors were deployed at a height of 1.5 m on lampposts and traffic signs. The study area covers a total length of 1.5 km of Keelung Road in Taipei City. The other component is a map-based monitoring platform for sensor data visualization and manipulation in time and space. Using intensive real-time street-level monitoring framework, we compared the spatial-temporal patterns of air pollution in different time periods. Our results capture four CO concentration peaks throughout the day at the location, which was located along an arterial and nearby traffic sign. The hourly average could reach 5.3 ppm from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm due to the traffic congestion. The proposed WSN-based framework captures detailed ground information and potential risk of human exposure to traffic-related air pollution. It also provides street-level insights into real-time monitoring for further early warning of air pollution and urban environmental management. PMID:24287859

Monitoring Street-Level Spatial-Temporal Variations of Carbon Monoxide in Urban Settings Using a Wireless Sensor Network (WSN Framework

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tzai-Hung Wen

2013-11-01

Full Text Available Air pollution has become a severe environmental problem due to urbanization and heavy traffic. Monitoring street-level air quality is an important issue, but most official monitoring stations are installed to monitor large-scale air quality conditions, and their limited spatial resolution cannot reflect the detailed variations in air quality that may be induced by traffic jams. By deploying wireless sensors on crossroads and main roads, this study established a pilot framework for a wireless sensor network (WSN-based real-time monitoring system to understand street-level spatial-temporal changes of carbon monoxide (CO in urban settings. The system consists of two major components. The first component is the deployment of wireless sensors. We deployed 44 sensor nodes, 40 transmitter nodes and four gateway nodes in this study. Each sensor node includes a signal processing module, a CO sensor and a wireless communication module. In order to capture realistic human exposure to traffic pollutants, all sensors were deployed at a height of 1.5 m on lampposts and traffic signs. The study area covers a total length of 1.5 km of Keelung Road in Taipei City. The other component is a map-based monitoring platform for sensor data visualization and manipulation in time and space. Using intensive real-time street-level monitoring framework, we compared the spatial-temporal patterns of air pollution in different time periods. Our results capture four CO concentration peaks throughout the day at the location, which was located along an arterial and nearby traffic sign. The hourly average could reach 5.3 ppm from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm due to the traffic congestion. The proposed WSN-based framework captures detailed ground information and potential risk of human exposure to traffic-related air pollution. It also provides street-level insights into real-time monitoring for further early warning of air pollution and urban environmental management.

Monitoring street-level spatial-temporal variations of carbon monoxide in urban settings using a wireless sensor network (WSN) framework.

Science.gov (United States)

Wen, Tzai-Hung; Jiang, Joe-Air; Sun, Chih-Hong; Juang, Jehn-Yih; Lin, Tzu-Shiang

2013-11-27

Air pollution has become a severe environmental problem due to urbanization and heavy traffic. Monitoring street-level air quality is an important issue, but most official monitoring stations are installed to monitor large-scale air quality conditions, and their limited spatial resolution cannot reflect the detailed variations in air quality that may be induced by traffic jams. By deploying wireless sensors on crossroads and main roads, this study established a pilot framework for a wireless sensor network (WSN)-based real-time monitoring system to understand street-level spatial-temporal changes of carbon monoxide (CO) in urban settings. The system consists of two major components. The first component is the deployment of wireless sensors. We deployed 44 sensor nodes, 40 transmitter nodes and four gateway nodes in this study. Each sensor node includes a signal processing module, a CO sensor and a wireless communication module. In order to capture realistic human exposure to traffic pollutants, all sensors were deployed at a height of 1.5 m on lampposts and traffic signs. The study area covers a total length of 1.5 km of Keelung Road in Taipei City. The other component is a map-based monitoring platform for sensor data visualization and manipulation in time and space. Using intensive real-time street-level monitoring framework, we compared the spatial-temporal patterns of air pollution in different time periods. Our results capture four CO concentration peaks throughout the day at the location, which was located along an arterial and nearby traffic sign. The hourly average could reach 5.3 ppm from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm due to the traffic congestion. The proposed WSN-based framework captures detailed ground information and potential risk of human exposure to traffic-related air pollution. It also provides street-level insights into real-time monitoring for further early warning of air pollution and urban environmental management.

The ratio of effective building height to street width governs dispersion of local vehicle emissions

Science.gov (United States)

Schulte, Nico; Tan, Si; Venkatram, Akula

2015-07-01

Analysis of data collected in street canyons located in Hanover, Germany and Los Angeles, USA, suggests that street-level concentrations of vehicle-related pollutants can be estimated with a model that assumes that vertical turbulent transport of emissions dominates the governing processes. The dispersion model relates surface concentrations to traffic flow rate, the effective aspect ratio of the street, and roof level turbulence. The dispersion model indicates that magnification of concentrations relative to those in the absence of buildings is most sensitive to the aspect ratio of the street, which is the ratio of the effective height of the buildings on the street to the width of the street. This result can be useful in the design of transit oriented developments that increase building density to reduce emissions from transportation.

Towards an explanation of age-related difficulties in crossing a two-way street

OpenAIRE

Dommes , Aurélie; LE LAY , Tristan; Vienne , Fabrice; DANG , Nguyen-Thong; PERROT BEAUDOIN , Alexandra; Do , Manh Cuong

2015-01-01

Crossing a two-way street is a complex task that involves visual, cognitive and motor abilities, all of which are known to decline with ageing. In particular, older pedestrians may experience difficulties when crossing two-way streets because of incorrect gap acceptance choices and impossible or unperceived evasive actions. To understand the overrepresentation of older pedestrians in crash statistics, several experimental studies have sought to identify traffic-related factors as well as thos...

Time-series analysis to study the impact of an intersection on dispersion along a street canyon.

Science.gov (United States)

Richmond-Bryant, Jennifer; Eisner, Alfred D; Hahn, Intaek; Fortune, Christopher R; Drake-Richman, Zora E; Brixey, Laurie A; Talih, M; Wiener, Russell W; Ellenson, William D

2009-12-01

This paper presents data analysis from the Brooklyn Traffic Real-Time Ambient Pollutant Penetration and Environmental Dispersion (B-TRAPPED) study to assess the transport of ultrafine particulate matter (PM) across urban intersections. Experiments were performed in a street canyon perpendicular to a highway in Brooklyn, NY, USA. Real-time ultrafine PM samplers were positioned on either side of an intersection at multiple locations along a street to collect time-series number concentration data. Meteorology equipment was positioned within the street canyon and at an upstream background site to measure wind speed and direction. Time-series analysis was performed on the PM data to compute a transport velocity along the direction of the street for the cases where background winds were parallel and perpendicular to the street. The data were analyzed for sampler pairs located (1) on opposite sides of the intersection and (2) on the same block. The time-series analysis demonstrated along-street transport, including across the intersection when background winds were parallel to the street canyon and there was minimal transport and no communication across the intersection when background winds were perpendicular to the street canyon. Low but significant values of the cross-correlation function (CCF) underscore the turbulent nature of plume transport along the street canyon. The low correlations suggest that flow switching around corners or traffic-induced turbulence at the intersection may have aided dilution of the PM plume from the highway. This observation supports similar findings in the literature. Furthermore, the time-series analysis methodology applied in this study is introduced as a technique for studying spatiotemporal variation in the urban microscale environment.

City air pollution of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and other mutagens: occurrence, sources and health effects

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, T.; Ejsing Jørgensen, Hans; Larsen, J.C.

1996-01-01

The presence of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), mutagens and other air pollutants was investigated in a busy street in central Copenhagen and in a park area adjacent to the street. The winter concentration of benzo(a)pyrene was 4.4+/-1.2 ng/m(3) in the street air and 1.4+/-0.6 ng/m(3......) in the city park. The atmospheric concentrations of PAH decreased in the order of: street > city background air similar to suburbs > village > open land. The traffic contribution of PAH to street air was estimated to be 90% on working days and 60% during weekends and its contribution to city background air...... was estimated to be 40%. Four different approaches to evaluate the health effects are discussed. The direct effect of PAH air pollution, and other mutagens, is considered to be a maximum of five lung cancer cases each year out of one million people....

Vehicular traffic flow at an intersection with the possibility of turning

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Foulaadvand, M Ebrahim; Belbasi, Somayyeh

2011-01-01

We have developed a Nagel-Schreckenberg cellular automata model for describing a vehicular traffic flow at a single intersection. A set of traffic lights operating in a fixed-time scheme controls the traffic flow. An open boundary condition is applied to the streets each of which conducts a unidirectional flow. Streets are single lane and cars can turn upon reaching to the intersection with prescribed probabilities. Extensive Monte Carlo simulations are carried out to find the model flow characteristics. In particular, we investigate the flow dependence on signalization parameters, turning probabilities and input rates. It is shown that for each set of parameters, there exists a plateau region inside which the total outflow from the intersection remains almost constant. We also compute total waiting time of vehicles per cycle behind red lights for various control parameters.

Fractionation And Distribution Of Heavy Metals In street Dust In Amman, Jordan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jaradat, Q.

2002-01-01

Different types of street dust: major streets, minor streets, gas stations, traffic lights and car parks in Amman were subjected to size-fractionation into three sizes: 500-125μm , 125-53μm, and <53μm. Sequential extraction was also performed on the non-fractionated samples using Tessier procedure. The sequentially extracted and the fractionated samples were analyzed for Pb, Cd, Zn and Mn using flame atomic absorption. The silt fraction ( <53μm particles ) contains the highest concentrations of all elements in most types of street dust samples followed by the fine fraction ( 125-53μm particles). From the sequential extraction data, the highest concentrations of heavy metals were : Pb, Cd, Zn and in Fe-Mn oxide fraction, and Cu in the organic fraction. (author). 29 refs., 2 figs., 4 tabs

Traffic calming measures and their effect on the variation of speed

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gonzalo Orden, H.

2016-07-01

In recent years the number of deaths and serious injuries is decreasing in Spain, but, although the reduction outside the cities has been very strong, inside the urban areas, it has been smaller. This is especially hard if you look at the most vulnerable road users such as pedestrians and cyclists. In many accidents the speed factor appears closely linked not only to the number, but also to the severity of the accidents suffered inside the urban areas. Therefore, a reduction in the speed would improve the road safety. There are different measures known as {sup t}raffic calming measures{sup w}hose objectives are to reduce both the number and severity of accidents that occur on urban areas, by reducing the traffic flow through the streets, as well as the speed of the vehicles. However, the efficiency in speed reduction of each measure is not entirely known. That's the reason why they are implanted, in many cases, with no technical basis. The aim of this article is to show the effectiveness in reducing speed of some of the traffic calming measures. To this effect, field measurements were done on street sections with different types of traffic calming measures, in different places of a city of Burgos, in the north of Spain. These measurements were compared with other ones sited on other streets sections of similar characteristics but without traffic calming measures. Finally the conclusions are shown and some recommendations for improving their effectiveness are given. (Author)

Parametric study of the dispersion aspects in a street-canyon area

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Koutsourakis, N.; Neofytou, P.; Venetsanos, A.G.; Bartzis, J.G. [NCSR Demokritos (Greece). Environmental Research Lab.

2004-07-01

Continuously increasing vehicles' fleet is still considered to be the main emission factor in urban environments, despite the enormous progress of modern catalytic technology. Under that perspective, calculation of transportation induced pollutant dispersion is of augmented importance, especially within street canyons, where poor ventilation can result in awkward concentration levels. Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) studies have been conducted in the past by Neofytou, P. et al, so as to define appropriate locations for measuring-instrument placement by numerically simulating the flow and pollution dispersion fields in the vicinity of the measuring site taking into account the wind rose of the area and selecting locations of high pollution concentrations so that non-zero indications are assured. Vardoulakis, S. et al, provides a general overview of the street-canyon studies concerning both modelling and experimental investigations and offers plenty of references on air quality within street canyons. Besides air-quality, street canyon CFD studies have also been performed to evaluate accident consequences and hydrogen safety, Venetsanos A. et al. The current study examines a real street canyon in Thessaloniki, Greece. It was performed in order to examine dispersion patterns for different parameters' scenarios and help deciding where to place actual pollutant measurement instruments to better capture traffic pollution data. Various wind directions and speeds are examined and height influence on concentration levels is investigated. Complex area geometry is a key factor of the whole study. (orig.)

Effective environmental factors on geographical distribution of traffic accidents on pedestrians, downtown of Tehran City.

Science.gov (United States)

Moradi, Ali; Rahmani, Khaled; Kavousi, Amir; Eshghabadi, Farshid; Nematollahi, Shahrzad; Zainni, Slahedyn; Soori, Hamid

2018-02-20

The aim of this study was to geographically analyse the traffic casualties in pedestrians in downtown of Tehran City. Study population consisted of pedestrians who had traffic injury accidents from April 2014 to March 2015 in Tehran City. Data were extracted from the offices of traffic police and municipality. For analysis of environmental factors and site of accidents, Ordinary Least Square (OLS) regression models and Geographically Weighted Regression (GWR) were used. All pedestrian accidents including 514 accidents were assessed in this study in which the site of accidents included arterial streets in 370 (71.9%) cases, collector streets in 133 cases (25.2%) and highways in 11 cases (2.1%). Geographical units of traffic accidents in pedestrians had statistically significant relationship with the number of bus stations, number of crossroads and recreational areas. Neighbourhoods close to markets are considered as the most dangerous places for injury in traffic accidents.

Contrast in air pollution components between major streets and background locations: Particulate matter mass, black carbon, elemental composition, nitrogen oxide and ultrafine particle number

Science.gov (United States)

Boogaard, Hanna; Kos, Gerard P. A.; Weijers, Ernie P.; Janssen, Nicole A. H.; Fischer, Paul H.; van der Zee, Saskia C.; de Hartog, Jeroen J.; Hoek, Gerard

2011-01-01

Policies to reduce outdoor air pollution concentrations are often assessed on the basis of the regulated pollutants. Whether these are the most appropriate components to assess the potential health benefits is questionable, as other health-relevant pollutants may be more strongly related to traffic. The aim of this study is to compare the contrast in concentration between major roads and (sub)urban background for a large range of pollutants and to analyze the magnitude of the measured difference in the street - background for major streets with different street configurations. Measurements of PM 10, PM 2.5, particle number concentrations (PNC), black carbon (BC), elemental composition of PM 10 and PM 2.5 and NO x were conducted simultaneously in eight major streets and nine (sub)urban background locations in the Netherlands. Measurements were done six times for a week during a six month period in 2008. High contrasts between busy streets and background locations in the same city were found for chromium, copper and iron (factor 2-3). These elements were especially present in the coarse fraction of PM. In addition, high contrasts were found for BC and NO x (factor 1.8), typically indicators of direct combustion emissions. The contrast for PNC was similar to BC. NO 2 contrast was lower (factor 1.5). The largest contrast was found for two street canyons and two streets with buildings at one side of the street only. The contrast between busy streets and urban background in NO 2 was less than the contrast found for BC, PNC and elements indicative of non-exhaust emissions, adding evidence that NO 2 is not representing (current) traffic well. The study supports a substantial role for non-exhaust emissions including brake- and tyre wear and road dust in addition to direct combustion emissions. Significant underestimation of disease burden may occur when relying too much on the regulated components.

Annoyance due to noise and air pollution to the residents of heavily frequented streets

Science.gov (United States)

Wanner, H. U.; Wehrli, B.; Nemecek, J.; Turrian, V.

1980-01-01

The residents of different streets with varying traffic density and building density were questioned about annoyance due to traffic noise and air pollution. Results show that annoyance felt is dependent not only on the measured noise levels and/or air pollution concentrations, but that there do exist interactions between the residential quarters and annoyance. These interactions should be considered when fixing the limits and standards.

Text Line Detection from Rectangle Traffic Panels of Natural Scene

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Shiyuan; Huang, Linlin; Hu, Jian

2018-01-01

Traffic sign detection and recognition is very important for Intelligent Transportation. Among traffic signs, traffic panel contains rich information. However, due to low resolution and blur in the rectangular traffic panel, it is difficult to extract the character and symbols. In this paper, we propose a coarse-to-fine method to detect the Chinese character on traffic panels from natural scenes. Given a traffic panel Color Quantization is applied to extract candidate regions of Chinese characters. Second, a multi-stage filter based on learning is applied to discard the non-character regions. Third, we aggregate the characters for text lines by Distance Metric Learning method. Experimental results on real traffic images from Baidu Street View demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method.

Iodine excretion in school children in Copenhagen

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rasmussen, Lone B.; Kirkegaard-Klitbo, Ditte Marie; Laurberg, Peter

2016-01-01

INTRODUCTION: Studies of dietary habits show a high iodine intake in children in Denmark. Iodine excretion in children has not previously been assessed. Iodine excretion in adults is below the recommended threshold, and it is therefore being discussed to increase the fortification level. The main...... objective of this study was to assess iodine excretion in children living in Copenhagen to establish whether a moderate increase in iodine fortification would lead to excess iodine intake in this group. METHODS: Children in first and fifth grade were recruited through schools in Copenhagen. In total, 244...... children de-ivered a urine sample. Urine samples were analysed for iodine and creatinine, and the results were expressed as urinary iodine concentration (UIC) and as estimated 24-h iodine excretion. Iodine excretion in children was also compared with that of adults living in the same area, investigated...

Study of locations’characteristics for stabilization of street vendors in Surakarta City

Science.gov (United States)

Rahayu, M. J.; Buchori, I.; Widjajanti, R.

2018-01-01

Street vendors are usually centered around particular areas where they have made adaptations based on their activities, instead of scattered all over the city. These locations tend to be close to street vendors’ primary activities and consumers, occupy the public lands, and are productive and accessible. The Municipality of Surakarta has managed the street vendors in the form of stabilization and relocation. In Surakarta, there are 24 areas used for stabilization of street vendors varying in characteristics and quantities. This study uses a spatial analysis aiming to explain the characteristics of locations used for stabilization of street vendors and to identify their physical condition and arrangement. Furthermore, all of the research results will be used as the criteria in choosing the new locations that are suitable for the street vendors’ characteristics and consumers’ preference. The results show that the locations are on the roadsides of the neighborhood, local, and secondary collector roads. The traffic conditions in the stabilization areas are ranging from the very busy until relatively busy level since they are close to activities for trade, education, recreation, offices, and settlements.

Traffic Accidents Involving Cyclists Identifying Causal Factors Using Questionnaire Survey, Traffic Accident Data, and Real-World Observation.

Science.gov (United States)

Oikawa, Shoko; Hirose, Toshiya; Aomura, Shigeru; Matsui, Yasuhiro

2016-11-01

The purpose of this study is to clarify the mechanism of traffic accidents involving cyclists. The focus is on the characteristics of cyclist accidents and scenarios, because the number of traffic accidents involving cyclists in Tokyo is the highest in Japan. First, dangerous situations in traffic incidents were investigated by collecting data from 304 cyclists in one city in Tokyo using a questionnaire survey. The survey indicated that cyclists used their bicycles generally while commuting to work or school in the morning. Second, the study investigated the characteristics of 250 accident situations involving cyclists that happened in the city using real-world bicycle accident data. The results revealed that the traffic accidents occurred at intersections of local streets, where cyclists collided most often with vehicles during commute time in the morning. Third, cyclists' behavior was observed at a local street intersection in the morning in the city using video pictures. In one hour during the morning commute period, 250 bicycles passed through the intersection. The results indicated that one of the reasons for traffic accidents involving cyclists might be the combined effect of low visibility, caused by the presence of box-like building structures close to the intersections, and the cyclists' behavior in terms of their velocity and no confirming safety. It was observed that, on average, bicycle velocity was 3.1 m/s at the initial line of an intersection. The findings from this study could be useful in developing new technologies to improve cyclist safety, such as alert devices for cyclists and vehicle drivers, wireless communication systems between cyclists and vehicle drivers, or advanced vehicles with bicycle detection and collision mitigation systems.

Humboldt in Copenhagen

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jørgensen, Claus Møller

2012-01-01

Claus Møller Jørgensen analyzes the dynamics behind the specialization that took place in the nineteenth-century humanities at the University of Copenhagen. The humanities liberated themselves from an inferior position to the higher faculties by upgrading the status of classical studies and the e...

Atmospheric heavy metal deposition in the Copenhagen area

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Andersen, A; Hovmand, M F; Johnsen, I

1978-10-01

Transport of heavy metals from the atmosphere to the soil and vegetation takes place by dust fall, bulk precipitation, and gas/aerosol adsorption processes. Atmospheric dry and wet deposition of the heavy metals lead, zinc, nickel, vanadium, iron, and copper over the Copenhagen area was measured by sampling in plastic funnels from 17 stations throughout the area for 12 months. Epigeic bryophytes, epiphytic lichen, and topsoil samples were analyzed. A linear correlation between bulk precipitation and heavy metal concentration in lichens and bryophytes was found. An exponential correlation between bulk precipitation and heavy metal concentration in soil was noted. Regional variation of the heavy metal levels in the Copenhagen area was described, and three sub-areas with high metal burdens were distinguished. (10 diagrams, 8 graphs, 13 references, 2 tables)

Study of line source characteristics for 2-D physical modelling of pollutant dispersion in street canyons

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Meroney, Robert N. [Fluid Mechanics and Wind Engineering Program, Civil Engineering Department, Colorado State University Fort Collins, CO (United States); Pavageau, Michel; Rafailidis, Stilianos; Schatzmann, Michael [Meteorologisches Institut, Universitaet Hamburg, Hamburg (Germany)

1996-08-01

The University of Hamburg initiated a wind tunnel study of car exhaust dispersion from street canyons in an urban environment to investigate how pollution dispersion is affected by street geometry. Particular emphasis at the beginning of this work was put on the design of a line source to represent traffic exhaust. Pollution dispersion was studied in two dimensions (i.e., infinite-length streets were assumed). The case of an isolated street canyon in open country was examined first. The same street canyon geometry was subsequently studied in an urban environment, i.e., with additional canyons of similar geometry upstream and downstream of the test street. The dynamic and dispersion characteristics of the flow in the two cases were quite different. In the canyon amidst open country we observed better canyon ventilation than in the urban roughness case

Traffic accidents involving fatigue driving and their extent of casualties.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Guangnan; Yau, Kelvin K W; Zhang, Xun; Li, Yanyan

2016-02-01

The rapid progress of motorization has increased the number of traffic-related casualties. Although fatigue driving is a major cause of traffic accidents, the public remains not rather aware of its potential harmfulness. Fatigue driving has been termed as a "silent killer." Thus, a thorough study of traffic accidents and the risk factors associated with fatigue-related casualties is of utmost importance. In this study, we analyze traffic accident data for the period 2006-2010 in Guangdong Province, China. The study data were extracted from the traffic accident database of China's Public Security Department. A logistic regression model is used to assess the effect of driver characteristics, type of vehicles, road conditions, and environmental factors on fatigue-related traffic accident occurrence and severity. On the one hand, male drivers, trucks, driving during midnight to dawn, and morning rush hours are identified as risk factors of fatigue-related crashes but do not necessarily result in severe casualties. Driving at night without street-lights contributes to fatigue-related crashes and severe casualties. On the other hand, while factors such as less experienced drivers, unsafe vehicle status, slippery roads, driving at night with street-lights, and weekends do not have significant effect on fatigue-related crashes, yet accidents associated with these factors are likely to have severe casualties. The empirical results of the present study have important policy implications on the reduction of fatigue-related crashes as well as their severity. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Exposure to Physical Activity Resources by Neighborhood Sociodemographic Characteristics in Copenhagen

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Svastisalee, Chalida; Schipperijn, Jasper; Holstein, Bjørn Evald

2012-01-01

Background: To investigate socioeconomic patterning of physical activity resources in Copenhagen. Methods: We used multivariate logistic regression analysis to examine the association between physical activity-supportive resources (public open space (POS), cycling and walking paths, sports.......51; CI: 0.31-0.83) but more likely to have POS (OR = 1.40; CI: 1.15-1.70) and paths (OR = 1.52; CI: 1.25-1.85). Conclusions: Residents living in areas with high proportions of low education or young children are likely to have high exposure to physical activity resources. Exposure to physical activity...... resources in Copenhagen may not explain the inequalities in physical activity behavior. Further examination of exposure to built environment resources is warranted....

MICRO SIMULATION OF PELICAN CROSSING AT THE ROAD SECTION OF COLOMBO STREET, YOGYAKARTA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anggraeni Hapsari

2013-05-01

Full Text Available Yogyakarta has a problem related to pedestrians. The inappropriate implementation of crossing facility and disobedience of pedestrians while crossing the street leads to conflicts between pedestrians and vehicular traffic. Taking the road section of Colombo Street as the case study, this research proposed pelican crossing with independent and coordination time signal operation. Using Aimsun software, the existing traffic signal, geometric design, traffic flow and turning proportion were taken into account to build the initial model. Afterwards, a calibration of queue length and a validation of vehicle speed were carried out to obtain a basic model which represents the existing condition of the system. Comparing the basic model and the alternatives in terms of performances of junctions, road section and pedestrians in the pelican, this research resulted in setting double cycling of pelican as 100 seconds for the independent operation and setting common cycle time 120 seconds for the coordination operation as the best alternatives. In addition, the implementation of pelican crossing brought about the reduction of vehicle speed in the road section so that the safety of pedestrian increased. Keywords: Pedestrian, pelican crossing, Aimsun, signal time, speed

Travel Time Estimation on Urban Street Segment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jelena Kajalić

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Level of service (LOS is used as the main indicator of transport quality on urban roads and it is estimated based on the travel speed. The main objective of this study is to determine which of the existing models for travel speed calculation is most suitable for local conditions. The study uses actual data gathered in travel time survey on urban streets, recorded by applying second by second GPS data. The survey is limited to traffic flow in saturated conditions. The RMSE method (Root Mean Square Error is used for research results comparison with relevant models: Akcelik, HCM (Highway Capacity Manual, Singapore model and modified BPR (the Bureau of Public Roads function (Dowling - Skabardonis. The lowest deviation in local conditions for urban streets with standardized intersection distance (400-500 m is demonstrated by Akcelik model. However, for streets with lower signal density (<1 signal/km the correlation between speed and degree of saturation is best presented by HCM and Singapore model. According to test results, Akcelik model was adopted for travel speed estimation which can be the basis for determining the level of service in urban streets with standardized intersection distance and coordinated signal timing under local conditions.

Evaluation of numerical flow and dispersion simulations for street canyons with avenue-like tree planting by comparison with wind tunnel data

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Gromke, C.B.; Buccolieri, R.; Sabatino, Di S.; Ruck, B.

2008-01-01

Flow and traffic-originated pollutant dispersion in an urban street canyon with avenue-like tree planting have been studied by means of wind tunnel and CFD investigations. The study comprises tree planting of different crown porosity, planted in two rows within a canyon of street width to building

Developing a Measure of Traffic Calming Associated with Elementary School Students' Active Transport.

Science.gov (United States)

Nicholson, Lisa M; Turner, Lindsey; Slater, Sandy J; Abuzayd, Haytham; Chriqui, Jamie F; Chaloupka, Frank

2014-12-01

The objective of this study is to develop a measure of traffic calming with nationally available GIS data from NAVTEQ and to validate the traffic calming index with the percentage of children reported by school administrators as walking or biking to school, using data from a nationally representative sample of elementary schools in 2006-2010. Specific models, with and without correlated errors, examined associations of objective GIS measures of the built environment, nationally available from NAVTEQ, with the latent construct of traffic calming. The best fit model for the latent traffic calming construct was determined to be a five factor model including objective measures of intersection density, count of medians/dividers, count of low mobility streets, count of roundabouts, and count of on-street parking availability, with no correlated errors among items. This construct also proved to be a good fit for the full measurement model when the outcome measure of percentage of students walking or biking to school was added to the model. The traffic calming measure was strongly, significantly, and positively correlated with the percentage of students reported as walking or biking to school. Applicability of results to public health and transportation policies and practices are discussed.

Copenhagen's climate finance promise: six key questions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Roberts, J. Timmons [Brown University (United States); Stadelmann, Martin [University of Zurich (Switzerland); Huq, Saleemul

2010-02-15

One clear promise emerged from the confusion of the 2009 climate talks in Copenhagen. This was to provide short- and long-term 'climate finance' to help developing countries – especially the most vulnerable – adapt to climate impacts. The promise seemed simple enough: wealthier nations would pledge US$10 billion a year from 2010-2012, ramping up to US$100 billion a year starting in 2020. This was also touted as a way to help developing countries avoid high-carbon pathways of development by adopting lower-emitting power sources such as solar or natural gas. But a closer look at the Copenhagen promise unearths at least six big questions – any one of which could seriously challenge the trust these funds were designed to build.

Numerical modeling of flow and pollutant dispersion in street canyons with tree planting

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Balczó, M.; Gromke, C.B.; Ruck, B.

2009-01-01

Numerical simulations of the impact of tree planting on airflow and traffic pollutant dispersion in urban street canyons have been performed using the commercial CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) code MISKAM. A k-e turbulence model including additional terms for the treatment of vegetation, has

Robust classification of traffic signs using multi-view cues

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hazelhoff, L.; Creusen, I.M.; With, de P.H.N.

2012-01-01

Traffic sign inventories are created for road safety and maintenance based on street-level panoramic images. Due to the large capturing interval, large viewpoint deviations between the different capturings occur. These viewpoint variations complicate the classification procedure, which aims at the

A 'Copenhagen Effect'?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Werlauff, Erik

2009-01-01

On the basis of the Danish company law reform of 2009/2010, this article examines the question of whether the processes of liberalisation and internationalisation of the Danish rules on public and private companies which the reform represents are significant enough to warrant the term...... the ‘Copenhagen effect' in competition with the already established ‘London effect'....

En "Copenhagen effect"?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Werlauff, Erik

2009-01-01

Artiklen efterprøver på grundlag af den danske selskabsreform 2009/10, om den liberalisering og internationalisering, der herved har fundet sted af den danske lovgivning om aktie- og anpartsselskaber, er så betydningsfuld, at det fremtidigt giver mening at tale om en "Copenhagen effect" i...... konkurrence med den allerede kendte "London effect". Udgivelsesdato: Juni 2009...

Climate change: from Copenhagen to Cancun

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Abeysinghe, Achala Chandani; Carlson, John

2011-03-15

A year after the grim UN climate change negotiations in Denmark that resulted in parties merely 'taking note' of a three-page 'Copenhagen Accord', 194 countries met in Cancun, Mexico. Unlike the furore surrounding the Copenhagen negotiations, expectations were comparatively low-key for Cancun. The Copenhagen conference had damaged faith in the UN climate convention as an effective and legitimate negotiating forum. Restoring confidence in this process was a priority for Cancun. Parties were seeking a modest but balanced outcome across all main elements of the 2007 Bali Action Plan (BAP) which includes adaptation, mitigation, finance, technology, and capacity building. By the end of the two week negotiations, countries had finalized the 'Cancun Agreements', which managed to encompass decisions on each part of the BAP. In addition, the conference was widely recognized as having rebuilt fractured negotiating relationships between parties. The conference proceedings focused on the ongoing efforts of the two ad-hoc working groups that were established to find ways to enhance implementation of the convention and to discuss future commitments under the Kyoto Protocol.

Traffic signs recognition for driving assistance

Science.gov (United States)

Sai Sangram Reddy, Yatham; Karthik, Devareddy; Rana, Nikunj; Jasmine Pemeena Priyadarsini, M.; Rajini, G. K.; Naseera, Shaik

2017-11-01

In the current circumstances with the innovative headway, we must be able to provide assistance to the driving in recognising the traffic signs on the roads. At present time, many reviews are being directed moving in the direction of the usage of a keen Traffic Systems. One field of this exploration is driving support systems, and many reviews are being directed to create frameworks which distinguish and perceive street signs in front of the vehicle, and afterward utilize the data to advise the driver or to even control the vehicle by implementing this system on self-driving vehicles. In this paper we propose a method to detect the traffic sign board in a frame using HAAR cascading and then identifying the sign on it. The output may be either given out in voice or can be displayed as per the driver’s convenience. Each of the Traffic Sign is recognised using a database of images of symbols used to train the KNN classifier using open CV libraries.

Multimodal route choice models of public transport passengers in the Greater Copenhagen Area

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Anderson, Marie Karen; Nielsen, Otto Anker; Prato, Carlo Giacomo

2014-01-01

Understanding route choice behavior is crucial to explain travelers’ preferences and to predict traffic flows under different scenarios. A growing body of literature has concentrated on public transport users without, however, concentrating on multimodal public transport networks because......,641 public transport users in the Greater Copenhagen Area.A two-stage approach consisting of choice set generation and route choice model estimation allowed uncovering the preferences of the users of this multimodal large-scale public transport network. The results illustrate the rates of substitution...... not only of the in-vehicle times for different public transport modes, but also of the other time components (e.g., access, walking, waiting, transfer) composing the door-to-door experience of using a multimodal public transport network, differentiating by trip length and purpose, and accounting...

Street outreach with no streets.

Science.gov (United States)

Self, Bruce; Peters, Heather

2005-01-01

A street nurse position in the rural and small-town interior of British Columbia has been addressing the needs of street-involved or otherwise marginalized client populations by bringing healthcare services to wherever those clients are, rather than waiting for the clients to seek care. The primary reason for a street outreach approach is that marginalized populations face a variety of barriers to accessing traditional healthcare services--barriers such as homelessness, mental health problems, criminal involvement, lack of transportation, lack of ability to pay for prescriptions, lack of specialized or knowledgeable providers and provider discrimination. In the rural street nurse program, the target population includes the usual street nurse populations of illegal drug users and sex trade workers, which are more hidden in small communities than in larger urban centres, creating the community denial that is a barrier to healthcare access. Yet another barrier is the co-locaton of services common in small communities, where public health clinics might share a building with police services, making marginalized clients reluctant to attend clinics. The rural street nurse collaborates with public health nurses and other care providers (mental health workers, social workers, etc) with collegial advice and support, making and receiving referrals, and generally assisting one another--the street nurse through his rapport with the marginalized individuals and the others with their specialized knowledge. Rural street services are delivered whereverthe clientsfeel comfortable: a school, a drop-in centre, a mall, a youth centre or simplythe street. Services provided include sexually transmitted infection testing, chlamydia treatments, pregnancy testing emergency contraception pills and assistance with filling out forms for financial support. Accordingly, the street nurse's truck is equipped as a mobile treatment centre and office, with a cellphone and a stock of testing and

A Method to Estimate Students’ Exposure to Road Traffic Noise Events

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Simone Secchi

2018-03-01

Full Text Available The correlation between exposure to traffic noise and students’ performance and annoyance has been investigated in literature mainly considering the relationship between indoor equivalent A-weighted sound pressure level (LAeq and students’ cognitive impairment. Annoyance is frequently related to the effect of short-duration noise events characterized by high sound pressure levels, such as those due to aircraft fly-over and pass-by of buses, heavy trucks, motorcycles, or street sweepers. These noise events are often described, over specific measurement periods, in terms of maximum A-weighted sound pressure level, LAmax, or statistical levels, such as LA1 or LA10. This aspect is not considered in the noise maps drawn in accordance with the European Environmental Noise Directive, as they provide the LAeq only, determined over day, evening, and night periods. In this paper, students’ exposure to road traffic noise is analyzed by means of regression equations obtained by the authors between LAeq and A-weighted maximum and statistical levels due to road traffic noise. The traffic noise of 28 urban streets was monitored during the opening period of Italian schools. A method is described to estimate students’ exposure to noise from data made available on noise maps by the municipalities of metropolitan areas. The application of this method to the case study of Florence shows that almost 60% of students from municipal primary and lower secondary schools could be exposed to the maximum sound pressure level (SPL inside the classroom greater than 55 dB(A every hour, probably exceeding the typical background noise in classrooms by more than 10 dB.

