Department of Geography Works

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    Valuing the Benefits of the Urban Forest: A Spatial Hedonic Approach
    (2008-11) Payton, Seth; Lindsey, Greg; Wilson, Jeffrey S.; Ottensmann, John R.; Man, Joyce
    This paper measures the benefits of the urban forest by examining its effect on housing prices. A Geographic Information System is used to develop a measure of the urban forest, the Normalised Difference Vegetation Index, from satellite imagery and to construct other variables from a variety of sources. Spatial hedonic housing price models for the Indianapolis/Marion County area are estimated. The models indicate that greener vegetation around a property has a positive, significant effect on housing price, holding everything else constant. This effect is dominated by measures at the neighborhood level. These findings indicate that property owners value the urban forest, at least in part, by the premium they pay to live in neighborhoods with greener, denser vegetation. These findings also indicate that public action to maintain and enhance the urban forest may be warranted. Planners and urban foresters can use these findings to inform public and policy debates over urban forestry programs and proposals.
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    Socioeconomic indicators of heat-related health risk supplemented with remotely sensed data
    (2009-10-16) Johnson, Daniel P.; Wilson, Jeffrey S.; Luber, George C.
    Background: Extreme heat events are the number one cause of weather-related fatalities in the United States. The current system of alert for extreme heat events does not take into account intra-urban spatial variation in risk. The purpose of this study is to evaluate a potential method to improve spatial delineation of risk from extreme heat events in urban environments by integrating sociodemographic risk factors with estimates of land surface temperature derived from thermal remote sensing data. Results: Comparison of logistic regression models indicates that supplementing known sociodemographic risk factors with remote sensing estimates of land surface temperature improves the delineation of intra-urban variations in risk from extreme heat events. Conclusion: Thermal remote sensing data can be utilized to improve understanding of intra-urban variations in risk from extreme heat. The refinement of current risk assessment systems could increase the likelihood of survival during extreme heat events and assist emergency personnel in the delivery of vital resources during such disasters.
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    The Institute for Research on Social Issues
    (Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research, 2010-04-09) Ford, David A.; Bell, David; Johnson, Daniel P.; Bao, Wan-Ning; Dickerson-Putman, Jeanette; Morrison, Wendy; Parrish-Sprowl, John; Wilson, Jeffrey S.; Wolf, James
    The Institute for Research on Social Issues (IRSI) is a collection of collaborating centers and workgroups meant to foster funded research in support of faculty and students who can benefit from its research infrastructure. The poster highlights the activities of IRSI Centers and Workgroups. It features two major funded research projects. “Networks of Heterosexual Risk and HIV” examines the motivations for risk-reducing behaviors between HIV-positive individuals and their HIV-negative partners. Study findings will inform interventions for preventing HIV among partners at risk of infection. “Decision Support through Earth Science Research Results” seeks to augment the current Heat Watch/Warning System (HWWS) with NASA instruments and models used in conjunction with socioeconomic and heat-related mortality data. This activity will enable the production of a more spatially specific warning for areas of risk within the cities, a current limitation of the HWWS.
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    Identifying risk factors for healthcare-associated infections from electronic medical record home address data
    (BMC, 2010-09-17) Wilson, Jeffrey S.; Shepherd, David C.; Rosenman, Marc B.; Kho, Abel N.; Geography, School of Liberal Arts
    Background Residential address is a common element in patient electronic medical records. Guidelines from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention specify that residence in a nursing home, skilled nursing facility, or hospice within a year prior to a positive culture date is among the criteria for differentiating healthcare-acquired from community-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections. Residential addresses may be useful for identifying patients residing in healthcare-associated settings, but methods for categorizing residence type based on electronic medical records have not been widely documented. The aim of this study was to develop a process to assist in differentiating healthcare-associated from community-associated MRSA infections by analyzing patient addresses to determine if residence reported at the time of positive culture was associated with a healthcare facility or other institutional location. Results We identified 1,232 of the patients (8.24% of the sample) with positive cultures as probable cases of healthcare-associated MRSA based on residential addresses contained in electronic medical records. Combining manual review with linking to institutional address databases improved geocoding rates from 11,870 records (79.37%) to 12,549 records (83.91%). Standardization of patient home address through geocoding increased the number of matches to institutional facilities from 545 (3.64%) to 1,379 (9.22%). Conclusions Linking patient home address data from electronic medical records to institutional residential databases provides useful information for epidemiologic researchers, infection control practitioners, and clinicians. This information, coupled with other clinical and laboratory data, can be used to inform differentiation of healthcare-acquired from community-acquired infections. The process presented should be extensible with little or no added data costs.
