This paper explores the role of car sharing in better meeting the needs of older adults, through a case study of Arvida Park Lane (APL) - an upscale retirement village in & Omacr;tautahi, Christchurch, which hosts the largest retirement village car-sharing scheme in Aotearoa, New Zealand. Drawing on semi-structured interviews with 20 residents, the research identifies how APL's car sharing scheme and related activities both supported and unsettled everyday life: reshaping perspectives on independence and interdependence, supporting opportunities for ageing well and practices of care, building community, and simultaneously, amplifying relational tensions. The paper argues that APL's scheme has partially evolved into a commons: reconfiguring meaning and practice while remaining entangled with some private ownership and entitlement logics. Even as partial commons, APL's car sharing and related activities shows the potential for cultural and relational shifts in how mobility is understood, organised, and practiced - pointing towards wider possibilities for reimagining mobility as a collective good in contexts of ageing and beyond.

Shared electric scooters (e-scooters) are widely adopted, yet their ridership patterns remain insufficiently understood. Existing studies rely on origin-destination (OD) inferred trips and use global models, which overlook true paths and spatial heterogeneity effects. This constrains understanding of spatio-temporal patterns and drivers of shared e-scooter ridership, reducing the effectiveness of transport planning and policy interventions. We address these limitations using observed street-segment-level trip counts to identify spatio-temporal ridership profile by clustering hourly ridership curves. We also apply Geographically Weighted Poisson Regression (GWPR) to examine spatial associations between ridership and contextual factors. Results reveal clear temporal differences from cycling behaviour and strong spatially varying associations between ridership and built environment, which global models fail to capture. Our findings show that data-driven clustering can classify micromobility behaviour without assuming trip purpose. Although focused on Christchurch, the methodological framework is transferable and applicable to other cities with similar data.

Active learning has a long heritage in Geography and allied subjects, and many claims are made about its benefits. This article attempts a long run assessment of these benefits, drawing on a survey of 180 respondents who graduated from a capstone Geography course over a 15-year period. The course focuses on community-based research and depends on the development and curation of an ecosystem of students, academic staff mentors, community partners and university managers. It is designed to enable students to make a difference, whilst gaining experience of working in groups, managing time and expectations, and workplace preparation. The paper assesses impacts on respondents in the long term, rather than the more usual results of course surveys conducted at the time. The context of the course is notable, as it began one year before the Canterbury earthquake sequence, which sharpened both community need and opportunity for such learning methods. The insights gained from developing and running the course over the period of time in question are outlined.

The built and natural environment can facilitate (un)healthy behaviors in adolescence. However, most previous studies have focused on examining associations between singular aspects of the environment. This study examined the association between the mixture of health-promoting and health-constraining environmental features in a Healthy Location Index (HLI) and physical activity and screen time among adolescents. This cross-sectional study used data from the Built Environment and Active Transport to School (BEATS) Research Program based in Dunedin, New Zealand. Data from 1,162 adolescents with complete demographic, health behavior and spatial records were included in the analysis. The environment was defined using the HLI based on access to health-promoting (e.g., greenspace, blue space, physical activity facility) and health-constraining (e.g., fast-food outlets) features and their mixture. Quantile g-computation and multilevel mixed effects models, with adolescents nested within schools, examined associations between the environment and the two health behaviors. A positive association existed between meeting physical activity guidelines and access to health-promoting environments (OR = 1.23 [95% CI 1.03; 1.47]), particularly blue space. In addition, the mixture of health-promoting and health-constraining environments was also important (ψ = 1.18 [1.01; 1.37]). However, there was limited evidence of an association between the environment and screen time. We provide evidence of a relationship between health-promoting environments, the mix of health-promoting and health-constraining environments, and physical activity among adolescents. The findings support the hypothesis that the environment has the potential to positively influence healthy behaviors of youth, particularly when it comes to physical activity.

