It is accepted that noise pollution has a major impact on health, such as physical, physiological, psychological and performance related effects, all over the world. This study aims to evaluate noise pollution in four urban parks located in Sanandaj City, Iran and to zone it in GIS environment. Sound pressure level (SPL) and maximum sound level (Lmax) were measured at 45 points (each point was ...

BACKGROUND Parks are important for providing opportunities for physical activity among youth. Apart from engaging in physical activity whilst visiting a park, active transportation (e.g. walking or cycling) to parks is potentially an additional source of physical activity. Previous research has shown that a major barrier to young people visiting parks is their inability to visit parks unaccompa...

Estonia has one of the most established e-voting systems in the world. Internet voting remote e-voting using the voter’s own equipment was piloted in 2005 [12] (with the first real elections using e-voting being conducted the same year) and has been in use ever since. So far, the Estonian internet voting system has been used for the whole country in three sets of local elections, two European P...

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE The soil of public squares and parks may be contaminated with the infective stages of parasites because of the presence of stray animals in these parks. Many people take a rest in these places and they may be at risk of infection with parasites because the infective stages of parasites can survive for months, or even years, in spite of the factors of weather. OBJECT...

We evaluated the impact of outdoor exercise equipment (FZ, Fitness Zones) in 12 parks serving diverse populations. We used the System for Observing Play and Recreation in Communities (SOPARC) to assess use and estimate energy expenditure prior to and twice after FZ installation. Park use increased more in FZ parks than in 10 control parks that did not get equipment, but the difference was not s...

The purpose of this paper is to discuss the shared interest of the public health and parks and recreation sectors in promoting active visits to parks. At the institutional level, both sectors have missions to promote physical activity and view parks as key components in attaining physical activity goals. While some balancing among park goals may be necessary to avoid overuse and resource degrad...

Whilst a growing body of evidence demonstrates people derive a range of health and wellbeing benefits from visiting parks, only a limited number of attempts have been made to provide a complementary economic assessment of parks. The aim of this exploratory study was to directly estimate the perceived health and wellbeing benefits attained from parks and the economic value assigned to parks by p...

As a feature of the built neighborhood environment, parks have been associated with a range of positive health outcomes. Recognition of these contributions has prompted advocates to suggest parks are a part of our healthcare system. Despite these developments, park investments have declined over the past decade nationally, lagging behind expenditures on other community services such as health. ...

Toxocariasis is a parasitic zoonose caused by the infection of larval nematode Toxocara species. A total of 285 soil samples from January to March 2009 in 18 public parks were collected to test for soil contamination with Toxocara eggs. Soil samples were investigated for the present of Toxocara eggs using sucrose flotation method. Distribution of Toxocara spp. eggs in samples collected from pub...

We compare the interactive experiences of two public infrastructures — situated displays and a municipal wireless network — using a conceptual framework of place, experience and embodiment. Using the framework as a point of reference, we can begin to address some inherent design issues in these technologies. Consequently, we argue that urban technologies which take into account their environmen...