Early Model of Traffic Sign Reminder Based on Neural Network

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Budi Rahmani

2012-12-01

Full Text Available Recognizing the traffic signs installed on the streets is one of the requirements of driving on the road. Laxity in driving may result in traffic accident. This paper describes a real-time reminder model, by utilizing a camera that can be installed in a car to capture image of traffic signs, and is processed and later to inform the driver. The extracting feature harnessing the morphological elements (strel is used in this paper. Artificial Neural Networks is used to train the system and to produce a final decision. The result shows that the accuracy in detecting and recognizing the ten types of traffic signs in real-time is 80%.

A Signal Coordination Control Based on Traversing Empty between Mid-Block Street Crossing and Intersection

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Changjiang Zheng

2012-01-01

Full Text Available To solve the problem in pedestrian Mid-Block street crossing, the method of signal coordination control between mid-block street crossing and intersection is researched in this paper. The paper proposes to use “distance-flow rate-time” graph as the tool for building coordination control system model which is for different situations of traffic control. Through alternating the linear optimization model, the system outputs the distribution of signal timing and system operational factors (delays in vehicles and mid-block street crossing. Finally, taking one section on the Taiping North Road in Nanjing as an example, the signal coordination control is carried out. And the results which are delays in the vehicles and mid-block street crossing are compared to those in the current distribution of signal timing.

Purpose-built mosques in Copenhagen

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Neergaard, Maja de; Koefoed, Lasse Martin; Simonsen, Kirsten

2017-01-01

form and the location of the mosques. In the paper we explore both similarities and differences in the way the material culture of the mosques are planned and received by the public. Today, three purpose-built mosques exist in the Copenhagen area, and they differ in terms of architectural form, age...... of purpose-built mosques in Copenhagen. The public visibility is a manifestation of religious differences that cannot be thought independent of the materiality of culture; namely aesthetic forms, dress codes and architectural genres. Cultural encounters are mediated through the materiality, the aesthetic...... are received in public, how this reception varies, and what lessons that can be learned from these meetings as regards possibilities/limitations for, and co-existence in, the city....

Determination of traffic noise nuisance as a function of traffic type and density in a heavily populated area

Science.gov (United States)

Heimerl, G.; Holzmann, E.

1979-01-01

On the basis of a study including noise level measurements during the day and night and 1125 interviews with residents, it was found that railway noise creates less of a disturbance than street traffic noise. By far the largest majority of respondents experienced the greatest disturbance during the day. The difference in nuisance decreases as noise level rises.

Spatial and temporal characterization of traffic emissions in urban microenvironments with a mobile laboratory

Science.gov (United States)

Pirjola, L.; Lähde, T.; Niemi, J. V.; Kousa, A.; Rönkkö, T.; Karjalainen, P.; Keskinen, J.; Frey, A.; Hillamo, R.

2012-12-01

A measurement campaign by a mobile laboratory van was performed in urban microenvironments bounded by a busy street Mannerheimintie in the city center of Helsinki, Finland. The characteristics of spatiotemporally high-resolution pollutant concentrations were studied such as ultrafine particles in the size range of 3-414 nm, black carbon BC, fine particle mass PM2.5, as well as nitrogen oxides NO and NO2. In addition, the effects of street geometry and roadside structure on the local dispersion of traffic emissions were analyzed as well. Meteorological conditions stayed stable and the wind direction was perpendicular to Mannerheimintie during the campaign. The highest particle concentrations were ˜8 × 105 cm-3, of which around 94% was smaller than 40 nm. At the pavement, the average concentration was in maximum 5 × 104 cm-3; around 80% of the particles was smaller than 40 nm. The volatility fraction was 75% by number. Due to the street canyon effect by the surrounding buildings, the downwind concentrations were around 24% of the upwind concentrations for particle number, 28% of NO, 39% of BC and 70% of NO2 concentrations. Furthermore, the upwind concentrations were higher than the simultaneously measured concentrations within the traffic flow. In fact, the particle count was around 3-fold, BC 2.5-fold, PM2.5 and NO2 1.5-fold compared to the concentrations while driving. Thus, for this measurement site and under these meteorological conditions, the exposure to pedestrians and cyclist on the upwind pavement is even higher than the driver's exposure. If the downwind buildings were parallel to Mannerheimintie, the concentrations dropped significantly at the pavement and continued decreasing slightly in the courtyards. When the downwind buildings were perpendicular to Mannerheimintie, a gradual reduction in the concentrations between the buildings was observed. However, at a distance of approximately a hundred meters a parallel side street which was a street canyon

Effectiveness of green infrastructure for improvement of air quality in urban street canyons.

Science.gov (United States)

Pugh, Thomas A M; Mackenzie, A Robert; Whyatt, J Duncan; Hewitt, C Nicholas

2012-07-17

Street-level concentrations of nitrogen dioxide (NO(2)) and particulate matter (PM) exceed public health standards in many cities, causing increased mortality and morbidity. Concentrations can be reduced by controlling emissions, increasing dispersion, or increasing deposition rates, but little attention has been paid to the latter as a pollution control method. Both NO(2) and PM are deposited onto surfaces at rates that vary according to the nature of the surface; deposition rates to vegetation are much higher than those to hard, built surfaces. Previously, city-scale studies have suggested that deposition to vegetation can make a very modest improvement (street canyons. This study shows that increasing deposition by the planting of vegetation in street canyons can reduce street-level concentrations in those canyons by as much as 40% for NO(2) and 60% for PM. Substantial street-level air quality improvements can be gained through action at the scale of a single street canyon or across city-sized areas of canyons. Moreover, vegetation will continue to offer benefits in the reduction of pollution even if the traffic source is removed from city centers. Thus, judicious use of vegetation can create an efficient urban pollutant filter, yielding rapid and sustained improvements in street-level air quality in dense urban areas.

Heavy metal levels and solid phase speciation in street dusts of Delhi, India

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Banerjee, Anju D.K.

2003-01-01

Although the street dusts of Delhi contain considerably high levels of Cr, Ni, Cu, Cd, Zn and Pb, solid phase speciation results indicate comparatively limited environmental mobility and bioavailability of Ni and Cr. - Street dust samples were collected from three different localities (industrial, heavy traffic and rural) situated in the greater Delhi area of India. The samples analyzed for Cd, Zn, Pb, Ni, Cu, and Cr indicated remarkably high levels of Cr, Ni, and Cu in the industrial area, whilst Pb and Cd did not show any discernible variations between the three localities. A multivariate statistical approach (Principal Component Analysis) was used to define the possible origin of metals in dusts. The street dusts were sequentially extracted so that the solid pools of Cd, Zn, Pb, Ni, Cu, Cr could be partitioned into five operationally defined fractions viz. exchangeable, bound to carbonates, bound to Fe-Mn oxides, bound to organic matter and residual. Metal recoveries in sequential extractions were ±10% of the independently measured total metal concentrations. Cd was the only metal present appreciably (27.16%) in the exchangeable fraction and Cu was the only metal predominantly associated (44.26%) with organic fraction. Zn (45.64%) and Pb (28.26%) were present mainly in the Fe-Mn oxide fraction and the residual fraction was the most dominant solid phase pool of Cr (88.12%) and Ni (70.94%). Assuming that the mobility and bioavailability are related to the solubility of geochemical forms of the metals and decrease in order of extraction, the apparent mobility and potential metal bioavailability for these highly contaminated street dust samples is: Cd>Zn congruent with Pb>Ni>Cu>Cr

Source contributions to PM2.5 and PM10 at an urban background and a street location

Science.gov (United States)

Keuken, M. P.; Moerman, M.; Voogt, M.; Blom, M.; Weijers, E. P.; Röckmann, T.; Dusek, U.

2013-06-01

The contribution of regional, urban and traffic sources to PM2.5 and PM10 in an urban area was investigated in this study. The chemical composition of PM2.5 and PM10 was measured over a year at a street location and up- and down-wind of the city of Rotterdam, the Netherlands. The 14C content in EC and OC concentrations was also determined, to distinguish the contribution from "modern" carbon (e.g., biogenic emissions, biomass burning and wildfires) and fossil fuel combustion. It was concluded that the urban background of PM2.5 and PM10 is dominated by the regional background, and that primary and secondary PM emission by urban sources contribute less than 15%. The 14C analysis revealed that 70% of OC originates from modern carbon and 30% from fossil fuel combustion. The corresponding percentages for EC are, respectively 17% and 83%. It is concluded that in particular the urban population living in street canyons with intense road traffic has potential health risks. This is due to exposure to elevated concentrations of a factor two for EC from exhaust emissions in PM2.5 and a factor 2-3 for heavy metals from brake and tyre wear, and re-suspended road dust in PM10. It follows that local air quality management may focus on local measures to street canyons with intense road traffic.

78 FR 52231 - 2013 Temporary Closure of I-395 Just South of Conway Street in the City of Baltimore to Vehicular...

Science.gov (United States)

2013-08-22

..., will remain open during the time period of the event. There are five additional I-95 interchanges, just... Temporary Closure of I-395 Just South of Conway Street in the City of Baltimore to Vehicular Traffic To... Transportation Authority (MDTA) to temporarily close a portion of I-395 (just south of Conway Street in Baltimore...

House prices and land regulation in the Copenhagen area

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Skak, Morten; Lauridsen, Jørgen Trankjær; Nannerup, Niels Erik Holm

2013-01-01

We analyse house prices from 1992 to 2011 in the metropolitan area of Copenhagen. In line with most other metropolitan areas in Europe, Copenhagen house prices showed solid increases during this period until 2007 when a downturn in prices began. The price gradient from the centre of the metropolis...

Evaluation of numerical flow and dispersion simulations for street canyons with avenue-like tree planting by comparison with wind tunnel data

OpenAIRE

Gromke, CB Christof; Buccolieri, R; Sabatino, S Di; Ruck, B

2008-01-01

Abstract: Flow and traffic-originated pollutant dispersion in an urban street canyon with avenue-like tree planting have been studied by means of wind tunnel and CFD investigations. The study comprises tree planting of different crown porosity, planted in two rows within a canyon of street width to building height ratio W/H = 2 and street length to building height ratio L/H = 10 exposed to a perpendicular approaching boundary layer flow. Numerical simulations have been performed with...

The Copenhagen Triage Algorithm

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hasselbalch, Rasmus Bo; Plesner, Louis Lind; Pries-Heje, Mia

2016-01-01

is non-inferior to an existing triage model in a prospective randomized trial. METHODS: The Copenhagen Triage Algorithm (CTA) study is a prospective two-center, cluster-randomized, cross-over, non-inferiority trial comparing CTA to the Danish Emergency Process Triage (DEPT). We include patients ≥16 years...

Green supply chain: Simulating road traffic congestion

Science.gov (United States)

Jalal, Muhammad Zulqarnain Hakim Abd; Nawawi, Mohd Kamal Mohd; Laailatul Hanim Mat Desa, Wan; Khalid, Ruzelan; Khalid Abduljabbar, Waleed; Ramli, Razamin

2017-09-01

With the increasing awareness of the consumers about environmental issues, businesses, households and governments increasingly want use green products and services which lead to green supply chain. This paper discusses a simulation study of a selected road traffic system that will contribute to the air pollution if in the congestion state. Road traffic congestion (RTC) can be caused by a temporary obstruction, a permanent capacity bottleneck in the network itself, and stochastic fluctuation in demand within a particular sector of the network, leading to spillback and queue propagation. A discrete-event simulation model is developed to represent the real traffic light control (TLC) system condition during peak hours. Certain performance measures such as average waiting time and queue length were measured using the simulation model. Existing system uses pre-set cycle time to control the light changes which is fixed time cycle. In this research, we test several other combination of pre-set cycle time with the objective to find the best system. In addition, we plan to use a combination of the pre-set cycle time and a proximity sensor which have the authority to manipulate the cycle time of the lights. The sensors work in such situation when the street seems to have less occupied vehicles, obviously it may not need a normal cycle for green light, and automatically change the cycle to street where vehicle is present.

The Brooklyn traffic real-time ambient pollutant penetration and environmental dispersion (B-TRAPPED) field study methodology.

Science.gov (United States)

Richmond-Bryant, Jennifer; Hahn, Intaek; Fortune, Christopher R; Rodes, Charles E; Portzer, Jeffrey W; Lee, Sangdon; Wiener, Russell W; Smith, Luther A; Wheeler, Michael; Seagraves, Jeremy; Stein, Mark; Eisner, Alfred D; Brixey, Laurie A; Drake-Richman, Zora E; Brouwer, Lydia H; Ellenson, William D; Baldauf, Richard

2009-12-01

The Brooklyn Traffic Real-Time Ambient Pollutant Penetration and Environmental Dispersion (B-TRAPPED) field study examined indoor and outdoor exposure to traffic-generated air pollution by studying the individual processes of generation of traffic emissions, transport and dispersion of air contaminants along a roadway, and infiltration of the contaminants into a residence. Real-time instrumentation was used to obtain highly resolved time-series concentration profiles for a number of air pollutants. The B-TRAPPED field study was conducted in the residential Sunset Park neighborhood of Brooklyn, NY, USA, in May 2005. The neighborhood contained the Gowanus Expressway (Interstate 278), a major arterial road (4(th) Avenue), and residential side streets running perpendicular to the Gowanus Expressway and 4(th) Avenue. Synchronized measurements were obtained inside a test house, just outside the test house façade, and along the urban residential street canyon on which the house was located. A trailer containing Federal Reference Method (FRM) and real-time monitors was located next to the Gowanus Expressway to assess the source. Ultrafine particulate matter (PM), PM(2.5), nitrogen oxides (NO(x)), sulfur dioxide (SO(2)), carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO(2)), temperature, relative humidity, and wind speed and direction were monitored. Different sampling schemes were devised to focus on dispersion along the street canyon or infiltration into the test house. Results were obtained for ultrafine PM, PM(2.5), criteria gases, and wind conditions from sampling schemes focused on street canyon dispersion and infiltration. For comparison, the ultrafine PM and PM(2.5) results were compared with an existing data set from the Los Angeles area, and the criteria gas data were compared with measurements from a Vancouver epidemiologic study. Measured ultrafine PM and PM(2.5) concentration levels along the residential urban street canyon and at the test house façade in Sunset Park

Towards an explanation of age-related difficulties in crossing a two-way street.

Science.gov (United States)

Dommes, Aurélie; Lay, Tristan Le; Vienne, Fabrice; Dang, Nguyen-Thong; Beaudoin, Alexandra Perrot; Do, Manh Cuong

2015-12-01

Crossing a two-way street is a complex task that involves visual, cognitive and motor abilities, all of which are known to decline with ageing. In particular, older pedestrians may experience difficulties when crossing two-way streets because of incorrect gap acceptance choices and impossible or unperceived evasive actions. To understand the overrepresentation of older pedestrians in crash statistics, several experimental studies have sought to identify traffic-related factors as well as those related to the abilities of the individuals themselves. However, none of these studies has required participants to actually walk across an experimental two-way street with curbs, which is a particularly challenging situation for older pedestrians. To fill this research gap, a quasi-experiment was conducted in a simulator including a total of 58 healthy aged participants (25 younger-old [age 60-72] and 33 older-old [age 72-92]) and 25 young adults (aged 18-25 years). Participants carried out a street-crossing task in a simulated two-way traffic environment; curbs were present on both sides of the experimental street. Participants also undertook a battery of tests to assess their visual and cognitive abilities. In addition, during the experiment, the participants' gait parameters were recorded. In line with earlier findings, the older-old group of participants made a higher number of decisions that led to collisions with approaching cars compared with the other groups. The two groups of older participants experienced specific difficulties when vehicles were in the far lane or when they approached rapidly. A regression analysis identified visual acuity, speed of processing (assessed using the UFOV(®) test), and step length as significant predictors of collisions. Our results have implications for understanding the difficulties experienced by older pedestrians and allow to draw up several recommendations for improving their safety. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights

High-speed and high-fidelity system and method for collecting network traffic

Science.gov (United States)

Weigle, Eric H [Los Alamos, NM

2010-08-24

A system is provided for the high-speed and high-fidelity collection of network traffic. The system can collect traffic at gigabit-per-second (Gbps) speeds, scale to terabit-per-second (Tbps) speeds, and support additional functions such as real-time network intrusion detection. The present system uses a dedicated operating system for traffic collection to maximize efficiency, scalability, and performance. A scalable infrastructure and apparatus for the present system is provided by splitting the work performed on one host onto multiple hosts. The present system simultaneously addresses the issues of scalability, performance, cost, and adaptability with respect to network monitoring, collection, and other network tasks. In addition to high-speed and high-fidelity network collection, the present system provides a flexible infrastructure to perform virtually any function at high speeds such as real-time network intrusion detection and wide-area network emulation for research purposes.

A semi-automatic traffic sign detection, classification and positioning system

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Creusen, I.M.; Hazelhoff, L.; With, de P.H.N.; Said, A.; Guleryuz, O.G.; Stevenson, R.L.

2012-01-01

The availability of large-scale databases containing street-level panoramic images offers the possibility to perform semi-automatic surveying of real-world objects such as traffic signs. These inventories can be performed significantly more efficiently than using conventional methods. Governmental

A proper choice of route significantly reduces air pollution exposure--a study on bicycle and bus trips in urban streets.

Science.gov (United States)

Hertel, Ole; Hvidberg, Martin; Ketzel, Matthias; Storm, Lars; Stausgaard, Lizzi

2008-01-15

A proper selection of route through the urban area may significantly reduce the air pollution exposure. This is the main conclusion from the presented study. Air pollution exposure is determined for two selected cohorts along the route going from home to working place, and back from working place to home. Exposure is determined with a street pollution model for three scenarios: bicycling along the shortest possible route, bicycling along the low exposure route along less trafficked streets, and finally taking the shortest trip using public transport. Furthermore, calculations are performed for the cases the trip takes place inside as well as outside the traffic rush hours. The results show that the accumulated air pollution exposure for the low exposure route is between 10% and 30% lower for the primary pollutants (NO(x) and CO). However, the difference is insignificant and in some cases even negative for the secondary pollutants (NO(2) and PM(10)/PM(2.5)). Considering only the contribution from traffic in the travelled streets, the accumulated air pollution exposure is between 54% and 67% lower for the low exposure route. The bus is generally following highly trafficked streets, and the accumulated exposure along the bus route is therefore between 79% and 115% higher than the high exposure bicycle route (the short bicycle route). Travelling outside the rush hour time periods reduces the accumulated exposure between 10% and 30% for the primary pollutants, and between 5% and 20% for the secondary pollutants. The study indicates that a web based route planner for selecting the low exposure route through the city might be a good service for the public. In addition the public may be advised to travel outside rush hour time periods.

Developing a Measure of Traffic Calming Associated with Elementary School Students’ Active Transport

Science.gov (United States)

Nicholson, Lisa M.; Turner, Lindsey; Slater, Sandy J.; Abuzayd, Haytham; Chriqui, Jamie F.; Chaloupka, Frank

2014-01-01

The objective of this study is to develop a measure of traffic calming with nationally available GIS data from NAVTEQ and to validate the traffic calming index with the percentage of children reported by school administrators as walking or biking to school, using data from a nationally representative sample of elementary schools in 2006-2010. Specific models, with and without correlated errors, examined associations of objective GIS measures of the built environment, nationally available from NAVTEQ, with the latent construct of traffic calming. The best fit model for the latent traffic calming construct was determined to be a five factor model including objective measures of intersection density, count of medians/dividers, count of low mobility streets, count of roundabouts, and count of on-street parking availability, with no correlated errors among items. This construct also proved to be a good fit for the full measurement model when the outcome measure of percentage of students walking or biking to school was added to the model. The traffic calming measure was strongly, significantly, and positively correlated with the percentage of students reported as walking or biking to school. Applicability of results to public health and transportation policies and practices are discussed. PMID:25506255

Engineering modeling of traffic noise in shielded areas in cities.

Science.gov (United States)

Salomons, Erik M; Polinder, Henk; Lohman, Walter J A; Zhou, Han; Borst, Hieronymous C; Miedema, Henk M E

2009-11-01

A computational study of road traffic noise in cities is presented. Based on numerical boundary-element calculations of canyon-to-canyon propagation, an efficient engineering algorithm is developed to calculate the effect of multiple reflections in street canyons. The algorithm is supported by a room-acoustical analysis of the reverberant sound fields in the source and receiver canyons. Using the algorithm, a simple model for traffic noise in cities is developed. Noise maps and exposure distributions of the city of Amsterdam are calculated with the model, and for comparison also with an engineering model that is currently used for traffic noise impact assessments in cities. Considerable differences between the two model predictions are found for shielded buildings with day-evening-night levels of 40-60 dB at the facades. Further, an analysis is presented of level differences between the most and the least exposed facades of buildings. Large level differences are found for buildings directly exposed to traffic noise from nearby roads. It is shown that by a redistribution of traffic flow around these buildings, one can achieve low sound levels at quiet sides and a corresponding reduction in the percentage of highly annoyed inhabitants from typically 23% to 18%.

The Good- & Socially Sustainable Street, from a Human Perspective : Focusing on the Relationship between Physical Environments and Social Life, with Hornsgatan in Stockholm as a Case Study

OpenAIRE

Thurell, Erik

2012-01-01

With over 300 years serving as a traffic route it is no wonder that Hornsgatan has the role of a major ‘artery’ in today’s Stockholm. This thesis will analyze and investigate how the street environment on Hornsgatan is affecting the people spending time on the street, and how a better street life and street quality can be brought out when it comes to enhance the social aspects for the street and its people. Through methods such as observations of the street and interviews with business owners...

Quality Analysis of Open Street Map Data

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, M.; Li, Q.; Hu, Q.; Zhou, M.

2013-05-01

Crowd sourcing geographic data is an opensource geographic data which is contributed by lots of non-professionals and provided to the public. The typical crowd sourcing geographic data contains GPS track data like OpenStreetMap, collaborative map data like Wikimapia, social websites like Twitter and Facebook, POI signed by Jiepang user and so on. These data will provide canonical geographic information for pubic after treatment. As compared with conventional geographic data collection and update method, the crowd sourcing geographic data from the non-professional has characteristics or advantages of large data volume, high currency, abundance information and low cost and becomes a research hotspot of international geographic information science in the recent years. Large volume crowd sourcing geographic data with high currency provides a new solution for geospatial database updating while it need to solve the quality problem of crowd sourcing geographic data obtained from the non-professionals. In this paper, a quality analysis model for OpenStreetMap crowd sourcing geographic data is proposed. Firstly, a quality analysis framework is designed based on data characteristic analysis of OSM data. Secondly, a quality assessment model for OSM data by three different quality elements: completeness, thematic accuracy and positional accuracy is presented. Finally, take the OSM data of Wuhan for instance, the paper analyses and assesses the quality of OSM data with 2011 version of navigation map for reference. The result shows that the high-level roads and urban traffic network of OSM data has a high positional accuracy and completeness so that these OSM data can be used for updating of urban road network database.

Diurnal variation of on-road air pollution in an urban street canyon in Seoul

Science.gov (United States)

Ho, Woo, Sung; Lee, Seung-Bok; Kim, Kyung Hwan; Bae, Gwi-Nam; Sunwoo, Young; Ma, Young-Il; Han, Dokyoung; Song, Sanghoo

2014-05-01

Motor vehicles are a major source of CO, NOx and particulate matters. Especially, in the surroundings of high-raised buildings, so-called an urban street canyon, air pollution levels increase due to limited dispersion of vehicle emissions. In this study, a mobile laboratory was used to measure diurnal variation of on-road concentrations of air pollutants such as NOx, particle-bound polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, black carbon and particle number in the urban street canyon on the Teheran road with eight lanes in Seoul, Korea from 5th to 8th November 2013. Each traveling distance was about 3.3km. Traveling vehicle at the middle of the Teheran road was recorded by video camera, and then the car counting by vehicle types. On road measurements conducted for 3~6 hours per day. Hourly average of air pollutant concentration in morning rush hour more than two times higher than those at the daybreak. We will analyze the correlation between air pollution levels and traffic volume by vehicle types. We will discuss about spatial characteristics of on-road air pollution levels in the urban street canyon.

Pedestrian temporal and spatial gap acceptance at mid-block street crossing in developing world.

Science.gov (United States)

Pawar, Digvijay S; Patil, Gopal R

2015-02-01

Most of the midblock pedestrian crossings on urban roads in India are uncontrolled; wherein the high degree of discretion in pedestrians' behavior while crossing the traffic stream, has made the situation complex to analyze. Vehicles do not yield to pedestrians, even though the traffic laws give priority to pedestrians over motorized vehicles at unsignalized pedestrian crossings. Therefore, a pedestrian has to decide if an available gap is safe or not for crossing. This paper aims to investigate pedestrian temporal and spatial gap acceptance for midblock street crossings. Field data were collected using video camera at two midblock pedestrian crossings. The data extraction in laboratory resulted in 1107 pedestrian gaps. Available gaps, pedestrians' decision, traffic volume, etc. were extracted from the videos. While crossing a road with multiple lanes, rolling gap acceptance behavior was observed. Using binary logit analysis, six utility models were developed, three each for temporal and spatial gaps. The 50th percentile temporal and spatial gaps ranged from 4.1 to 4.8s and 67 to 79 m respectively, whereas the 85th percentile temporal and spatial gaps ranged from 5 to 5.8s and 82 to 95 m respectively. These gap values were smaller than that reported in the studies in developed countries. The speed of conflicting vehicle was found to be significant in spatial gap but not in temporal gap acceptance. The gap acceptance decision was also found to be affected by the type of conflicting vehicles. The insights from this study can be used for the safety and performance evaluation of uncontrolled midblock street crossings in developing countries. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd and National Safety Council. All rights reserved.

Application of the Copenhagen Soccer Test in high-level women players - locomotor activities, physiological response and sprint performance

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bendiksen, Mads; Pettersen, Svein Arne; Ingebrigtsen, Jørgen

2013-01-01

We evaluated the physiological response, sprint performance and technical ability in various phases of the Copenhagen Soccer Test for Women (CSTw) and investigated whether the locomotor activities of the CSTw were comparable to competitive match-play (CM). Physiological measurements and physical....../technical assessments were performed during CSTw for eleven Norwegian high-level women soccer players. The activity pattern during CSTw and CM was monitored using the ZXY tracking system. No differences were observed between CSTw and CM with regards to total distance covered (10093±94 and 9674±191m), high intensity...

Virtual street-crossing performance in persons with multiple sclerosis: Feasibility and task performance characteristics.

Science.gov (United States)

Stratton, M E; Pilutti, L A; Crowell, J A; Kaczmarski, H; Motl, R W

2017-01-02

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a neurological disease that commonly results in physical and cognitive dysfunction. Accordingly, MS might impact the ability to safely cross the street. The purpose of this study was to examine the feasibility of a simulated street-crossing task in persons with MS and to determine differences in street-crossing performance between persons with MS and non-MS controls. 26 participants with MS (median Expanded Disability Status Scale [EDSS] score = 3.5) and 19 controls completed 40 trials of a virtual street-crossing task. There were 2 crossing conditions (i.e., no distraction and phone conversation), and participants performed 20 trials per condition. Participants were instructed that the goal of the task was to cross the street successfully (i.e., without being hit be a vehicle). The primary outcome was task feasibility, assessed as completion and adverse events. Secondary outcomes were measures of street-crossing performance. Overall, the simulated street-crossing task was feasible (i.e., 90% completion, no adverse events) in participants with MS. Participants with MS waited longer and were less attentive to traffic before entering the street compared with controls (all P .05). A virtual street-crossing task is feasible for studying street-crossing behavior in persons with mild MS and most individuals with moderate MS. Virtual street-crossing performance is impaired in persons with MS compared to controls; however, persons with MS do not appear to be more vulnerable to a distracting condition. The virtual reality environment presents a safe and useful setting for understanding pedestrian behavior in persons with MS.

Social Housing Provision in Copenhagen

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tsenkova, Sasha; Vestergaard, Hedvig

-profit housing providers, and a wide range of fiscal and regulatory instruments enhancing the competitive performance of the social housing sector. The research analyses recent housing policy measures and their impact on new social housing provision in Copenhagen. The emphasis is on the mix of housing policy......The paper provides an overview of trends and processes of change affecting new social housing provision in Denmark with a focus on Copenhagen. The local responses are reviewed within the context of changes to the unitary national housing system that functions with a robust range of private and non...... instruments implemented in three major policy domains-fiscal, financial and regulatory-to promote the production of new social housing. The system of new social housing provision is examined as a dynamic process of interaction between public and private institutions defining housing policy outcomes...

Prevalence of COPD in Copenhagen

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Fabricius, Peder; Løkke, Anders; Marott, Jacob Louis

2011-01-01

INTRODUCTION: COPD is a leading cause of death worldwide; however, prevalence estimates have varied considerably in previous studies. This study aimed to determine the prevalence and severity of COPD in Copenhagen using data from the 4th examination of The Copenhagen City Heart Study......, to investigate the relationship between tobacco consumption and COPD, and to characterize the subjects with COPD with regard to BMI, dyspnoea, treatment with respiratory medication and co-morbidities. METHODS: 6236 people participated. All non-asthmatic participants aged 35 years or older with adequate lung...... function data were included for the final prevalence analyses (n = 5,299). COPD staging was done according to the GOLD criteria. RESULTS: The overall prevalence of COPD was 17.4%. The prevalence increased with age and was higher among males. 6.2% had mild COPD, 9.2% had moderate COPD, and 2.0% had severe...

Copenhagen is hot, Denmark is not

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Csaba, Fabian; Stöber, Birgit

This paper discusses the practice of ranking linked to the issue of place branding focusing on two cases from Denmark, one the national level, the other on the local level, namely the city of Copenhagen. Rankings of places have increased, and – as we shall argue – so have their influence on ident......This paper discusses the practice of ranking linked to the issue of place branding focusing on two cases from Denmark, one the national level, the other on the local level, namely the city of Copenhagen. Rankings of places have increased, and – as we shall argue – so have their influence...... audiences represent and use place image survey results....

THE EU AND THE CURIOUS CASE OF THE COPENHAGEN ACCORD

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sabina Nicoleta Furtună

2010-06-01

Full Text Available The goal of the 2009 UN Climate Change Conference, commonly known as the Copenhagen Summit, has been to reach a legally binding agreement between participant states. As a successor to the Kyoto Protocol, this sort of agreement would have engaged signatory parties with reducing their greenhouse gas emissions in order to prevent the rise with 2 degrees Celsius in global temperature. This paper is an analysis of the above-mentioned event, which focuses on itsmain result, namely the Copenhagen Accord. It also presents the role of the European Union at the Copenhagen Summit and in promoting sustainable development globally.

Active Transportation on a Complete Street: Perceived and Audited Walkability Correlates.

Science.gov (United States)

Jensen, Wyatt A; Brown, Barbara B; Smith, Ken R; Brewer, Simon C; Amburgey, Jonathan W; McIff, Brett

2017-09-05

Few studies of walkability include both perceived and audited walkability measures. We examined perceived walkability (Neighborhood Environment Walkability Scale-Abbreviated, NEWS-A) and audited walkability (Irvine-Minnesota Inventory, IMI) measures for residents living within 2 km of a "complete street"-one renovated with light rail, bike lanes, and sidewalks. For perceived walkability, we found some differences but substantial similarity between our final scales and those in a prior published confirmatory factor analysis. Perceived walkability, in interaction with distance, was related to complete street active transportation. Residents were likely to have active transportation on the street when they lived nearby and perceived good aesthetics, crime safety, and traffic safety. Audited walkability, analyzed with decision trees, showed three general clusters of walkability areas, with 12 specific subtypes. A subset of walkability items ( n = 11), including sidewalks, zebra-striped crosswalks, decorative sidewalks, pedestrian signals, and blank walls combined to cluster street segments. The 12 subtypes yielded 81% correct classification of residents' active transportation. Both perceived and audited walkability were important predictors of active transportation. For audited walkability, we recommend more exploration of decision tree approaches, given their predictive utility and ease of translation into walkability interventions.

The socioeconomic and ethnic segregation of living conditions in Copenhagen

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Møller, Iver Hornemann; Larsen, Jørgen Elm

2015-01-01

The aim of this article is to analyze the discrepancies between certain aspects of living conditions of ethnic Danes and immigrants in Copenhagen. Copenhagen is quite prosperous and fares well in the globalized economy but is at the same time experiencing increasing poverty and ethnic segregation...

Towards a Cloud Based Smart Traffic Management Framework

Science.gov (United States)

Rahimi, M. M.; Hakimpour, F.

2017-09-01

Traffic big data has brought many opportunities for traffic management applications. However several challenges like heterogeneity, storage, management, processing and analysis of traffic big data may hinder their efficient and real-time applications. All these challenges call for well-adapted distributed framework for smart traffic management that can efficiently handle big traffic data integration, indexing, query processing, mining and analysis. In this paper, we present a novel, distributed, scalable and efficient framework for traffic management applications. The proposed cloud computing based framework can answer technical challenges for efficient and real-time storage, management, process and analyse of traffic big data. For evaluation of the framework, we have used OpenStreetMap (OSM) real trajectories and road network on a distributed environment. Our evaluation results indicate that speed of data importing to this framework exceeds 8000 records per second when the size of datasets is near to 5 million. We also evaluate performance of data retrieval in our proposed framework. The data retrieval speed exceeds 15000 records per second when the size of datasets is near to 5 million. We have also evaluated scalability and performance of our proposed framework using parallelisation of a critical pre-analysis in transportation applications. The results show that proposed framework achieves considerable performance and efficiency in traffic management applications.

Copenhagen, an unexplained encounter

CERN Multimedia

2003-01-01

Why did Werner Heisenberg, a participant in the nuclear research programme of the Third Reich, visit his friend and mentor Niels Bohr in occupied Denmark in September 1941? Was it a deliberate attempt to mislead the allies through talking to Bohr? Or was he really pursuing the utopian goal of halting the race to build the atomic bomb? What the historians have never been able to fully explain is explored in the play "Copenhagen", in which the ghosts of the two great scientists try to fathom why they failed to understand each other all those years ago. "Copenhagen", which has filled theatres in London, New York and Paris, is one of the most successful plays of British author Michael Frayn, also famous for his crime thrillers and comedies. A production of the play in French will be staged at the Théâtre de Carouge from 18th November. Werner Heisenberg and Niels Bohr before World War II.Both CERN and the Association pour l'Histoire des Sciences have associated themselves with the production...