Walking and cycling are widely encouraged to improve safety, promote health and avoid externalities generated by other transport modes, such as air and noise pollution, and greenhouse gas emissions. Many practitioners and policymakers turn to well-established active mobility cultures, such as the Netherlands, to identify best planning practices. However, walking and cycling rates remain low, and arguments are made that besides built environment characteristics, cultural contexts and social norms are also important in encouraging walking and cycling. While travel behaviour is found to be significantly influenced by socialisation factors (e.g. cultural and social norms), the processes of influence are mediated through an intermediate step of past behaviour. In order to understand the role of socialisation factors in changes towards active travel behaviour a whole view of an individual’s life is therefore needed. This study addresses this research gap by investigating the role of long-term socialisation factors and built environment characteristics in the active travel behaviour of high-income immigrants (e.g. expats) living in the Netherlands, using a qualitative, biographical approach. The findings demonstrate that walking and cycling behaviour can significantly change due to the presence of facilitating factors in the built environment, supportive social networks and the normalisation of walking and cycling as modes of transport. People who have grown up and lived in places with little tradition of walking and cycling, can change their travel behaviour if the environment, both physical and social, makes walking and cycling a viable and attractive option to travel instead of using motorised transportation.

OBJECTIVE:The impact of socio-economic factors on abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) rupture are poorly understood at a geospatial level, but they are important considerations in the targeted distribution of preventive resources such as screening and treatment. This study aimed to map the nationwide geospatial distribution of AAA ruptures in Aotearoa New Zealand and to analyse associations with socio-economic factors. METHODS:A nationwide, retrospective, geospatial analysis of all AAA ruptures between January 2000 and December 2019 in Aotearoa New Zealand was performed using national registry mortality and hospitalisation data within a Bayesian framework. Standardised incidence ratios (SIRs) of AAA rupture were calculated for populations grouped by socio-economic factors (deprivation, ethnicity, and urban accessibility). Geospatial analysis was performed using Bayesian Poisson regression modelling to provide smoothed estimates of AAA rupture incidence at the small community level. The association between rupture incidence and small area level smoking rates, Māori population proportion, urban accessibility, and socio-economic deprivation (SED) was examined through geospatially linked data. RESULTS:Over the 20 year study period, 5 942 fatal and non-fatal AAA ruptures were identified. High AAA rupture incidence was geospatially clustered into persistent hotspots. SED (coefficient 3.39, 95% credible interval [CrI] 2.38 - 4.49) and smoking prevalence (coefficient 1.14, 95% CrI -0.03 - 2.27) were associated with increased AAA rupture incidence and this was persistent over the study, despite the AAA rupture incidence falling from 1.05/1 000 person years (95% CrI 0.60 - 1.85) in 2000 - 2006, to 0.65/1 000 person years (95% Crl 0.38 - 1.13) in 2013 - 2019. SIRs were elevated in socio-economically deprived, Māori, and rural communities. CONCLUSION:AAA rupture is clustered into geographically defined and persistent high risk communities in Aotearoa New Zealand. High deprivation communities bear an excess burden of AAA rupture, as do the indigenous Māori population, consistent with entrenched health inequities following colonisation. This should inform the management and implementation of AAA screening and treatment.

BACKGROUND:A growing body of evidence supports an association between air pollution exposure and adverse mental health outcomes, especially in adulthood however, very little is known about the effects of early life air pollution exposure during childhood. We examined longitudinal associations between the extent and timing of children's annual air pollution exposure from conception to age 10 years and a wide range of cognitive, educational and mental health outcomes in childhood and adolescence that were assessed prospectively as part of a large birth cohort study. METHODS:We linked historical air pollution data (μg.m-3) from pregnancy to age 10 years (1976-1987) using the addresses of all cohort members (n = 1265) of the Christchurch Health and Development Study (CHDS) who were born in New Zealand in mid-1977. Latent Class Growth Mixture Models were used to characterise different trajectories of air pollution exposure from the prenatal period to age 10 years. We then examined associations between these air pollution exposure trajectories and 16 outcomes in childhood and adolescence using R Studio and Stata V18. FINDINGS:Four air pollution exposure trajectories were identified: i) low, ii) persistently high, iii) high prenatal and postnatal, and iv) elevated pre-school exposure. While some associations were attenuated, after adjusting for a variety of covariates spanning childhood, family sociodemographic background and family functioning characteristics, several associations remained. Relative to the lowest exposure trajectory, persistently high and high prenatal and postnatal exposure were both related to attentional problems. High prenatal and postnatal was also related to higher risk of substance abuse. Elevated pre-school exposure was associated with conduct problems, lower educational attainment and substance abuse and persistently high childhood exposure increased risk of substance abuse. CONCLUSIONS:Our study highlights potential adverse and longer-term impacts of air pollution exposure during childhood on subsequent development in later life.

