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Decision Support Information System for Urban Lighting

Aim/Purpose: This paper describes and information system for the maintenance and management of municipal lighting systems that also serves as a decision support tool for reducing power consumption on urban lighting. Background: Many municipalities are financially constrained and unable to invest in improving their lighting infrastructure. We propose a very efficient and inexpensive way to set up the database and provide city leaders with tools to improve their system efficiently. Methodology: An information database for the data management and an Integer Programming model for deriving the optimal investment plan. Contribution: This paper contributes to the fields of urban economics and sustainability. Findings: Informing management and workers about the status of the system and how to optimize it will reward the city with considerable savings and improve the service quality. Recommendations for Practitioners: The application of this model, even in a small scale such as a neighborhood can improve citizen’s quality of life without a heavy burden on the city budget. Recommendation for Researchers: There is a growing need for cost-effective means to improve urban management. Innovative ideas that meet these goals should be researched and developed. Impact on Society: First, it allows reduction in carbon emissions and light pollution by reducing power consumption and over-luminous lighting levels. Second, financially constrained municipalities can manage their systems at a very low cost. Future Research: A full scale application is needed in order to evaluate the city-wide benefits of the system.




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The Effect of Visual Appeal, Social Interaction, Enjoyment, and Competition on Mobile Esports Acceptance by Urban Citizens

Aim/Purpose: This study investigated a model of mobile esports acceptance among urban citizens based on an extended Technology Acceptance Model (TAM). Background: Currently, esports are increasingly popular and in demand by the public. Supported by the widespread development of mobile devices, it has become an interactive market trend to play games in a new model, mobile esports. Methodology: This study collected data from 400 respondents and analyzed it using partial least squares-structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). Contribution: This study addresses two research gaps. The first gap is limited esports information systems studies, particularly in mobile esports acceptance studies. The second gap is limited exploration of external variables in online gaming acceptance studies. Thus, this study proposed a TAM extended model by integrating the TAM native variables with other external variables such as visual appeal, enjoyment, social interaction, and competition to explore mobile esports acceptance by urban citizens. Findings: Nine hypotheses were accepted, and four were rejected. The visual appeal did not affect the acceptance. Meanwhile, social interaction and enjoyment significantly affected both perceived ease of use and usefulness. However, perceived ease of use surprisingly had an insignificant effect on attitude toward using mobile esports. Moreover, competition significantly affected the acceptance, particularly on perceived usefulness. Recommendations for Practitioners: Fresh and innovative features, such as new game items or themes, should be frequently introduced to enhance players’ continued enjoyment. Moreover, mobile esports providers should offer a solid platform to excite players’ interactions to increase the likelihood that users feel content. On the other hand, the national sports ministry/agency or responsible authorities should organize many esports competitions, big or small, to search for new talents. Recommendation for Researchers: Visual appeal in this study did not influence the perceived ease of use or usefulness. However, it could affect enjoyment. Thus, it would be worth revisiting the relationship between visual appeal and enjoyment. At the same time, perceived ease of use is a strong driver for the continued use of most online games, but not in this study. It could indicate significant differences between mobile esports and typical online games, one of which is the different purposes. Users might play online games for recreational intention, but players would use mobile esports to compete, win, or even get monetary rewards. Therefore, although users might find mobile esports challenging and hard to use, they tend to keep playing it. Thus, monetary rewards could be considered a determinant of the continuation of use. Impact on Society: Nowadays, users are being paid for playing games. It also would be an excel-lent job if they become professional esports athletes. This study investigated factors that could affect the continued use of mobile esports. Like other jobs, playing games professionally in the long term could make the players tedious and tired. Therefore, responsible parties, like mobile esports providers or governments, could use the recommendations of this study to promote positive behavior among the players. They will not feel like working and still con-sider playing mobile esports a hobby if they happily do the job. In the long run, the players could also make a nation’s society proud if they can be a champion in prestigious competitions. Future Research: A larger sample size will be needed to generalize the results, such as for a nation. It is also preferable if the sample is randomized systematically. Future works should also investigate whether the same results are acquired in other mobile esports. Furthermore, to extend our knowledge and deepen our understanding of the variables that influence mobile esports adoption, the subsequent research could look at other mobile esports acceptability based on characteristics of system functionality and moderator effects. Finally, longitudinal data-collecting approaches are suggested for future studies since behavior can change over time.