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    The IUPUI Center for Urban Health Enhancing Community Wellness Through Research
    (Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research, 2011-04-08) Filippelli, Gabriel; Johnson, Daniel P.; Wiehe, Sarah; Zollinger, Terry
    Urban sustainability is a new philosophy of developing healthy, productive communities that (1) promote and use locally-produced foods and products, (2) ensure safe access to natural spaces, and (3) establish low-carbon transportation systems. Urban living is arguably the most sustainable form of community given the concentration of resources, protection of arable land, and vertical structure of housing. In fact, urbanization is becoming the global norm; the percentage of global population living in urban settings has increased from less than 30% in 1950 to 47% in 2000; the percentage of urban dwellers is expected to increase to 60% by 2025. The promise of a healthy and sustainable urban future is clouded, however, by the reality of environmental insults, economic disparities, and behavioral pressures that exist in modern cities. The challenge is not how to build a shiny carbon-neutral city from scratch, but rather how to transition our current urban state toward one that is healthier, has less environmental impact, and is more prepared to respond and adjust to variety of environmental, social, and health changes in the future. The central theme of the IUPUI Center for Urban Health is Environment, Community, and Health. Each of these “spheres” is connected by the built and social environment from a contextual standpoint and by geospatial referencing from an integration standpoint. The goal of the Center for Urban Health is to enhance health and sustainability for urban populations, with an eye toward both environmental legacies (i.e., reduced contamination, removing social and economic disparities) and emerging threats (i.e., climate change, water quality and quantity). The Center is currently recruiting Investigators across campus and across the community to provide research linkages, is funding several Urban Health Graduate Fellows, is developing a Seed Funding program for investigators through a Protocol Development Team, and is funding a Visiting Scholars program to enhance research at IUPUI.
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    Center for Urban Health: Enhancing the health of cities by focusing on communities and the environment
    (Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research, 2012-04-13) Filippelli, Gabriel; Johnson, Daniel P.; Wiehe, Sarah; Zollinger, Terry
    Urban sustainability is a new philosophy of developing healthy, productive communities that (1) promote and use locally-produced foods and products, (2) ensure safe access to natural spaces, and (3) establish low-carbon transportation systems. Urban living is arguably the most sustainable form of community given the concentration of resources, protection of arable land, and vertical structure of housing. In fact, urbanization is becoming the global norm; the percentage of global population living in urban settings has increased from less than 30% in 1950 to 47% in 2000; the percentage of urban dwellers is expected to increase to 60% by 2025. The promise of a healthy and sustainable urban future is clouded, however, by the reality of environmental insults, economic disparities, and behavioral pressures that exist in modern cities. The challenge is not how to build a shiny carbon-neutral city from scratch, but rather how to transition our current urban state toward one that is healthier, has less environmental impact, and is more prepared to respond and adjust to variety of environmental, social, and health changes in the future. Several groups at IUPUI and in the community are collaborating to explore connections between environment, behavior, health, and climate as related to urban environments. These translational efforts are inter- and trans-disciplinary, as evidenced by earth scientists publishing with pediatricians, and geographers publishing with epidemiologists. These efforts are largely undertaken with a geospatial and geotemporal research template. This template allows environmental, health, and behavioral data to be collected individually but with reference to space and time, which become important metadata components for analysis. The Center for Urban Health promotes discovery by building research collaborations among Center Investigators, providing seed funds for new research areas, funding graduate fellowships, and sponsoring educational activities such as public lectures and a Visiting Scholars Program.
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    IUPUI Imaging Research Council
    (Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research, 2012-04-13) Hutchins, Gary D.; Wilson, Kathryn J.; Sturek, Michael S.; Du, Eliza Y.; Fletcher, James W.; Long, Eric C.; Molitoris, Bruce A.; Johnson, Daniel P.; Day, Richard N.; Barnett, William K.; Palakal, Mathew J.
    Abstract The IUPUI Imaging Research Council was created by the IUPUI Vice Chancellor for Research to provide guidance and direction for expansion of research imaging initiatives across all Schools and Departments within IUPUI. The specific goals of the council are: • To encourage and coordinate collaboration among IUPUI researchers from different disciplines • To provide advice and guidance in the realization of highly competitive large grant proposals that will support and grow the IUPUI imaging efforts into major nationally and internationally recognized programs • To develop a strategic plan that will enable IUPUI to become nationally and internationally known as the place for imaging research and its applications • To determine strategic areas of strength and growth • To determine available and needed resources • To determine strategic external partnerships Activities organized by the council to date include sponsoring an IUPUI Imaging Research Workshop on November 17, 2011. This workshop consisted of invited presentations, a poster session, and working group breakout sessions. Working groups explored research opportunities and needs in four priority areas (neuroscience, cancer, cardiovascular disease, and remote sensing). The council has recently initiated a monthly seminar series and is actively developing an IUPUI research imaging strategic plan. For more information visit the IUPUI Imaging Research Initiative website at www.imaging.iupui.edu.