Urban air quality management : effects of trees on air pollution concentration in urban street canyon

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Salim, S.M.; Buccolieri, R.; Chan, A.; Sabatino, Di S.; Gromke, C.

2009-01-01

The aerodynamic effects of avenue-like tree planting on air flow and traffic-originated pollutant dispersion in urban built-up areas (i.e. street canyons of width to height ratio, W/H=1) are investigated using computational fluid dynamics techniques and complemented with extensive wind tunnel

High-level traffic-violation detection for embedded traffic analysis

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Vijverberg, J.A.; de Koning, A.H.M.; Han, Jungong; de With, P.H.N.; Cornelissen, D.

2007-01-01

This paper presents the design of a robust and real-time traffic-violation detection system for cameras on intersections. We use background segmentation and a novel road-model to obtain the candidate traffic participants. A region-based tracking system, equipped with static occlusion-reasoning,

CicLAvia: Evaluation of participation, physical activity and cost of an open streets event in Los Angeles

OpenAIRE

Cohen, Deborah; Han, Bing; Derose, Kathryn P.; Williamson, Stephanie; Paley, Aaron; Batteate, Christina

2016-01-01

Physical activity is beneficial for health, but there are limited opportunities in urban areas to safely access public streets for traffic-free cycling, skating or walking. Ciclovías are open streets programs that close major roads to motor vehicles so they can be exclusively used by bicyclists and pedestrians. We estimated participation in one Los Angeles Ciclovía event (CicLAvia) using intercept surveys and 14 surveillance cameras which were placed along the 6-mile route in April, 2014. We ...

Facility to evaluate street lightning solutionsin a realistic urban setting

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andersen, Jakob Munkgaard; Thorseth, Anders; Dam-Hansen, Carsten

2015-01-01

This paper describes a new large scale outdoor testing facility for street lighting solutions, that has been establish in Denmark for both research and demonstration purposes. The facility is fitted with lamp posts with an array of sensors and connections to allow for monitoring and control...... of lighting solutions under test. Initial data suggests a 75% reduction in energy usage from use of LED luminaries combined with traffic monitoring systems could be achievable....

Street children and political violence: a socio-demographic analysis of street children in Rwanda.

Science.gov (United States)

Veale, Angela; Donà, Giorgia

2003-03-01

The aims were: (1) to examine the profile of African street children and to assess the link between street children in Africa and political violence; (2) to undertake a systematic examination of causal factors of street children in postgenocide Rwanda; and (3) to situate this analysis in the context of the socio-cultural and political impact of the genocide on Rwandan communities. Observational mapping examined the profile and activities of Rwandan street children. Structured interviews were carried out with 290 children in four regional towns to obtain information on socio-demographic, familial, educational background, causal factors surrounding street life involvement, psychological well-being, and relationship to the street. Focus group discussions and key informant interviews examined the relationship between street children and the broader Rwandan society. Street children in Rwanda were predominantly adolescent boys, almost half of whom were homeless (42%), with a high proportion of orphaned children or children who had lost at least one parent. Two variables predicted homelessness: child's guardian and reason for being in street. Qualitative accounts of children conveyed the impact of death of family members, repatriation, imprisonment of parents, and poverty on their lives. The analysis highlighted the need for community based support for children in alternative guardianship care and for policies to support the reintegration of male youths in postconflict welfare strategies as prevention strategies for street migration.

Effect of illegal on-street parking on travel times in urban environment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Morillo Carbonell, C.; Magin Campos Cacheda, J.

2016-07-01

The aim of this paper is to evaluate the effect of the on-street illegal parking on the commercial travel time of the vehicles in the area. The effect of the illegal parking in the travel time of the vehicles in the zone is analyzed in an urban scenario in order to quantify the negative impact that illegal parking implies to this, by itself, congested areas. To achieve the objective of the paper, a 3x3 street model has been designed and evaluated for different situations. In this sense, based on a traffic microsimulation model a bunch of scenarios have been considered in function of parameters referred to intensity of vehicles, illegal on street parking level and location of the illegals. Based on the scenarios mentioned, it has been analyzed the effect that the different parameters have on the commercial speed of the vehicles in order to have a first set of information that permits how to act to reduce the effect of illegal on street parking. The results obtained in this article will be able to be used in next steps in order to define direct and indirect reduction strategies referred to illegal on street parking effect. (Author)

A Symposium Associated with the Opening of the Play Copenhagen in Washington

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schwartz, Brian

2002-01-01

On March 2, 2002 a special all day symposium was held in conjunction with the opening of the play Copenhagen in Washington. The play Copenhagen reenacts the 1941 visit of Werner Heisenberg, who was then in charge of the Nazi nuclear power program, to Niels Bohr, his mentor, and collaborator in creating quantum mechanics, complementarity, and the uncertainty principle, in German-occupied Denmark. The symposium entitled: THE COPENHAGEN INTERPRETATION: SCIENCE AND HISTORY ON STAGE was presented at the Baird Auditorium, in the National Museum of Natural History of the Smithsonian Institution. The program consisted of three two-hour sessions: (1) The Science of Copenhagen and its Influence of the 20th Century. (2) Bohr and Heisenberg: A strong Interaction. (3) Theater as Science ??? Science as Theater. The speakers included: Robert C. Card, Under Secretary of Energy; Ulrik Federspiel, Danish Ambassador to the US; John Marburger, III, Science Advisor President Bush; Jerome I. Friedman, MIT; Lene Vestergaard Hau, Harvard University; Richard Rhodes, Author; Rita Colwell, Director, NSF; Jeremy Bernstein, Author; Jochen H. Heisenberg, University of New Hampshire; Finn Aaserud, Director of the Niels Bohr Archive; Vilhelm A. Bohr, NIH; Thomas Powers, Author; Paul Lawrence Rose, Penn State University; Steven Barfield, University of Westminster, Jennifer Uphoff Gray, Associate Director, Copenhagen; Elizabeth Ireland McCann, Producer, Copenhagen; Lloyd Rose, Washington Post. Details of he program and useful information on the play Copenhagen are available on the web site http://web.gc.cuny.edu/ashp/nml/artsci/copenhagen.shtml . The complete symposium was video recorded and the set of 3 two-hour tapes can be obtained through the web site. The symposium was organized by Brian Schwartz, The Graduate Center, CUNY, Harry Lustig, Provost Emeritus at the City College of New York and Arthur Molella, Director, Lemelson Center, Smithsonian Institution. For further information contact Brian

A Symposium Associated with the Opening of the Play Copenhagen in Washington

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schwartz, Brian

2002-12-31

On March 2, 2002 a special all day symposium was held in conjunction with the opening of the play Copenhagen in Washington. The play Copenhagen reenacts the 1941 visit of Werner Heisenberg, who was then in charge of the Nazi nuclear power program, to Niels Bohr, his mentor, and collaborator in creating quantum mechanics, complementarity, and the uncertainty principle, in German-occupied Denmark. The symposium entitled: THE COPENHAGEN INTERPRETATION: SCIENCE AND HISTORY ON STAGE was presented at the Baird Auditorium, in the National Museum of Natural History of the Smithsonian Institution. The program consisted of three two-hour sessions: (1) The Science of Copenhagen and its Influence of the 20th Century. (2) Bohr and Heisenberg: A strong Interaction. (3) Theater as Science ??? Science as Theater. The speakers included: Robert C. Card, Under Secretary of Energy; Ulrik Federspiel, Danish Ambassador to the US; John Marburger, III, Science Advisor President Bush; Jerome I. Friedman, MIT; Lene Vestergaard Hau, Harvard University; Richard Rhodes, Author; Rita Colwell, Director, NSF; Jeremy Bernstein, Author; Jochen H. Heisenberg, University of New Hampshire; Finn Aaserud, Director of the Niels Bohr Archive; Vilhelm A. Bohr, NIH; Thomas Powers, Author; Paul Lawrence Rose, Penn State University; Steven Barfield, University of Westminster, Jennifer Uphoff Gray, Associate Director, Copenhagen; Elizabeth Ireland McCann, Producer, Copenhagen; Lloyd Rose, Washington Post. Details of he program and useful information on the play Copenhagen are available on the web site http://web.gc.cuny.edu/ashp/nml/artsci/copenhagen.shtml . The complete symposium was video recorded and the set of 3 two-hour tapes can be obtained through the web site. The symposium was organized by Brian Schwartz, The Graduate Center, CUNY, Harry Lustig, Provost Emeritus at the City College of New York and Arthur Molella, Director, Lemelson Center, Smithsonian Institution. For further information contact Brian

Symmetry breaking in optimal timing of traffic signals on an idealized two-way street.

Science.gov (United States)

Panaggio, Mark J; Ottino-Löffler, Bertand J; Hu, Peiguang; Abrams, Daniel M

2013-09-01

Simple physical models based on fluid mechanics have long been used to understand the flow of vehicular traffic on freeways; analytically tractable models of flow on an urban grid, however, have not been as extensively explored. In an ideal world, traffic signals would be timed such that consecutive lights turned green just as vehicles arrived, eliminating the need to stop at each block. Unfortunately, this "green-wave" scenario is generally unworkable due to frustration imposed by competing demands of traffic moving in different directions. Until now this has typically been resolved by numerical simulation and optimization. Here, we develop a theory for the flow in an idealized system consisting of a long two-way road with periodic intersections. We show that optimal signal timing can be understood analytically and that there are counterintuitive asymmetric solutions to this signal coordination problem. We further explore how these theoretical solutions degrade as traffic conditions vary and automotive density increases.

The effect of traffic noise on the hearing level of people on Karachi streets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jawed, I.; Musani, A.; Mahmood, R.; Khambaty, W.Y.; Asim, M.

2010-01-01

To study the effects of traffic noise on hearing ability of subjects prone to traffic noise exposure. Method: A hospital based prospective study was performed comprising of 200 selected subjects significantly exposed to traffic noise. These included rickshaw drivers, traffic constables and shopkeepers in central business area. All subjects were questioned according to a Performa after which ENT examination was carried out followed by Pure Tone Audiometer y. Results: Hearing impairment showed correlation with the duration of job when analyzed by linear regression analysis with correlation coefficient r=0.36 (p<0.001), Hearing impairment was 33.81+0.42 dB according to the duration of job (in years). Conclusion: Subjects are perceptually exposed to potentially damaging sound pressure level in the metropolis of Karachi. It was observed that audio logically consistent noise induced hearing loss was found to be 0.42 dB per octave from 500 Hz to 2000 Hz per year of duration of job. (author)

Symmetry breaking in optimal timing of traffic signals on an idealized two-way street

Science.gov (United States)

Panaggio, Mark J.; Ottino-Löffler, Bertand J.; Hu, Peiguang; Abrams, Daniel M.

2013-09-01

Simple physical models based on fluid mechanics have long been used to understand the flow of vehicular traffic on freeways; analytically tractable models of flow on an urban grid, however, have not been as extensively explored. In an ideal world, traffic signals would be timed such that consecutive lights turned green just as vehicles arrived, eliminating the need to stop at each block. Unfortunately, this “green-wave” scenario is generally unworkable due to frustration imposed by competing demands of traffic moving in different directions. Until now this has typically been resolved by numerical simulation and optimization. Here, we develop a theory for the flow in an idealized system consisting of a long two-way road with periodic intersections. We show that optimal signal timing can be understood analytically and that there are counterintuitive asymmetric solutions to this signal coordination problem. We further explore how these theoretical solutions degrade as traffic conditions vary and automotive density increases.

Taking Over Control From Highly Automated Vehicles in Complex Traffic Situations: The Role of Traffic Density.

Science.gov (United States)

Gold, Christian; Körber, Moritz; Lechner, David; Bengler, Klaus

2016-06-01

The aim of this study was to quantify the impact of traffic density and verbal tasks on takeover performance in highly automated driving. In highly automated vehicles, the driver has to occasionally take over vehicle control when approaching system limits. To ensure safety, the ability of the driver to regain control of the driving task under various driving situations and different driver states needs to be quantified. Seventy-two participants experienced takeover situations requiring an evasive maneuver on a three-lane highway with varying traffic density (zero, 10, and 20 vehicles per kilometer). In a between-subjects design, half of the participants were engaged in a verbal 20-Questions Task, representing speaking on the phone while driving in a highly automated vehicle. The presence of traffic in takeover situations led to longer takeover times and worse takeover quality in the form of shorter time to collision and more collisions. The 20-Questions Task did not influence takeover time but seemed to have minor effects on the takeover quality. For the design and evaluation of human-machine interaction in takeover situations of highly automated vehicles, the traffic state seems to play a major role, compared to the driver state, manipulated by the 20-Questions Task. The present results can be used by developers of highly automated systems to appropriately design human-machine interfaces and to assess the driver's time budget for regaining control. © 2016, Human Factors and Ergonomics Society.

Air flow and pollution in a real, heterogeneous urban street canyon: A field and laboratory study

Science.gov (United States)

Karra, Styliani; Malki-Epshtein, Liora; Neophytou, Marina K.-A.

2017-09-01

In this work we investigate the influence of real world conditions, including heterogeneity and natural variability of background wind, on the air flow and pollutant concentrations in a heterogeneous urban street canyon using both a series of field measurements and controlled laboratory experiments. Field measurements of wind velocities and Carbon Monoxide (CO) concentrations were taken under field conditions in a heterogeneous street in a city centre at several cross-sections along the length of the street (each cross-section being of different aspect ratio). The real field background wind was in fact observed to be highly variable and thus different Intensive Observation Periods (IOPs) represented by a different mean wind velocity and different wind variability were defined. Observed pollution concentrations reveal high sensitivity to local parameters: there is a bias towards the side closer to the traffic lane; higher concentrations are found in the centre of the street as compared to cross-sections closer to the junctions; higher concentrations are found at 1.5 height from the ground than at 2.5 m height, all of which are of concern regarding pedestrian exposure to traffic-related pollution. A physical model of the same street was produced for the purpose of laboratory experiments, making some geometrical simplifications of complex volumes and extrusions. The physical model was tested in an Atmospheric Boundary Layer water channel, using simultaneously Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) and Planar Laser Induced Fluorescence (PLIF), for flow visualisation as well as for quantitative measurement of concentrations and flow velocities. The wind field conditions were represented by a steady mean approach velocity in the laboratory simulation (essentially representing periods of near-zero wind variability). The laboratory investigations showed a clear sensitivity of the resulting flow field to the local geometry and substantial three-dimensional flow patterns were

Planning and governance issues in the restructuring of the high street

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Peel, Deborah; Parker, Cathy

2017-01-01

Purpose: This paper aims to examine the role of “restructuring” in confronting the challenges facing contemporary high streets in the devolved UK. It complements three articles concerned with repositioning, reinventing and rebranding and illustrates the multi-faceted approaches involved in

A Spatial Analysis of Land Use and Network Effects on Frequency and Severity of Cyclist-Motorist Crashes in the Copenhagen Region.

Science.gov (United States)

Kaplan, Sigal; Giacomo Prato, Carlo

2015-01-01

Urban and transport planners worldwide have recently designed and implemented policies for increasing the number of cyclists. Although cycling is on the rise even in car-oriented cities and regions, the fear of being involved in a crash is still the main obstacle to further increases in cycling market shares. The current study proposes the first joint model of frequency and severity of cyclist-motorist collisions with the aim of unraveling the factors contributing to both the probability of being involved in a crash and, conditional on the crash occurrence, experiencing a severe injury outcome. A multivariate Poisson-lognormal model with correlated autoregressive priors was estimated on a sample of 5,349 cyclist-motorist crashes that occurred in the Copenhagen region between 2009 and 2013. The model considered the links of the road network in the region as the unit of observation, controlled for traffic exposure of nonmotorized and motorized transport modes, evaluated the effect of infrastructure and land use, and accounted for heterogeneity and spatial correlation across links. Results confirmed the existence of the phenomenon of safety in numbers and added to the narrative by emphasizing that the most severe crashes are the ones most benefiting from an increase in the number of cyclists. In addition, results argued that the construction of Copenhagen-style bicycle paths would significantly contribute to increasing safety, especially in suburban areas where the speed differential between cyclists and motorists is greater. Last, results illustrated a need for thinking about cycling safety in intersection design and reflecting on the importance of spatial and aspatial correlation both within and between injury categories. The findings from this study illustrated how encouraging cycling would increase safety in relation to the phenomenon of safety in numbers and how, in turn, increasing safety would convince more people to cycle. In addition, they suggested how the

The spatial characteristics and pollution levels of metals in urban street dust of Beijing, China

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tang, Rongli; Ma, Keming; Zhang, Yuxin; Mao, Qizheng

2013-01-01

Highlights: ·We explored the pollution characters of metals in street dust of Beijing. ·Area-source pollution and point-source pollution exist simultaneously. ·We identified the spatial autocorrelation intensities and ranges of metals. ·Metal pollution anomalies were identified by cluster and outlier analyses. ·Urban activities strongly influence the distributions of metals. - Abstract: The components and concentrations of metals in street dust are indictors of environmental pollution. To explore the pollution levels of Cd, Cr, Cu, Mn, Ni and Pb in street dust and their spatial distribution characteristics, 220 dust samples were collected in a grid pattern from urban street surfaces in Beijing. Multivariate statistics and spatial analyses were adopted to investigate the associations between metals and to identify their pollution patterns. In comparison with the soil background values, elevated metal concentrations were found, except those for Mn and Ni. The results of the geo-accumulation index (I geo ) and the potential ecological risk index (Er i ) of the metals revealed the following orders: Cd > Cu > Cr > Pb > Ni > Mn and Cd > Cu > Pb > Cr > Ni. Levels of I geo ranging from 0 to 5 were found and about 80% of the samples were below the moderately polluted level. The Er i values of single elements were within the low ecological risk level in most sampling sites. Most of the metals in the street dust of Beijing were statistically significantly correlated. It is hard to clearly identify the sources of each metal in the street dust since local environments are very complex. Cadmium, Cu, Cr, Mn and Pb showed medium spatial autocorrelations within the sampling region. Similar spatial distribution patterns were observed for Cu, Cr and Pb, and these metals had relatively high spatial variabilities and were enriched in the center of the city with several peaks scattered in the suburbs. Metal pollution anomalies were identified by using cluster and outlier analyses

Impact of trees on pollutant dispersion in street canyons: A numerical study of the annual average effects in Antwerp, Belgium.

Science.gov (United States)

Vranckx, Stijn; Vos, Peter; Maiheu, Bino; Janssen, Stijn

2015-11-01

Effects of vegetation on pollutant dispersion receive increased attention in attempts to reduce air pollutant concentration levels in the urban environment. In this study, we examine the influence of vegetation on the concentrations of traffic pollutants in urban street canyons using numerical simulations with the CFD code OpenFOAM. This CFD approach is validated against literature wind tunnel data of traffic pollutant dispersion in street canyons. The impact of trees is simulated for a variety of vegetation types and the full range of approaching wind directions at 15° interval. All these results are combined using meteo statistics, including effects of seasonal leaf loss, to determine the annual average effect of trees in street canyons. This analysis is performed for two pollutants, elemental carbon (EC) and PM10, using background concentrations and emission strengths for the city of Antwerp, Belgium. The results show that due to the presence of trees the annual average pollutant concentrations increase with about 8% (range of 1% to 13%) for EC and with about 1.4% (range of 0.2 to 2.6%) for PM10. The study indicates that this annual effect is considerably smaller than earlier estimates which are generally based on a specific set of governing conditions (1 wind direction, full leafed trees and peak hour traffic emissions). Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The impact of traffic emissions on air quality in the Berlin-Brandenburg region - a case study on cycling scenarios

Science.gov (United States)

Kuik, F.; Lauer, A.; von Schneidemesser, E.; Butler, T. M.

2016-12-01

Many European cities continue to struggle with exceedances of NO2 limit values at measurement sites near roads, of which a large contribution is attributed to emissions from traffic. In this study, we explore how urban air quality can be improved with different traffic measures using the example of the Berlin-Brandenburg region. In order to simulate urban background air quality we use the Weather Research and Forecasting model with chemistry (WRF-Chem) at a horizontal resolution of 1km. We use emission input data at a horizontal resolution of 1km obtained by downscaling TNO-MACC III emissions based on local proxy data including population and traffic densities. In addition we use a statistical approach combining the simulated urban background concentrations with information on traffic densities to estimate NO2 at street level. This helps assessing whether the emission scenarios studied here can lead to significant reductions in NO2 concentrations at street level. The emission scenarios in this study represent a range of scenarios in which car traffic is replaced with bicycle traffic. Part of this study was an initial discussion phase with stakeholders, including policy makers and NGOs. The discussions have shown that the different stakeholders are interested in a scientific assessment of the impact of replacing car traffic with bicycle traffic in the Berlin-Brandenburg urban area. Local policy makers responsible for city planning and implementing traffic measures can make best use of scientific modeling results if input data and scenarios are as realistic as possible. For these reasons, the scenarios cover very idealized optimistic ("all passenger cars are replaced by bicycles") and pessimistic ("all cyclists are replaced by cars") scenarios to explore the sensitivity of simulated urban background air quality to these changes, as well as additional scenarios based on city-specific data to analyze more realistic situations. Of particular interest is how these impact

Modeling pedestrian gap crossing index under mixed traffic condition.

Science.gov (United States)

Naser, Mohamed M; Zulkiple, Adnan; Al Bargi, Walid A; Khalifa, Nasradeen A; Daniel, Basil David

2017-12-01

There are a variety of challenges faced by pedestrians when they walk along and attempt to cross a road, as the most recorded accidents occur during this time. Pedestrians of all types, including both sexes with numerous aging groups, are always subjected to risk and are characterized as the most exposed road users. The increased demand for better traffic management strategies to reduce the risks at intersections, improve quality traffic management, traffic volume, and longer cycle time has further increased concerns over the past decade. This paper aims to develop a sustainable pedestrian gap crossing index model based on traffic flow density. It focusses on the gaps accepted by pedestrians and their decision for street crossing, where (Log-Gap) logarithm of accepted gaps was used to optimize the result of a model for gap crossing behavior. Through a review of extant literature, 15 influential variables were extracted for further empirical analysis. Subsequently, data from the observation at an uncontrolled mid-block in Jalan Ampang in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia was gathered and Multiple Linear Regression (MLR) and Binary Logit Model (BLM) techniques were employed to analyze the results. From the results, different pedestrian behavioral characteristics were considered for a minimum gap size model, out of which only a few (four) variables could explain the pedestrian road crossing behavior while the remaining variables have an insignificant effect. Among the different variables, age, rolling gap, vehicle type, and crossing were the most influential variables. The study concludes that pedestrians' decision to cross the street depends on the pedestrian age, rolling gap, vehicle type, and size of traffic gap before crossing. The inferences from these models will be useful to increase pedestrian safety and performance evaluation of uncontrolled midblock road crossings in developing countries. Copyright © 2017 National Safety Council and Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

TOWARDS A CLOUD BASED SMART TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT FRAMEWORK

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. M. Rahimi

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Traffic big data has brought many opportunities for traffic management applications. However several challenges like heterogeneity, storage, management, processing and analysis of traffic big data may hinder their efficient and real-time applications. All these challenges call for well-adapted distributed framework for smart traffic management that can efficiently handle big traffic data integration, indexing, query processing, mining and analysis. In this paper, we present a novel, distributed, scalable and efficient framework for traffic management applications. The proposed cloud computing based framework can answer technical challenges for efficient and real-time storage, management, process and analyse of traffic big data. For evaluation of the framework, we have used OpenStreetMap (OSM real trajectories and road network on a distributed environment. Our evaluation results indicate that speed of data importing to this framework exceeds 8000 records per second when the size of datasets is near to 5 million. We also evaluate performance of data retrieval in our proposed framework. The data retrieval speed exceeds 15000 records per second when the size of datasets is near to 5 million. We have also evaluated scalability and performance of our proposed framework using parallelisation of a critical pre-analysis in transportation applications. The results show that proposed framework achieves considerable performance and efficiency in traffic management applications.

Rachel the Jewess in Copenhagen

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hesselager, Jens

2012-01-01

are considered in relation to the local critical discourse on operatic performances at the Royal Theatre in Copenhagen in general – a context which, in 1842, involved the phenomenon of a competing and quite successful Italian opera company at the nearby Court Theatre. This situation generated a general trend...

Cern collisions light up Copenhagen

CERN Multimedia

Banks, Michael

2010-01-01

"Anyone passing by the Niels Bohr Institute in Copenhagen, Denmark, might be startled by some strange moving lights on the facade of the institute's main building. In fact, the dancing beams show, almost in real time, collisions form the Atlas experiment at Cern's Large Hadron Collider (LHC)" (1 paragraph)

The Copenhagen Burnout Inventory: A new tool for the assessment of burnout

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kristensen, Tage S.; Borritz, Marianne; Villadsen, Ebbe

2005-01-01

Burnout; CBI; Copenhagen Burnout Inventory; exhaustion;fatigue; human service work; psychosocial work environment; PUMA study; questionnaire validity......Burnout; CBI; Copenhagen Burnout Inventory; exhaustion;fatigue; human service work; psychosocial work environment; PUMA study; questionnaire validity...

The Copenhagen Oral Health Senior Cohort: design, population and dental health

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Heegaard, Karen M; Holm-Pedersen, Poul; Jensen, Allan Bardow

2011-01-01

Gerodontology 2010; doi: 10.1111/j.1741-2358.2010.00383.x The Copenhagen Oral Health Senior Cohort: design, population and dental health Background: In order to study the way old age influence oral health, the Copenhagen Oral Health Senior Cohort (COHS) has been established. Objectives: To describe...

Structural value of Yerevan streets

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Avetisyan Arsen Grantovich

2015-04-01

Full Text Available The absence of the methods of urban analysis in the process of urban development of Yerevan is the reason of urban planning activities that tend to decrease the urban value of Yerevan territories. Meanwhile the studies in the sphere of urban planning and urban analysis prove the dependence of the life in the city on its structure and distribution of the functions. The mentioned issue highlights the importance of urban analysis. The paper discusses space syntax, which is one of the initial methods of urban analysis. The basic concept of Space syntax is based on the assumption that urban fabric can be presented and studied as a power graph. The method provides the measures that evaluate the land use, traffic and pedestrian movement, land value and even carbon emissions. The paper discusses also recent attempts of integration of space syntax method into GIS environment. GIS databases provide researchers with vast amount of urban data. Analyses presented in the current paper were performed on the basis of the open street map, which was imported from the GIS environment. With the application of space syntax methods analysis of connectivity, integration choice (betweenness and depth from the city center were performed to evaluate the structural value of Yerevan streets. Municipal regions of Yerevan were classified by the level of their accessibility and by their distances from the city center on the base of the results of depth measures from the city center. Evaluation of the street network aims to define the most integrated and centrally positioned parts of the city. These areas can be locations for the organization of sub centers of Yerevan in the municipal regions.

Screening for TB by sputum culture in high-risk groups in Copenhagen, Denmark

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Sidse Graff; Wrona Olsen, Nete; Seersholm, Niels

2015-01-01

. METHODS: On seven occasions, from September 2012 through June 2014, we offered TB screening to all persons present at 11 locations where socially marginalised people gather in Copenhagen. Spot sputum samples from participants were examined by smear microscopy and culture. Genotype, nucleic acid......INTRODUCTION: Evidence on screening high-risk groups for TB by mobile X-ray in low-incidence countries is building, but knowledge on other possible screening methods is limited. In this retrospective study we report results from a community based programme screening for TB by spot sputum culture...... amplification test and chest X-ray were done if TB was found. RESULTS: Among 1075 participants, we identified 36 cases of TB. Twenty-four cases (66.7%) were identified at the first screening of each participant, that is, the prevalence of TB was 2233/100 000. Thirty-five (97%) of the TB cases were culture...

Aerodynamic effects of trees on pollutant concentration in street canyons.

Science.gov (United States)

Buccolieri, Riccardo; Gromke, Christof; Di Sabatino, Silvana; Ruck, Bodo

2009-09-15

This paper deals with aerodynamic effects of avenue-like tree planting on flow and traffic-originated pollutant dispersion in urban street canyons by means of wind tunnel experiments and numerical simulations. Several parameters affecting pedestrian level concentration are investigated, namely plant morphology, positioning and arrangement. We extend our previous work in this novel aspect of research to new configurations which comprise tree planting of different crown porosity and stand density, planted in two rows within a canyon of street width to building height ratio W/H=2 with perpendicular approaching wind. Sulfur hexafluoride was used as tracer gas to model the traffic emissions. Complementary to wind tunnel experiments, 3D numerical simulations were performed with the Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) code FLUENT using a Reynolds Stress turbulence closure for flow and the advection-diffusion method for concentration calculations. In the presence of trees, both measurements and simulations showed considerable larger pollutant concentrations near the leeward wall and slightly lower concentrations near the windward wall in comparison with the tree-less case. Tree stand density and crown porosity were found to be of minor importance in affecting pollutant concentration. On the other hand, the analysis indicated that W/H is a more crucial parameter. The larger the value of W/H the smaller is the effect of trees on pedestrian level concentration regardless of tree morphology and arrangement. A preliminary analysis of approaching flow velocities showed that at low wind speed the effect of trees on concentrations is worst than at higher speed. The investigations carried out in this work allowed us to set up an appropriate CFD modelling methodology for the study of the aerodynamic effects of tree planting in street canyons. The results obtained can be used by city planners for the design of tree planting in the urban environment with regard to air quality issues.

Source contributions to PM{sub 2.5} and PM{sub 10} at an urban background and a street location

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Keuken, M.; Voogt, M.; Moerman, M. [TNO, Utrecht (Netherlands); Blom, M.; Weijers, E.P. [Energy research Centre of the Netherlands ECN, Petten (Netherlands); Roeckmann, T.; Dusek, U. [Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Research IMAU, Utrecht (Netherlands)

2013-06-15

The contribution of regional, urban and traffic sources to PM{sub 2.5} and PM{sub 10} in an urban area was investigated in this study. The chemical composition of PM{sub 2.5} and PM{sub 10} was measured over a year at a street location and up- and down-wind of the city of Rotterdam, Netherlands. The {sup 14}C content in EC and OC concentrations was also determined, to distinguish the contribution from 'modern' carbon (e.g., biogenic emissions, biomass burning and wildfires) and fossil fuel combustion. It was concluded that the urban background of PM{sub 2.5} and PM{sub 10} is dominated by the regional background, and that primary and secondary PM emission by urban sources contribute less than 15%. The {sup 14}C analysis revealed that 70% of OC originates from modern carbon and 30% from fossil fuel combustion. The corresponding percentages for EC are, respectively 17% and 83%. It is concluded that in particular the urban population living in street canyons with intense road traffic has potential health risks. This is due to exposure to elevated concentrations of a factor two for EC from exhaust emissions in PM{sub 2.5} and a factor 2-3 for heavy metals from brake and tyre wear, and re-suspended road dust in PM{sub 10}. It follows that local air quality management may focus on local measures to street canyons with intense road traffic.

Nighttime road-traffic noise and arterial hypertension in an urban population.

Science.gov (United States)

Belojević, Goran A; Jakovljević, Branko D; Stojanov, Vesna J; Slepcević, Vesna Z; Paunović, Katarina Z

2008-04-01

Commonly used daytime measurements in previous investigations on community noise and arterial hypertension (AH) may be a source of exposure bias, as urban residents spend most of their daytime hours out of the home on workdays. For this reason, we focused on the relation of nighttime noise and AH. A cross-sectional study was performed on a sample of 2,503 (995 men and 1,508 women) adult residents of a downtown Belgrade municipality. The inclusion criteria were a period of residence longer than 10 years and a bedroom oriented toward the street. The exclusion criteria were a high level of noise annoyance at work and diseases related to AH. Noise measurements were performed in all 70 streets of the municipality. The streets were grouped into noisy areas (equivalent noise level [Leq]>45 dB(A)) and quiet areas (Leqquiet areas were 23.6% and 17.5%, respectively. The adjusted odds ratio (OR) for AH was 1.58; the 95% confidence interval (CI) ranged from 1.03-2.42; and the probability value was 0.038, when men living in quiet streets were taken as a reference category. This relation was statistically insignificant for women: adjusted OR: 0.90; 95% CI: 0.59-1.38; p: 0.644. This cross-sectional study showed that nighttime urban road-traffic noise might be related to occurrence of AH in men.

Noise, air pollutants and traffic: continuous measurement and correlation at a high-traffic location in New York City.

Science.gov (United States)

Ross, Zev; Kheirbek, Iyad; Clougherty, Jane E; Ito, Kazuhiko; Matte, Thomas; Markowitz, Steven; Eisl, Holger

2011-11-01

Epidemiological studies have linked both noise and air pollution to common adverse health outcomes such as increased blood pressure and myocardial infarction. In urban settings, noise and air pollution share important sources, notably traffic, and several recent studies have shown spatial correlations between noise and air pollution. The temporal association between these exposures, however, has yet to be thoroughly investigated despite the importance of time series studies in air pollution epidemiology and the potential that correlations between these exposures could at least partly confound statistical associations identified in these studies. An aethelometer, for continuous elemental carbon measurement, was co-located with a continuous noise monitor near a major urban highway in New York City for six days in August 2009. Hourly elemental carbon measurements and hourly data on overall noise levels and low, medium and high frequency noise levels were collected. Hourly average concentrations of fine particles and nitrogen oxides, wind speed and direction and car, truck and bus traffic were obtained from nearby regulatory monitors. Overall temporal patterns, as well as day-night and weekday-weekend patterns, were characterized and compared for all variables. Noise levels were correlated with car, truck, and bus traffic and with air pollutants. We observed strong day-night and weekday-weekend variation in noise and air pollutants and correlations between pollutants varied by noise frequency. Medium and high frequency noise were generally more strongly correlated with traffic and traffic-related pollutants than low frequency noise and the correlation with medium and high frequency noise was generally stronger at night. Correlations with nighttime high frequency noise were particularly high for car traffic (Spearman rho=0.84), nitric oxide (0.73) and nitrogen dioxide (0.83). Wind speed and direction mediated relationships between pollutants and noise. Noise levels are

A comparative analysis of currently used microscopic and macroscopic traffic simulation software

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ratrout Nedal T; Rahman Syed Masiur

2009-01-01

The significant advancements of information technology have contributed to increased development of traffic simulation models. These include microscopic models and broadening the areas of applications ranging from the modeling of specific components of the transportation system to a whole network having different kinds of intersections and links, even in a few cases combining travel demand models. This paper mainly reviews the features of traditionally used macroscopic and microscopic traffic simulation models along with a comparative analysis focusing on freeway operations, urban congested networks, project-level emission modeling, and variations in delay and capacity estimates. The models AIMSUN, CORSIM, and VISSIM are found to be suitable for congested arterials and freeways, and integrated networks of freeways and surface streets. The features of AIMSUN are favorable for creating large urban and regional networks. The models AIMSUN, PARAMICS, INTEGRATION, and CORSIM are potentially useful for Intelligent Transportation System (ITS). There are a few simulation models which are developed focusing on ITS such as MITSIMLab. The TRAF-family and HUTSIM models attempt a system-level simulation approach and develop open environments where several analysis models can be used interactively to solve traffic simulation problems. In Saudi Arabia, use of simulation software with the capability of analyzing an integrated system of freeways and surface streets has not been reported. Calibration and validation of simulation software either for freeways or surface streets has been reported. This paper suggests that researchers evaluate the state-of-the-art simulation tools and find out the suitable tools or approaches for the local conditions of Saudi Arabia. (author)

Street canyon ventilation control by proper planning and development

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Balakin Vladimir Vasil'evich

2014-05-01

Full Text Available The objective of street canyon ventilation control in major streets is a tool of air pollution prevention in them, protection of housing areas from excessive wind or preservation and intensification of existing wind speed in case of insufficient ventilation. The maximum permissible concentration of car exhaust pollutants with wind speed within comfortable and permissible values by physiological and hygienic criteria, are ensured as from 40 to 70 % of thoroughfares in major cities. The dependence of air pollution level on wind speed is comparable to its dependence on traffic intensity and ratio of buildings height (H to street width. But one has to take into account that, if the wind blows across the street, vortices form within the street canyon, which results in higher concentration of car exhaust pollutants near the downwind buildings. The objective of this work is to find the functional dependences of wind speed in a major street on its width and density of buildings, and also to find out which street configurations are favorable for formation of closed air circulation within it, resulting in insufficient aeration. The experimental research was done on a site for large-scale modeling of built-up urban territory, using cup anemometers. The coefficients of dependence of wind speed within a street on the types of buildings and on the street width were obtained. Characteristics of street layouts for control of aeration were determined. Building density rates for maximizing or optimizing the wind speed were determined. Street layouts are considered where stable vortices form between the buildings. For example, vortices within the street canyon’s cross-section appear when buildings squarish in ground plan situated far apart are replaced by oblong ones with the minimum allowed intervals of 15 meters between them (for 5-storeyed buildings; or intervals equal to the buildings’ height, or where the buildings are long and close together. With

Face logging in Copenhagen Limestone, Denmark

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jakobsen, Lisa; Foged, Niels Nielsen; Erichsen, Lars

2015-01-01

tunnel in Copenhagen more than 2.5 km face logs were made in 467 locations at underground stations, shafts, caverns and along bored tunnels. Over 160 geotechnical boreholes, many with geophysical logging were executed prior to construction works. The bedrock consists of Paleogene "Copenhagen limestone......The requirement for excavation support can be assessed from face logging. Face logs can also improve our knowledge of lithological and structural conditions within bedrock and supplement information from boreholes and geophysical logs. During the construction of 8 km metro tunnel and 4 km heating....... The induration degrees recorded in face logs and boreholes are compared and correlated. Distinct geophysical log markers are used to divide the limestone into three units. These marker horizons are correlated between face logs and geotechnical boreholes. A 3D model of the strength variations recorded within...