Spatial life course epidemiological approaches offer promise for prospectively examining the impacts of air pollution exposure on longer-term health outcomes, but existing research is limited. An essential aspect, often overlooked is the comprehensiveness of exposure data across the lifecourse. The primary objective was to meticulously reconstruct historical estimates of air pollution exposure to include prenatal exposure as well as annual exposure from birth to 10 years (1977-1987) for each cohort member. We linked these data from a birth cohort of 1,265 individuals, born in Aotearoa/New Zealand in mid-1977 and studied to age 40, to historical air pollution data to create estimates of exposure from birth to 10 years (1977-1987). Improvements in air quality over time were found. However, outcomes varied by demographic and socioeconomic factors. Future research should examine how inequitable air pollution exposure is related to health outcomes over the life course.

Transport costs can constitute a large proportion of household budgets and restrict travel. Reduced or free public transport fares are one strategy to address these affordability and accessibility challenges. We analyse data from a 2022 transport survey to investigate participants perspectives and experiences of half price public transport fares in Ōtautahi Christchurch, a city in Aotearoa New Zealand. We find that those experiencing transport poverty are likely to have benefitted in terms of widening access and reduced financial stress.

This short report of international case studies looks systematically at a select few case studies from across the world focused on various aspects of emission reduction best practice. After a brief overview of the location and background we discuss the neighbourhood design characteristics and interventions with a focus on the specific plans or policies enacted. We then turn to discuss the impact of the aforementioned policies and plans with a view to briefly covering the salient impacts. We conclude each case study with some relevant thoughts and potential applications to the Aotearoa New Zealand context. References to materials are given at the end of each case study. Each case study is designed to give a brief overview of the relevant impacts and applications rather than an exhaustive in-depth study of each place for brevity. We also include a brief overview of other relevant research in an appendix at the end of the document.

Active travel (e.g. walking and cycling) is encouraged in the Netherlands for the many environmental and health benefits it offers, and, as a result, the country has among the highest rates of cycling in the world. This is at least partially attributed to investments in cycle infrastructure. Yet few other countries have followed the Netherlands lead and invested similarly, and arguments are made that the Dutch life experience and culture are also important in encouraging walking and cycling. To examine the influence mobility culture on active travel behaviour, this study assesses similarities and differences in walking and cycling between a sample of professional immigrants living in the Netherlands’ Randstad region and a socio-demographically comparable sample born and raised in the Netherlands. The study found both similarities and differences in walking and cycling between professional immigrants and ethnic Dutch, with the immigrants actually walking and cycling more than the ethnic Dutch. In order to identify factors that influenced preferences to and levels of walking and cycling, a multiple linear regression analysis of dichotomous and ordinal variables based on their polychoric correlations was applied. Findings show that socio-demographic characteristics, car and bicycle access and trip purpose have a significant effect on the active travel behaviour of the two population groups. In addition, findings demonstrate that car access and use is associated with reduced active travel mode use. However, the reasons and causes of the differences in walking and cycling behaviour between immigrants and ethnic Dutch need further research.

The overarching aim of this short report is to provide a more digestible summary and overview of the international case studies report published previously; to identify and summarise the key policy in the area relating to our carbon-neutral neighbourhoods project; to provide some key lessons learned for New Zealand in order to understand better the potential avenues for meeting carbon reduction ambitions.