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    Center for Urban Health: Enhancing the health of cities by focusing on communities and the environment
    (Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research, 2013-04-05) Filippelli, Gabriel; Johnson, Daniel P.; Wiehe, Sarah E.; Zollinger, Terrell
    Urban sustainability is a new philosophy of developing healthy, productive communities that (1) promote and use locally-produced foods and products, (2) ensure safe access to natural spaces, and (3) establish low-carbon transportation systems. Urban living is arguably the most sustainable form of community given the concentration of resources, protection of arable land, and vertical structure of housing. In fact, urbanization is becoming the global norm; the percentage of global population living in urban settings has increased from less than 30% in 1950 to 47% in 2000; the percentage of urban dwellers is expected to increase to 60% by 2025. The promise of a healthy and sustainable urban future is clouded, however, by the reality of environmental insults, economic disparities, and behavioral pressures that exist in modern cities. The challenge is not how to build a shiny carbon-neutral city from scratch, but rather how to transition our current urban state toward one that is healthier, has less environmental impact, and is more prepared to respond and adjust to variety of environmental, social, and health changes in the future. Several groups at IUPUI and in the community are collaborating to explore connections between environment, behavior, health, and climate as related to urban environments. These translational efforts are inter- and trans-disciplinary, as evidenced by earth scientists publishing with pediatricians, and geographers publishing with epidemiologists. These efforts are largely undertaken with a geospatial and geotemporal research template. This template allows environmental, health, and behavioral data to be collected individually but with reference to space and time, which become important metadata components for analysis. The Center for Urban Health promotes discovery by building research collaborations among Center Investigators, providing seed funds for new research areas, funding graduate fellowships, and sponsoring educational activities such as public lectures and a Visiting Scholars Program.
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    IUPUI Imaging Research Initiative
    (Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research, 2013-04-05) Holland, Mark; Barnett, William; Burr, David B.; Day, Richard; Du, Eliza Y.; Gattone, Vincent, III; Fletcher, James; Johnson, Daniel P.; Long, Eric; Molitoris, Bruce A.; Palakal, Mathew; Salama, Paul; Sturek, Michael; Hutchins, Gary D.
    Imaging has become an essential research tool in a majority of scientific disciplines. The IUPUI Imaging Research Initiative (IRI) has been established to bring together researcher investigators who develop novel imaging technologies with those who utilize imaging tools to advance their research with the primary objective of building a large scale imaging research infrastructure at IUPUI. An Imaging Research Council has been created to establish priorities for the IRI and help guide the development of an IUPUI research imaging infrastructure and sustainable research funding base. The specific goals of the council include: • To encourage and coordinate collaboration among IUPUI researchers from different disciplines • To provide advice and guidance in the realization of highly competitive large grant proposals that will support and grow the IUPUI imaging efforts into major nationally and internationally recognized programs • To develop a strategic plan that will enable IUPUI to become nationally and internationally known as the place for imaging research and its applications • To determine strategic areas of strength and growth • To determine available and needed resources • To determine strategic external partnerships
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    Spatiotemporal Variations in Heat-Related Health Risk in Three Midwestern U.S. Cities Between 1990 and 2010
    (Taylor & Francis Group in Geocarto International, 2013-04-15) Johnson, Daniel P.; Webber, Jeremy; Urs Beerval Ravichandra, Kavya; Lulla, Vijay; Stanforth, Austin
    Mortality from extreme heat is a leading cause of weather-related fatality, which is expected to increase in frequency with future climate scenarios. This study examines the spatiotemporal variations in heat-related health risk in three Midwestern cities in the United States between the years 1990 to 2010; cities include Chicago, Illinois, Indianapolis, IN, and Dayton, OH. In order to examine these variations we utilize the recently developed Extreme Heat Vulnerability Index (EHVI) that uses a principal components solution to vulnerability. The EHVI incorporates data from the U.S. Decadal Census and remotely sensed variables to determine heat-related vulnerability at an intra-urban level (census block group). The results demonstrate significant spatiotemporal variations in heat-health risk within the cities involved.