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Closing the Digital Divide in Low-Income Urban Communities: A Domestication Approach

Aim/Purpose: Significant urban digital divide exists in Nairobi County where low income households lack digital literacy skills and do not have access to the internet. The study was undertaken as an intervention, designed to close the digital divide among low income households in Nairobi by introducing internet access using the domestication framework. Background: Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) have the potential to help reduce social inequality and have been hailed as critical to the achievement of the Sustainable Development goals (SDGs). Skills in use of ICTs have also become a prerequisite for almost all forms of employment and in accessing government services, hence, the need for digital inclusion for all. Methodology: In this research study, I employed a mixed methods approach to investigate the problem. This was achieved through a preliminary survey to collect data on the existence of urban digital divide in Nairobi and a contextual analysis of the internet domestication process among the eighteen selected case studies. Contribution: While there have been many studies on digital divide between Africa and the rest of the world, within the African continent, among genders and between rural and urban areas at national levels, there are few studies exploring urban digital divide and especially among the marginalized communities living in the low-income urban areas. Findings: Successful domestication of internet and related technologies was achieved among the selected households, and the households appreciated the benefits of having and using the internet for the first time. A number of factors that impede use of internet among the marginalized communities in Nairobi were also identified. Recommendations for Practitioners: In the study, I found that use of differentiated costs internet services targeting specific demographic groups is possible and that use of such a service could help the marginalized urban communities’ access the internet. Therefore, ISPs should offer special internet access packages for the low-income households. Recommendation for Researchers: In this research study, I found that the urban digital divide in Nairobi is an indication of social economic development problems. Therefore, researchers should carryout studies involving multipronged strategies to address the growing digital divide among the marginalized urban communities. Impact on Society: The absence of an Information and Communication Technology (ICT) inclusion policy is a huge setback to the achievement of the SDGs in Kenya. Digital inclusion policies prioritizing digital literacy training, universal internet access and to elucidate the social-economic benefits of internet access for all Kenyans should be developed. Future Research: Future studies should explore ways of providing affordable mass internet access solutions among the residents of low-income communities and in eliminating the persistence urban digital divide in Kenya.




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Robin Kachfi & Jan Mihaly won SoshUrbanMotion EU wildcard





Robin Kachfi & Jan Mihaly won Sosh Urban Motion EU wildcard contest 2017


Robin Kachfi and Jan Mihaly just won the SoshUrbanMotion EU wildcard contest 2017 and they have now the chance to visit Paris, FR, for the main contest, where they will meet Tyler Fernengel/Rich Forne, Markus Wilke/Bruno Hoffmann, Joris Coulomb/Romain Fel, Julián Molina/Fernando Marmolejo, DeMarcus Paul/Will Huynh and Emeric Michon/Vincent Jokovic. Huge Congrats guys! More infos on Freedombmx.de
All the best, Your kunstform BMX Shop Team!

Video: Robin Kachfi

Subscribe our youtube channel: https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/kunstformbmxshop




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Robin Kachfi & Jan Mihaly - SOSH URBAN MOTION VIDEO





Robin Kachfi & Jan Mihaly - SOSH URBAN MOTION Video 2017


Robin Kachfi and Jan Mihaly went home with the second place at the Sosh Urban Motion maincontest 2017 in Paris. Their video is now live on Youtube. You can check all infos about their Paris trip on Freedombmx . Enjoy the video!

All the best, Your kunstform BMX Shop Team!

