8 November 2024 |
Spatial Distribution, Characterisation, and Policy Opportunities for Taiwan's Solo Elderly: A Big Data Approach
by Mr. Roy Lin (Head of Urban Informatics, City Science Lab @ Taipei Tech)
As Taiwan approaches super-aging by 2025, this study uses the 2022 Taiwan Ministry of the Interior database combined with geospatial analysis and machine learning to examine solo elderly demographical patterns and assess current "Community Care Stations." Findings: 1. Urban areas have higher aging and solo rates closer to city centers, while rural areas show the opposite pattern; 2. "Dual aging" (elderly and old houses) is common in metropolitan areas; 3. Solo elderly are predominantly urban females, suburban males, often separated, widowed, or divorced, with fewer children or residing in different regions; 4. Both advantaged and disadvantaged solo elderly are identified in major metropolitan areas, requiring tailored policies for housing and care; 5. The idea "Aging-in-place" highlights disparities in service coverages at "Community Care Stations." A demand-driven optimization strategy was introduced to increase urban density and expand suburban coverage. This research guides policy design for Taiwan's evolving solo elderly population.
Mr. Roy Yu-Ta Lin is an architect, urban designer, strategist, and data analyst. Roy holds a Master of Architecture in Urban Design degree from Harvard University Graduate School of Design (GSD). Roy is now Head of Urban Informatics of City Science Lab, Taipei Tech, a joint lab between MIT and Taipei Tech. Prior to CSL, Roy served as Director of Data Analytics & Applications for Taipei Urban Intelligence Center (TUIC). Roy is also an entrepreneur, he founded IVC InVisibleCities, an urban research open community; and CVI Civic Intelligence, an urban intelligence consulting firm. Having worked across countries for international firms such as AECOM, OMA, frog and WeWork, Roy has solid expertise ranging across design, cities, data, and research. Roy excels in tackling cross-disciplinary, complex design challenges ranging from micro to macro scale, from the tangibles to the intangibles.
15 November 2024 |
Salutogenic City Design
by Professor Alan Dilani (President/Founder, International Academy for Design & Health (Stockholm, Sweden))
Alan Dilani, Ph.D., is a global authority on interdisciplinary research regarding the intersection between design and health. A founder of the International Academy for Design and Health (IADH) and the journal World Health Design, Prof. Dilani holds a Masters of Architecture in Environmental Design from the Polytechnic of Turin, Italy, and a Ph.D. in Health Facility Design from the Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm. The multidisciplinary research program he developed at the medical university of the Karolinska Institute led to a new design theory, “Salutogenic Design,” which not only fosters functional efficiency in healthcare infrastructure, but also improves health processes. He has contributed internationally to academic development in the field of design and health, served as a keynote speaker at various conferences, and lectured worldwide in major universities in the United States, Europe, Australasia, Asia, and Africa. Prof. Dilani has designed all types of healthcare facilities and has served as advisor for ministries of health around the world, briefing developments in healthcare infrastructure with a vision of the salutogenic approach. He has authored sixteen books and numerous articles in the field of design and health. Prof. Dilani was recognised in 2010 by the American Institute of Architects for his promotion of high-quality design research; and in 2017, in Vienna, was awarded the Lifetime Fellowship for outstanding leadership and contribution as founder and chair of the International Academy for Design and Health.
22 November 2024 |
Mind the Gap: Accommodating Neurodiversity in Singapore's MRT
by Mr. Ishmam Ahmed (Research Assistant, CNRS@CREATE)
Mr. Ishmam Ahmed is a Design Researcher with a background in Urban Studies and Psychology from Yale-NUS College, and he is interested in contributing to the design, planning, and discourse of more inclusive and restorative cities. He is currently a Research Assistant at CNRS@CREATE, a subsidiary of The French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS).
29 November 2024 |
Transportation Planning in the Era of Population Ageing and Climate Change: Bridging Travel Behaviour and Policymaking
by Dr. Alex Li (Assistant Professor, NUS Department of Architecture)
Private vehicles significantly contribute to congestion and greenhouse gas emissions. However, vehicle ownership is essential for accessing social, economic, and recreational opportunities in many parts of the world. Given the controversial role of vehicles in future transportation planning, this presentation begins with the presenter’s recent study on the classification of zero-vehicle older adults in the United States and its implications. It discusses the extent to which transportation policies can help older individuals age in place. Concluding with skepticism about reliance on vehicles in transportation planning, the presentation further examines how regional transportation agencies in the United States are addressing electric vehicles and the potential implications for planning practices. Finally, the presenter will discuss the research and educational implications of these findings in the context of Singapore.
Dr. Shengxiao (Alex) Li is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Architecture, College of Design and Engineering. As an international urban planning scholar, Alex’s research focuses on the transportation policy and planning from the perspectives of inclusiveness and social equity, and mitigating climate change. His research contributes to the impact of population aging on transportation planning and urban planning in general in the United States, equity and travel implications of transit-oriented development in Chinese and American large cities, and travel difficulties of the low-income commuters.
Alex holds a PhD. degree (2022) and a master’s degree (2021) in City and Regional Planning from the University of Pennsylvania, a Master’s degree of Urban and Regional Planning (2018), and bachelor’s degrees in urban management and economics (2015) from Peking University. Prior to joining the National University of Singapore, he was a Visiting Assistant Professor at the University of Oregon (2023-24), and a postdoctoral researcher and lecturer at the University of California, Riverside (2022-23). His research was supported by the Department of Transportation of the United States, Lincoln Institute of Land Policy, and University of Pennsylvania’s Provost Office.
As a practice-based scholar, he has worked closely with local and regional governments, transit agencies, and non-profit organizations. He also actively engaged in community-based learning, especially through the University of Oregon’s Sustainable City Year Program. He works closely with scholars in various disciplines, including but not limited to transportation engineering, geography, public policy, gerontology, and demography. He has published 26 peer-reviewed journals in leading urban planning, transportation, and social policy journals, such as Journal of American Planning Association, Journal of Planning Literature, Transportation Research Part A and D, Transport Policy, and Journal of Aging and Social Policy. His current research focuses on racial justice and transportation, and local politics of urban sustainability initiatives, such as climate action plan development and transit-oriented developments.
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