Archivo de la categoría: WORKSHOP

DIAGNOSIS RESULTS by students and FEEDBACK from elderly and experts

Hello to everybody!!!

Last monday 8th April we closed this first seminar of UNI-Health, with a public presentation of the DIAGNOSIS of the neighborhood by students to the Elderly Local Forum of Usera, the Direction of different day-care centers and representant of Social Services of Usera district. We counted as well with our guests from Newcastle University, professor Rose Gilroy and Barbara Douglas and the participation of many experts that have been collaborating with us in this first edition.

UNI-Health Directors with Usera representants: Usera District Council, Elderly Local Forum and Direction of Day-Care Centers.

Students presented by topic groups the diagnosis of the neighborhood, showing all the cartographies and main conclusions about different aspects to take into account regarding urban health. Three main topics were presented: a city to walk, green spaces and spaces for convivence and livability.

SWOT analysis, diagnosis and conclussions from students.

The feedback from the different people from the public was very convenient to consider their daily lives in the analysis and complete the diagnosis with relevant information that they have shared. In the next step, we will work on some strategic proposals to address urban health and active ageing from urban design and urban planning.

Representants from the Elderly Forum of Usera showing relevant information about their neighborhood.

Thanks to the students for this big final effort for the presentations and thank to everybody that came to the presentation. It has been such an interesting exchange! We will come back with news and updates for the preparation of the festival next June 20th and 21st in Usera!

Last but not least, thank you to everybody that have been following UNI-Health program during these months!

Barbara Douglas and Rose Gilroy, from Newcastle, commenting their suggestions for the proposals and what could be done to complete the diagnosis.

You can access all the presentations of the course through this Youtube Channel:

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL8bSwVy8_IcO-FGb1rmumD1Y6RFvUh1Jg

Please do not hesitate to share this blog, leave a comment or suggestions and contact us if you would like more information about next editions and Newcastle edition next October!

Letter of Barbara Douglas, member of the Elders Council in UK and member of VOICE:

It has been a real pleasure and a privilege to be involved in this project. 

I was very impressed with the quality of the presentations by the students and the range and depth of data they presented.  Although they came from different perspectives, a number of common themes were emerging which could provide an opportunity for collaboration between the groups as they move towards suggested projects/solutions.  It was great to have the opportunity to go to Usera and see it for ourselves, as it put all the presentations in context.

I appreciate the challenges which you face in accessing health data (e.g. healthy life expectancy; prevalence of diseases) within the timescales of the project.  This must be quite frustrating for you, as if this were coupled with the data the students have collected, it would make a very powerful argument for change and improvement.  I meant to ask whether you can access social care data which would give you information about the numbers of people who need social care support to enable them to live independently?  It would at least give a bit of additional information about the lives of older people living in the area.

I know the older people mentioned the issue of transport across the district given the length of time it takes some of them to walk to health or community facilities, especially given the topography of the area.  I fully appreciate that for people with mobility issues, the lack of transport can be absolutely critical in enabling them to get out about.  However, I also wondered whether, if the walking routes were more pleasant and people had incentives to walk to maintain/improve their health, there might be an opportunity in this for a walking group/programme? This idea probably won’t be popular with the older people, but I am also mindful of the big posters we saw in the Metro about the need for more physical activity!  Would there be any help or investment from the public health department in supporting this?

It was interesting to hear about the large numbers of festivals in the area and how these can provide an opportunity for the different cultures in Usera to come together.  I was wondering whether these might provide an opportunity for creative engagement of the people in the neighbourhood around the issues you have identified?

The exhibition/festival that you are planning sounds really good.  You mentioned inviting local people and holding a session for businesses, however, I wonder whether you will also be engaging local associations and NGOs working in the area as they may also be very helpful partners in taking ideas forward locally.   As Rose mentioned, it would be good to have a few ‘quick wins’ which would help to build the confidence of people living in working in the area that change can happen.

Whilst what you have presented is quite a big challenge, the research and analysis the students have done so far is very rich material for the Municipality and others to use in making arguments for change and improvement.   So it seems to me that you have already created a very valuable resource, as well as giving students a very broad and rich experience.  All the very best for the next stage of the project.

Thank you for your warm hospitality and for all the inspiration.

Thanks to you, Barbara and Rose, for accompanying us in such an interesting session!

UNI-Health Team

uni-health[at]upm.es

SPECIAL DISCUSSION SESSION 8TH APRIL

Dear all,

We would like to invite you to the next session on 8th April in Escuela Técnica Superior de Arquitectura de Madrid in Sala de Grados B.

The session will present the project UNI-Health and generate a common discussion about the diagnosis. Newcastle Team, experts on Innovation on Ageing, Elderly local agents and local administration will be invited and participate of this common session.

At the end of the session we will collect the contact data from all the interested people that would like to attend to Newcastle edition in the next semester (October 2019)

 

Hope to meet you there!

