An iterative fuzzy clustering method is proposed to partition a set of multivariate binary observation vectors located at neighboring geographic sites. The method described here applies in a binary setup a recently proposed algorithm, called Neighborhood EM, which seeks a a partition that is both well clustered in the feature space and spatially regular [2]. This approach is derived from the EM...

The objective was to test GEographic Object-based Image Analysis (GEOBIA) techniques for delineating neighborhoods of Accra, Ghana using QuickBird multispectral imagery. Two approaches to aggregating census enumeration areas (EAs) based on image-derived measures of vegetation objects were tested: (1) merging adjacent EAs according to vegetation measures and (2) image segmentation. Both approach...

Shelley v. Kraemer (1948) was a landmark civil rights ruling, in which the Supreme Court held that private racial covenants could not be enforced by the state to evict black buyers of "restricted" homes. Fair housing scholars have generally dismissed or downplayed the practical effects of Shelley, since other forms of housing discrimination remained very powerful. Using spatial lag models and d...

BACKGROUND Research has recently adopted the use of social-ecological models in the study of physical activity. Few studies, however, have addressed the influence of the environment on activity using Geographic Information System (GIS)-derived measures of environmental attributes and self-report ratings of other environmental attributes. Even fewer have examined walking behaviors. METHODS Sel...

BACKGROUND Physical activity (PA) has numerous health benefits, but older adults live mostly sedentary lifestyles. The physical and social neighborhood environment may encourage/dissuade PA. In particular, neighborhood crime may lead to feeling unsafe and affect older adults' willingness to be physically active. Yet, research on this topic is still inconclusive. Older population, probably the a...

Road traffic and related noise is a major source of annoyance and impairment to health in urban areas. Many areas exposed to road traffic noise are also exposed to rail and air traffic noise. The resulting annoyance may depend on individual/neighborhood socio-demographic factors. Nevertheless, few studies have taken into account the confounding or modifying factors in the relationship between t...

Cellular automata (CA) are individual-based spatial models increasingly used to simulate the dynamics of natural and human systems and forecast their evolution. Despite their simplicity, they can exhibit extraordinary rich behavior and are remarkably effective at generating realistic simulations of land-use patterns and other spatial structures. However, recent studies have demonstrated that th...

INTRODUCTION Built environment attributes have been linked to cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. Therefore, identifying built environment attributes that are associated with CVD risk is relevant for facilitating effective public health interventions. OBJECTIVE To conduct a systematic review of literature to examine the influence of built environmental attributes on CVD risks. DATA SOURCE Mu...

INTRODUCTION Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death in the United States and disproportionately affects racial/ethnic minority groups. Healthy neighborhood conditions are associated with increased uptake of health behaviors that reduce CVD risk, but minority neighborhoods often have poor food access and poor walkability. This study tested the community-driven hypothesis that...