Impact on air quality of measures to reduce CO2 emissions from road traffic in Basel, Rotterdam, Xi'an and Suzhou

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Keuken, Menno; Jonkers, Sander; Verhagen, Henk

2014-01-01

% on urban streets and the other modelling the introduction of 50% electric-powered private vehicle kilometres on urban streets, were both compared to a scenario following ?business-as-usual?: 2020-BAU. The annual average concentrations of NO2, PM2.5, PM10 and elemental carbon (EC) were modelled separately....... The urban background follows this regional trend, while near busy road traffic, air pollution will remain elevated due to the considerable growth in traffic volume. A major constraint for modelling air quality in China is access to the input data required and lack of measurements at ground level...

Preliminary evaluation, using passive tubes, of carbon monoxide concentrations in outdoor and indoor air at street level shops in Genoa (Italy)

Science.gov (United States)

Valerio, Federico; Pala, Mauro; Lazzarotto, Anna; Balducci, Daniele

Preliminary information on carbon monoxide (CO) concentrations (exposure time: 8 h) both inside and outside 38 randomly selected shops situated on four heavy traffic streets of Genoa was obtained using passive diffusion tubes. Reproducibility and accuracy of this analytical method were tested in real outdoor urban conditions and found within 25%; the detection limit was 1 mgm -3 of CO. The highest mean CO concentrations (15.8 ± 2.2 mgm -3) were found inside shops on Balbi street, a narrow "canyon street". Only in two small shops and two bars (both with many smokers) and in a delicatessen, were indoor CO concentrations significantly higher than outdoor values. The mean outdoor CO concentrations (mgm -3) along the four streets considered (XX Settembre, Balbi, Rolando, Fillak) were 7.4 ± 2.2; 14.5 ± 8.7; 5.8 ± 0.4; 10.5 ± 3.7, respectively. No statistical difference was found, comparing the mean indoor CO concentration with the mean CO outdoor value, measured simultaneously along the sidewalks of each street. CO concentrations in 10 shops without smokers and the nearest outdoor measurements were linearly correlated ( r = 0.99; p statistically significant difference was found comparing indoor CO pollution in shops with smokers (CO: 8.0 ± 5.4) to those without smokers (CO: 7.1 ± 4.6). Forced ventilation, with air intake far from traffic, proved effective in some specific situations in reducing indoor CO concentrations.

Street characteristics and traffic factors determining road users' exposure to black carbon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dons, Evi; Temmerman, Philip; Van Poppel, Martine; Bellemans, Tom; Wets, Geert; Int Panis, Luc

2013-01-01

Many studies nowadays make the effort of determining personal exposure rather than estimating exposure at the residential address only. While intra-urban air pollution can be modeled quite easily using interpolation methods, estimating exposure in transport is more challenging. The aim of this study is to investigate which factors determine black carbon (BC) concentrations in transport microenvironments. Therefore personal exposure measurements are carried out using portable aethalometers, trip diaries and GPS devices. More than 1500 trips, both by active modes and by motorized transport, are evaluated in Flanders, Belgium. GPS coordinates are assigned to road segments to allow BC concentrations to be linked with trip and road characteristics (trip duration, degree of urbanization, road type, traffic intensity, travel speed and road speed). Average BC concentrations on highways (10.7 μg/m 3 ) are comparable to concentrations on urban roads (9.6 μg/m 3 ), but levels are significantly higher than concentrations on rural roads (6.1 μg/m 3 ). Highways yield higher BC exposures for motorists compared to exposure on major roads and local roads. Overall BC concentrations are elevated at lower speeds ( 3 for roads with less than 500 veh/h, up to 12 μg/m 3 for roads with over 2500 veh/h). Traffic intensity proved to be the major explanatory variable for in-vehicle BC exposure, together with timing of the trip and urbanization. For cyclists and pedestrians the range in BC exposure is smaller and models are less predictive; for active modes exposure seems to be influenced by timing and degree of urbanization only. - Highlights: ► Aethalometers, an electronic diary and GPS were used to measure exposure in transport ► More than 1500 trips with active modes and in motorized transport are studied ► Exposure is higher on highways, in urban areas and during traffic peak hours. ► Traffic intensity is the major explanatory variable for in-vehicle BC exposure. ► Exposure

Neighborhood street scale elements, sedentary time and cardiometabolic risk factors in inactive ethnic minority women.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Rebecca E; Mama, Scherezade K; Adamus-Leach, Heather J

2012-01-01

Cardiometabolic risk factors such as obesity, excess percent body fat, high blood pressure, elevated resting heart rate and sedentary behavior have increased in recent decades due to changes in the environment and lifestyle. Neighborhood micro-environmental, street scale elements may contribute to health above and beyond individual characteristics of residents. To investigate the relationship between neighborhood street scale elements and cardiometabolic risk factors among inactive ethnic minority women. Women (N = 410) completed measures of BMI, percent body fat, blood pressure, resting heart rate, sedentary behavior and demographics. Trained field assessors completed the Pedestrian Environment Data Scan in participants' neighborhoods. Data were collected from 2006-2008. Multiple regression models were conducted in 2011 to estimate the effect of environmental factors on cardiometabolic risk factors. Adjusted regression models found an inverse association between sidewalk buffers and blood pressure, between traffic control devices and resting heart rate, and a positive association between presence of pedestrian crossing aids and BMI (psattractiveness and safety for walking and cycling were related to more time spent in a motor vehicle (psrelationships among micro-environmental, street scale elements that may confer important cardiometabolic benefits and risks for residents. Living in the most attractive and safe neighborhoods for physical activity may be associated with longer times spent sitting in the car.

Impact of roof height non-uniformity on pollutant transport between a street canyon and intersections.

Science.gov (United States)

Nosek, Štěpán; Kukačka, Libor; Jurčáková, Klára; Kellnerová, Radka; Jaňour, Zbyněk

2017-08-01

This paper presents an extension of our previous wind-tunnel study (Nosek et al., 2016) in which we highlighted the need for investigation of the removal mechanisms of traffic pollution from all openings of a 3D street canyon. The extension represents the pollution flux (turbulent and advective) measurements at the lateral openings of three different 3D street canyons for the winds perpendicular and oblique to the along-canyon axis. The pollution was simulated by emitting a passive gas (ethane) from a homogeneous ground-level line source positioned along the centreline of the investigated street canyons. The street canyons were formed by courtyard-type buildings of two different regular urban-array models. The first model has a uniform building roof height, while the second model has a non-uniform roof height along each building's wall. The mean flow and concentration fields at the canyons' lateral openings confirm the findings of other studies that the buildings' roof-height variability at the intersections plays an important role in the dispersion of the traffic pollutants within the canyons. For the perpendicular wind, the non-uniform roof-height canyon appreciably removes or entrains the pollutant through its lateral openings, contrary to the uniform canyon, where the pollutant was removed primarily through the top. The analysis of the turbulent mass transport revealed that the coherent flow structures of the lateral momentum transport correlate with the ventilation processes at the lateral openings of all studied canyons. These flow structures coincide at the same areas and hence simultaneously transport the pollutant in opposite directions. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Does the Effect of Micro-Environmental Factors on a Street's Appeal for Adults' Bicycle Transport Vary across Different Macro-Environments? An Experimental Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Mertens, Lieze; Van Cauwenberg, Jelle; Ghekiere, Ariane; Van Holle, Veerle; De Bourdeaudhuij, Ilse; Deforche, Benedicte; Nasar, Jack; Van de Weghe, Nico; Van Dyck, Delfien

2015-01-01

Characteristics of the physical environment can be classified into two broad categories: macro- ("raw" urban planning features influenced on a regional level) and micro- (features specifically within a streetscape influenced on a neighborhood level) environmental factors. In urban planning applications, it is more feasible to modify conditions at the neighborhood level than at the regional level. Yet for the promotion of bicycle transport we need to know whether relationships between micro-environmental factors and bicycle transport depend on different types of macro-environments. This study aimed to identify whether the effect of three micro-environmental factors (i.e., evenness of the cycle path surface, speed limits and type of separation between cycle path and motorized traffic) on the street's appeal for adults' bicycle transport varied across three different macro-environments (i.e., low, medium and high residential density street). In total, 389 middle-aged adults completed a web-based questionnaire consisting of socio-demographic characteristics and a series of choice tasks with manipulated photographs, depicting two possible routes to cycle along. Conjoint analysis was used to analyze the data. Although the magnitude of the overall effects differed, in each macro-environment (i.e., low, medium and high residential density), middle-aged adults preferred a speed limit of 30 km/h, an even cycle path surface and a hedge as separation between motorized traffic and the cycle path compared to a speed limit of 50 or 70 km/h, a slightly uneven or uneven cycle path surface and a curb as separation or no separation between motorized traffic and the cycle path. Our results suggest that irrespective of the macro-environment, the same micro-environmental factors are preferred in middle-aged adults concerning the street's appeal for bicycle transport. The controlled environment simulations in the experimental choice task have the potential to inform real life

Does the Effect of Micro-Environmental Factors on a Street's Appeal for Adults' Bicycle Transport Vary across Different Macro-Environments? An Experimental Study.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lieze Mertens

Full Text Available Characteristics of the physical environment can be classified into two broad categories: macro- ("raw" urban planning features influenced on a regional level and micro- (features specifically within a streetscape influenced on a neighborhood level environmental factors. In urban planning applications, it is more feasible to modify conditions at the neighborhood level than at the regional level. Yet for the promotion of bicycle transport we need to know whether relationships between micro-environmental factors and bicycle transport depend on different types of macro-environments. This study aimed to identify whether the effect of three micro-environmental factors (i.e., evenness of the cycle path surface, speed limits and type of separation between cycle path and motorized traffic on the street's appeal for adults' bicycle transport varied across three different macro-environments (i.e., low, medium and high residential density street.In total, 389 middle-aged adults completed a web-based questionnaire consisting of socio-demographic characteristics and a series of choice tasks with manipulated photographs, depicting two possible routes to cycle along. Conjoint analysis was used to analyze the data.Although the magnitude of the overall effects differed, in each macro-environment (i.e., low, medium and high residential density, middle-aged adults preferred a speed limit of 30 km/h, an even cycle path surface and a hedge as separation between motorized traffic and the cycle path compared to a speed limit of 50 or 70 km/h, a slightly uneven or uneven cycle path surface and a curb as separation or no separation between motorized traffic and the cycle path.Our results suggest that irrespective of the macro-environment, the same micro-environmental factors are preferred in middle-aged adults concerning the street's appeal for bicycle transport. The controlled environment simulations in the experimental choice task have the potential to inform real life

Street children

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rončević Nevenka

2013-01-01

Full Text Available According to UNICEF, street child is any child under the age of 18 for whom the street has become home and/or source of income and which is not adequately protected or supervised by adult, responsible person. It has been estimated that there are between 100 and 150 million street children worldwide. Life and work on the street have long term and far-reaching consequences for development and health of these children. By living and working in the street, these children face the highest level of risk. Street children more often suffer from the acute illness, injuries, infection, especially gastrointestinal, acute respiratory infections and sexually transmitted diseases, inadequate nutrition, mental disorders, and drug abuse. They are more often victims of abuse, sexual exploitation, trafficking; they have higher rate of adolescent pregnancy than their peers from poor families. Street children and youth have higher rates of hospitalization and longer hospital stay due to seriousness of illness and delayed health care. Street children/youth are reluctant to seek health care, and when they try, they face many barriers. Street children are invisible to the state and their number in Serbia is unknown. Recently, some non­governmental organizations from Belgrade, Novi Sad and Nis have recognized this problem and tried to offer some help to street children, by opening drop­in centers, but this is not enough. To solve this problem, an engagement of the state and the whole community is necessary, and primary responsibility lies in health, social and educational sector. The best interests of the child must serve as a basic guideline in all activities aimed at improving health, quality of life and rights of children involved in the life and work in the street.

Signal optimization in urban transport: A totally asymmetric simple exclusion process with traffic lights.

Science.gov (United States)

Arita, Chikashi; Foulaadvand, M Ebrahim; Santen, Ludger

2017-03-01

We consider the exclusion process on a ring with time-dependent defective bonds at which the hopping rate periodically switches between zero and one. This system models main roads in city traffics, intersecting with perpendicular streets. We explore basic properties of the system, in particular dependence of the vehicular flow on the parameters of signalization as well as the system size and the car density. We investigate various types of the spatial distribution of the vehicular density, and show existence of a shock profile. We also measure waiting time behind traffic lights, and examine its relationship with the traffic flow.

Developing a Web-Based Advisory Expert System for Implementing Traffic Calming Strategies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Amir Falamarzi

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Lack of traffic safety has become a serious issue in residential areas. In this paper, a web-based advisory expert system for the purpose of applying traffic calming strategies on residential streets is described because there currently lacks a structured framework for the implementation of such strategies. Developing an expert system can assist and advise engineers for dealing with traffic safety problems. This expert system is developed to fill the gap between the traffic safety experts and people who seek to employ traffic calming strategies including decision makers, engineers, and students. In order to build the expert system, examining sources related to traffic calming studies as well as interviewing with domain experts have been carried out. The system includes above 150 rules and 200 images for different types of measures. The system has three main functions including classifying traffic calming measures, prioritizing traffic calming strategies, and presenting solutions for different traffic safety problems. Verifying, validating processes, and comparing the system with similar works have shown that the system is consistent and acceptable for practical uses. Finally, some recommendations for improving the system are presented.

FORECASTING OF PASSENGER TRAFFIC UPON IMPLEMENTATION OF HIGH-SPEED RUNNING

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. B. Kurhan

2017-02-01

Full Text Available Purpose. Forecasting of passenger traffic flows in the future is an essential and integral part of the complex process of designing of high-speed network (HSN. HSN direction and its parameters are determined by the volume of passenger traffic, the estimated value of which depends on the economic performance of the country, as well as the material status of citizens living in HSN concentration area, transport mobility of population, development of competing modes of transport and so on. The purpose of this work is to analyse the existing methods of passenger traffic forecasting, to evaluate errors of the existing models concerning determination of traffic volumes and to specify the scientific approach to the development of high-speed rail transport in Ukraine. Methodology. The existing forecasting methods are reduced to the following ones: Delphi approach, extrapolation method, factor and correlation analysis, simulation method. The method described in this paper is based on scientific approaches such as analysis – a comprehensive and detailed study of various aspects of the known forecasting methods, comparing of existing methods for establishing differences and similarities, as well as deduction – use of general knowledge to get the new particular one. Thus, the unified indicators determined for the country as a whole, such as gross domestic product, national income, total population and others cannot be used to forecast the traffic flow on specific areas of HSN construction. Therefore, it is necessary to move from the overall forecast to traffic volume forecast on particular direction. Findings. The conclusions are derived from the analysis of different approaches and methods of passenger flow forecasting. It is proposed to create typical techniques of traffic flow forecasting using modern mathematical methods that would allow avoiding unreasonable decisions and shortening project development time. The resulting recommendations will help

Investigation of the vertical nitrogen dioxide distribution above a frequented street

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Malissa, H; Juette, W; Alidad, I

1975-01-01

Knowledge of the vertical nitrogen dioxide concentration profile in the atmosphere within a street canyon would enable the estimation of pollutant concentrations in street site living or working rooms and furthermore the calculation of pollutant concentrations at ground level from data measured at roof levels by means of long-line remote sensing methods. A formula was therefore derived under simplified conditions and examined by simultaneous measurements of the nitrogen dioxide concentration, wind velocity, and wind direction at roof level and ground level. The data thus obtained were average values for half an hour. The knowledge of the local vertical wind profile and the influence of the traffic density in neighboring urban areas is essential for the calculation. The verification of the derived model shows a correlation coefficient of r equals 0.88 between calculated and measured data.

Impact of On-street Parking on Urban Arterial Performance: A Quantitative Study on Travel Speed and Capacity Deterioration

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sugiarto

2013-08-01

Full Text Available Traffic congestion has been a serious social and technical problem since the early year’s rapid motorization in Banda Aceh, Aceh Province of Indonesia. Urban arterial performance becomes the crucial concerns of many traffic engineers. Arterial performances were analyzed using oblique cumulative plots and breakdown method. The approaches are time series treatment between cumulative vehicles arrival versus time contracted from data recorded by video cameras. Investigations were conducted during both morning and evening peak hours on three regular weekdays for observing saturation condition in order to observe the maximum capacity under prevailing conditions. This study examined the impact of presence on-street parking on deterioration both travel speed and capacity. It found that capacity diminished slightly 10-13% (275-368vph compared to the pre-breakdown condition. Likewise, during the breakdown, speed dropped about 13-19% (3-5kph controlled by pre-breakdown as well. The simulation software so called VISSIM 5.30 was governed to estimate the measurement of effectiveness (MOEs by removing on-street parking from a site of study. The MOEs reveal that removing on-street parking able to reduce average delay approximately 12 sec/veh (32% and increase speed about 5kph (24%.

Cyclist route choice, traffic-related air pollution, and lung function: a scripted exposure study.

Science.gov (United States)

Jarjour, Sarah; Jerrett, Michael; Westerdahl, Dane; de Nazelle, Audrey; Hanning, Cooper; Daly, Laura; Lipsitt, Jonah; Balmes, John

2013-02-07

A travel mode shift to active transportation such as bicycling would help reduce traffic volume and related air pollution emissions as well as promote increased physical activity level. Cyclists, however, are at risk for exposure to vehicle-related air pollutants due to their proximity to vehicle traffic and elevated respiratory rates. To promote safe bicycle commuting, the City of Berkeley, California, has designated a network of residential streets as "Bicycle Boulevards." We hypothesized that cyclist exposure to air pollution would be lower on these Bicycle Boulevards when compared to busier roads and this elevated exposure may result in reduced lung function. We recruited 15 healthy adults to cycle on two routes - a low-traffic Bicycle Boulevard route and a high-traffic route. Each participant cycled on the low-traffic route once and the high-traffic route once. We mounted pollutant monitors and a global positioning system (GPS) on the bicycles. The monitors were all synced to GPS time so pollutant measurements could be spatially plotted. We measured lung function using spirometry before and after each bike ride. We found that fine and ultrafine particulate matter, carbon monoxide, and black carbon were all elevated on the high-traffic route compared to the low-traffic route. There were no corresponding changes in the lung function of healthy non-asthmatic study subjects. We also found that wind-speed affected pollution concentrations. These results suggest that by selecting low-traffic Bicycle Boulevards instead of heavily trafficked roads, cyclists can reduce their exposure to vehicle-related air pollution. The lung function results indicate that elevated pollutant exposure may not have acute negative effects on healthy cyclists, but further research is necessary to determine long-term effects on a more diverse population. This study and broader field of research have the potential to encourage policy-makers and city planners to expand infrastructure to

Impact of roof height non-uniformity on pollutant transport between a street canyon and intersections

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nosek, Štěpán; Kukačka, Libor; Jurčáková, Klára; Kellnerová, Radka; Jaňour, Zbyněk

2017-01-01

This paper presents an extension of our previous wind-tunnel study (Nosek et al., 2016) in which we highlighted the need for investigation of the removal mechanisms of traffic pollution from all openings of a 3D street canyon. The extension represents the pollution flux (turbulent and advective) measurements at the lateral openings of three different 3D street canyons for the winds perpendicular and oblique to the along-canyon axis. The pollution was simulated by emitting a passive gas (ethane) from a homogeneous ground-level line source positioned along the centreline of the investigated street canyons. The street canyons were formed by courtyard-type buildings of two different regular urban-array models. The first model has a uniform building roof height, while the second model has a non-uniform roof height along each building's wall. The mean flow and concentration fields at the canyons' lateral openings confirm the findings of other studies that the buildings' roof-height variability at the intersections plays an important role in the dispersion of the traffic pollutants within the canyons. For the perpendicular wind, the non-uniform roof-height canyon appreciably removes or entrains the pollutant through its lateral openings, contrary to the uniform canyon, where the pollutant was removed primarily through the top. The analysis of the turbulent mass transport revealed that the coherent flow structures of the lateral momentum transport correlate with the ventilation processes at the lateral openings of all studied canyons. These flow structures coincide at the same areas and hence simultaneously transport the pollutant in opposite directions. - Highlights: • The pollutant transport strongly depends on the roof-height arrangement. • The non-uniform canyons also remove the pollutants through their lateral openings. • The higher the upstream wall, the more pollutant is removed through the top. • The lateral coherent structures correlate

Risk of low birthweight in social districts of Copenhagen

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lund, R; Modvig, J; Hilden, J

1999-01-01

The purpose of this survey was to investigate the small-area variations in low birthweight within social services districts in Copenhagen and the relation of such variations to the socioeconomic characteristics of the district. The study was based on register data and included all live-born single...... on births to women living in the city of Copenhagen from 1987-90. We found a statistically significant association between district and risk of newborns being small-for-gestational age (SGA). This association was independent of adjustment for maternal age and parity. Only part of the association...

Traffic signal synchronization in the saturated high-density grid road network.

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, Xiaojian; Lu, Jian; Wang, Wei; Zhirui, Ye

2015-01-01

Most existing traffic signal synchronization strategies do not perform well in the saturated high-density grid road network (HGRN). Traffic congestion often occurs in the saturated HGRN, and the mobility of the network is difficult to restore. In order to alleviate traffic congestion and to improve traffic efficiency in the network, the study proposes a regional traffic signal synchronization strategy, named the long green and long red (LGLR) traffic signal synchronization strategy. The essence of the strategy is to control the formation and dissipation of queues and to maximize the efficiency of traffic flows at signalized intersections in the saturated HGRN. With this strategy, the same signal control timing plan is used at all signalized intersections in the HGRN, and the straight phase of the control timing plan has a long green time and a long red time. Therefore, continuous traffic flows can be maintained when vehicles travel, and traffic congestion can be alleviated when vehicles stop. Using the strategy, the LGLR traffic signal synchronization model is developed, with the objective of minimizing the number of stops. Finally, the simulation is executed to analyze the performance of the model by comparing it to other models, and the superiority of the LGLR model is evident in terms of delay, number of stops, queue length, and overall performance in the saturated HGRN.

Measured and modelled concentrations and vertical profiles of airborne particulate matter within the boundary layer of a street canyon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Colls, J.J.; Micallef, A.

1999-01-01

Concentrations and vertical profiles of various fractions of airborne particulate matter (suspended particulate matter (SPM), PM 10 and PM 2.5 ) have been measured over the first three metres from ground in a street canyon. Measurements were carried out using automated near real-time apparatus called the Kinetic Sequential Sampling (KSS) system. KSS system is essentially an electronically-controlled lift carrying a real-time particle monitor for sampling air sequentially, at different heights within the breathing zone, which includes all heights within the surface layer of a street canyon at which people may breathe. Data is automatically logged at the different receptor levels, for the determination of the average vertical concentration profile of airborne particulate matter. For measuring the airborne particle concentration, a Grimm Dust Monitor 1.104/5 was used. The recorded data also allows for time series analysis of airborne particulate matter concentration at different heights. Time series data and hourly-average vertical concentration profiles in the boundary layer of the confines of a street are thought to be mainly determined by traffic emissions and traffic associated processes. Hence the measured data were compared with results of a street canyon emission-dispersion model in time and space. This Street Level Air Quality (SLAQ) model employs the plume-box technique and includes modules for simulating vehicle-generated effects such as thermally- and mechanically-generated turbulence and resuspension of road dust. Environmental processes, such as turbulence resulting from surface sensible heat and the formation of sulphate aerosol from sulphur dioxide exhaust emissions, are taken into account. The paper presents an outline description of the measuring technique and model used, and a comparison of the measured and modelled data

Urban streets

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Schönfeld, von Kim Carlotta; Bertolini, Luca

2017-01-01

Today's urban streets are usually planned for purposes of mobility: pedestrians, as well as a variety of vehicles such as cars, trucks, and sometimes bicycles, are usually factored into an urban street plan. However, urban streets are also increasingly recognized as public spaces, accommodating

High-speed web attack detection through extracting exemplars from HTTP traffic

KAUST Repository

Wang, Wei

2011-01-01

In this work, we propose an effective method for high-speed web attack detection by extracting exemplars from HTTP traffic before the detection model is built. The smaller set of exemplars keeps valuable information of the original traffic while it significantly reduces the size of the traffic so that the detection remains effective and improves the detection efficiency. The Affinity Propagation (AP) is employed to extract the exemplars from the HTTP traffic. K-Nearest Neighbor(K-NN) and one class Support Vector Machine (SVM) are used for anomaly detection. To facilitate comparison, we also employ information gain to select key attributes (a.k.a. features) from the HTTP traffic for web attack detection. Two large real HTTP traffic are used to validate our methods. The extensive test results show that the AP based exemplar extraction significantly improves the real-time performance of the detection compared to using all the HTTP traffic and achieves a more robust detection performance than information gain based attribute selection for web attack detection. © 2011 ACM.

Active Transportation on a Complete Street: Perceived and Audited Walkability Correlates

Science.gov (United States)

Jensen, Wyatt A.; Smith, Ken R.; Brewer, Simon C.; Amburgey, Jonathan W.; McIff, Brett

2017-01-01

Few studies of walkability include both perceived and audited walkability measures. We examined perceived walkability (Neighborhood Environment Walkability Scale—Abbreviated, NEWS-A) and audited walkability (Irvine–Minnesota Inventory, IMI) measures for residents living within 2 km of a “complete street”—one renovated with light rail, bike lanes, and sidewalks. For perceived walkability, we found some differences but substantial similarity between our final scales and those in a prior published confirmatory factor analysis. Perceived walkability, in interaction with distance, was related to complete street active transportation. Residents were likely to have active transportation on the street when they lived nearby and perceived good aesthetics, crime safety, and traffic safety. Audited walkability, analyzed with decision trees, showed three general clusters of walkability areas, with 12 specific subtypes. A subset of walkability items (n = 11), including sidewalks, zebra-striped crosswalks, decorative sidewalks, pedestrian signals, and blank walls combined to cluster street segments. The 12 subtypes yielded 81% correct classification of residents’ active transportation. Both perceived and audited walkability were important predictors of active transportation. For audited walkability, we recommend more exploration of decision tree approaches, given their predictive utility and ease of translation into walkability interventions. PMID:28872595

INFLUENCE OF PLANNING, ORGANIZATIONAL CHARACTERISTICS AND REGULATION ON ROAD TRAFFIC SAFETY OF PEDESTRIANS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

G. M. Kuharenok

2011-01-01

Full Text Available The paper presents results of research on planning, organizational characteristics and regulation modes at  the regulated pedestrian crossings, located out of crossroads in the street and road network of Minsk. Some regularities pertaining to the influence of the investigated characteristics on road traffic safety of pedestrians are revealed in the paper. Practical offers on increase of road traffic safety of pedestrians in the Republic of Belarus have been developed on the basis of the executed investigations and cited in the paper. 

Summoned by Science. Reporting Climate Change at Copenhagen and Beyond

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Painter, J.

2010-11-15

The December 2009 summit on climate change in Copenhagen was remarkable not because it ended in an ambitious deal to curb greenhouse gas emissions but because of the unprecedented number of journalists, delegates, NGOs and scientists present. In this wide-ranging study, the author has produced a detailed analysis of the coverage of the summit across the globe through studying more than 400 articles published in two print media in 12 countries.The analysis reveals that articles written principally about the science of climate change represented less than 10 per cent of all those surveyed. The study makes extensive use of official UN figures to produce the first detailed assessment of who actually attended Copenhagen. It also includes a survey of over 50 environmental journalists and scientists across the 12 target countries post-Copenhagen to ascertain how they think climate change science might be best communicated.

Summoned by Science. Reporting Climate Change at Copenhagen and Beyond

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Painter, J.

2010-11-01

The December 2009 summit on climate change in Copenhagen was remarkable not because it ended in an ambitious deal to curb greenhouse gas emissions but because of the unprecedented number of journalists, delegates, NGOs and scientists present. In this wide-ranging study, the author has produced a detailed analysis of the coverage of the summit across the globe through studying more than 400 articles published in two print media in 12 countries.The analysis reveals that articles written principally about the science of climate change represented less than 10 per cent of all those surveyed. The study makes extensive use of official UN figures to produce the first detailed assessment of who actually attended Copenhagen. It also includes a survey of over 50 environmental journalists and scientists across the 12 target countries post-Copenhagen to ascertain how they think climate change science might be best communicated.

A Critical Copenhagen Reflection on the European Union as a Global Actor

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Manners, Ian James

2016-01-01

a Copenhagen reflection on the EU as a global actor within the context of the Normative Power Approach (NPA). The chapter engages in a critical Copenhagen reflection, which means that it takes seriously the insights of critical social theory and the role of cultural hegemony. The chapter argues that the NPA...

[Ambulance services in Copenhagen, Odense and Ringkøbing County. Results of the spot test conducted by the Ministry of Health and the County Councils Association in 1990. 1. Epidemiological data].

Science.gov (United States)

Trier, H; Larsen, C F

1992-02-17

In 1990, The Danish Ministry of Health and the County Council Association undertook a spot test investigation of the activities in connection with 3,182 emergency ambulance services (AU) in the Municipality of Copenhagen (a city), the Odense district (a large provincial town) and the County of Ringkøbing (a mixed rural and urban region). The investigation included data collected by the ambulance staff before hospitalization and the diagnoses on discharge from casualty and hospital departments. The frequency of AU per 1,000 population was found to be 101 annually in Copenhagen, 44 in Odense and 19 in the County of Ringkøbing. More than 10% of the services in all three regions did not result in transport of the patient to hospital treatment. The average age of the patients was 52 years in Copenhagen compared with 44 years in the other two regions. The age-specific frequency of AU for patients aged 0-4 year-old was nine times as great in Copenhagen than in Odense and the County of Ringkøbing and, where patients aged more than 80 years were concerned, the frequency was 4-10 times as great. In all three regions, the activities of ambulance services were most numerous between 6-16 hours and lowest during the period 0-6 hours. Services to patients' homes constituted 44-46% and to traffic regions 32-40%. Services on account of illness constituted 41-45% and, on account of accidents, 27-35%. In cases of rapid emergency transport (using signals), 78% of the ambulances had reached the patient within five minutes in Copenhagen as compared with 44% in Odense and the County of Ringkøbing.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Rock mass characterization for tunnels in the Copenhagen limestone

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Foged, Niels Nielsen; Jakobsen, Lisa; Jackson, Peter

2007-01-01

Tunnels in Copenhagen are drilled through highly anisotropic limestone comprising alternating strongly lithified and less lithified parts. The mass quality of the limestone is usually defined from fracture spacing registered in core samples. The deposit is, however, affected destructively by dril...... by drilling activity yielding a low Rock Quality Designation RQD. In-situ observations of the limestone in excavations or televiewer logs reveal only few natural discontinuities compared to core logging, indicating a very good suitability for tunneling....

Emaciated mannequins: a study of mannequin body size in high street fashion stores.

Science.gov (United States)

Robinson, Eric; Aveyard, Paul

2017-01-01

There is concern that the body size of fashion store mannequins are too thin and promote unrealistic body ideals. To date there has been no systematic examination of the size of high street fashion store mannequins. We surveyed national fashion retailers located on the high street of two English cities. The body size of 'male' and 'female' mannequins was assessed by two blinded research assistants using visual rating scales. The average female mannequin body size was representative of a very underweight woman and 100% of female mannequins represented an underweight body size. The average male mannequin body size was significantly larger than the average female mannequin body size. Only 8% of male mannequins represented an underweight body size. The body size of mannequins used to advertise female fashion is unrealistic and would be considered medically unhealthy in humans.

Assessment of cancer and noncancer health risks from exposure to PAHs in street dust in the Tamale Metropolis, Ghana.