UNI-Health Team

Data Visualisation for Urban Environments

Hello to everybody!!

We started the day today with a review of some informatic tools by Elisa Pozo, architect and urban planner by Universidad Politécnica de Madrid. The interest of this overview is to help us to visualize the data we are using for analyse of health data and elements that configure the urban environment, such as air pollution values, radiation, or other kind of data applied for territories or open urban spaces.

There are several tools that offer us the possibility of visualising all kind of data, such as GIS or other public platforms as cartodb. In this context, we have introduced some methodologies to work with visual programming software and different tools that offer us the possibility to get data and how to visualize it as well as construct our own data and then work with it.

Some of the examples we have brought today have been natural drainage, air pollution visualisation, radiation and cast shadows analysis.

Elisa Pozo showing a small demo of how to build 3D models and data visualization.

In the afternoon we have the presentation of the advances of the students. We had a review of all the analysis and information they are developing for the workshop and some feedback from our coordination team.

We continue our work for the final presentation on 8th April!

Next week we will have the experience of participatory processes and ageing!

See you next monday!

UNI-Health Team

Environmental Psychology and Universal Accessibility

Hello to everybody!!

Today we have started the morning with a very interesting talk about environmental psychology and how the places affect us once we have built the places. Professor Antonio Corraliza, from Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, explained to us the importance of the built environment not only for feeling comfortable and safe, but also to influence in our moods and behaviour. He told us several experiments and case studies that have shown how people react or behave depending on the built environment.

Also he explained some study cases to show evidence on the benefits of urban nature spaces in our physical and mental health, considering all the ages.

Professor Corraliza explaining health from the point of view of psychology.

Finally, we went by the main qualities that a space should take into consideration in order to be “age-friendly”, according to the “environmental psychogerontology” and the main problems we should think about when we work with the elderly: loneliness.

In the second part of the seminar, Carlos Rodriguez, from CEAPAT, took us across many cities and public spaces from the point of view of the elderly and handicapped people. We found out the main difficulties that the elderly face when they decide to go out to the streets. In many cities we find problems with  slopes, stairs, slippery pavements, “accessible” paths in public spaces that lead to nowhere.

Other elements of the urban furniture should also be considered. For example, for a correct bank design, the height and width of the seat should be properly designed in order to consider the right ergonomy for the elderly. It is necessary that they are comfortable, but the elderly have many other requirements such as proper armrests.

The fountains and toilettes are very important for the elderly, as we have seen in previous session, they might need to go to toilet more often and be hydrated constantly, moreover during the summer.

Also, post box, garbage containers, lightning posts… they are elements that need to be considered and correctly placed in the public space in order not to disturb the pedestrian paths.

Carlos Rodriguez showing the quality of a comfortable walkable space.

Last, but not least, the importance of segregated cycling lanes. We have to remember that the pedestrian areas should be protected and assured and it is not compatible with cycling traffic when it is not leisure but urban traffic.

After the session, we went to Usera neighborhood again, in order to study again the qualities of the public space, looking through our new “glasses” of accessibility as we were in wheel chair or not being able to go up or down steps. The neighborhood has all the difficulties that we can imagine: pedestrian crossings not adapted, other ones that lead to no safe path, cars occupying the streets, even on the pedestrian areas, parks without any accessible way,  trees invading and breaking the pavements… There was a big lack of continuity in pedestrian pathways.

Evidence shows the slope exceeds the accessible 2%.

At the evening, the big containers are already full. They continue to interrupt the walkable paths, the smell is nasty and unhealthy and they are located in the wrong possition to enable their easy opening.

Next session we will learn practical tools to be able to represent graphically the analysis we have developed!

Looking forward to meet you next Monday!

UNI-Health Team

Visit to Usera

Hello to everybody!!

This Monday we have started our day in Usera district. We met in Usera Metro station at 10 h to start our trip. The aim of this first visit was to analyze the state of the public space that is included in the Plan Mad-Re.

Alumni and coordinators starting the trip in from of Usera Market.

As soon as we started our walk, we find this space in a little corner.

The holes in the pavement due to some empty tree basins create risk to cause falls. The banks, located in the beginning of the slope are not accessible enough for users, especially for the elderly. The view from this point is Madrid skyline, including the Colon tower, but the cars in front of this area make it not very attractive.

We also find interesting typologies in the middle of the neighborhood, reminiscence of ancient colonies of this district.

We continue our walk across the streets. Narrow pavements, high slopes, dog poops, and cars and vans everywhere are some of the characteristics of these streets.

A very common situation we have found in the neighborhood is this kind of intersections, where the pedestrian needs to go further to look for a safe place to cross the street.

In this case, Marcelo Usera with Mercedes Manjón street. It becomes a real challenge to cross the street. Even though there are only two road rails, the traffic density is too high that the streets have also fences to protect pedestrians and make it difficult to jump across.