Video: Robin Kachfi

Interview: Markus Wilke

Subscribe our youtube channel: https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/kunstformbmxshop




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Nature-based Solutions to Climate Change in Urban Areas and their Rural Surroundings: Linkages between science, policy and practice

The Europena Conference "Nature-based Solutions to Climate Change  in Urban Areas and their Rural Surroundings: Linkages between science, policy and practice" will take place from 17 to 19 November 2015 in Bonn, Germany.

The event is a joint European Conference held by the German Federal Agency for Nature Conservation (BfN) and the European Network of Heads of Nature Conservation Agencies (ENCA) in co-operation with the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ) / German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv).

Climate change has significant impact on society and biodiversity in Europe. Urban inhabitants are most likely to experience climate change effects directly because currently 73 per cent of Europeans live in urban areas. Here, management of urban ecosystems offer sustainable and cost-effective solutions to climate change mitigation and adaptation while contributing to human well-being.

This European conference will bring together experts from science, policy and practice to highlight and debate the importance of nature-based solutions to climate change in urban areas and their rural surroundings. Emphasize is given to the potential of nature-based approaches to create multiple-benefits.

The conference is divided into three main areas (day 1: science, day 2: practice and implementation, day 3: policy and business), each of which will be opened by keynote speakers including:

  • Hans Bruyninckx (Executive Director European Environmental Agency, EEA)
  • Wilhelm Krull (Chair of the H2020 expert group on nature-based solutions and re-naturing cities, Secretary General Volkswagen Foundation)
  • Georgina Mace (University College London – UCL, Director of Centre for Biodiversity and Environment Research)
  • Christine Wamsler (Lund University, Centre for Sustainability Studies)
  • Nataša Jazbinšek (Head of Department for Environmental Protection City of Ljubljana and Head of working group for European Green Capital programme 2016)
  • Wolfgang Teubner (ICLEI Regional Director for Europe)
  • Kurt Vandenberghe (Director for Climate action and resource efficiency at the European Commission's Directorate-General for Research and Innovation)
  • Chantal van Ham (IUCN – EU Programme Manager Nature Based Solutions)
  • Dirk Sijmons (Delft University of Technology)

Keynote speeches are complemented by plenary presentations given by leading experts in the fields of urban biodiversity, climate change, and socio-economic effects of nature-based solutions, interactive sessions and a poster exhibition.

Deadline for abstract submission is 24 July 2015 (abstract submission guidelines)

Registration:

Early bird registration deadline: 18 September 2015

Final registration deadline: 30 October 2015

For more information and to register please visit: http://www.ecbcc2015.com/





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Indicators of the effects of the urban greening on birds: the case of Barcelona




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The International Wildland-Urban Interface Code

A wildland-urban interface area is, “that geographical area where structures and other human development meets or intermingles with wildland or vegetative fuels.” Approximately a third of all housing units in the United States are located within an area that meets this definition.




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New York’s “City of Yes” Spurs Urban Decarbonization and Growth by Zoning Reform

Following the 2023 debut of its “City of Yes” strategy to permit more housing faster in New York City, Mayor Eric Adams’ administration unveiled a raft of zoning changes last winter intended to make the proposed growth carbon-neutral, according to Adam Friedberg, a Buro Happold expert behind similar initiatives in the region and worldwide.




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Multifamily Supplier Urban Surfaces Celebrates 5 Years with i4F Drop-Lock Technology, Expands Commitment

Multifamily flooring supplier Urban Surfaces uses i4F technologies to ensure high-quality flooring installations. 




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Blurring the '-ism' in youth climate crisis activism: everyday agency and practices of marginalized youth in the Brazilian urban periphery.

Children's Geographies; 06/01/2021
(AN 151284197); ISSN: 14733285
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Creating an ethos for learning: classroom seating and pedagogical use of space at a Chinese suburban middle school.

Children's Geographies; 04/01/2022
(AN 155952639); ISSN: 14733285
Academic Search Premier




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Stories of shimmer and pollution: understanding child-environment aesthetic encounters in urban wilds.