Science.gov (United States)

Obiri, Samuel; Cobbina, Samuel J; Armah, Frederick A; Luginaah, Isaac

2013-01-01

This study is part of a broader initiative to characterize, quantify and assess the human health risk associated with exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in street dust along the Trans-ECOWAS highway in West Africa. In the first part, PAHs were characterized and quantified in low- and high-traffic zones. In this study, cancer and noncancer human health risks from exposure to (PAHs) in street dust in the Tamale metropolis, Ghana were assessed in accordance with the USEPA risk assessment guidelines. The results of the study as obtained from inhalation of benzo [a] anthracene (BaA), benzo [a] pyrene (BaP), benzo [k] fluoranthene (BkF) and chrysene via central tendency exposure parameters (CTE) by trespassers (street hawkers including children and adults) in street dust within low traffic zones in the Tamale metropolis are 1.6E-02, 4.7E-02, 1.8E-03, and 1.6E-04 respectively. For reasonable maximum exposure parameters (RME), risk values of 1.2E-01, 3.5E-01, 1.3E-02 and 1.2E-03 respectively were obtained for benzo [a] anthracene, benzo [a] pyrene, benzo [k] fluoranthene and chrysene. Hazard index for acenaphthene, anthracene, fluoranthene, fluorine, naphthalene and pyrene in the CTE and RME scenarios were 2.2, 3.E-01, 2.6, 2.6, 100, 38 and 12, 1.7,15, 14, 550, 210 respectively. Generally, the cancer health risk associated with inhalation of benzo [a] anthracene, benzo [a] pyrene, benzo [k] fluoranthene and chrysene revealed that resident adults and children in the Tamale metropolis are at risk from exposure to these chemicals. The results of this preliminary assessment that quantified PAH related health risks along this part of the Trans-ECOWAS highway revealed that, there is the need for regulatory agencies to put in comprehensive measures to mitigate the risks posed to these categories of human receptors.

Control techniques for an automated mixed traffic vehicle

Science.gov (United States)

Meisenholder, G. W.; Johnston, A. R.

1977-01-01

The paper describes an automated mixed traffic vehicle (AMTV), a driverless low-speed tram designed to operate in mixed pedestrian and vehicular traffic. The vehicle is a six-passenger electric tram equipped with sensing and control which permit it to function on existing streets in an automatic mode. The design includes established wire-following techniques for steering and near-IR headway sensors. A 7-mph cruise speed is reduced to 2 mph or a complete stop in response to sensor (or passenger) inputs. The AMTV performance is evaluated by operation on a loop route and by simulation. Some necessary improvements involving sensors, sensor pattern, use of an audible signal, and control lag are discussed. It is suggested that appropriate modifications will eliminate collision incidents.

Influence of photochemical processes on traffic-related airborne pollutants in urban street canyon

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Střižík, Michal; Zelinger, Zdeněk; Kubát, Pavel; Civiš, Svatopluk; Bestová, I.; Nevrlý, Václav; Kadeřábek, P.; Čadil, J.; Berger, P.; Černý, A.; Engst, Pavel

2016-01-01

Roč. 147, SEP 2016 (2016), s. 1-10 ISSN 1364-6826 R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GA14-14696S; GA MŠk(CZ) LD14022 Grant - others:COST(XE) TD 1105 Institutional support: RVO:61388955 ; RVO:61388998 Keywords : remote sensing * LIDAR * Urban street canyon Subject RIV: CF - Physical ; Theoretical Chemistry; BK - Fluid Dynamics (UT-L) Impact factor: 1.326, year: 2016

Decisions of hypermarkets location in dense urban area – effects on streets network congestion in the Bucharest case

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Eugen ROSCA

2008-01-01

Full Text Available The paper represents some partial results of the research carried out by the Transportation, Traffic and Logistics Department - University POLITEHNICA of Bucharest, funded by the Romanian Ministry of Research and Education through the National University Research Council. In this paper we provide: a brief description of the interrelation between the life style changes of Romanian people during the last decades and the car traffic congestion in large cities; the streets network modelling of a radial-circular urban structure (the characteristic of a historically developed city as Bucharest city is, in case of car traffic congestion; the assessment model of the additional car traffic congestion for certain locations with large attractivity. Having an important effect on the entire lifestyle of urban people, the decision of a hypermarket location might be a complex one, taking into consideration the new leisure and shopping tendencies but also the additional car traffic congestion caused by the chosen location.

Passive control potentials of trees and on-street parked cars in reduction of air pollution exposure in urban street canyons

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abhijith, K.V.; Gokhale, Sharad

2015-01-01

This study investigates the passive-control-potentials of trees and on-street parked cars on pedestrian exposure to air pollutants in a street canyon using three-dimensional CFD. Since, according to some studies trees deteriorate air quality and cars parked roadside improve it, the combine as well as separate effects of trees and on-street parked cars have been examined. For this, different tree canopy layouts and parking configurations have been developed and pedestrian exposure for each has been analysed. The results showed, for example, tree crown with high porosity and low-stand density in combination with parallel or perpendicular car parking reduced the pedestrian exposure considerably. - Highlights: • Trees and on-street parked cars can manipulate pollutant levels in street canyons. • Low stand density trees with 0° or 90° car parking reduce pedestrian exposure. • Trees with medium crown, high porosity, low stand density reduce pollutant levels. - This study investigated the combination of trees and on-street parked cars to manipulate pollutant levels in urban street canyons to reduce pedestrian exposure

Transport growth in Bangkok: Energy, environment, and traffic congestion. Workshop proceedings

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Philpott, J. [Asia Regional Office, Bangkok (Thailand)

1995-07-01

Bangkok, the capital of Thailand, is a physically and economically complexcity with a complicated transport system. With daily traffic congestion averaging 16 hours, the air quality is such that to breathe street level pollution for 8 eight hours is roughly equivalent to smoking nine cigarettes per day. Estimates suggest idling traffic costs up to $1.6 billion annually. Energy use within the transport sector is on a steady rise with an estimated increase in 11 years of two and one half times. Severe health impacts have begun to effect many residents - young children and the elderly being particularly vulnerable. Bangkok`s air quality and congestion problems are far from hopeless. Great potential exists for Bangkok to remedy its transport-related problems. The city has many necessary characteristics that allow an efficient, economical system of transport. For example, its high density level makes the city a prime candidate for an efficient system of mass transit and the multitude and close proximity of shops, street vendors, restaurants, and residential areas is highly conducive to walking and cycling. Technical knowledge and capacity to devise and implement innovative policies and projects to address air quality and congestion problems is plentiful. There is also consensus among Bangkokians that something needs to be done immediately to clear the air and the roads. However, little has been done. This report proposes a new approach to transport planning for Bangkok that integrates consideration of ecological, social, and financial viability in the process of making decisions regarding managing existing infrastructure and investments in new infrastructure. Selected papers have been indexed separately for inclusion in the Energy Science and Technology Database.

Vertical distribution of particulate trace elements in a street canyon determined by PIXE analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Raunemaa, T.; Hautojaervi, A.; Kaisla, K.; Gerlander, M.

1981-01-01

Suspended particles in a street canyon were investigated by collecting air particulate matter on thin filters at heigths 2.3 to 20.5 m. The weather parameters and traffic characteristics were registered during the collection. Quantitative analysis of 15 trace elements from AI to Pb was carried out by the PIXE method using 1.8-2.0 MeV protons. The concentration of lead was found to decrease exponentially when going from street level to roof level. Almost all the trace elements analyzed were found to fall into two groups with different vertical distributions. The collected matter above 10 m height was found to be due mainly to combustion originated motor vehicle exhaust, the matter below 10 m to soil originated dust. (orig.)

Copenhagen comorbidity in HIV infection (COCOMO) study

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ronit, Andreas; Haissman, Judith Melchior; Kirkegaard-Klitbo, Ditte Marie

2016-01-01

BACKGROUND: Modern combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) has improved survival for people living with HIV (PLWHIV). Non-AIDS comorbidities have replaced opportunistic infections as leading causes of mortality and morbidity, and are becoming a key health concern as this population continues....../DESIGN: The Copenhagen comorbidity in HIV-infection (COCOMO) study is an observational, longitudinal cohort study. The study was initiated in 2015 and recruitment is ongoing with the aim of including 1500 PLWHIV from the Copenhagen area. Follow-up examinations after 2 and 10 years are planned. Uninfected controls...... (PBMC), urine, and stool samples are collected in a biobank for future studies. Data will be updated through periodical linking to national databases. DISCUSSION: As life expectancy for PLWHIV improves, it is essential to study long-term impact of HIV and cART. We anticipate that findings from...

Sampling and chemical analysis of urban street runoff

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Daub, J.; Striebel, T.; Robien, A.; Herrmann, R.

1993-01-01

In order to characterize the environmentally relevant physical and chemical properties of urban street runoff, an automatic sampling device was developed. Precipitation samples were collected together with runoff samples. Organic and inorganic compounds were analysed in the runoff. Dissolved and particle bound substances were analysed separately. The concentrations in runoff are generally considerably higher than in precipitation. Concentrations of lead, fluoranthene and benzo(a)pyrene, in particular are higher in runoffs at sites with high traffic densities than at sites with low traffic densities. Preceding dry period normally has no effect on the measured concentrations. The typical chemograph of a dissolved substance shows a maximum at the beginning of the event dropping quickly to a minimum, which often coincides with the maximum in runoff rate. A slight rise is observed with decreasing runoff rates at the end of the event. Applying a mathematical model, chemographs may be described by three terms: - Relatively large amounts of easily soluble material at the beginning of the event decrease with increasing runoff. Conservative behaviour is assumed. - A part which varies inversely to the runoff rate. This term assumes zero-order kinetics; the amount dissolved from surfaces is constant with time. - A small constant term. Concentrations of particle bound substances correlate with amounts of total suspended solids. Frequently a negative correlation between the specific concentration of substances and the concentration of total suspended solids is observed. (orig.) [de

Neighborhood street scale elements, sedentary time and cardiometabolic risk factors in inactive ethnic minority women.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rebecca E Lee

Full Text Available Cardiometabolic risk factors such as obesity, excess percent body fat, high blood pressure, elevated resting heart rate and sedentary behavior have increased in recent decades due to changes in the environment and lifestyle. Neighborhood micro-environmental, street scale elements may contribute to health above and beyond individual characteristics of residents.To investigate the relationship between neighborhood street scale elements and cardiometabolic risk factors among inactive ethnic minority women.Women (N = 410 completed measures of BMI, percent body fat, blood pressure, resting heart rate, sedentary behavior and demographics. Trained field assessors completed the Pedestrian Environment Data Scan in participants' neighborhoods. Data were collected from 2006-2008. Multiple regression models were conducted in 2011 to estimate the effect of environmental factors on cardiometabolic risk factors.Adjusted regression models found an inverse association between sidewalk buffers and blood pressure, between traffic control devices and resting heart rate, and a positive association between presence of pedestrian crossing aids and BMI (ps<.05. Neighborhood attractiveness and safety for walking and cycling were related to more time spent in a motor vehicle (ps<.05.Findings suggest complex relationships among micro-environmental, street scale elements that may confer important cardiometabolic benefits and risks for residents. Living in the most attractive and safe neighborhoods for physical activity may be associated with longer times spent sitting in the car.

[Sharing and distrusting: street merchants' view of children in street situations].

Science.gov (United States)

Sánchez-Suárez, Diana M; Giraldo-Puerta, Alexandra; Giraldo-Pineda, Álvaro; Forero-Pulido, Constanza

2016-06-01

Objective To understand the meanings, through the description of experiences that street merchants have of their interactions with children in a street situation in downtown of Medellin in 2013. Methodology Qualitative investigation with ethnographic approach. Observations were made in the zone at different times of the day. Twelve interviews with street merchants were held in their work places. Records were kept in a field journal. Results The street merchants and children in street situations share the same space. Both groups try to survive and their relationship is mediated by the trust-distrust that is established between them. The coexistence generates ambivalent feelings. For the street merchants, children in street situations are the result of abandonment by the family, the state and society. They live in a hard world in which they are exposed to a series of risks that they must face. Conclusion The interaction between street merchants and children in street situations is good to the extent that conflicts are avoided, establishing norms of coexistence. The element that determines this relationship is trust-distrust. In trust, strong affective ties are generated, considering each other family. Distrust generates a preventative attitude.

Characteristics of flow and reactive pollutant dispersion in urban street canyons

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Soo-Jin; Kim, Jae-Jin; Kim, Minjoong J.; Park, Rokjin J.; Cheong, Hyeong-Bin

2015-05-01

In this study, the effects of aspect ratio defined as the ratio of building height to street width on the dispersion of reactive pollutants in street canyons were investigated using a coupled CFD-chemistry model. Flow characteristics for different aspect ratios were analyzed first. For each aspect ratio, six emission scenarios with different VOC-NOX ratios were considered. One vortex was generated when the aspect ratio was less than 1.6 (shallow street canyon). When the aspect ratio was greater than 1.6 (deep street canyon), two vortices were formed in the street canyons. Comparing to previous studies on two-dimensional street canyons, the vortex center is slanted toward the upwind building and reverse and downward flows are dominant in street canyons. Near the street bottom, there is a marked difference in flow pattern between in shallow and deep street canyons. Near the street bottom, reverse and downward flows are dominant in shallow street canyon and flow convergence exists near the center of the deep street canyons, which induces a large difference in the NOX and O3 dispersion patterns in the street canyons. NOX concentrations are high near the street bottom and decreases with height. The O3 concentrations are low at high NO concentrations near the street bottom because of NO titration. At a low VOC-NOX ratio, the NO concentrations are sufficiently high to destroy large amount of O3 by titration, resulting in an O3 concentration in the street canyon much lower than the background concentration. At high VOC-NOX ratios, a small amount of O3 is destroyed by NO titration in the lower layer of the street canyons. However, in the upper layer, O3 is formed through the photolysis of NO2 by VOC degradation reactions. As the aspect ratio increases, NOX (O3) concentrations averaged over the street canyons decrease (increase) in the shallow street canyons. This is because outward flow becomes strong and NOX flux toward the outsides of the street canyons increases

Modified Motor Vehicles Travel Speed Models on the Basis of Curb Parking Setting under Mixed Traffic Flow

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhenyu Mei

2012-01-01

Full Text Available The ongoing controversy about in what condition should we set the curb parking has few definitive answers because comprehensive research in this area has been lacking. Our goal is to present a set of heuristic urban street speed functions under mixed traffic flow by taking into account impacts of curb parking. Two impacts have been defined to classify and quantify the phenomena of motor vehicles' speed dynamics in terms of curb parking. The first impact is called Space impact, which is caused by the curb parking types. The other one is the Time impact, which results from the driver maneuvering in or out of parking space. In this paper, based on the empirical data collected from six typical urban streets in Nanjing, China, two models have been proposed to describe these phenomena for one-way traffic and two-way traffic, respectively. An intensive experiment has been conducted in order to calibrate and validate these proposed models, by taking into account the complexity of the model parameters. We also provide guidelines in terms of how to cluster and calculate those models' parameters. Results from these models demonstrated promising performance of modeling motor vehicles' speed for mixed traffic flow under the influence of curb parking.

Pollution characteristics, source apportionment, and health risk of heavy metals in street dust of Suzhou, China.

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Manli; Gui, Herong; Wang, Yao; Peng, Weihua

2017-01-01

To analyze the pollution characteristics, source apportionment, and health risk of heavy metals (HMs) in street dust of Suzhou, China, 23 sampling sites were selected and periodically sampled for 12 months. A total of 276 samples were collected, and the concentrations of selected HMs (e.g., Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Pb, V, and Zn) were examined with an X-ray fluorescence spectrum analyzer. Results showed that the mean concentrations of Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Pb, V, and Zn in the street dust of Suzhou were 112.9, 27.5, 19941.3, 410.3, 45.2, 75.6, and 225.3 mg kg -1 , respectively. Cr, Cu, Pb, and Zn exceeded their background values in local natural soils by 1.3-3.6-fold, whereas Fe, Mn, and V were all within their background values. However, enrichment factor analysis revealed that Cr, Cu, Mn, Pb, V, and Zn, especially Cr, Cu, Pb, and Zn, were enriched in Suzhou street dust. The HMs showed no significant seasonal changes overall, but spatial distribution analysis implied that the high values of Cr, Cu, Mn, Pb, V, and Zn were mainly distributed in areas with frequent human activities. Results of multivariate techniques (e.g., Pearson correlation, hierarchical cluster, and principal components analyses) suggested that Pb and Zn had complicated sources; Cu and V mainly originated from traffic sources; Fe and Mn mainly came from natural sources; and Cr was dominantly related to industrial district. Health risk assessment revealed that a single heavy metal might not cause both non-cancer and carcinogenic risks to local residents. Nevertheless, the sum of the hazard index of all selected HMs for children slightly exceeded the safety value, thereby implying that the HMs from Suzhou street dust can possibly produce significant risk to children. Cr was the priority pollutant in the study area because of its high concentration, high enrichment, and high contribution to non-cancer risk values.

China on the eve of Copenhagen

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Niquet, V.

2009-01-01

The author first gives an overview of the Chinese worrying energy situation because of its high economic growth and its high energy demand and consumption. She highlights the preponderant share of coal and the associated environmental issues. She comments the economic and strategic implications of the oil share increase in energy consumption in China with respect to its energy supply security. She discusses the present debate on costs which would result from not taking environmental issues into account, and the weight of lobbies and local policies on these issues. Then, she notices that, however, significant evolutions can be observed in the Chinese environmental strategy: implemented policies and actions, research and development policy and investments. She discusses the consequences of these aspects and evolutions for the international negotiations in Copenhagen, and also the influence of the present economic and financial crisis on the Chinese environmental strategy

Teaching Experimental Archaeology at the University of Copenhagen

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lyngstrøm, Henriette Syrach

2011-01-01

For more than ten years the Faculty of Humanities at the University of Copenhagen has offered the course Experimental Archaeology, Ethno-archaeology and Simple Technology to all students at BA level....

Street as Public Space - Measuring Street Life of Kuala Lumpur

Science.gov (United States)

Sulaiman, Normah; Ayu Abdullah, Yusfida; Hamdan, Hazlina

2017-10-01

Kuala Lumpur has envisioning in becoming World Class City by the year 2020. Essential elements of form and function of the urban environment are streets. Streets showcase the community and connect people. It’s one of the most comfortable social environment that provides aesthetical and interaction pleasure for everyone. Classified as main shopping streets in the local Kuala Lumpur urban design guidelines, Jalan Masjid India (JMI) has its uniqueness of shopping experience and social interaction. This conceptual paper will study the physical and cultural characteristics of the street that will generate the street character by mapping its original characters. The findings will focus on strengthening the methodology applied to promote improvements in evaluating it as a great public space. Results will also contribute to understanding the overall site context, the street connectivity, and urban dynamics. This paper is part of a larger study that addresses on transforming the sociability of public space.

Simple street tree sampling

Science.gov (United States)

David J. Nowak; Jeffrey T. Walton; James Baldwin; Jerry. Bond

2015-01-01

Information on street trees is critical for management of this important resource. Sampling of street tree populations provides an efficient means to obtain street tree population information. Long-term repeat measures of street tree samples supply additional information on street tree changes and can be used to report damages from catastrophic events. Analyses of...

Dispersion of traffic exhausts emitted from a stationary line source versus individual moving cars – a numerical comparison

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Günter Gross

2016-09-01

Full Text Available A three-dimensional microscale model was used to study the effects of moving vehicles on air pollution in the close vicinity of a road. The numerical results are compared to general findings from wind tunnel experiments and field observations. It was found that the model is suitable to capture the main flow characteristics within an urban street canyon, in particular the modifications relating to running traffic. A comparison of the results for a stationary line source approach and for multiple single moving sources demonstrates significant differences. For a street in a flat terrain, the near-road concentrations are underestimated by up to a factor of two if the emissions are approximated by a stationary line source. This underestimation decreases with increasing distance, and becomes negligible 30–50 m away from the road. For an urban canyon situation, the line source assumption is a conservative approximation for the concentrations at the leeside of the street, while on the opposite pavement and wall, a systematic underestimation was found. Also, the effects of different traffic situations have been studied and discussed.

The improved degree of urban road traffic network: A case study of Xiamen, China

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Shiguang; Zheng, Lili; Yu, Dexin

2017-03-01

The complex network theory is applied to the study of urban road traffic network topology, and we constructed a new measure to characterize an urban road network. It is inspiring to quantify the interaction more appropriately between nodes in complex networks, especially in the field of traffic. The measure takes into account properties of lanes (e.g. number of lanes, width, traffic direction). As much, it is a more comprehensive measure in comparison to previous network measures. It can be used to grasp the features of urban street network more clearly. We applied this measure to the road network in Xiamen, China. Based on a standard method from statistical physics, we examined in more detail the distribution of this new measure and found that (1) due to the limitation of space geographic attributes, traditional research conclusions acquired by using the original definition of degree to study the primal approach modeled urban street network are not very persuasive; (2) both of the direction of the network connection and the degree's odd or even classifications need to be analyzed specifically; (3) the improved degree distribution presents obvious hierarchy, and hierarchical values conform to the power-law distribution, and correlation of our new measure shows some significant segmentation of the urban road network.

Examining Associations of Environmental Characteristics with Recreational Cycling Behaviour by Street-Level Strava Data.

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, Yeran; Du, Yunyan; Wang, Yu; Zhuang, Liyuan

2017-06-15

Policymakers pay much attention to effectively increasing frequency of people's cycling in the context of developing sustainable and green cities. Investigating associations of environmental characteristics and cycling behaviour could offer implications for changing urban infrastructure aiming at encouraging active travel. However, earlier examinations of associations between environmental characteristics and active travel behaviour are limited by low spatial granularity and coverage of traditional data. Crowdsourced geographic information offers an opportunity to determine the fine-grained travel patterns of people. Particularly, Strava Metro data offer a good opportunity for studies of recreational cycling behaviour as they can offer hourly, daily or annual cycling volumes with different purposes (commuting or recreational) in each street across a city. Therefore, in this study, we utilised Strava Metro data for investigating associations between environmental characteristics and recreational cycling behaviour at a large spatial scale (street level). In this study, we took account of population density, employment density, road length, road connectivity, proximity to public transit services, land use mix, proximity to green space, volume of motor vehicles and traffic accidents in an empirical investigation over Glasgow. Empirical results reveal that Strava cyclists are more likely to cycle for recreation on streets with short length, large connectivity or low volume of motor vehicles or on streets surrounded by residential land.

Triage in psychiatric emergency services in Copenhagen

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sæbye, Ditte; Høegh, Erica Bernt; Knop, Joachim

2017-01-01

Inspired by the Australasian triage system, a regional psychiatric triage system was introduced in the psychiatric emergency units (PEUs) in Copenhagen in 2011. Our aim of the study is to determine the characteristics of the patient according to the defined triage criteria and check...

Fairness, Credibility and Effectiveness in the Copenhagen Accord: An Economic Assessment

OpenAIRE

Alice Favero; Enrica De Cian

2010-01-01

State-of-the-art literature on climate change policies has proposed numerous approaches for the Post-Kyoto agreement. However, in analysing the outcome of negotiations, the feeling is that a huge gap exists between policy makers and scientists. This paper tries to bridge this gap by providing a critical and comparative analysis of the Copenhagen Accord provisions, linking them to a part of the climate-economy literature. It assesses Copenhagen outcome in terms of economic efficiency, environm...

Multi-scale modeling of urban air pollution: development of a Street-in-Grid model

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Youngseob; Wu, You; Seigneur, Christian; Roustan, Yelva

2016-04-01

the Leighton cycle chemistry. The street-network model is coupled to the CTM Polair3D of the Polyphemus air quality modeling platform to constitute a Street-in-Grid (SinG) model. The street-network model is used to simulate the concentrations of the chemical species in the lowest layer in the urban area and the simulation for the upper layers is then performed by Polair3D. Interactions between the street-network model and the host CTM occur at roof-top and depend on the vertical mass transfer described above. The SinG model is used to simulate the concentrations of gas-phase pollutants (O3 and NOx) in a Paris suburb. The emission data for each street that are needed for the street-network model were obtained from a dynamic traffic model. Topographic data, such as street length/width and building height, were obtained from a geographic database (BD TOPO). Simulated concentrations are compared to concentrations measured at two monitoring stations that were located on each side of a large avenue.

Evaluation of noise pollution in urban traffic hubs—Noise maps and measurements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fiedler, Paulo Eduardo Kirrian; Zannin, Paulo Henrique Trombetta

2015-01-01

A study was made of some of the main traffic hubs in a Latin American metropolis, in order to determine the presence or absence of noise by means of noise measurements and acoustic mapping. To characterize noise in the evaluated road stretches, 232 measurements were taken at different points. The Predictor software package was used for the noise mapping calculations. Noise sensitive areas, e.g., hospitals, were identified in the evaluated road stretches. Noise maps were calculated for two hospitals, showing the current levels of noise that reach their facades. Hypothetical scenarios were simulated by making changes in the composition of traffic and total number of vehicles, and an assessment was made of the potential influence of these modifications in reducing the noise levels reaching the facades of the buildings in question. The simulations indicated that a 50% reduction in total traffic flow, or a 50% reduction in heavy vehicle traffic flow, would reduce the noise levels by about 3 dB(A). - Highlights: • Evaluation of noise pollution in urban traffic hubs • Street systems • Environmental noise impacts • Noise mapping

Evaluation of noise pollution in urban traffic hubs—Noise maps and measurements

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fiedler, Paulo Eduardo Kirrian; Zannin, Paulo Henrique Trombetta, E-mail: paulo.zannin@pesquisador.cnpq.br

2015-02-15

A study was made of some of the main traffic hubs in a Latin American metropolis, in order to determine the presence or absence of noise by means of noise measurements and acoustic mapping. To characterize noise in the evaluated road stretches, 232 measurements were taken at different points. The Predictor software package was used for the noise mapping calculations. Noise sensitive areas, e.g., hospitals, were identified in the evaluated road stretches. Noise maps were calculated for two hospitals, showing the current levels of noise that reach their facades. Hypothetical scenarios were simulated by making changes in the composition of traffic and total number of vehicles, and an assessment was made of the potential influence of these modifications in reducing the noise levels reaching the facades of the buildings in question. The simulations indicated that a 50% reduction in total traffic flow, or a 50% reduction in heavy vehicle traffic flow, would reduce the noise levels by about 3 dB(A). - Highlights: • Evaluation of noise pollution in urban traffic hubs • Street systems • Environmental noise impacts • Noise mapping.

Land use-related chemical composition of street sediments in Beijing.

Science.gov (United States)

Kuang, Cen; Neumann, Thomas; Norra, Stefan; Stüben, Doris

2004-01-01

More than 10 million people are currently living in Beijing. This city faces severe anthropogenic air pollution caused by an intense vehicle increase (11% per year in China), coal combusting power plants, heavy industry, huge numbers of household and restaurant cookers, and domestic heating stoves. Additionally, each year dust storms are carrying particulate matter from the deserts of Gobi and Takla Makan towards Beijing, especially in spring. Other geogenic sources of particulate matter which contribute to the air pollution are bare soils, coal heaps and construction sites occurring in and around Beijing. Streets function as receptor surfaces for atmospheric dusts. Thus, street sediments consist of particles of different chemical compositions from many different sources, such as traffic, road side soils and industry. Distributions and concentrations of various chemical elements in street sediments were investigated along a rural-urban transect in Beijing, China. Chemical elements were determined with X-ray fluorescence analysis. Factor analysis was used to extract most important element sources contributing to particulate pollution along a main arterial route of the Chinese capital. The statistical evaluation of the data by factor analysis identifies three main anthropogenic sources responsible for the contamination of Beijing street sediments. The first source is a steel factory in the western part of Beijing. From this source, Mn, Fe, and Ti were emitted into the atmosphere through chimneys and by wind from coal heaps used as the primary energy source for the factory. The second source is a combination of traffic, domestic heating and some small factories in the center of Beijing discharging Cu, Pb, Zn and Sn. Calcium and Cr characterize a third anthropogenic element source of construction materials such as concrete and mortar. Beside the anthropogenic contamination, some elements like Y, Zr, Nb, Ce, and Rb are mainly derived from natural soils and from the

Exposure to maltreatment and urban violence in children working on the streets in São Paulo, Brazil: factors associated with street work

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andrea F. Mello

2014-09-01

Full Text Available Objective: To quantitatively study the exposure to childhood maltreatment and urban violence in children from families with at least one child working on the streets and to investigate the relationship between these factors and street work. Methods: Families who participated in a nongovernmental organization (NGO program to eliminate child labor were included. Data concerning sociodemographic characteristics, punishment methods used in the family environment against the children, five types of abuse and neglect perpetrated by the caregivers, urban violence exposure and family functioning were collected. Results: The sample included 126 children who were working on the streets and 65 siblings who were not working on the streets. Caregivers reported high levels of severe physical punishment. The children reported high levels of abuse and neglect, and high levels of urban violence exposure. The families showed a predominance of dysfunctional and unsatisfactory relationships. A multiple logistic regression model showed that age older than 12 years and severe physical punishment at home were associated with street work. Conclusion: Interventions to decrease the risk of child street work should be family-focused and should aim to reduce violence in the family environment.

Centre for urban ecotechnology in ''Oeksnehallen''. [Copenhagen, Denmark

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1992-03-01

The Lord Mayor's Department of the municipality of Copenhagen, Denmark, has with support from this project made a proposal for the establishment of the Centre for Urban Ecotechnology in ''Oeksnehallen'', located in the Vesterbro area of the city. The centre should contribute to the dissemination of knowledge on ecological techniques (regarding passive solar energy etc.) to the inhabitants of Vesterbro and other citizens of Copenhagen, and also serve as a centre in an European context. The ecological demonstration centre will cover an area of two thousand square meters and will also include a cafe, a room for showing coloured slides, facilities for exhibitions created by the center and interested firms etc. The centre should play an important role as part of the ecological concept of urban renewal in Vesterbro. (author).

Source contributions to PM2.5 and PM10 at an urban background and a street location

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Keuken, M. P.; Moerman, M.; Voogt, M.; Blom, M.; Weijers, E. P.; Rockmann, T.; Dusek, U.

The contribution of regional, urban and traffic sources to PM2.5 and PM10 in an urban area was investigated in this study. The chemical composition of PM2.5 and PM10 was measured over a year at a street location and up- and down-wind of the city of Rotterdam, the Netherlands. The C-14 content in EC

Source contributions to PM2.5 and PM10 at an urban background and a street location

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Keuken, M.P.; Moerman, M.M.; Voogt, M.H.

2013-01-01

The contribution of regional, urban and traffic sources to PM2.5 and PM10 in an urban area was investigated in this study. The chemical composition of PM2.5 and PM10 was measured over a year at a street location and up- and down-wind of the city of Rotterdam, the Netherlands. The 14C content in EC

On the eve of Copenhagen: Obama and the environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pereon, Y.M.

2009-01-01

The author proposes a rather detailed overview of the United States posture with respect to climate change challenges on the eve of the Copenhagen conference. First, he shows how the public opinion in the United States is ambivalent and changing. Then, he outlines that the arrival of President Obama resulted in an important change for the United States environmental policy: a new team was set up and the environment protection became a priority. The author then reports the Congressional process for this policy, first through the House of Representatives, and then the Senate. He highlights the differences between agendas of firms and of environment protection organisations, and between that of the Copenhagen conference and that of the US government

Case Managers for High-Risk, High-Cost Patients as Agents and Street-Level Bureaucrats.

Science.gov (United States)

Swanson, Jeffrey; Weissert, William G

2017-08-01

Case management programs often designate a nurse or social worker to take responsibility for guiding care when patients are expected to be expensive or risk a major decline. We hypothesized that though an intuitively appealing idea, careful program design and faithful implementation are essential if case management programs are to succeed. We employed two theory perspectives, principal-agent framework and street-level bureaucratic theory to describe the relationship between program designers (principals) and case managers (agents/street-level bureaucrats) to review 65 case management studies. Most programs were successful in limited program-specific process and outcome goals. But there was much less success in cost-saving or cost-effectiveness-the original and overarching goal of case management. Cost results might be improved if additional ideas of agency and street-level theory were adopted, specifically, incentives, as well as "green tape," clear rules, guidelines, and algorithms relating to resource allocation among patients.

Nonfasting cholesterol and triglycerides and association with risk of myocardial infarction and total mortality: the Copenhagen City Heart Study with 31 years of follow-up

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Langsted, A; Freiberg, J J; Tybjaerg-Hansen, A

2011-01-01

Abstract. Langsted A, Freiberg JJ, Tybjaerg-Hansen A, Schnohr P, Jensen GB, Nordestgaard BG (Herlev Hospital, Herlev; University of Copenhagen; Bispebjerg Hospital; and Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen Ø, Denmark) Nonfasting cholesterol and triglycerides and association with risk of myocardial infarction...... and total mortality: the Copenhagen City Heart Study with 31 years of follow-up. J Intern Med 2010; doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2796.2010.02333.x. Objectives. We compared the ability of very high levels of nonfasting cholesterol and triglycerides to predict risk of myocardial infarction and total mortality. Design...

From COP15 to Copenhagen Fashion Week

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sørensen, Lene Tolstrup

of this paper is to present and discuss the challenges of developing event applications with a strong involvement of users. The concepts and characteristics of the Living Lab approach has been used to develop an event application for the Copenhagen Fashion Festival 2010. As part of the development process...

Potential reductions of street solids and phosphorus in urban watersheds from street cleaning, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 2009-11

Science.gov (United States)

Sorenson, Jason R.

2013-01-01

Material accumulating and washing off urban street surfaces and ultimately into stormwater drainage systems represents a substantial nonpoint source of solids, phosphorus, and other constituent loading to waterways in urban areas. Cost and lack of usable space limit the type and number of structural stormwater source controls available to municipalities and other public managers. Non-structural source controls such as street cleaning are commonly used by cities and towns for construction, maintenance and aesthetics, and may reduce contaminant loading to waterways. Effectiveness of street cleaning is highly variable and potential improvements to water quality are not fully understood. In 2009, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the city of Cambridge, Massachusetts, and initiated a study to better understand the physical and chemical nature of the organic and inorganic solid material on street surfaces, evaluate the performance of a street cleaner at removing street solids, and make use of the Source Loading and Management Model (SLAMM) to estimate potential reductions in solid and phosphorus loading to the lower Charles River from various street-cleaning technologies and frequencies. Average yield of material on streets collected between May and December 2010, was determined to be about 740 pounds per curb-mile on streets in multifamily land use and about 522 pounds per curb-mile on commercial land-use streets. At the end-of-winter in March 2011, about 2,609 and 4,788 pounds per curb-mile on average were collected from streets in multifamily and commercial land-use types, respectively. About 86 percent of the total street-solid yield from multifamily and commercial land-use streets was greater than or equal to 0.125 millimeters in diameter (or very fine sand). Observations of street-solid distribution across the entire street width indicated that as

Temporal variations of PM1 major components in an urban street canyon.

Science.gov (United States)

Yubero, E; Galindo, N; Nicolás, J F; Crespo, J; Calzolai, G; Lucarelli, F

2015-09-01

Seasonal changes in the levels of PM1 and its main components (organic carbon (OC), elemental carbon (EC), SO4 (2-), NO3 (-) and NH4 (+)) were studied in an urban street canyon in southeastern Spain. Although PM1 levels did not show an evident seasonal cycle, strong variations in the concentrations of its major components were observed. Ammonium sulfate, the main secondary inorganic compound, was found to be of regional origin. Its formation was favored during summer due to increased photochemical activity. In contrast, the concentrations of particulate ammonium nitrate, which is thermally unstable, were highest in winter. Although traffic emissions are the dominant source of EC in the city, variations in traffic intensity could not explain the seasonal cycle of this component. The higher EC concentrations during the cold months were attributed to the lower dispersion conditions and the increase in EC emissions. Special attention has been given to variations in organic carbon levels since it accounted for about one third of the total PM1 mass. The concentrations of both total OC and secondary OC (SOC) were maxima in winter. The observed seasonal variation in SOC levels is similar to that found in other southern European cities where the frequency of sunny days in winter is high enough to promote photochemical processes.