Cities need places that contribute to quality of life, places that support social interaction. Wellbeing, specifically, community wellbeing, is influenced by where people live, the quality of place is important and who they connect with socially. Social interaction and connection can come from the routine involvement with others, the behavioural acts of seeing and being with others. This research consisted of 38 interviews of residents of Christchurch, New Zealand, in the years following the 2010-12 earthquakes. Residents were asked about the place they lived and their interactions within their community. The aim was to examine the role of neighbourhood in contributing to local social connections and networks that contribute to living well. Specifically, it focused on the role and importance of social infrastructure in facilitating less formal social interactions in local neighbourhoods. It found that neighbourhood gathering places and bumping spaces can provide benefit for living well. Social infrastructure, like libraries, parks, primary schools, and pubs are some of the places of neighbourhood that contributed to how well people can encounter others for social interaction. In addition, unplanned interactions were facilitated by the existence of bumping places, such as street furniture. The wellbeing value of such spaces needs to be acknowledged and factored into planning decisions, and local rules and regulations need to allow the development of such spaces.

Despite growing investments in active travel infrastructure in many developed countries, walking and cycling rates often remain low. In addition to changes in the built environment, life experiences, place-specific urban mobility policies, and social and cultural norms with regard to active travel mode use are also found to be important factors for encouraging walking and cycling. Many researchers have examined immigrants’ travel behaviour to study the influence of social and cultural norms and place-specific factors on mode choice and travel decisions. However, knowledge of the differences in walking and cycling behaviour between various sub-groups of immigrants remains limited. By means of a multiple linear regression model, this study investigates differences in walking and cycling behaviours between immigrants in a less active travel culture, namely New Zealand, and an active travel culture, the Netherlands. The findings show that immigrants in both contexts walk and cycle more than the wider populations. Analysis results demonstrate that socio-demographic characteristics, car and bicycle access, and trip purpose all have a significant effect on active travel behaviour. Furthermore, on average, Dutch born-and-raised immigrants in New Zealand cycle more days per month than professional immigrants in the Netherlands and tend to use a much wider range of transport modes, particularly sharing services. These findings suggest that past experiences with particular travel modes and socialisation factors likely play a major role in active travel behaviour, thereby stressing the need for more research on the role of cultural and social norms in travel decision-making processes.

The environment may be an important influence on adolescent behaviour. We combined accelerometry and global positioning system data to investigate how the environment was related to physical activity and sedentary behaviour. Adolescents spent most of their time in very close proximity to a range of both health-promoting and health-constraining features. Several associations were detected between time spent in areas with the greatest access to health-promoting features and reduced sedentary time and less travel time by motor vehicle. The environment may contribute to the variation in adolescent activity behaviour.

This city profile provides a transdisciplinary story of Ōtautahi Christchurch, Aotearoa New Zealand. We take a socio-cultural history approach to describe multiple disruptions that have led to the city's current urban form and community resilience, with a specific emphasis on the experiences of Māori since colonisation. Ōtautahi Christchurch is the ancestral home of Ngāi Tahu people who exercise mana whenua - Indigenous sovereignty with respect to land, derived from genealogy and occupation. The area was colonised in the early 1800s and the city's strong colonial English ties are still visible in the city's layout, public spaces, urban representations, and architecture. Te Waipounamu South Island lies in an active fault zone resulting in high seismic activity. The Canterbury Earthquake Sequence 2010-2012 had a significant impact on the health of local communities, infrastructure and economies across the region. Subsequent recovery and long-term regeneration strategies across the region have been developed and partly implemented to date. Citizens embrace collaborative temporary urban projects to bridge the gap between emergency response and urban recovery with a return of Māori influence post-quake. This type of place-making contributes to the re-establishment of a sense of place in Ōtautahi Christchurch and a continuous engagement focused in reconnecting the citizens with the city. With this city profile we contribute to the field of critical geographies by sharing the cultural lessons learnt on indigenous resilience to disasters recovery, which may be of relevance to other cities facing ecological and cultural disruptions.