Children's Geographies; 09/14/2022
(AN 159192657); ISSN: 14733285
Academic Search Premier




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Children's spaces in coastal cities: challenges to conventional urban understandings and prospects for child-friendly blue urbanism.

Children's Geographies; 10/01/2022
(AN 159948780); ISSN: 14733285
Academic Search Premier








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The right to the school: urban schooling, place-based education, and youth agency at the intersection of gentrification.

Children's Geographies; 08/01/2023
(AN 167303420); ISSN: 14733285
Academic Search Premier




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Exploring the tactical mobilities and everyday activity of immigrant adolescents in a Canadian suburban city.

Children's Geographies; 10/01/2023
(AN 173035626); ISSN: 14733285
Academic Search Premier





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An urban neighbourhood framework for realising progress towards the New Urban Agenda for equitable early childhood development.

Children's Geographies; 12/01/2023
(AN 174964051); ISSN: 14733285
Academic Search Premier








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Spatialities of <italic>shabaab</italic>: exploring the intersections of lifestage, space and mobility amongst refugee young people in urban Jordan.

Children's Geographies; 06/08/2024
(AN 177735566); ISSN: 14733285
Academic Search Premier








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Office National des Forêts Blends Urban and Natural Settings

The Office National des Forêts expansion by Atelier Delalande Tabourin in Versailles blends architecture with the surrounding forest environment.





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Urban geoscience - British Geological Survey

Urban geoscience  British Geological Survey





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Relationships, Rigor, and Relevance - The Three Rs of Engaging Students in Urban High Schools

High schools that successfully engage students in learning have many things in common.




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Entomologist May R. Berenbaum of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Named PNAS Editor-in-Chief

The National Academy of Sciences (NAS) announces the appointment of May R. Berenbaum as Editor-in-Chief of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), the official journal of the Academy. Berenbaum will begin the editorship on January 1, 2019.




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New Report Calls for Different Approaches to Predict and Understand Urban Flooding

Urban flooding is a complex and distinct kind of flooding, compounded by land use and high population density, and it requires a different approach to assess and manage, says Framing the Challenge of Urban Flooding in the United States, a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.




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Bridging Ghana and the Gulf - How One ECRF Fellow Is Tackling Urban Flooding

Communities must move from coping with floods to adapting for them. Kwame Owusu-Daaku, a former Gulf Research Program fellow, explains why living through floods in his native Ghana led him to Florida to help address the link between flooding and injustice.




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DYU C6 electric bike: lightweight and convenient, creating a new choice for urban cyclists




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iUrban Teen Launches a Gateway to Sports and Data Analytics for Girls

New Career Pathways for Girls




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Gary Brett Clavio Recognized for His Expertise in Urban and Regional Planning

Gary Brett Clavio serves as planning manager for Santa Fe County




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Introducing the GoTrax CTI Series: Revolutionizing Urban Commuting with the Ultimate Electric Bike

The reviews are in and the GOTRAX CTI eBikes are the best value under $1000.




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NABE Recognizes Kay A. Oliver's "Road to Elysium" with Pinnacle Book Achievement Award for Best Urban Fiction 2024

A Tapestry of Redemption and Hope - Think "It's a Wonderful Life" Meets "Blind Slide," This Narrative Delivers




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Jessica Rebecca Urban has been Inducted into the Prestigious Marquis Who's Who Biographical Registry

Jessica Rebecca Urban is recognized for her expert leadership of Starbase Software Systems




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To Encourage Urban Renewal in Older Neighborhoods, Cities Should Evaluate Barriers & Lower the Bar to Entry

Rising commercial vacancies and a declining population indicate that Haltom City is lagging in this area.




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The Urban Cyclist's Conundrum: Evaluating Bodywel T16 vs. DYU D3F for City Riding

A Detailed Comparison of Bodywel T16 and DYU D3F Electric Bikes for City Commuters




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ANOTHER CHOICE FOR SCHENECTADY STUDENTS AND FAMILIES: URBAN COLLEGIATE ACADEMY CHARTER SCHOOL

Academic Achievement & Positive Youth Development