Numerical modeling of flow and pollutant dispersion in street canyons with tree planting

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Balczo, Marton [Budapest Univ. of Technology and Economics (Hungary). Theodore von Karman Wind Tunnel Lab.; Gromke, Christof; Ruck, Bodo [Karlsruhe Univ. (Germany). Lab. of Building- and Environmental Aerodynamics

2009-04-15

Numerical simulations of the impact of tree planting on airflow and traffic pollutant dispersion in urban street canyons have been performed using the commercial CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) code MISKAM. A {kappa}-{epsilon} turbulence model including additional terms for the treatment of vegetation, has been employed to close the Reynolds-averaged-Navier-Stokes (RANS) equations. The numerical results were compared to wind tunnel data. In the case of the investigated wind direction perpendicular to the street axis, the presence of trees lead to increased pollutant concentrations inside the canyon. Concentrations increased strongly on the upstream side of the canyon, while on the downstream side a small concentration decrease could be observed. Lower flow velocities and higher pollutant concentrations were found in the numerical simulations when directly compared to the experimental results. However, the impact of tree planting on airflow and concentration fields when compared to the treeless street canyon as a reference configuration were simulated quite well, meaning that relative changes were similar in the wind tunnel investigations and numerical computations. This feature qualifies MISKAM for use as a tool for assessing the impacts of vegetation on local air quality. (orig.)

A simple model for calculating air pollution within street canyons

Science.gov (United States)

Venegas, Laura E.; Mazzeo, Nicolás A.; Dezzutti, Mariana C.

2014-04-01

This paper introduces the Semi-Empirical Urban Street (SEUS) model. SEUS is a simple mathematical model based on the scaling of air pollution concentration inside street canyons employing the emission rate, the width of the canyon, the dispersive velocity scale and the background concentration. Dispersive velocity scale depends on turbulent motions related to wind and traffic. The parameterisations of these turbulent motions include two dimensionless empirical parameters. Functional forms of these parameters have been obtained from full scale data measured in street canyons at four European cities. The sensitivity of SEUS model is studied analytically. Results show that relative errors in the evaluation of the two dimensionless empirical parameters have less influence on model uncertainties than uncertainties in other input variables. The model estimates NO2 concentrations using a simple photochemistry scheme. SEUS is applied to estimate NOx and NO2 hourly concentrations in an irregular and busy street canyon in the city of Buenos Aires. The statistical evaluation of results shows that there is a good agreement between estimated and observed hourly concentrations (e.g. fractional bias are -10.3% for NOx and +7.8% for NO2). The agreement between the estimated and observed values has also been analysed in terms of its dependence on wind speed and direction. The model shows a better performance for wind speeds >2 m s-1 than for lower wind speeds and for leeward situations than for others. No significant discrepancies have been found between the results of the proposed model and that of a widely used operational dispersion model (OSPM), both using the same input information.

Some indices of bodily reaction of traffic controllers to atmospheric pollution by automobile exhaust gases

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Partsef, D.P.; Bessonova, N.A.

1976-12-01

The authors studied pollution of the atmospheric air at 20 posts on Moscow streets with various intensity of auto traffic. They sampled for carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons, nitrogen dioxide, dust, acrolein, oxidants, and ozone and found that the concentration of these substances was a direct function of the intensity of auto flow and a reverse function of the width of the highway. Traffic controllers exhibited increased carboxyhemoglobin blood levels, decrease in bactericidal properties and increase in number of colonies of skin microorganisms. The controller complained in weariness, cardiovascular and gastrointestinal disturbances.

The Spatialities of Urban Economic Geographies: New Industrial Spaces in the Outer City of Copenhagen

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hansen, Høgni Kalsø; Winther, Lars

2007-01-01

The paper focuses on the transformation of the industrial structure and the location dynamics on the edge of the metropolitan region of Copenhagen with the aim of explaining the rise of new spaces in the urban economic geography. The main concern of the paper is the role the transformation...... of the outer city plays in the urban economy of Copenhagen. The centre of attention is on the changing industrial structure, the progressively higher complexity of firm location, and the division of labour that have emerged in the past decade of growth as a result of the resurgence of the metropolitan region...... of Copenhagen. The recent changes in the economic geographies of the outer city of Copenhagen are used as a launch pad for discussing the theoretical and analytical challenges in understanding the industrial change in new urban forms....

The Copenhagen City and Port Development Corporation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Katz, Bruce; Noring, Luise

Thirty years ago, the city of Copenhagen was experiencing 17.5 percent unemployment, an outmigration of population, the loss of manufacturing, the decline of taxing capacity, and an annual budget deficit of $750 million. Today, the city has been transformed into one of the wealthiest (and happies......) in the world....

Assistance System for Traffic Signs Inventory

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Karel Zídek

2015-01-01

Full Text Available We can see arising trend in the automotive industry in last years – autonomous cars that are driven just by on-board computers. The traffic signs tracking system must deal with real conditions with data that are frequently obtained in poor light conditions, fog, heavy rain or are otherwise disturbed. Completely same problem is solved by mapping companies that are producing geospatial data for different information systems, navigations, etc. They are frequently using cars equipped with a wide range of measuring instruments including panoramic cameras. These measurements are frequently done during early morning hours when the traffic conditions are acceptable. However, in this time, the sun position is usually not optimal for the photography. Most of the traffic signs and other street objects are heavily underexposed. Hence, it is difficult to find an automatic approach that can identify them reliably. In this article, we focus on methods designed to deal with the described conditions. An overview of the state-of-the-art methods is outlined. Further, where it is possible, we outline an implementation of the described methods using well-known Open Computer Vision library. Finally, emphasis is placed on the methods that can deal with low light conditions, fog or other situations that complicate the detection process.

A multi-approach monitoring of particulate matter, metals and PAHs in an urban street canyon.

Science.gov (United States)

De Nicola, Flavia; Murena, Fabio; Costagliola, M Antonietta; Alfani, Anna; Baldantoni, Daniela; Prati, M Vittoria; Sessa, Ludovica; Spagnuolo, Valeria; Giordano, Simonetta

2013-07-01

For the first time until now, the results from a prediction model (Atmospheric Dispersion Modelling System (ADMS)-Road) of pollutant dispersion in a street canyon were compared to the results obtained from biomonitors. In particular, the instrumental monitoring of particulate matter (PM10) and the biomonitoring of 14 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and 11 metals by Quercus ilex leaves and Hypnum cupressiforme moss bags, acting as long- and short-term accumulators, respectively, were carried out. For both PAHs and metals, similar bioaccumulation trends were observed, with higher concentrations in biomonitors exposed at the leeward canyon side, affected by primary air vortex. The major pollutant accumulation at the leeward side was also predicted by the ADMS-Road model, on the basis of the prevailing wind direction that determines different exposure of the street canyon sides to pollutants emitted by vehicular traffic. A clear vertical (3, 6 and 9 m) distribution gradient of pollutants was not observed, so that both the model and biomonitoring results suggested that local air turbulences in the street canyon could contribute to uniform pollutant distribution at different heights.

Safety of street: The role of street design

Science.gov (United States)

Rashid, Suhaila Abdul; Wahab, Mohammad Hussaini; Rani, Wan Nurul Mardiah Wan Mohd.; Ismail, Syuhaida

2017-10-01

Living in the cities poses many challenges for the vulnerable group of user especially women where they are exposed to many issues related to safety. With the changing of lifestyle and demands, women are expected to play multiple roles in the society and working is one of the tasks. When women are expected to be working as men do, they are no longer occupied at one place. Women nowadays travel on a daily basis and being in the streets is one of the important activities. With the influx of diverse group of people into the country, our streets are dominated by different types of people from different background. Due to these factors, there are possibilities of challenges and threats for users especially women. Therefore, city spaces especially the street become an important public realm for women. The design of the street should be able to make women feel safe as these are the public space where they spend time getting to and from work. The way women perceived their environment might be different from men especially when they fear of crime. Perception of safety will affect the quality of life where fear is an important psychological factor in human life. Living in fear will restrict human's freedom. Therefore, this study aimed to explore women's perception of safety in the streets of Kuala Lumpur. The study adopted a mixed-method approach of qualitative and quantitative in order to understand the safety perception among women that will later establish the relationship between built environment and human psychology. 120 respondents were selected randomly around Jalan Benteng, Jalan Tun Perak, Jalan Melaka and Jalan Melayu. Questionnaire survey forms were distributed and structured observation was conducted at interval period at these streets to examined and assess women's behavior. Finding shows that fear does affect women's perception and physical design of the streets are important in affecting their behavior.

Strategical challenges for the Copenhagen conference

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

2009-01-01

A CARA team analyzed the impacts and challenges generated by the new climatic, energetic and food situation of our security: conflict of interests between the North and South countries, USA-China equation, the european Union, France specificities. This analyse points out the main challenges for the France and the European Union during the world conference on the climate in december 2009 at Copenhagen. (A.L.B.)

The Copenhagen Forum 1996-2016

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ry Nielsen, Jens Carl; Raine, John

2016-01-01

Purpose: This chapter tells the story of the initiation, development (over two decades) and collective contribution of the Copenhagen Forum since its foundation in 1996. This Forum comprises a grouping of teachers and directors of masters-level public administrative programmes (notably the MPA) f...... the inspiration for this volume, and the individual contributions, derive. It is a context that has been all about a shared fascination with, and collective commitment to, the advancement of learning and development among practicing public managers....

Vertical profiles of lung deposited surface area concentration of particulate matter measured with a drone in a street canyon.

Science.gov (United States)

Kuuluvainen, Heino; Poikkimäki, Mikko; Järvinen, Anssi; Kuula, Joel; Irjala, Matti; Dal Maso, Miikka; Keskinen, Jorma; Timonen, Hilkka; Niemi, Jarkko V; Rönkkö, Topi

2018-05-23

The vertical profiles of lung deposited surface area (LDSA) concentration were measured in an urban street canyon in Helsinki, Finland, by using an unmanned aerial system (UAS) as a moving measurement platform. The street canyon can be classified as an avenue canyon with an aspect ratio of 0.45 and the UAS was a multirotor drone especially modified for emission measurements. In the experiments of this study, the drone was equipped with a small diffusion charge sensor capable of measuring the alveolar LDSA concentration of particles. The drone measurements were conducted during two days on the same spatial location at the kerbside of the street canyon by flying vertically from the ground level up to an altitude of 50 m clearly above the rooftop level (19 m) of the nearest buildings. The drone data were supported by simultaneous measurements and by a two-week period of measurements at nearby locations with various instruments. The results showed that the averaged LDSA concentrations decreased approximately from 60 μm 2 /cm 3 measured close to the ground level to 36-40 μm 2 /cm 3 measured close to the rooftop level of the street canyon, and further to 16-26 μm 2 /cm 3 measured at 50 m. The high-resolution measurement data enabled an accurate analysis of the functional form of vertical profiles both in the street canyon and above the rooftop level. In both of these regions, exponential fits were used and the parameters obtained from the fits were thoroughly compared to the values found in literature. The results of this study indicated that the role of turbulent mixing caused by traffic was emphasized compared to the street canyon vortex as a driving force of the dispersion. In addition, the vertical profiles above the rooftop level showed a similar exponential decay compared to the profiles measured inside the street canyon. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The solar noise barrier project : 2. The effect of street art on performance of a large scale luminescent solar concentrator prototype

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Debije, M.G.; Tzikas, C.; Rajkumar, V.A.; de Jong, M.

2017-01-01

Noise barriers have been used worldwide to reduce the impact of sound generated from traffic on nearby areas. A common feature to appear on these noise barriers are all manner of graffiti and street art. In this work we describe the relative performance of a large area luminescent solar concentrator

Exposure to traffic pollution: comparison between measurements and a model.

Science.gov (United States)

Alili, F; Momas, I; Callais, F; Le Moullec, Y; Sacre, C; Chiron, M; Flori, J P

2001-01-01

French researchers from the Building Scientific and Technical Center have produced a traffic-exposure index. To achieve this, they used an air pollution dispersion model that enabled them to calculate automobile pollutant concentrations in front of subjects' residences and places of work. Researchers used this model, which was tested at 27 Paris canyon street sites, and compared nitrogen oxides measurements obtained with passive samplers during a 6-wk period and calculations derived from the model. There was a highly significant correlation (r = .83) between the 2 series of values; their mean concentrations were not significantly different. The results suggested that the aforementioned model could be a useful epidemiological tool for the classification of city dwellers by present-or even cumulative exposure to automobile air pollution.

Queueing and traffic

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Baër, Niek

2015-01-01

Traffic jams are everywhere, some are caused by constructions or accidents but a large portion occurs naturally. These "natural" traffic jams are a result of variable driving speeds combined with a high number of vehicles. To prevent these traffic jams, we must understand traffic in general, and to

Background Concentrations for Use in the Operational Street Pollution Model (OSPM)

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, S. S.

A background model has been developed for application in the Operational Street Pollution Model (OSPM) in context of long-term exposure modelling. The back ground model is based on a semi-empirical method founded on a few monitor stations that estimates standardised one hour time-series of urban...... and rural back ground concentrations of NO2, NOx, O3 and CO for different geographic regions in Denmark. The annual mean of selected monitor stations is used as a reference year and the development in estimated traffic emissions as an index is used to establish a historic trend. As an exception ozone trends...

Which environmental factors most strongly influence a street's appeal for bicycle transport among adults? A conjoint study using manipulated photographs.

Science.gov (United States)

Mertens, Lieze; Van Dyck, Delfien; Ghekiere, Ariane; De Bourdeaudhuij, Ilse; Deforche, Benedicte; Van de Weghe, Nico; Van Cauwenberg, Jelle

2016-09-01

Micro-environmental factors (specific features within a streetscape), instead of macro-environmental factors (urban planning features), are more feasible to modify in existing neighborhoods and thus more practical to target for environmental interventions. Because it is often not possible to change the whole micro-environment at once, the current study aims to determine which micro-environmental factors should get the priority to target in physical environmental interventions increasing bicycle transport. Additionally, interaction effects among micro-environmental factors on the street's appeal for bicycle transport will be determined. In total, 1950 middle-aged adults completed a web-based questionnaire consisting of a set of 12 randomly assigned choice tasks with manipulated photographs. Seven micro-environmental factors (type of cycle path, speed limit, speed bump, vegetation, evenness of the cycle path surface, general upkeep and traffic density) were manipulated in each photograph. Conjoint analysis was used to analyze the data. Providing streets with a cycle path separated from motorized traffic seems to be the best strategy to increase the street's appeal for adults' bicycle transport. If this adjustment is not practically feasible, micro-environmental factors related to safety (i.e. speed limit, traffic density) may be more effective in promoting bicycle transport than micro-environmental factors related to comfort (i.e. evenness of the cycle path surface) or aesthetic (i.e. vegetation, general upkeep). On the other hand, when a more separated cycle path is already provided, micro-environmental factors related to comfort or aesthetic appeared to become more prominent. Findings obtained from this research could provide advice to physical environmental interventions about which environmental factors should get priority to modify in different environmental situations. The study was approved by the Ethics Committee of the Ghent University Hospital. B

Optimizing the use of on-street car parking system as a passive control of air pollution exposure in street canyons by large eddy simulation

Science.gov (United States)

Gallagher, J.; Gill, L. W.; McNabola, A.

2011-03-01

An investigation was carried out to establish the effectiveness of parked cars in urban street canyons as passive controls on pedestrian pollutant exposure. A numerical model of a generic street canyon was developed using a large eddy simulation (LES) model to compare personal exposure on the footpath with and without the presence of parked cars. Three configurations of car parking systems were investigated (parallel, perpendicular and 45° parking) in addition to the influence of wind speed, wind direction and car parking occupancy. A tracer gas (CO 2) was used as a representative pollutant from vehicular sources within the street canyon models. The results indicated that parked cars may act as a temporary baffle plate between traffic emissions and pedestrians on the footpath. Reductions in exposure of up to 35% and 49% were attained on the leeward and windward footpaths in perpendicular wind conditions, with parallel winds allowing up to 33% pollutant reduction on both footpaths for parallel parking. The perpendicular and 45° car parking configurations investigated proved less successful as passive controls on air pollution exposure and an increase in pollutant concentration occurred in some models. An investigation of parking space occupancy rates was carried out for parallel parked cars. The fraction of parked cars influenced the level of reduction of pollutants on the footpaths with steady reductions in perpendicular winds, yet reductions were only evident for occupancy rates greater than approximately 45% in parallel wind conditions. One negative impact associated with the parked cars study was the increase of pollutant levels on the roadway as the parked cars acted as a baffle wall, which trapped pollutants in the road. The paper underlines the potential of on-street car parking for reducing the personal exposure of pollutants by pedestrians and the optimum parking layout to achieve maximum health protection.

Copenhagen uPAR prostate cancer (CuPCa) database

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lippert, Solvej; Berg, Kasper D; Høyer-Hansen, Gunilla

2016-01-01

AIM: Urokinase plasminogen activator receptor (uPAR) plays a central role during cancer invasion by facilitating pericellular proteolysis. We initiated the prospective 'Copenhagen uPAR Prostate Cancer' study to investigate the significance of uPAR levels in prostate cancer (PCa) patients. METHODS...

Coupling dynamics and chemistry in the air pollution modelling of street canyons: A review.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhong, Jian; Cai, Xiao-Ming; Bloss, William James

2016-07-01

Air pollutants emitted from vehicles in street canyons may be reactive, undergoing mixing and chemical processing before escaping into the overlying atmosphere. The deterioration of air quality in street canyons occurs due to combined effects of proximate emission sources, dynamical processes (reduced dispersion) and chemical processes (evolution of reactive primary and formation of secondary pollutants). The coupling between dynamics and chemistry plays a major role in determining street canyon air quality, and numerical model approaches to represent this coupling are reviewed in this article. Dynamical processes can be represented by Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) techniques. The choice of CFD approach (mainly the Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) and Large-Eddy Simulation (LES) models) depends on the computational cost, the accuracy required and hence the application. Simplified parameterisations of the overall integrated effect of dynamics in street canyons provide capability to handle relatively complex chemistry in practical applications. Chemical processes are represented by a chemical mechanism, which describes mathematically the chemical removal and formation of primary and secondary species. Coupling between these aspects needs to accommodate transport, dispersion and chemical reactions for reactive pollutants, especially fast chemical reactions with time scales comparable to or shorter than those of typical turbulent eddies inside the street canyon. Different approaches to dynamical and chemical coupling have varying strengths, costs and levels of accuracy, which must be considered in their use for provision of reference information concerning urban canopy air pollution to stakeholders considering traffic and urban planning policies. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Personal use of hair dyes and temporary black tattoos in Copenhagen hairdressers.

Science.gov (United States)

Hansen, Henriette S; Johansen, Jeanne D; Thyssen, Jacob P; Linneberg, Allan; Søsted, Heidi

2010-06-01

Hairdressers are occupationally and personally exposed to hair dye substances and adverse reactions from the skin are well known. Currently, little is known about personal exposure to hair dye ingredients and temporary black tattoos. To investigate hairdressers' professional and personal risk exposures and to compare the frequency of temporary tattoos among hairdressers and subjects from the general population. A questionnaire was sent to 1679 Copenhagen hairdressers and 1063 (63.3%) responded; 3471 subjects from the general population in Copenhagen were asked about temporary black tattoos. Of the female hairdressers, 38.3% had coloured hair within the previous week. Adverse skin reactions to own hair dye were reported in 29.5%. In the hairdresser population, no significant association was observed between self-reported adverse skin reactions to hair dye and having had a temporary black tattoo when adjusted for sex, age, and atopy. A total of 19.0% of hairdressers (43.5% of apprentices) and 6.3% of participants from the general population had ever had a temporary black tattoo performed at one point. There were no differences in frequency of eczema after temporary tattooing between hairdressers and subjects in the general population. Almost all hairdressers (99.2%) used gloves for hair colouring, 51% for high/low lighting, 39.6% for perming and 21.1% used gloves for shampooing. In conclusion, skin reactions to hair colour are frequent among Copenhagen hairdressers. Temporary black tattoos were more frequent among hairdressers than in a sample of the general population and increased with decreasing age.

Children's Perception of Gap Affordances: Bicycling Across Traffic-Filled Intersections in an Immersive Virtual Environment

Science.gov (United States)

Plumert, Jodie M.; Kearney, Joseph K.; Cremer, James F.

2004-01-01

This study examined gap choices and crossing behavior in children and adults using an immersive, interactive bicycling simulator. Ten- and 12-year-olds and adults rode a bicycle mounted on a stationary trainer through a virtual environment consisting of a street with 6 intersections. Participants faced continuous cross traffic traveling at 25mph…

Carbon Sequestration Estimation of Street Trees Based on Point Cloud from Vehicle-Borne Laser Scanning System

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Y.; Hu, Q.

2017-09-01

Continuous development of urban road traffic system requests higher standards of road ecological environment. Ecological benefits of street trees are getting more attention. Carbon sequestration of street trees refers to the carbon stocks of street trees, which can be a measurement for ecological benefits of street trees. Estimating carbon sequestration in a traditional way is costly and inefficient. In order to solve above problems, a carbon sequestration estimation approach for street trees based on 3D point cloud from vehicle-borne laser scanning system is proposed in this paper. The method can measure the geometric parameters of a street tree, including tree height, crown width, diameter at breast height (DBH), by processing and analyzing point cloud data of an individual tree. Four Chinese scholartree trees and four camphor trees are selected for experiment. The root mean square error (RMSE) of tree height is 0.11m for Chinese scholartree and 0.02m for camphor. Crown widths in X direction and Y direction, as well as the average crown width are calculated. And the RMSE of average crown width is 0.22m for Chinese scholartree and 0.10m for camphor. The last calculated parameter is DBH, the RMSE of DBH is 0.5cm for both Chinese scholartree and camphor. Combining the measured geometric parameters and an appropriate carbon sequestration calculation model, the individual tree's carbon sequestration will be estimated. The proposed method can help enlarge application range of vehicle-borne laser point cloud data, improve the efficiency of estimating carbon sequestration, construct urban ecological environment and manage landscape.

Supermarket and fast-food outlet exposure in Copenhagen: associations with socio-economic and demographic characteristics.

Science.gov (United States)

Svastisalee, Chalida M; Nordahl, Helene; Glümer, Charlotte; Holstein, Bjørn E; Powell, Lisa M; Due, Pernille

2011-09-01

To investigate whether exposure to fast-food outlets and supermarkets is socio-economically patterned in the city of Copenhagen. The study was based on a cross-sectional multivariate approach to examine the association between the number of fast-food outlets and supermarkets and neighbourhood-level socio-economic indicators. Food business addresses were obtained from commercial and public business locators and geocoded using a geographic information system for all neighbourhoods in the city of Copenhagen (n 400). The regression of counts of fast-food outlets and supermarkets v. indicators of socio-economic status (percentage of recent immigrants, percentage without a high-school diploma, percentage of the population under 35 years of age and average household income in Euros) was performed using negative binomial analysis. Copenhagen, Denmark. The unit of analysis was neighbourhood (n 400). In the fully adjusted models, income was not a significant predictor for supermarket exposure. However, neighbourhoods with low and mid-low income were associated with significantly fewer fast-food outlets. Using backwise deletion from the fully adjusted models, low income remained significantly associated with fast-food outlet exposure (rate ratio = 0·66-0·80) in the final model. In the city of Copenhagen, there was no evidence of spatial patterning of supermarkets by income. However, we detected a trend in the exposure to fast-food outlets, such that neighbourhoods in the lowest income quartile had fewer fast-food outlets than higher-income neighbourhoods. These findings have similarities with studies conducted in the UK, but not in the USA. The results suggest there may be socio-economic factors other than income associated with food exposure in Europe.

POLICY EVALUATION OF RESTRUCTURING STREET VENDORS IN SURAKARTA CITY (Study of Street Vendors in Monument Park Banjarsari and Street Vendors in Manahan Stadium

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Frahlevi Prajasari

2015-08-01

Full Text Available This study examined the policy evaluation of restructuring street vendors in Surakarta city. Street vendors represent the economic actors in the informal sector of urban economic activity. The government of City/District usually removes these street vendors by disguising this activity behind the reason of structuring, . The study used descriptive research with a qualitative approach. The relocation of street vendors in Surakarta City is orderly and smooth without violence which may impact badly on physic and material because the government of Surakarta City, especially Surakarta Mayor, uses persuasive approach. Notoharjo Market is a relocation place for street vendors at Banjarsari Monument Park. In the beginning, Notoharjo Market is crowded with buyers but current days, street vendors who occupy Notoharjo Market complain about lack of buyers. The lack of buyers at Notoharjo Market is because the facilities previously provided by the government of Surakarta City are not well maintained. The government of Surakarta City must listening all complains of street vendors for the smoothness and orderliness of trading activity of street vendors. Not only listening, but the government of Surakarta City also gives appropriate and best solution to street vendors such that street vendors feel comfort in selling and their income is better than before.

Traffic contribution of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the center of a large city

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, T.

1996-01-01

profile. The diurnal variation of PAH showed peaks in the morning and afternoon rush hours and lowest concentrations in the night hours and was very close to the diurnal variation of the traffic gases, CO, NO and gas NOy. A method for differentiating between PAH contribution from petrol vehicles and those...... from diesel vehicles was developed and applied. It was concluded that the PAH contribution from diesel vehicles was about 2/3 of the total PAH traffic contribution. The shift to the application of a lighter diesel fuel in buses appears to have caused a minor decrease in the street air levels of PAH...

Street Children and Employment Opportunities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Enos, H.N.; Njoka, M.

1999-01-01

Although there is a general realization that there are 'people' in the streets, we often take the phenomenon for granted probably because we wake up and go home only to come to the streets the following morning and still find the people. This situation is however changing with the emergence of 'birth' and increase of street children as we begin to take into consideration the category of people to be routinely found on the streets. The phrase 'street children' refer to the children below the statutory adult age living on or found on the streets. These children derive their livelihood from the streets. While the children on the streets may have a 'home' to go to, the latter are an integral part of the street having nowhere to retire to at the end of the day. The street children live in abject poverty and are exposed to many risks. They suffer from malnutrition and deficiency diseases due to low and poor nutrition intake. The street girls get trapped in teenage prostitution quite early in life. Of concern are the issues related to the working street children. Many street children engage in collecting and selling waste paper, bottles and plastics. They are referred to as 'chokora' because of their work of turning garbage upside down as they look for something useful. Unfortunately they have to sell these wastes to powerful forces including people who underpay and harrass them

Supermarket and fast-food outlet exposure in Copenhagen

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Svastisalee, Chalida Mae; Jensen, Helene Nordahl; Glumer, Charlotte

2011-01-01

and neighbourhood-level socio-economic indicators. Food business addresses were obtained from commercial and public business locators and geocoded using a geographic information system for all neighbourhoods in the city of Copenhagen (n 400). The regression of counts of fast-food outlets and supermarkets v...

Visions for Horizon 2020 from Copenhagen Research Forum

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Brenneche, Nicolaj Tofte; Højgaard, Liselotte

2012-01-01

In January 2012, the Copenhagen Research Forum (CRF) gathered 80 European scientists to discuss the societal chal-lenges to be addressed by Horizon 2020, the next framework programme for European research and innovation, and consider how research could contribute the best solutions. This EFP brie...

Spatial accuracy of a simplified disaggregation method for traffic emissions applied in seven mid-sized Chilean cities

Science.gov (United States)

Ossés de Eicker, Margarita; Zah, Rainer; Triviño, Rubén; Hurni, Hans

The spatial accuracy of top-down traffic emission inventory maps obtained with a simplified disaggregation method based on street density was assessed in seven mid-sized Chilean cities. Each top-down emission inventory map was compared against a reference, namely a more accurate bottom-up emission inventory map from the same study area. The comparison was carried out using a combination of numerical indicators and visual interpretation. Statistically significant differences were found between the seven cities with regard to the spatial accuracy of their top-down emission inventory maps. In compact cities with a simple street network and a single center, a good accuracy of the spatial distribution of emissions was achieved with correlation values>0.8 with respect to the bottom-up emission inventory of reference. In contrast, the simplified disaggregation method is not suitable for complex cities consisting of interconnected nuclei, resulting in correlation valuessituation to get an overview on the spatial distribution of the emissions generated by traffic activities.

Large eddy simulation of fire-induced buoyancy driven plume dispersion in an urban street canyon under perpendicular wind flow

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hu, L.H., E-mail: hlh@ustc.edu.cn [State Key Laboratory of Fire Science, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230026 (China); Huo, R.; Yang, D. [State Key Laboratory of Fire Science, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230026 (China)

2009-07-15

The dispersion of fire-induced buoyancy driven plume in and above an idealized street canyon of 18 m (width) x 18 m (height) x 40 m (length) with a wind flow perpendicular to its axis was investigated by Fire Dynamics Simulator (FDS), Large Eddy Simulation (LES). Former studies, such as that by Oka [T.R. Oke, Street design and urban canopy layer climate, Energy Build. 11 (1988) 103-113], Gayev and Savory [Y.A. Gayev, E. Savory, Influence of street obstructions on flow processes within street canyons. J. Wind Eng. Ind. Aerodyn. 82 (1999) 89-103], Xie et al. [S. Xie, Y. Zhang, L. Qi, X. Tang, Spatial distribution of traffic-related pollutant concentrations in street canyons. Atmos. Environ. 37 (2003) 3213-3224], Baker et al. [J. Baker, H. L. Walker, X. M. Cai, A study of the dispersion and transport of reactive pollutants in and above street canyons-a large eddy simulation, Atmos. Environ. 38 (2004) 6883-6892] and Baik et al. [J.-J. Baik, Y.-S. Kang, J.-J. Kim, Modeling reactive pollutant dispersion in an urban street canyon, Atmos. Environ. 41 (2007) 934-949], focus on the flow pattern and pollutant dispersion in the street canyon with no buoyancy effect. Results showed that with the increase of the wind flow velocity, the dispersion pattern of a buoyant plume fell into four regimes. When the wind flow velocity increased up to a certain critical level, the buoyancy driven upward rising plume was re-entrained back into the street canyon. This is a dangerous situation as the harmful fire smoke will accumulate to pollute the environment and thus threaten the safety of the people in the street canyon. This critical re-entrainment wind velocity, as an important parameter to be concerned, was further revealed to increase asymptotically with the heat/buoyancy release rate of the fire.

Large eddy simulation of fire-induced buoyancy driven plume dispersion in an urban street canyon under perpendicular wind flow.

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, L H; Huo, R; Yang, D

2009-07-15

The dispersion of fire-induced buoyancy driven plume in and above an idealized street canyon of 18 m (width) x 18 m (height) x 40 m (length) with a wind flow perpendicular to its axis was investigated by Fire Dynamics Simulator (FDS), Large Eddy Simulation (LES). Former studies, such as that by Oka [T.R. Oke, Street design and urban canopy layer climate, Energy Build. 11 (1988) 103-113], Gayev and Savory [Y.A. Gayev, E. Savory, Influence of street obstructions on flow processes within street canyons. J. Wind Eng. Ind. Aerodyn. 82 (1999) 89-103], Xie et al. [S. Xie, Y. Zhang, L. Qi, X. Tang, Spatial distribution of traffic-related pollutant concentrations in street canyons. Atmos. Environ. 37 (2003) 3213-3224], Baker et al. [J. Baker, H. L. Walker, X. M. Cai, A study of the dispersion and transport of reactive pollutants in and above street canyons--a large eddy simulation, Atmos. Environ. 38 (2004) 6883-6892] and Baik et al. [J.-J. Baik, Y.-S. Kang, J.-J. Kim, Modeling reactive pollutant dispersion in an urban street canyon, Atmos. Environ. 41 (2007) 934-949], focus on the flow pattern and pollutant dispersion in the street canyon with no buoyancy effect. Results showed that with the increase of the wind flow velocity, the dispersion pattern of a buoyant plume fell into four regimes. When the wind flow velocity increased up to a certain critical level, the buoyancy driven upward rising plume was re-entrained back into the street canyon. This is a dangerous situation as the harmful fire smoke will accumulate to pollute the environment and thus threaten the safety of the people in the street canyon. This critical re-entrainment wind velocity, as an important parameter to be concerned, was further revealed to increase asymptotically with the heat/buoyancy release rate of the fire.

Large eddy simulation of fire-induced buoyancy driven plume dispersion in an urban street canyon under perpendicular wind flow

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hu, L.H.; Huo, R.; Yang, D.

2009-01-01

The dispersion of fire-induced buoyancy driven plume in and above an idealized street canyon of 18 m (width) x 18 m (height) x 40 m (length) with a wind flow perpendicular to its axis was investigated by Fire Dynamics Simulator (FDS), Large Eddy Simulation (LES). Former studies, such as that by Oka [T.R. Oke, Street design and urban canopy layer climate, Energy Build. 11 (1988) 103-113], Gayev and Savory [Y.A. Gayev, E. Savory, Influence of street obstructions on flow processes within street canyons. J. Wind Eng. Ind. Aerodyn. 82 (1999) 89-103], Xie et al. [S. Xie, Y. Zhang, L. Qi, X. Tang, Spatial distribution of traffic-related pollutant concentrations in street canyons. Atmos. Environ. 37 (2003) 3213-3224], Baker et al. [J. Baker, H. L. Walker, X. M. Cai, A study of the dispersion and transport of reactive pollutants in and above street canyons-a large eddy simulation, Atmos. Environ. 38 (2004) 6883-6892] and Baik et al. [J.-J. Baik, Y.-S. Kang, J.-J. Kim, Modeling reactive pollutant dispersion in an urban street canyon, Atmos. Environ. 41 (2007) 934-949], focus on the flow pattern and pollutant dispersion in the street canyon with no buoyancy effect. Results showed that with the increase of the wind flow velocity, the dispersion pattern of a buoyant plume fell into four regimes. When the wind flow velocity increased up to a certain critical level, the buoyancy driven upward rising plume was re-entrained back into the street canyon. This is a dangerous situation as the harmful fire smoke will accumulate to pollute the environment and thus threaten the safety of the people in the street canyon. This critical re-entrainment wind velocity, as an important parameter to be concerned, was further revealed to increase asymptotically with the heat/buoyancy release rate of the fire.

Mapping Urban Land Use at Street Block Level Using OpenStreetMap, Remote Sensing Data, and Spatial Metrics

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Taïs Grippa

2018-06-01

Full Text Available Up-to-date and reliable land-use information is essential for a variety of applications such as planning or monitoring of the urban environment. This research presents a workflow for mapping urban land use at the street block level, with a focus on residential use, using very-high resolution satellite imagery and derived land-cover maps as input. We develop a processing chain for the automated creation of street block polygons from OpenStreetMap and ancillary data. Spatial metrics and other street block features are computed, followed by feature selection that reduces the initial datasets by more than 80%, providing a parsimonious, discriminative, and redundancy-free set of features. A random forest (RF classifier is used for the classification of street blocks, which results in accuracies of 84% and 79% for five and six land-use classes, respectively. We exploit the probabilistic output of RF to identify and relabel blocks that have a high degree of uncertainty. Finally, the thematic precision of the residential blocks is refined according to the proportion of the built-up area. The output data and processing chains are made freely available. The proposed framework is able to process large datasets, given that the cities in the case studies, Dakar and Ouagadougou, cover more than 1000 km2 in total, with a spatial resolution of 0.5 m.