We arrive to Julián Marías Square. The fountain is dark green, with some garbage floating on it. The banks are not protected by trees so in the summer it has to be a very hard place to stay as the pavement is hard. The space seems very poor maintenance and quality.

Juan Marías Square. The square lacks of vegetation due to the parking underground.

After Juan Marías Square we arrive to a bigger “green” area that continues the route and solves the height difference in a very particular way. There is no accessible path, even there are some ramps that try to solve somehow the situation.

The ramp plane adapts to the slope of the ground instead of being flat. 

Not only would it be a challenge to pass through this path in wheelchair, for example, but it is also a challenge for everybody to walk on clean floor.

Cars have invaded pavements, even in places protected with bollards.

Car placed in the middle of a pedestrian cross.

Not only cars, but also some items are real obstacles in the streets.

A garbage container in the middle of the street.

Other common situation is this solution for the pavement of the pedestrian crossings. Although this normative has been recently updated, it is well known that the path should get the person to a vertical plane, so they can orient themselves in the street.

The discontinuity between the podotactile pavement doesn’t solve the accessibility problems. Also the position of the signal in the middle of the way makes it a little bit difficult to pass through this sidewalk.

We continue our route, visiting the surroundings of the elderly care centers of the neighbourhood.

The district is well know by their migrant community, which is one of the strongest potentials. There is such an interesting cultural mixture in this community.

This church has welcomed different cultures. Chinese mass is given in the morning, then Latinoamerican mass rituals are also organized during the week in combination with the local celebrations.

We arrive to another elderly centre, meeting point for many persons from the neighborhood, as it seems:

The access to the elderly center is not evident, and people tend to cross the road directly.  

In our route we continue to find the lack of accessibility in the neighborhood.

In this pedestrian alley we can see the ramp without any rail for support.

There are also abandoned plots in the middle of the urban tissue.

This abandoned plots seem a garbage point as well as vandalism and graffiti.

We start soon to imitate neighbors from Usera and use the roads instead of the sidewalks…

Between the cars, an old couple walks in the middle of the road.

…and we understand soon why.

Staying area, overcrowded by cars.

Dog poops create a continuos carpet in the only walkable space free of cars.

The podotactile pavement ends in the parking, including steps.

We continue the street until we get to Mariano Vela Street, where we can find the main equipments of the district, including another elderly care centre.

Elderly people that go to the center could enjoy a better space to sit down and chat.

In this equipment complex, we also find some little areas for elderly, such as machines for exercises.

However, we can also find persons that don’t feel comfortable in the current banks or they just want to look at something lively…

…or other ones that want to train all by themselves.

Continuing our route to Pradolongo Park, we find some interesting spots such as Cinema Usera.

Cinema Usera remains in the park, a collaborative building workshop by TodoXlaPraxis and the Zofío neighbors.

The limits with Pradolongo Park are full of cars and vans, as the rest of the public spaces.

There are many vans in the public spaces of this district. This is also due to the existence of many garages and workshops installations.

Pradolongo Park could be better connected by a clear and safe pedestrian cross, for example.

We find another elderly care center as we go down Rafaela Ybarra Avenue.

As the rest of the elderly care centers of the neighborhood, the access to this equipment is not evident for its users.

Being old in this spaces supposes a daily challenge.

In our way to the last elderly care centre, we find some street art that brings life to the walls of the street.

We also visited the Elderly Care Center Zofío. We were taken to visit all the installations and services of the center. There are between 4 – 6 people working there every day. Moreover, many of the activities are organized by volunteers.

Services and activities that are offered in this elderly care center.

 

They offer informatic classes, gym, yoga, arts, dance, painting…

The visit to the elderly care center, thanks to the support of Usera Public Social Services and the District Council of Usera.

Back in the street, we finish our walk in the limits to the A-42 (Princesa de Austria Street). A complex of gardens and equipments are set in this part of the district, in order to reduce the noise and traffic pollution of the road.

This area seems to attract many people, despite their location.

The last tour around the district offers some important physical barriers that have been used as base walls for paintings.

The closer we got to Plaza Elíptica, we started to see evidence of accessibility plans, renovation projects and the improvements both in housing and public space.

Installation of a lift in the exterior of the building in order to assure accessibility to all the floors.

Paintings become art and not vandalism.

Madrid Art Project by Boamistura.

Accessibility plan for the underground station. 

This was the first visit to Usera district in the UNI-Health program and also for many of the students. We will come back for further analysis focusing in different topics such as air pollution, noise levels, accessibility or green areas.

It has been indeed an interesting visit shared by UNI-Health group to have a first overview of the main problems of the district as well as the strengths and possitive characteristics.

Next Monday we will have the special session with our guests from Newcastle University to share their expertise and experience about age-friendly spaces and active ageing policies and plans.

Looking forward to meet you!