ITS Berkeley

This study investigates to what extent a mismatch between residential preferences and actual residential locations is associated with residents’ physical activity and walking. The residents of Montgomery County, MD, and Twin Cities, MN, were classified into four residential subgroups, and their walking and physical activity outcomes were compared. The results showed that, for transport activity and walking outcomes, participants living in a urban location and preferring a urban environment were more likely to be active than those who lived in a suburban location and preferred a...

The proportion of teens and young adults with driver’s licenses has declined sharply in many industrialized countries including the United States. Explanations for this decline have ranged from the introduction of graduated driver licensing programs to the increase in online social interaction. We used a longitudinal cohort study of teenage girls in San Diego and Minneapolis to evaluate factors associated with licensure and whether teens’ travel patterns become more independent as they age. We found that licensure depended not only on age but also on race and ethnicity as well as on...

The Andean bear (Tremarctos ornatus; 70-195 kg; VU) is the only actual South American bear and its habitat comprises Andean forests. The expansion of the agricultural frontier, the conflict retaliation hunting, the road infrastructure, and the lack of effective preservation practices are its threats. The mountain ranges cover 31.3% of the Colombian territory over 400 m.a.s.l., and constitute the backbone of its river structure. It has 326 Protected Areas (AP’s): 66 nationally, 170 regionally, and 90 locally, which take up 49,528.64 km2, 10.3 % of the Colombian Andean region. 166,779 km2...

Since motor vehicles are a major air pollution source, urban designs that decrease private automobile use could improve air quality and decrease air pollution health risks. Yet, the relationships among urban form, air quality, and health are complex and not fully understood. To explore these relationships, we model the effects of three alternative development scenarios on annual average fine particulate matter (PM2.5) concentrations in ambient air and associated health risks from PM2.5 exposure in North Carolina's Raleigh-Durham-...