A comparative study of urban transport and city development in Copenhagen and Bogotá, 1940-2000

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pineda, Andres Felipe Valderrama

This paper deals with the history of transportation, mobility and accessibility in two cities: Bogotá, Colombia and Copenhagen, Denmark. Throughout the second half of the 20th century both these highly concentrated cities have coped with the steady increase of car use and following that transport......This paper deals with the history of transportation, mobility and accessibility in two cities: Bogotá, Colombia and Copenhagen, Denmark. Throughout the second half of the 20th century both these highly concentrated cities have coped with the steady increase of car use and following....... In the post-war period his plan has been implemented and modified. One of the most important aspects of the modifications has been the efforts during the 1970s to suburbanize the city and provide more space for cars. Nonetheless, due to economic, political and planning reasons the city has remained a dense...

Detecting Themed Streets Using a Location Based Service Application

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Byeongsuk Ji

2016-07-01

Full Text Available Various themed streets have recently been developed by local governments in order to stimulate local economies and to establish the identity of the corresponding places. However, the motivations behind the development of some of these themed street projects has been based on profit, without full considerations of people’s perceptions of their local areas, resulting in marginal effects on the local economies concerned. In response to this issue, this study proposed a themed street clustering method to detect the themed streets of a specific region, focusing on the commercial themed street, which is more prevalent than other types of themed streets using location based service data. This study especially uses “the street segment” as a basic unit for analysis. The Sillim and Gangnam areas of Seoul, South Korea were chosen for the evaluation of the adequacy of the proposed method. By comparing trade areas that were sourced from a market analysis report by a reliable agent with the themed streets detected in this study, the experiment results showed high proficiency of the proposed method.

Urban form and heat consumption, a comparative study in Copenhagen districts

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mohammadi Dehcheshme, Mostafa; Jensen, Jesper Ole

Since urban form and land use patterns significantly influence the cities energy needs, the study linkage of energy consumption and urban form is an interdisciplinary issue and one the current central topics of urban planners in recent years. Our concern in this paper, therefore, is to address...... the implications of urban development and form in terms of its impact on energy consumption in ten districts of Copenhagen city. As comparative study, this paper is trying to respond the question: How does urban form impact the heat consumption in households in Copenhagen districts? To respond this question, two...

Spatial distribution, health risk assessment, and isotopic composition of lead contamination of street dusts in different functional areas of Beijing, China.

Science.gov (United States)

Han, Lanfang; Gao, Bo; Wei, Xin; Xu, Dongyu; Gao, Li

2016-02-01

Street dusts from heavy density traffic area (HDTA), tourism area (TA), residential area (RA), and educational area (EA) in Beijing were collected to explore the distribution, health risk assessment, and source of lead (Pb). The average concentration of Pb in TA was the highest among the four areas. Compared with other cities, Pb concentrations in Beijing were generally at moderate or low levels. The average value (14.05) of ecological risk index (RI) indicated that Pb was at "low pollution risk" status. According to the calculation on hazard index (HI), the ingestion of dust particles of children and adults was the major route of exposure to street dusts in four studied areas, followed by dermal contact. The lower values of HI than 1 further suggested that non-carcinogenic risks of Pb in the street dusts were in the low range. Comparing (206)Pb/(207)Pb and (208)Pb/(207)Pb ratios of street dusts with other environmental samples, it was found that atmospheric deposition of coal combustion dust might be the main pathway for anthropogenic Pb input to the street dusts in four functional areas.

Social Pharmacy Research in Copenhagen

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kälvemark Sporrong, Sofia; Nørgaard, Lotte Stig; Kildemoes, Helle Wallach

2016-01-01

Social Pharmacy (SP) is a multidisciplinary field to promote the adequate use of medicine. The field of SP is increasingly important due to a numbers of new trends all posing challenges to society. The SP group at the University of Copenhagen has for several years used a broad approach to SP...... teaching and research, often illustrated by the four levels: individual, group, organizational, and societal. In this paper the relevance of maintaining a broad approach to SP research is argued for and examples of the importance of such type of research is presented....

The use of meta-governance mechanisms to fight social segregation in Copenhagen

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Engberg, Lars A.

In 2011 Copenhagen City Council adopted a citywide Policy for Disadvantaged Areas in Copenhagen to combat geographically specific vicious circles of social deprivation and physical deterioration in the city. The policy was a result of an inter-departmental learning process, designed to come up wi...... study five years after adaptation of PDAC. The paper investigates how practices of joint leadership and meta-governance across city departments and between city officials and local stakeholders have been institutionalized as coordination mechanisms as a result of the new policy....

Analyzing Thermal Characteristics of Urban Streets Using a Thermal Imaging Camera: A Case Study on Commercial Streets in Seoul, Korea

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sugie Lee

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Due to continuing city growth and global warming over the past decades, urban heat island (UHI effects, referring to the phenomena wherein the ambient air temperatures in cities are higher than those in rural areas, have become a serious threat to urban populations. Impervious surfaces, buildings with low-albedo materials, and a lack of vegetated areas are the major causes of poor urban thermal environments, particularly during the summer. Previous research has focused primarily on the thermal characteristics of individual building units. Few studies consider the impact of the street-scale thermal environments on the surface temperature, which affects pedestrian thermal comfort. The purpose of this study is to analyze the thermal characteristics of various physical elements on urban streets using thermal imaging cameras, and present policy implications for improving pedestrian thermal comfort. This study examines street-scale thermal environments of three major commercial streets: Garosu road, Serosu road, and Narosu road, in Seoul, Korea. This study conducted field measurements both during the day and the night in June 2017 in order to investigate changes in the urban surface temperatures across time. The results show that street trees are the most effective mitigation element for reducing surface temperatures. With regard to building use types, the highest surface temperatures are typically measured near restaurant buildings. Building façades that are dark-colored or partially covered with a metal contribute to high surface temperatures. Similarly, the temperatures of artificial turf or wooden decks on urban streets are also significantly high during the daytime. The thermal characteristics of various urban street elements should be considered to reduce the surface temperature and mitigate the urban heat island effect.

Adolescent Hopefulness in Tanzania: Street Youth, Former Street Youth, and School Youth

Science.gov (United States)

Nalkur, Priya G.

2009-01-01

This study compares hope in street youth, former street youth, and school youth (aged 12-18) in Tanzania. Responding to Snyder's hope theory, the author argues that not only personal agency but also the stability of living context (street, shelter, home) shapes hopefulness. Employing qualitative and quantitative analyses, the author presents a…

Urban Transportation Systems in Bogotá and Copenhagen

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pineda, Andres Felipe Valderrama; Jørgensen, Ulrik

2008-01-01

In this paper we explore the socio-technical dynamics of developing new urban transport systems. Based on the analysis of empirical material from the study of the Transmilenio in Bogotá and the Metro in Copenhagen, we propose that the design, construction and operation of urban transport systems...

Trafficability Analysis at Traffic Crossing and Parameters Optimization Based on Particle Swarm Optimization Method

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bin He

2014-01-01

Full Text Available In city traffic, it is important to improve transportation efficiency and the spacing of platoon should be shortened when crossing the street. The best method to deal with this problem is automatic control of vehicles. In this paper, a mathematical model is established for the platoon’s longitudinal movement. A systematic analysis of longitudinal control law is presented for the platoon of vehicles. However, the parameter calibration for the platoon model is relatively difficult because the platoon model is complex and the parameters are coupled with each other. In this paper, the particle swarm optimization method is introduced to effectively optimize the parameters of platoon. The proposed method effectively finds the optimal parameters based on simulations and makes the spacing of platoon shorter.

Moving the Barricades to Physical Activity: A Qualitative Analysis of Open Streets Initiatives Across the United States.

Science.gov (United States)

Eyler, Amy A; Hipp, J Aaron; Lokuta, Julie

2015-01-01

Ciclovía, or Open Streets initiatives, are events where streets are opened for physical activity and closed to motorized traffic. Although the initiatives are gaining popularity in the United States, little is known about planning and implementing them. The goals of this paper are to explore the development and implementation of Open Streets initiatives and make recommendations for increasing the capacity of organizers to enhance initiative success. Phenomenology with qualitative analysis of structured interviews was used. Study setting was urban and suburban communities in the United States. Study participants were organizers of Open Streets initiatives in U.S. cities. Using a list of 47 events held in 2011, 27 lead organizers were interviewed by telephone about planning, implementation, and lessons learned. The interviews were digitally recorded and transcribed. A phenomenologic approach was used, an initial coding tool was developed after reviewing a sample of transcripts, and constant comparative coding methodology was applied. Themes and subthemes were generated from codes. The most common reasons for initiation were to highlight or improve health and transportation. Most initiatives aimed to reach the general population, but some targeted families, children, or specific neighborhoods. Getting people to understand the concept of Open Streets was an important challenge. Other challenges included lack of funding and personnel, and complex logistics. These initiatives democratize public space for citizens while promoting physical activity, social connectedness, and other broad agendas. There are opportunities for the research community to contribute to the expanse and sustainability of Open Streets, particularly in evaluation and dissemination.

Governing Civil Service Pay in China, by Alfred M. Wu. Copenhagen: NIAS Press, 2014. xvi+236 pp

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Brødsgaard, Kjeld Erik

2016-01-01

Book review of: Governing Civil Service Pay in China by Alfred M. Wu. Copenhagen: NIAS Press, 2014.......Book review of: Governing Civil Service Pay in China by Alfred M. Wu. Copenhagen: NIAS Press, 2014....

Implementing Geothermal Plants in the Copenhagen District Heating System

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Louise Overvad; Hallgreen, Christine Erikstrup; Larsen, Esben

2003-01-01

of geothermal energy in Denmark as well as the Danish potential, which, in former investigations, has been found to be around 100.000 PJ annually, and the economical potential is less, about 15 PJ/year. Since a considerable amount of the Danish power supply is tied to weather and the demand for heating......The possibility of implementing geothermal heating in the Copenhagen district-heating system is assessed. This is done by building up general knowledge on the geological factors that influence the development of useable geothermal resources, factors concerning the exploration and utilization......, an increasing demand for flexibility has been raised. Implementing geothermal heating would improve the flexibility in the Eastern Danish power system. Based on this information, as well as, on the hourly values of the expected production and consumption in 2010 and 2020, a model of the Copenhagen power...

Solutions to Improve Road Circulation in the Pitesti City Based on Analysis-Diagnostics of Road Traffic

Science.gov (United States)

Vîlcan, A.; Neagu, E.; Badarau Suster, H.; Boroiu, A. A.

2017-10-01

Road traffic congestion has become a daily phenomenon in the central area of Pitesti in the peak traffic periods. In order to achieve the mobility plan of Pitesti, an important stage is the diagnostic analysis of the road traffic. For this purpose, the urban road network was formalized through a graph containing the most important 40 intersections and traffic measurements were made at all these intersections and on the main roads connecting the peri-urban area. The data obtained by traffic macrosimulation confirmed the overloading of the street network during peak traffic hours and the analyzes made for various road traffic organization scenarios have shown that there are sustainable solutions for urban mobility only if the road network is fundamentally reconfigured (a belt outside the city and a median ring). Thus, the necessity of realizing the road passage in the Prundu neighbourhood and the finishing of the city belt by realizing the “detour West” of the city is argued. The importance of the work is that it brings scientific arguments for the realization of these road infrastructure projects, integrated in the urban mobility plan, which will base the development strategy of the Pitesti municipality.

The levels and patterns of resilience among male street children in Dhaka City.

Science.gov (United States)

Sayem, Amir M; Kidd, Sean A

2013-01-01

Abstract This study was carried out to identify the factors affecting resilience among street children. The study used a convenience sample of 366 male street children aged 14-17 years in Dhaka City, Bangladesh. The levels of resilience among the street children were mostly moderately low-low (54.1%), followed by low (29.0%), and moderately high-high resilience (16.9%). Multinomial logistic regression analyses indicated that the pre-street factors of education, economic constraint in the family, as well as experiencing and witnessing domestic violence were associated with resilience, with associated street characteristics being drug abuse, experiencing and witnessing violence on street, access to prevention services, and political involvement.

A social work study on family patterns and street children

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mohammad Reza Iravani

2014-06-01

Full Text Available This paper presents a social work study on relationship between various family characteristics and street children in rural area as well as city of Esfahan, Iran. The proposed study selects a sample of 150 street children, 75 from city and 75 from rural area, and using some statistical tests verifies the effects of three factors including family income, place of residency and family size on street children. The results indicate that the city residence had more street children than rural residence did. In addition, there was a meaningful difference between the number of street children in low-income families and high-income families. Finally, the survey results indicate that big size families more likely suffered from street children than low size families did.

Atmospheric heavy metal deposition in the Copenhagen area

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andersen, Allan; Hovmand, Mads Frederik; Johnsen, Ib

1978-01-01

Atmospheric dry and wet deposition (bulk precipitation) of the heavy metals Cu, Pb, Zn, Ni, V and Fe over the Copenhagen area was measured by sampling in plastic funnels from 17 stations during a twelve-month period. Epigeic bryophytes from 100 stations in the area were analysed for the heavy...

Street canyon aerosol pollutant transport measurements.

Science.gov (United States)

Longley, I D; Gallagher, M W; Dorsey, J R; Flynn, M; Bower, K N; Allan, J D

2004-12-01

Current understanding of dispersion in street canyons is largely derived from relatively simple dispersion models. Such models are increasingly used in planning and regulation capacities but are based upon a limited understanding of the transport of substances within a real canyon. In recent years, some efforts have been made to numerically model localised flow in idealised canyons (e.g., J. Appl. Meteorol. 38 (1999) 1576-89) and stepped canyons (Assimakopoulos V. Numerical modelling of dispersion of atmospheric pollution in and above urban canopies. PhD thesis, Imperial College, London, 2001) but field studies in real canyons are rare. To further such an understanding, a measurement campaign has been conducted in an asymmetric street canyon with busy one-way traffic in central Manchester in northern England. The eddy correlation method was used to determine fluxes of size-segregated accumulation mode aerosol. Measurements of aerosol at a static location were made concurrently with measurements on a platform lift giving vertical profiles. Size-segregated measurements of ultrafine and coarse particle concentrations were also made simultaneously at various heights. In addition, a small mobile system was used to make measurements of turbulence at various pavement locations within the canyon. From this data, various features of turbulent transport and dispersion in the canyon will be presented. The concentration and the ventilation fluxes of vehicle-related aerosol pollutants from the canyon will be related to controlling factors. The results will also be compared with citywide ventilation data from a separate measurement campaign conducted above the urban canopy.

The (Street) Art of Resistance

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Awad, Sarah H.; Wagoner, Brady; Glaveanu, Vlad Petre

2017-01-01

This chapter focuses on the interrelation between resistance, novelty and social change We will consider resistance as both a social and individual phenomenon, a constructive process that articulates continuity and change and as an act oriented towards an imagined future of different communities....... In this account, resistance is thus a creative act having its own dynamic and, most of all, aesthetic dimension. In fact, it is one such visibly artistic form of resistance that will be considered here, the case of street art as a tool of social protest and revolution in Egypt. Street art is commonly defined...... in sharp contrast with high or fine art because of its collective nature and anonymity, its different kind of aesthetics, and most of all its disruptive, ‘anti-social’ outcomes. With the use of illustrations, we will argue here that street art is prototypical of a creative form of resistance, situated...

Copenhagen or the new climate international deal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2010-01-01

In this analysis, the authors are trying to understand the consequences of the Copenhagen agreement, to examine its short term and middle term implications, and to define the role the European Union may have during the next months. Beyond the disagreements which have occurred in Copenhagen, notably in terms of reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, the authors consider the agreement as a half success, as the main greenhouse gas emitters (China and the USA) as well as some important emerging countries (Brazil, India, South Africa) joined the struggle against climate change. They also identify the still pending questions: status of the agreement, future of the CO 2 market, compensatory mechanisms. Even though the conference showed the importance of the relationship between China and the United States, the authors highlight the limits of these bilateral discussions. They also note that, even though the conference reflected the weakening of the European influence in the struggle against climate change, the European Union still have opportunities to regain this leadership position during the international negotiations on climate change in 2010. From this point of view, the actual outcome of the conference may appear within the next months

Ultrafine particles dispersion modeling in a street canyon: development and evaluation of a composite lattice Boltzmann model.

Science.gov (United States)

Habilomatis, George; Chaloulakou, Archontoula

2013-10-01

Recently, a branch of particulate matter research concerns on ultrafine particles found in the urban environment, which originate, to a significant extent, from traffic sources. In urban street canyons, dispersion of ultrafine particles affects pedestrian's short term exposure and resident's long term exposure as well. The aim of the present work is the development and the evaluation of a composite lattice Boltzmann model to study the dispersion of ultrafine particles, in urban street canyon microenvironment. The proposed model has the potential to penetrate into the physics of this complex system. In order to evaluate the model performance against suitable experimental data, ultrafine particles levels have been monitored on an hourly basis for a period of 35 days, in a street canyon, in Athens area. The results of the comparative analysis are quite satisfactory. Furthermore, our modeled results are in a good agreement with the results of other computational and experimental studies. This work is a first attempt to study the dispersion of an air pollutant by application of the lattice Boltzmann method. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

PROTECTION, UTILIZATION AND ANALYSIS OF HIGH MAST STREET LIGHT IN RURAL AREA.

OpenAIRE

Bhagawati Chandra , Miss Anjali Karsh

2017-01-01

High Mast Light gives the several cost effective advantages and cost is a major issue for rural area general services. This project illustrates the theoretical basis and the analytical development of the high mast lighting poles. In the late 1960"s, studies were conducted to investigate the impact that high-mast lighting gives on traffic performance, driver visibility, and illumination costs. It was found that increasing the height of the lighting offered a noticeable advantage in that it pr...

Disturbance and Celebration of Josephine Baker in Copenhagen 1928

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Spanger, Marlene

2015-01-01

Marlene Spanger analyses reactions to the internationally recognised dancer and singer Josephine Baker (1906–1975), whose performances in Copenhagen gave rise to a heated emotional debate in Danish newspapers; these reactions mirror contemporary dominant religious, biological and colonial discour...

Streets? Where We're Going, We Don't Need Streets

Science.gov (United States)

Bailey, J.

2017-12-01

In 2007 Google Street View started as a project to provide 360-degree imagery along streets, but in the decade since has evolved into a platform through which to explore everywhere from the slope of everest, to the middle of the Amazon rainforest to under the ocean. As camera technology has evolved it has also become a tool for ground truthing maps, and provided scientific observations, storytelling and education. The Google Street View "special collects" team has undertaken increasingly more challenging projects across 80+ countries and every continent. All of which culminated in possibly the most ambitious collection yet, the capture of Street View on board the International Space Station. Learn about the preparation and obstacles behind this and other special collects. Explore these datasets through both Google Earth and Google Expeditions VR, an educational tool to take students on virtual field trips using 360 degree imagery.

An RFID-Based Intelligent Vehicle Speed Controller Using Active Traffic Signals

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Joshué Pérez

2010-06-01

Full Text Available These days, mass-produced vehicles benefit from research on Intelligent Transportation System (ITS. One prime example of ITS is vehicle Cruise Control (CC, which allows it to maintain a pre-defined reference speed, to economize on fuel or energy consumption, to avoid speeding fines, or to focus all of the driver’s attention on the steering of the vehicle. However, achieving efficient Cruise Control is not easy in roads or urban streets where sudden changes of the speed limit can happen, due to the presence of unexpected obstacles or maintenance work, causing, in inattentive drivers, traffic accidents. In this communication we present a new Infrastructure to Vehicles (I2V communication and control system for intelligent speed control, which is based upon Radio Frequency Identification (RFID technology for identification of traffic signals on the road, and high accuracy vehicle speed measurement with a Hall effect-based sensor. A fuzzy logic controller, based on sensor fusion of the information provided by the I2V infrastructure, allows the efficient adaptation of the speed of the vehicle to the circumstances of the road. The performance of the system is checked empirically, with promising results.

An RFID-Based Intelligent Vehicle Speed Controller Using Active Traffic Signals

Science.gov (United States)

Pérez, Joshué; Seco, Fernando; Milanés, Vicente; Jiménez, Antonio; Díaz, Julio C.; de Pedro, Teresa

2010-01-01

These days, mass-produced vehicles benefit from research on Intelligent Transportation System (ITS). One prime example of ITS is vehicle Cruise Control (CC), which allows it to maintain a pre-defined reference speed, to economize on fuel or energy consumption, to avoid speeding fines, or to focus all of the driver’s attention on the steering of the vehicle. However, achieving efficient Cruise Control is not easy in roads or urban streets where sudden changes of the speed limit can happen, due to the presence of unexpected obstacles or maintenance work, causing, in inattentive drivers, traffic accidents. In this communication we present a new Infrastructure to Vehicles (I2V) communication and control system for intelligent speed control, which is based upon Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology for identification of traffic signals on the road, and high accuracy vehicle speed measurement with a Hall effect-based sensor. A fuzzy logic controller, based on sensor fusion of the information provided by the I2V infrastructure, allows the efficient adaptation of the speed of the vehicle to the circumstances of the road. The performance of the system is checked empirically, with promising results. PMID:22219692

An RFID-based intelligent vehicle speed controller using active traffic signals.

Science.gov (United States)

Pérez, Joshué; Seco, Fernando; Milanés, Vicente; Jiménez, Antonio; Díaz, Julio C; de Pedro, Teresa

2010-01-01

These days, mass-produced vehicles benefit from research on Intelligent Transportation System (ITS). One prime example of ITS is vehicle Cruise Control (CC), which allows it to maintain a pre-defined reference speed, to economize on fuel or energy consumption, to avoid speeding fines, or to focus all of the driver's attention on the steering of the vehicle. However, achieving efficient Cruise Control is not easy in roads or urban streets where sudden changes of the speed limit can happen, due to the presence of unexpected obstacles or maintenance work, causing, in inattentive drivers, traffic accidents. In this communication we present a new Infrastructure to Vehicles (I2V) communication and control system for intelligent speed control, which is based upon Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology for identification of traffic signals on the road, and high accuracy vehicle speed measurement with a Hall effect-based sensor. A fuzzy logic controller, based on sensor fusion of the information provided by the I2V infrastructure, allows the efficient adaptation of the speed of the vehicle to the circumstances of the road. The performance of the system is checked empirically, with promising results.

Leptin, not adiponectin, predicts hypertension in the Copenhagen City Heart Study

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Asferg, Camilla Lundegaard; Møgelvang, Rasmus; Flyvbjerg, Allan

2010-01-01

of hypertension have been directly compared. The objective of this study was to investigate the relationships between plasma levels of leptin and adiponectin and new-onset hypertension in the Copenhagen City Heart Study (CCHS). METHODS: In a prospective study design, we examined new-onset hypertension in 620...... blood pressure (DBP) > or = 90 mm Hg, or use of antihypertensive medication. Using logistic regression analysis, adjusting for age, sex, estimated glomerular filtration rate, triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), fibrinogen, and glucose, and with leptin and adiponectin included...

Automatic Discovery and Geotagging of Objects from Street View Imagery

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vladimir A. Krylov

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Many applications, such as autonomous navigation, urban planning, and asset monitoring, rely on the availability of accurate information about objects and their geolocations. In this paper, we propose the automatic detection and computation of the coordinates of recurring stationary objects of interest using street view imagery. Our processing pipeline relies on two fully convolutional neural networks: the first segments objects in the images, while the second estimates their distance from the camera. To geolocate all the detected objects coherently we propose a novel custom Markov random field model to estimate the objects’ geolocation. The novelty of the resulting pipeline is the combined use of monocular depth estimation and triangulation to enable automatic mapping of complex scenes with the simultaneous presence of multiple, visually similar objects of interest. We validate experimentally the effectiveness of our approach on two object classes: traffic lights and telegraph poles. The experiments report high object recall rates and position precision of approximately 2 m, which is approaching the precision of single-frequency GPS receivers.

Gade: Symphonies. Copenhagen Collegium Musicum / Robert Layton

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

Layton, Robert

1994-01-01

Uuest heliplaadist "Gade: Symphonies. Copenhagen Collegium Musicum. Michael Schonwandt.Marco Polo Dacapo CD DCCD 9201/2; Comparative versions: Symphony No. 1. Stockholm Sinf. / Järvi (11/87) BIS CD 339; Symphony No. 2.Stockholm Sinf. / Järvi (12/87) BIS CD 355; Symphony No. 4. Stockholm Sinf. / Järvi" (7/87) BIS CD 338; Symphony No. 6. Stockholm Sinf. / Järvi (12/87) BIS CD 356

Effect of stable stratification on dispersion within urban street canyons: A large-eddy simulation

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Xian-Xiang; Britter, Rex; Norford, Leslie K.

2016-11-01

This study employs a validated large-eddy simulation (LES) code with high tempo-spatial resolution to investigate the effect of a stably stratified roughness sublayer (RSL) on scalar transport within an urban street canyon. The major effect of stable stratification on the flow and turbulence inside the street canyon is that the flow slows down in both streamwise and vertical directions, a stagnant area near the street level emerges, and the vertical transport of momentum is weakened. Consequently, the transfer of heat between the street canyon and overlying atmosphere also gets weaker. The pollutant emitted from the street level 'pools' within the lower street canyon, and more pollutant accumulates within the street canyon with increasing stability. Under stable stratification, the dominant mechanism for pollutant transport within the street canyon has changed from ejections (flow carries high-concentration pollutant upward) to unorganized motions (flow carries high-concentration pollutant downward), which is responsible for the much lower dispersion efficiency under stable stratifications.

Integrating a street-canyon model with a regional Gaussian dispersion model for improved characterisation of near-road air pollution

Science.gov (United States)

Fallah-Shorshani, Masoud; Shekarrizfard, Maryam; Hatzopoulou, Marianne

2017-03-01

The development and use of dispersion models that simulate traffic-related air pollution in urban areas has risen significantly in support of air pollution exposure research. In order to accurately estimate population exposure, it is important to generate concentration surfaces that take into account near-road concentrations as well as the transport of pollutants throughout an urban region. In this paper, an integrated modelling chain was developed to simulate ambient Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2) in a dense urban neighbourhood while taking into account traffic emissions, the regional background, and the transport of pollutants within the urban canopy. For this purpose, we developed a hybrid configuration including 1) a street canyon model, which simulates pollutant transfer along streets and intersections, taking into account the geometry of buildings and other obstacles, and 2) a Gaussian puff model, which resolves the transport of contaminants at the top of the urban canopy and accounts for regional meteorology. Each dispersion model was validated against measured concentrations and compared against the hybrid configuration. Our results demonstrate that the hybrid approach significantly improves the output of each model on its own. An underestimation appears clearly for the Gaussian model and street-canyon model compared to observed data. This is due to ignoring the building effect by the Gaussian model and undermining the contribution of other roads by the canyon model. The hybrid approach reduced the RMSE (of observed vs. predicted concentrations) by 16%-25% compared to each model on its own, and increased FAC2 (fraction of predictions within a factor of two of the observations) by 10%-34%.

Using a virtual environment to study child pedestrian behaviours: a comparison of parents' expectations and children's street crossing behaviour.

Science.gov (United States)

Morrongiello, Barbara A; Corbett, Michael

2015-10-01

The aim of this study was to compare parents' expectations for their children crossing streets with children's actual crossing behaviours and determine how accurately parents judge their own children's pedestrian behaviours to be. Using a fully immersive virtual reality system interfaced with a 3D movement measurement system, younger (7-9 years) and older (10-12 years) children's crossing behaviours were assessed. The parent viewed the same traffic conditions and indicated if their child would cross and how successful she/he expected the child would be when doing so. Comparing children's performance with what their parents expected they would do revealed that parents significantly overestimated the inter-vehicle gap threshold of their children, erroneously assuming that children would show safer pedestrian behaviours and select larger inter-vehicle gaps to cross into than they actually did; there were no effects of child age or sex. Child and parent scores were not correlated and a logistic regression indicated these were independent of one another. Parents were not accurate in estimating the traffic conditions under which their children would try and cross the street. If parents are not adequately supervising when children cross streets, they may be placing their children at risk of pedestrian injury because they are assuming their children will select larger (safer) inter-vehicle gaps when crossing than children actually do. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

Urban air quality modeling with full O 3-NO x-VOC chemistry: Implications for O 3 and PM air quality in a street canyon

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Minjoong J.; Park, Rokjin J.; Kim, Jae-Jin

2012-02-01

We examine transport and chemical transformation of reactive pollutants on an urban street using a computation fluid dynamics (CFD) model coupled with full photochemistry of reactive pollutants. An extensive comparison between simulated results and observations is conducted to evaluate the model, focusing on a field campaign occurred in Dongfeng Middle Street in Guangzhou, China. Observed CO and NO concentrations vary diurnally following traffic volumes. The model captures this observed diurnal variation and magnitudes of CO concentrations successfully. However, simulated NO concentration is three times higher than observation. This high bias is significantly reduced in the sensitivity simulation with lower NO x emissions. We find that oxidation products of O 3 photochemistry such as NO 2 and O 3 vary differently from primary pollutants, indicating important effects of photochemical reactions on their fates. The model appears to reproduce observed O 3 and NO 2 variability with time and altitude. Our analysis shows that high NO x concentrations in the urban street canyon may efficiently produce aerosol nitrate in the presence of NH 3. Simulated inorganic NO 3- aerosol concentration reaches up to 0.3 μg m -3 in July but increases an order of magnitude higher at lower temperature that favors partitioning of gas-phase HNO 3 to aerosol-phase, implying a serious concern for urban air quality in winter.

Trees as environmental modifier to improve street canyon for pedestrian activities in Muscat

Science.gov (United States)

Khudhayer, Wael A.; Shaaban, Awni K.; Sukor, Nur Sabahiah Abdul

2017-10-01

Street shading efficiency is a function of orientation and profile proportion of its height to width. Under high sun altitude conditions, minimization of solar irradiance within the urban environment may often be a significant criterion in urban design. This reduction in solar irradiance achieved when the obstruction angle is large (high H/W ratio, H=height, W=width). High H/W values often lessen the solar access to streets. The horizontal sprawl of Muscat region is an example of low H/W ratio represented the remarkable challenge that causes the lack of shading rates in the urban street. This characteristic proliferates the negative impact on the pedestrian activities in the urban street. This research aims to improve the morphology of the street to promote the pedestrian behavior. The amendment based on suggesting different configurations of trees to increase effective shading of the urban street in Muscat. The street canyon abstracted into a virtual elongated channel formed of floor and walls of equal heights on both sides. Four street orientations (E/W, N/S, NE/SW, NW/SE) and three H/W ratio (0.5,1 and 2) are considered sufficient representative of street typologies. A mathematical model developed for calculation of shading efficiency of each street canyon. The trees assumed in this study as canyon's modifier to adjust the low H/W ratio of a street canyon to a higher one. Local trees and other plants in Muscat were studied concerning their morphology. The analysis selected two case study in Muscat to investigate the shading performance of their street canyons subsequently propose the modifications to improve it. The research concluded that the suggested changes of the street canyon by using a particular type of trees could increase the H/W ratio of street canyon significantly.

Toolbox for Urban Mobility Simulation: High Resolution Population Dynamics for Global Cities

Science.gov (United States)

Bhaduri, B. L.; Lu, W.; Liu, C.; Thakur, G.; Karthik, R.

2015-12-01

In this rapidly urbanizing world, unprecedented rate of population growth is not only mirrored by increasing demand for energy, food, water, and other natural resources, but has detrimental impacts on environmental and human security. Transportation simulations are frequently used for mobility assessment in urban planning, traffic operation, and emergency management. Previous research, involving purely analytical techniques to simulations capturing behavior, has investigated questions and scenarios regarding the relationships among energy, emissions, air quality, and transportation. Primary limitations of past attempts have been availability of input data, useful "energy and behavior focused" models, validation data, and adequate computational capability that allows adequate understanding of the interdependencies of our transportation system. With increasing availability and quality of traditional and crowdsourced data, we have utilized the OpenStreetMap roads network, and has integrated high resolution population data with traffic simulation to create a Toolbox for Urban Mobility Simulations (TUMS) at global scale. TUMS consists of three major components: data processing, traffic simulation models, and Internet-based visualizations. It integrates OpenStreetMap, LandScanTM population, and other open data (Census Transportation Planning Products, National household Travel Survey, etc.) to generate both normal traffic operation and emergency evacuation scenarios. TUMS integrates TRANSIMS and MITSIM as traffic simulation engines, which are open-source and widely-accepted for scalable traffic simulations. Consistent data and simulation platform allows quick adaption to various geographic areas that has been demonstrated for multiple cities across the world. We are combining the strengths of geospatial data sciences, high performance simulations, transportation planning, and emissions, vehicle and energy technology development to design and develop a simulation

Thermal Comfort Assessment in The Open Space in Bandung Case Study Dago Street and Riau Street

Science.gov (United States)

Sugangga, M.; Janesonia, K. I.; Illiyin, D. F.; Donny Koerniawan, M.

2018-05-01

Bandung’s temperature has been higher since last years. This phenomenon affects the level of thermal comfort in open space. One indicator that determines the thermal comfort level is the type of activity performed by the open space user. Riau Street and Dago Street are corridors that are often used by the people for strolling, jogging, shopping. Dago Street has special event every Sunday namely car free day. Both corridors have different orientation; Dago Street is North to South corridor while Riau Street’s is West to East. The goal of the study is to compare people’s perception of thermal comfort in both corridors. This research uses two methods, namely qualitative method and quantitative method. Based on the results of qualitative analysis found that the thermal conditions in Dago Street more comfortable than the Riau Street. The result of quantitative analysis found that the average PET (thermal comfort indices) value of Dago Street was at 27.5 °C PET and Riau Street 28.6 °C PET. Dago Street is considered more convenient because it has a lower PET value than Riau Street. The people perception of thermal comfort is very important to start the steps for designing the orientation of street in urban design.

Pedestrian hybrid beacon crosswalk system (PHB) or high-intensity activated crosswalk (HAWK).

Science.gov (United States)

2014-11-01

The Pedestrian Hybrid Beacon Crosswalk (PHB) is a type of traffic control system, used to aid : pedestrians safely crossing the street and to regulate traffic flow. This study examines the : success of the first PHB installed in the state of Vermont....

From the Copenhagen Accord to efficient technology protocols

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kypreos, Socrates

2012-01-01

As the Copenhagen Conference of Parties (COP) failed to negotiate a binding Post-Kyoto agreement, an alternative is proposed based on the Copenhagen Accord (CA). The CA, as endorsed by COP16 in Cancun, aims to combat global warming with differentiated reduction targets of greenhouse gas emissions and by mobilizing resources supporting adaptation and carbon-free technology in developing countries (DCs). Using a special version of MERGE, we study the global implications of the CA postulating extensions of the Accord in the direction of Technology Transfer Protocols (TTPs). We assess scenarios needed to reach sustainable climate targets under such Protocols. It is shown that without binding commitments for DCs, the warming target of 2 °C will be exceeded with a probability above 50%, even if Annex B countries eliminate their emissions. However, moderate commitments of DCs (when they reach sufficient economic development), make the 2 °C scenario feasible. TTPs combined with binding emission reduction targets thus provide a mechanism to reduce climate change damages, and may generate significant secondary benefits. For example, the reduced tax-subsidy scenario (RTS20) has 77% to 40% chances to remain below 2 °C of warming and an undiscounted cumulative gross domestic product (GDP) cost of 0.75% relative to baseline (not accounting for the benefits of avoided damages). - Highlights: ► Based on the Copenhagen Accord we propose an extension of the Kyoto Protocol. ► The carbon tax-revenue of industrialized countries subsidizes Technology Transfer to DCs and R and D. ► Emissions of Kyoto gases are reduced such that the probability of exceeding 2 °C is well below 50%. ► These scenarios assume moderate binding commitments for DCs after 2030. ► The undiscounted cumulative GDP costs are 0.75% above baseline.

Alcohol in urban streetscapes: a comparison of the use of Google Street View and on-street observation.

Science.gov (United States)

Clews, Chris; Brajkovich-Payne, Roza; Dwight, Emily; Ahmad Fauzul, Ayob; Burton, Madeleine; Carleton, Olivia; Cook, Julie; Deroles, Charlotte; Faulkner, Ruby; Furniss, Mary; Herewini, Anahera; Huband, Daymen; Jones, Nerissa; Kim, Cho Wool; Li, Alice; Lu, Jacky; Stanley, James; Wilson, Nick; Thomson, George

2016-05-26

Alcohol-related harm is a major global health issue, and controls on alcohol marketing are one intervention utilized by governments. This study investigated the use of Google Street View (GSV) as a novel research method for collecting alcohol-related data in the urban environment. The efficacy of GSV and on-street observation by observer teams was compared by surveying 400 m stretches of 12 streets in Wellington, the capital city of New Zealand. Data on alcohol sale, alcohol-related advertising, health promotion materials, regulatory information and visible alcohol consumption were collected. A total of 403 retailers with evidence of alcohol sales and 1161 items of alcohol-related communication were identified in on-street observation. Of the latter, 1028 items (89 %) were for alcohol marketing and 133 (11 %) were for alcohol-related health promotion and alcohol regulation. GSV was found to be a less sensitive tool than on-street observation with only 50 % of the alcohol venues identified and 52 % of the venue-associated brand marketing identified. A high degree of inter-observer reliability was generally found between pairs of observers e.g., for the detection of alcohol retail venues the intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC) was 0.93 (95 % CI: 0.78 to 0.98) for on-street observation and 0.85 (95 % CI: 0.49 to 0.96) for using GSV. GSV does not seem suitable for the comprehensive study of the influences on alcohol consumption in the urban streetscape. However, it may still have value for large, static objects in the environment and be more time efficient than traditional on-street observation measures, especially when used to collect data across a wide geographical area. Furthermore, GSV might become a more useful research tool in settings with better image quality (such as more 'footpath views') and with more regularly updated GSV imagery.

Green infrastructure for flood risk management in Dar es Salaam and Copenhagen

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mguni, Patience; Herslund, Lise Byskov; Jensen, Marina Bergen

2015-01-01

, a comparison of the opportunities and barriers to the implementation of SUDS in Dar es Salaam and Copenhagen is presented. The results indicate that a bottom-up approach in Dar es Salaam is important, with the community level taking the lead, while in Copenhagen the top-down approach currently employed......The risk of flooding in urban areas could be better approached by complementing conventional sewer systems with sustainable urban drainage systems (SUDS) for storm-water management. This may be the case for developing world cities like Dar es Salaam with incomplete sewer services, as well as cities...

Assessment of health impacts of decreased smoking prevalence in Copenhagen

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Holm, Astrid Ledgaard; Brønnum-Hansen, Henrik; Robinson, Kirstine Magtengaard

2014-01-01

Tobacco smoking is among the leading risk factors for chronic disease and early death in developed countries, including Denmark, where smoking causes 14% of the disease burden. In Denmark, many public health interventions, including smoking prevention, are undertaken by the municipalities......, but models to estimate potential health effects of local interventions are lacking. The aim of the current study was to model the effects of decreased smoking prevalence in Copenhagen, Denmark. Methods: The DYNAMO-HIA model was applied to the population of Copenhagen, by using health survey data and data......, and cessation and re-initiation rates among adults, which reduced the smoking prevalence to 4% by 2025, would have large beneficial effects on incidence and prevalence of smoking-related diseases and mortality. Health benefits could also be obtained through interventions targeting only cessation or re...

The spatio-temporal Development of Copenhagen's bicycle infrastructure 1912-2013

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Carstensen, Trine Agervig; Olafsson, Anton Stahl; Bech, Nynne Marie

2015-01-01

Cycling plays an important role in low-carbon transitions. Around the globe, cities are constructing bicycle infrastructure. The city of Copenhagen has a bicycle-friendly infrastructure celebrated for its fine-meshed network. This study documents the spatio-temporal development of Copenhagen......’s bicycle infrastructure and explores how the development corresponds to other processes of urban transformation. The study builds on historical maps of bicycle infrastructure that are digitised into geographical information, which allows for a comprehensive analysis of the formation of the network....... In search for identifying drivers, the study analyses the city’s spatial growth pattern, migration pattern, development of road network and changes in the transport culture. Analyses reveal that the bicycle infrastructure expanded at a relatively constant pace during distinct periods of urban transformation...

Et cigaretskod, en donation, en renere by: A cigarette butt, a donation, a cleaner city

OpenAIRE

Bengtsen, Monica; Patursson, Guttormur; Nedergaard, Sofie Tarpø; Madsen, Maria Chas; Drews, Anna Ørsted; Bach, Katrine Møller

2013-01-01

This project concerns an explanation of the problem of cigarette butts lying in the streets of Copenhagen. By using elements of the theory of nudging we have designed an ashtray ment to pledge smokers not to throw their butt in the streets. The design is a response to a design competition published by the municipality of Copenhagen, as an attempt to be the cleanest capital in Europe by the year 2015. The core of the design presentation is in cooperation with private firms, who have obligated ...

Wall Street som kreationistisk forkynder

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ekman, Susanne

2016-01-01

Artiklen gennemgår Karen Hos etnografi om Wall Street: "Liquidated: An ethnography of Wall Street" set i lyset af den offentlige debat vedrørende Goldman Sachs opkøb af Dong......Artiklen gennemgår Karen Hos etnografi om Wall Street: "Liquidated: An ethnography of Wall Street" set i lyset af den offentlige debat vedrørende Goldman Sachs opkøb af Dong...

Individual traffic-related air pollution and new onset adult asthma:A GIS-based pilot study

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lysbeck Hansen, Carl; Jensen, Steen Solvang; Baelum, Jesper

The background for the project is that traffic-related air pollution may provoke the onset of asthma. The objective of this pilot study is to investigate the relation between asthma and wheeze debut and individually estimated exposure to traffic-related air pollutants with a validated exposure...... system (AirGIS). The project applied the following methodology. A non-smoking cohort with recently acquired asthma or wheeze as well as matched controls were identified from a large cross-sectional study. All residential and working addresses with corresponding time periods for a 10 year period were...... successfully identified for all study participants (N=33). Using AirGIS traffic-related air pollutant levels from both urban background and street level were estimated for the 10 year study period on an hourly basis. Individual levels of air pollutants in the years preceding debut of asthma or wheeze were...

The Copenhagen primary care differential count (CopDiff) database

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andersen, Christen Bertel L; Siersma, V.; Karlslund, W.

2014-01-01

BACKGROUND: The differential blood cell count provides valuable information about a person's state of health. Together with a variety of biochemical variables, these analyses describe important physiological and pathophysiological relations. There is a need for research databases to explore assoc...... the construction of the Copenhagen Primary Care Differential Count database as well as the distribution of characteristics of the population it covers and the variables that are recorded. Finally, it gives examples of its use as an inspiration to peers for collaboration.......BACKGROUND: The differential blood cell count provides valuable information about a person's state of health. Together with a variety of biochemical variables, these analyses describe important physiological and pathophysiological relations. There is a need for research databases to explore...... Practitioners' Laboratory has registered all analytical results since July 1, 2000. The Copenhagen Primary Care Differential Count database contains all differential blood cell count results (n=1,308,022) from July 1, 2000 to January 25, 2010 requested by general practitioners, along with results from analysis...

Study on a model of street vended food choices by Korean high school students.

Science.gov (United States)

Cho, Kiwoong; Park, Sanghyun; Joo, Nami

2011-10-01

Street vended food (SVF) includes food and beverages prepared and sold outdoors or in public areas by street merchants for consumption on the scene or later without further preparation. Due to its low price and convenience, SVF has been popular in Korea for a long time, particularly with high school students. Beyond Korea, SVF is also popular in southeast Asia and southern Africa in the form of ready-to-eat food. This study on high school students, who are main consumers of SVF in Korea, focused on the factors that affect consumer loyalty. The study was performed by questionnaire and used AMOS software to develop a structural equation model. The results of verifying the model's fidelity were χ(2) = 685.989, df = 261, GFI = 0.851, AGFI = 0.814, NFI = 0.901, CFI = 0.907, RMR = 0.048, indicating a satisfying structural model. SVF quality and service, emotional response, and the physical environment had a statistically significant effect on consumer loyalty. In contrast, SVF sanitation had no statistically significant effect on consumer loyalty. Based on these results, the sanitary management of SVF needs to be addressed immediately combined with education for SVF providers to maintain a clean environment.

Re-entrained road dust PM10 emission from selected streets of Krakow and its impact on air quality

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bogacki Marek

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Scientific research studies conducted in various parts of the world confirm that PM10 concentrations in urban air depend to a great extent on the resuspension processes of the dust deposited on the road surface. The paper presents the results of the study related to the determination of the re-entrained PM10 emissions from four selected streets of Krakow (Southern Poland together with the assessment of its impact on air quality. Examined streets are characterised by different traffic intensity (from 500 to over 20 000 vehicles per day and individual vehicle structure. Dust material sampling and estimation of the PM10 emission were conducted according to the U.S. EPA methodology (AP 42 Fifth Edition. Two variants of sample collection were applied: from the road surface including the area at the curb (4 streets and from the road surface alone (1 street. The estimates of resuspended road dust emission as well as the reference values derived from the U.S. EPA guidelines were used to assess the impact of this emission on the PM10 levels in the air at the location of one of the analysed streets. This assessment was conducted using the CALINE4 mathematical model. The study showed that the PM10 emissions from the re-entrained road dust can be responsible for up to 25 % in the winter and 50 % in the summer of the total PM10 concentrations in the air near the roads.

Re-entrained road dust PM10 emission from selected streets of Krakow and its impact on air quality

Science.gov (United States)

Bogacki, Marek; Mazur, Marian; Oleniacz, Robert; Rzeszutek, Mateusz; Szulecka, Adriana

2018-01-01

Scientific research studies conducted in various parts of the world confirm that PM10 concentrations in urban air depend to a great extent on the resuspension processes of the dust deposited on the road surface. The paper presents the results of the study related to the determination of the re-entrained PM10 emissions from four selected streets of Krakow (Southern Poland) together with the assessment of its impact on air quality. Examined streets are characterised by different traffic intensity (from 500 to over 20 000 vehicles per day) and individual vehicle structure. Dust material sampling and estimation of the PM10 emission were conducted according to the U.S. EPA methodology (AP 42 Fifth Edition). Two variants of sample collection were applied: from the road surface including the area at the curb (4 streets) and from the road surface alone (1 street). The estimates of resuspended road dust emission as well as the reference values derived from the U.S. EPA guidelines were used to assess the impact of this emission on the PM10 levels in the air at the location of one of the analysed streets. This assessment was conducted using the CALINE4 mathematical model. The study showed that the PM10 emissions from the re-entrained road dust can be responsible for up to 25 % in the winter and 50 % in the summer of the total PM10 concentrations in the air near the roads.

Environmental and economic effects of the Copenhagen pledges and more ambitious emission reduction targets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Peterson, Everett B.; Schleich, Joachim; Duscha, Vicki

2011-01-01

A multi-region, multi-sector dynamic computable general equilibrium model is applied to explore the economic and welfare effects of the pledges submitted by developed countries (Annex I countries) and major developing (non-Annex I) countries for 2020 under the Copenhagen Accord. In addition to analyzing scenarios reflecting the upper and lower bounds of the Copenhagen Pledges, one additional policy scenario where Annex I countries as a group reduce CO 2 -emissions by 30% in 2020 compared to 1990 levels, and where major non-Annex I countries reduce CO 2 emissions 15% below baseline, is also analyzed. Economic effects are measured as changes in GDP compared to baseline and welfare effects are measured via the equivalent variation. Assuming that countries with emission targets may trade certificates, average reductions in GDP for countries with targets range between 0.1% and 0.7% in 2020 for the policy scenarios. While the GDP losses are larger for major non-Annex I countries with emission targets compared to Annex I countries, this is not the case for the changes in welfare. With the exception of Mexico, the welfare losses for the major non-Annex I regions, as a percentage of projected GDP in 2020, are lower than for the large Annex I countries. - Highlights: → Copenhagen pledges are not ambitious in terms of global CO 2 -emission reductions. → Copenhagen pledges are not costly in terms of global GDP or welfare losses. → Reductions in GDP and welfare in 2020 are not evenly distributed across regions.→ Major non-Annex I countries face relatively larger reductions in GDP compared with Annex I countries.→ Copenhagen pledges do not result in large amounts of carbon leakage.

Drivers' perceptions regarding speeding and driving on urban residential streets with a 30 km/h speed limit

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Do Duy Dinh

2013-07-01

Full Text Available Previous studies have shown very little information regarding drivers' opinions, attitudes and behaviours with respect to speeding and driving on urban residential streets with a 30 km/h speed limit. The present research aims to address this issue by conducting a questionnaire study with a sample of 367 Japanese drivers. The results showed that drivers tended to have positive beliefs about complying with the 30 km/h speed limit and understand the negative consequences of speeding; however, a majority of the drivers considered breaking the speed limit as a way to reduce their travel time. While the extent of speeding was found to be very serious, a number of drivers still supported the use of a 30 km/h speed limit on residential streets and favoured protecting the right of vulnerable street users. The logistic regression models developed in this study identified that the drivers who did not support the 30 km/h speed limit were associated with those who had committed traffic-law violations, who had negative beliefs about complying with the speed limit, who did not consider residents' opinions, who believed it is acceptable for them to drive at a high speed, and who felt it difficult to refrain from speeding. With regard to anti-speeding countermeasures, under drivers' point of view, streets should be designed to make the 30 km/h speed limit more credible, although this study also showed evidence supporting the application of public awareness programmes and social campaigns as speeding interventions. In addition, this research investigated drivers' speed choices in various specific driving circumstances, and six underlying factors affecting drivers' speed choices were determined. On the basic of the findings, the implications and suggestions for speeding interventions were also discussed.

Street Choice Logit Model for Visitors in Shopping Districts

Science.gov (United States)

Kawada, Ko; Yamada, Takashi; Kishimoto, Tatsuya

2014-01-01

In this study, we propose two models for predicting people’s activity. The first model is the pedestrian distribution prediction (or postdiction) model by multiple regression analysis using space syntax indices of urban fabric and people distribution data obtained from a field survey. The second model is a street choice model for visitors using multinomial logit model. We performed a questionnaire survey on the field to investigate the strolling routes of 46 visitors and obtained a total of 1211 street choices in their routes. We proposed a utility function, sum of weighted space syntax indices, and other indices, and estimated the parameters for weights on the basis of maximum likelihood. These models consider both street networks, distance from destination, direction of the street choice and other spatial compositions (numbers of pedestrians, cars, shops, and elevation). The first model explains the characteristics of the street where many people tend to walk or stay. The second model explains the mechanism underlying the street choice of visitors and clarifies the differences in the weights of street choice parameters among the various attributes, such as gender, existence of destinations, number of people, etc. For all the attributes considered, the influences of DISTANCE and DIRECTION are strong. On the other hand, the influences of Int.V, SHOPS, CARS, ELEVATION, and WIDTH are different for each attribute. People with defined destinations tend to choose streets that “have more shops, and are wider and lower”. In contrast, people with undefined destinations tend to choose streets of high Int.V. The choice of males is affected by Int.V, SHOPS, WIDTH (positive) and CARS (negative). Females prefer streets that have many shops, and couples tend to choose downhill streets. The behavior of individual persons is affected by all variables. The behavior of people visiting in groups is affected by SHOP and WIDTH (positive). PMID:25379274

Street Choice Logit Model for Visitors in Shopping Districts

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ko Kawada

2014-07-01

Full Text Available In this study, we propose two models for predicting people’s activity. The first model is the pedestrian distribution prediction (or postdiction model by multiple regression analysis using space syntax indices of urban fabric and people distribution data obtained from a field survey. The second model is a street choice model for visitors using multinomial logit model. We performed a questionnaire survey on the field to investigate the strolling routes of 46 visitors and obtained a total of 1211 street choices in their routes. We proposed a utility function, sum of weighted space syntax indices, and other indices, and estimated the parameters for weights on the basis of maximum likelihood. These models consider both street networks, distance from destination, direction of the street choice and other spatial compositions (numbers of pedestrians, cars, shops, and elevation. The first model explains the characteristics of the street where many people tend to walk or stay. The second model explains the mechanism underlying the street choice of visitors and clarifies the differences in the weights of street choice parameters among the various attributes, such as gender, existence of destinations, number of people, etc. For all the attributes considered, the influences of DISTANCE and DIRECTION are strong. On the other hand, the influences of Int.V, SHOPS, CARS, ELEVATION, and WIDTH are different for each attribute. People with defined destinations tend to choose streets that “have more shops, and are wider and lower”. In contrast, people with undefined destinations tend to choose streets of high Int.V. The choice of males is affected by Int.V, SHOPS, WIDTH (positive and CARS (negative. Females prefer streets that have many shops, and couples tend to choose downhill streets. The behavior of individual persons is affected by all variables. The behavior of people visiting in groups is affected by SHOP and WIDTH (positive.

The Financial Crisis and Diverging House Prices: Evidence from the Copenhagen Metropolitan Area: 2017-084/VIII

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mulalic, Ismir; Rasmussen, Holger; Rouwendal, Jan

This paper investigates the development of house prices in Copenhagen in the period 1994-2013, while paying special attention to the heterogeneous impact of the boom and bust periods along the dimensions of housing type (single vs multifamily housing), geography and quality. To allow for price de...... the high quality segments of the housing market....

RACE, CODE OF THE STREET, AND VIOLENT DELINQUENCY: A MULTILEVEL INVESTIGATION OF NEIGHBORHOOD STREET CULTURE AND INDIVIDUAL NORMS OF VIOLENCE*

Science.gov (United States)

Stewart, Eric A.; Simons, Ronald L.

2011-01-01

The study outlined in this article drew on Elijah Anderson’s (1999) code of the street perspective to examine the impact of neighborhood street culture on violent delinquency. Using data from more than 700 African American adolescents, we examined 1) whether neighborhood street culture predicts adolescent violence above and beyond an adolescent’s own street code values and 2) whether neighborhood street culture moderates individual-level street code values on adolescent violence. Consistent with Anderson’s hypotheses, neighborhood street culture significantly predicts violent delinquency independent of individual-level street code effects. Additionally, neighborhood street culture moderates individual-level street code values on violence in neighborhoods where the street culture is widespread. In particular, the effect of street code values on violence is enhanced in neighborhoods where the street culture is endorsed widely. PMID:21666759

Tracing source, distribution and health risk of potentially harmful elements (PHEs) in street dust of Durgapur, India.

Science.gov (United States)

Gope, Manash; Masto, Reginald Ebhin; George, Joshy; Balachandran, Srinivasan

2018-06-15

Street dust samples from Durgapur, the steel city of eastern India, were collected from five different land use patterns, i.e., national highways, urban residential area, sensitive area, industrial area and busy traffic zone during summer, monsoon, and winter to analyze the pollution characteristics, chemical fractionation, source apportionment and health risk of heavy metals (HMs). The samples were fractionated into ≤ 53 µm and analyzed for potentially harmful elements (PHEs) viz. Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn. Summer season indicated higher concentrations of PHEs when compared to the other two seasons. Mean enrichment factor (EF), geo-accumulation index (Igeo), and contamination factor (CF) were high for Cd followed by Pb during all the three season in Durgapur. Chemical fractionation was executed in order to obtain distribution patterns of PHEs and to evaluate their bioavailable fractions in street dust samples. Mn was found to be highly bioavailable and bioavailability of the PHEs were in the order of Mn > Zn > Pb > Ni > Cd > Cu > Fe > Cr. Principal Component Analysis (PCA), cluster analysis, correlation analysis indicated the main sources of PHEs could be industrial, especially coal powered thermal plant, iron and steel industries and cement industries and vehicular. Multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) indicated that sites, seasons and their interaction were significantly affected by different PHEs as a whole. The health risk was calculated with total metal as well as mobile fraction of PHEs, which indicated that the actual non-carcinogenic risk due to bioavailable PHEs was less (HI < 1) when compared to total concentrations of PHEs. Carcinogenic risk was observed for total Cr in street dust (Child: 4.6E-06; Adult: 3.6E-06). Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Karl Popper and the Copenhagen interpretation

Science.gov (United States)

Peres, Asher

Popper conceived an experiment whose analysis led to a result that he deemed absurd. Popper wrote that his reasoning was based on the Copenhagen interpretation and therefore invalidated it. Many authors who have examined Popper's analysis have found in it various technical flaws which are briefly summarized here. However, the aim of the present article is not technical. My concern is to redress logical flaws in Popper's argument: the terminology he uses is ambiguous, his analysis involves counterfactual hypotheses, and it violates Bohr's complementarity principle. Therefore, the absurdity of Popper's result only confirms Bohr's approach.

Spatial traffic noise pollution assessment – A case study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mohammad Reza Monazzam

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Objectives: Spatial assessment of traffic noise pollution intensity will provide urban planners with approximate estimation of citizens exposure to impermissible sound levels. They could identify critical noise pollution areas wherein noise barriers should be embedded. The present study aims at using the Geographic Information System (GIS to assess spatial changes in traffic noise pollution in Tehran, the capital of Iran, and the largest city in the Middle East. Material and Methods: For this purpose, while measuring equivalent sound levels at different time periods of a day and different days of a week in District 14 of Tehran, wherein there are highways and busy streets, the geographic coordination of the measurement points was recorded at the stations. The obtained results indicated that the equivalent sound level did not show a statistically significant difference between weekdays, and morning, afternoon and evening hours as well as time intervals of 10 min, 15 min and 30 min. Then, 91 stations were selected in the target area and equivalent sound level was measured for each station on 3 occasions of the morning (7:00–9:00 a.m., afternoon (12.00–3:00 p.m. and evening (5:00–8:00 p.m. on Saturdays to Wednesdays. Results: As the results suggest, the maximum equivalent sound level (Leq was reported from Basij Highway, which is a very important connecting thoroughfare in the district, and was equal to 84.2 dB(A, while the minimum equivalent sound level (Leq, measured in the Fajr Hospital, was equal to 59.9 dB(A. Conclusions: The average equivalent sound level was higher than the national standard limit at all stations. The use of sound walls in Highways Basij and Mahallati as well as widening the Streets 17th Shahrivar, Pirouzi and Khavaran, benchmarked on a map, were recommended as the most effective mitigation measures. Additionally, the research findings confirm the outstanding applicability of the Geographic Information System in

Social and economic characteristics of street youth by gender and level of street involvement in Eldoret, Kenya.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rebecca Sorber

Full Text Available Street-connected youth are a neglected and vulnerable population, particularly in resource-constrained settings. The development of interventions and supports for this population requires insight into how they live. This study describes the social and economic characteristics of a convenience sample of street youth (SY in Eldoret, Kenya.Participants were eligible if they were aged 12-21, living in Eldoret, spending days only (part-time, or nights and days on the street (full-time and able and willing to consent or assent. Data were collected using a standardized interview conducted in English or Kiswahili. Binary dependent variables were having been arrested and/or jailed, and first priority for spending money (food vs. other. Nominal categorical dependent variables included major source of support, and major reason for being street-involved. Multivariable analysis used logistic regression models to examine the association of gender and level of street-involvement with social and economic factors of interest adjusting for age and length of time on the street. Data were analyzed using SAS 9.3.Of the 200 SY enrolled, 41% were female, mean age of 16.3 years; 71% were on the street full-time, and 29% part-time. Compared with part-time SY, full-time SY were more likely to have been arrested (Adjusted Odds Ratio [AOR]: 2.33, 95% Confidence Interval [95%CI]:1.01-5.35, name food as their first spending priority (AOR: 2.57, 95%CI:1.03-6.45, have left home due to violence (AOR: 5.54, 95%CI: 1.67-18.34, and more likely to report friends on the street as a major source of support (AOR: 3.59, 95% CI: 1.01-12.82. Compared with females, males were more likely to have ever been arrested (AOR: 2.66, 95%CI:1.14-6.18, and to have ever been jailed (AOR: 3.22, 95%CI:1.47-7.02.These results suggest a high degree of heterogeneity and vulnerability among SY in this setting. There is an urgent need for interventions taking into consideration these characteristics.

Impact of aspect ratio and solar heating on street canyon air temperature

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Memon, R.A.; Lal, K.

2011-01-01

The results obtained from RNG (Re-Normalization Group) version of k-and turbulence model are reported in this study. The model is adopted to elucidate the impact of different building aspect ratios (i.e., ratio of building-height-to-street-canyon-width) and solar heating on temperatures in street canyon. The validation of Navier-Stokes and energy an sport equations showed that the model prediction for air-temperature and ambient wind provides reasonable accuracy. The model was applied on AR (Aspect Ratios) one to eight and surface temperature difference (delta and theta/sub s-a/)) of 2 -8. Notably, air-temperatures were higher in high AR street canyons in particular on the leeward side of the street canyon. Further investigation showed that the difference between the air-temperature 'high and low AR street canyons (AR) was positive and high with higher delta and theta/sub s-a/) conversely, the AR become negative and low gradually with lower values of delta and theta(/sub s-a/). These results could be very beneficial for the city and regional planners, civil engineers Id HVAC experts who design street canyons and strive for human thermal comfort with minimum possible energy requirements. (author)

Impact of Aspect Ratio and Solar Heating on Street Conyn Air Temperature

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rizwan Ahmed Memon

2011-01-01

Full Text Available The results obtained from RNG (Re-Normalization Group version of k-? turbulence model are reported in this study. The model is adopted to elucidate the impact of different building aspect ratios (i.e., ratio of building-height-to-street-canyon-width and solar heating on temperatures in street canyon. The validation of Navier-Stokes and energy transport equations showed that the model prediction for air-temperature and ambient wind provides reasonable accuracy. The model was applied on AR (Aspect Ratios one to eight and surface temperature difference (??s-a of 2 -8. Notably, air-temperatures were higher in high AR street canyons in particular on the leeward side of the street canyon. Further investigation showed that the difference between the air-temperature of high and low AR street canyons ( AR was positive and high with higher ??s-a. Conversely, the AR become negative and low gradually with lower values of ??s-a. These results could be very beneficial for the city and regional planners, civil engineers and HVAC experts who design street canyons and strive for human thermal comfort with minimum possible energy requirements.

Road and street smart lighting control systems as a new application area of the hot-potato protocol

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kiedrowski, Piotr; Gutierrez Lopez, Jose Manuel; Boniewicz, Piotr

2014-01-01

This paper presents the new application area of the hot-potato routing protocol, which is a “last-mile” communication network for controlling systems of road and street lighting. Four variants of the hot-potato protocol are analyzed with use of the graph theory. For the assessment of the traffic ...... parameters the ETX parameter is used in relation to the length of the shortest path. Proposed methods are independent of the media type and can be implemented either in wireless or PLC....

Increased micronuclei and bulky DNA adducts in cord blood after maternal exposures to traffic-related air pollution

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pedersen, M.; Wichmann, J.; Autrup, H.

2009-01-01

assessed through the use of validated biomarkers in blood cells from mother-newborn pairs. A cross-sectional biomonitoring study with healthy pregnant women living in the Greater Copenhagen area, Denmark, was conducted. Bulky DNA adducts and micronuclei (MN) were measured in blood from 75 women and 69...... levels were similar and positively correlated in maternal and cord blood (1.40 vs. 1.37 n/10(8) nucleotides; r = 0.99; p cells). Adduct levels were...... highest among mother-newborn pairs who lived near medium-traffic-density (> 400-2500 vehicle km/24 h; p 2500 vehicle km/24 h) were significantly increased (p = 0.02). This trend remained after adjusting...

“So most people say: Why don’t you go home? Why are you doing this? They feel kind of pity to see people living like this”:

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Juul, Kristine

2016-01-01

migrants surviving through informal street work. The chapter seeks to find answers to the following questions: How come that both young and more experienced migrants travel to Copenhagen, or other Nordic cities, where they encounter a highly regulated job market and very few job offers? How do they make...

High-risk behaviors and experiences with traffic law among night drivers in Curitiba, Brazil

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Sandra L. Ulinski

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Objective: To explore high-risk behaviors and experiences with traffic law among night drivers in Curitiba, Brazil. Method: Data from 398 drivers on sociodemographic parameters, high-risk behaviors, experiences with traffic law, and traffic law violations were collected through interviews conducted at sobriety checkpoints. Exploratory-descriptive and analytical statistics were used. Results: The mean age of the participants was 32.6±11.2 years (range, 18 to 75 years. Half of the drivers reported having driven after drinking in the last year, predominantly single men aged 18 to 29 years who drive cars and drink alcohol frequently. Only 55% of the drivers who had driven after drinking in the last year self-reported some concern about being detected in a police operation. Conclusions: A significant association was found between sociodemographic variables and behavior, which can help tailor public interventions to a specific group of drivers: young men who exhibit high-risk behaviors in traffic, such as driving after drinking alcohol, some of whom report heavy alcohol consumption. This group represents a challenge for educational and enforcement interventions, particularly because they admit to violating current laws and have a low perception of punishment due to the low risk of being detected by the police.

High-risk behaviors and experiences with traffic law among night drivers in Curitiba, Brazil.

Science.gov (United States)

Ulinski, Sandra L; Moysés, Simone T; Werneck, Renata I; Moysés, Samuel J

2016-01-08

To explore high-risk behaviors and experiences with traffic law among night drivers in Curitiba, Brazil. Data from 398 drivers on sociodemographic parameters, high-risk behaviors, experiences with traffic law, and traffic law violations were collected through interviews conducted at sobriety checkpoints. Exploratory-descriptive and analytical statistics were used. The mean age of the participants was 32.6±11.2 years (range, 18 to 75 years). Half of the drivers reported having driven after drinking in the last year, predominantly single men aged 18 to 29 years who drive cars and drink alcohol frequently. Only 55% of the drivers who had driven after drinking in the last year self-reported some concern about being detected in a police operation. A significant association was found between sociodemographic variables and behavior, which can help tailor public interventions to a specific group of drivers: young men who exhibit high-risk behaviors in traffic, such as driving after drinking alcohol, some of whom report heavy alcohol consumption. This group represents a challenge for educational and enforcement interventions, particularly because they admit to violating current laws and have a low perception of punishment due to the low risk of being detected by the police.

Alcohol in urban streetscapes: a comparison of the use of Google Street View and on-street observation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chris Clews

2016-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Alcohol-related harm is a major global health issue, and controls on alcohol marketing are one intervention utilized by governments. This study investigated the use of Google Street View (GSV as a novel research method for collecting alcohol-related data in the urban environment. Methods The efficacy of GSV and on-street observation by observer teams was compared by surveying 400 m stretches of 12 streets in Wellington, the capital city of New Zealand. Data on alcohol sale, alcohol-related advertising, health promotion materials, regulatory information and visible alcohol consumption were collected. Results A total of 403 retailers with evidence of alcohol sales and 1161 items of alcohol-related communication were identified in on-street observation. Of the latter, 1028 items (89 % were for alcohol marketing and 133 (11 % were for alcohol-related health promotion and alcohol regulation. GSV was found to be a less sensitive tool than on-street observation with only 50 % of the alcohol venues identified and 52 % of the venue-associated brand marketing identified. A high degree of inter-observer reliability was generally found between pairs of observers e.g., for the detection of alcohol retail venues the intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC was 0.93 (95 % CI: 0.78 to 0.98 for on-street observation and 0.85 (95 % CI: 0.49 to 0.96 for using GSV. Conclusions GSV does not seem suitable for the comprehensive study of the influences on alcohol consumption in the urban streetscape. However, it may still have value for large, static objects in the environment and be more time efficient than traditional on-street observation measures, especially when used to collect data across a wide geographical area. Furthermore, GSV might become a more useful research tool in settings with better image quality (such as more ‘footpath views’ and with more regularly updated GSV imagery.

Heavy metal speciation in various grain sizes of industrially contaminated street dust using multivariate statistical analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Yıldırım, Gülşen; Tokalıoğlu, Şerife

2016-02-01

A total of 36 street dust samples were collected from the streets of the Organised Industrial District in Kayseri, Turkey. This region includes a total of 818 work places in various industrial areas. The modified BCR (the European Community Bureau of Reference) sequential extraction procedure was applied to evaluate the mobility and bioavailability of trace elements (Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb and Zn) in street dusts of the study area. The BCR was classified into three steps: water/acid soluble fraction, reducible and oxidisable fraction. The remaining residue was dissolved by using aqua regia. The concentrations of the metals in street dust samples were determined by flame atomic absorption spectrometry. Also the effect of the different grain sizes (dust samples on the mobility of the metals was investigated using the modified BCR procedure. The mobility sequence based on the sum of the first three phases (for grain size) was: Cd (71.3)>Cu (48.9)>Pb (42.8)=Cr (42.1)>Ni (41.4)>Zn (40.9)>Co (36.6)=Mn (36.3)>Fe (3.1). No significant difference was observed among metal partitioning for the three particle sizes. Correlation, principal component and cluster analysis were applied to identify probable natural and anthropogenic sources in the region. The principal component analysis results showed that this industrial district was influenced by traffic, industrial activities, air-borne emissions and natural sources. The accuracy of the results was checked by analysis of both the BCR-701 certified reference material and by recovery studies in street dust samples. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Hygiene practices among street food vendors in Tamale Metropolis ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The study noted that street food business in the Tamale Metropolis was women dominated (76%). Majority of vendors (78%) were aged 20-39 years. Public toilets (pit latrines) were accessible to all vending sites. Though high number of street food vendors had some form of formal education (66%) and knowledge of food ...

Copenhagen vs Everett, teleportation, and ER=EPR

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Susskind, Leonard [Stanford Institute for Theoretical Physics and Department of Physics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA (United States)