ORCID Profile
0000-0002-5903-9095
Current Organisation
RMIT University
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Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 2020
DOI: 10.1016/J.SOCSCIMED.2019.112713
Abstract: Creating healthy, liveable cities is a common policy aspiration globally. However, little research has explored the capacity of urban policies to deliver this aspiration, or levels of policy implementation. This study aimed to develop policy-relevant indicators, to detect within- and between-city inequities in the implementation of Australian state government policy targets related to urban liveability. Seventy-three government policies were reviewed across Australia's four largest cities to identify measurable spatial policies that contribute to creating healthy, liveable neighbourhoods. Spatial indicators based on these policies were developed to assess and map levels of policy implementation at the metropolitan and sub-metropolitan level. Measurable spatial policies were identified for only three out of seven policy domains: walkability, transit access, and public open space. While there was significant variation between cities, policies were often inconsistent with evidence about how to achieve liveability. No Australian city performed well on all liveability domains. Even modest policy targets were often not achieved, and there were significant spatial inequities in policy implementation. With few exceptions, people living in outer suburbs had poorer access to amenities than inner-city residents. This study demonstrates the benefits and challenges of measuring urban policy implementation. Evidence-informed targets are needed in urban, transport and infrastructure policies designed to create healthy, liveable cities, to enable levels of (and inequities in) policy implementation to be assessed. Consistent standards for government spatial data would enable development of comparable indicators and cities to be directly compared.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 24-06-2019
DOI: 10.1111/JNE.12755
Abstract: The ageing and degenerating brain show deficits in neural stem rogenitor cell (NSPC) plasticity that are accompanied by impairments in olfactory discrimination. Emerging evidence suggests that the gut hormone ghrelin plays an important role in protecting neurones, promoting synaptic plasticity and increasing hippoc al neurogenesis in the adult brain. In the present study, we investigated the role of ghrelin with respect to modulating adult subventricular zone (SVZ) NSPCs that give rise to new olfactory bulb (OB) neurones. We characterised the expression of the ghrelin receptor, growth hormone secretagogue receptor (GHSR), using an immunohistochemical approach in GHSR-eGFP reporter mice to show that GHSR is expressed in several regions, including the OB but not in the SVZ of the lateral ventricle. These data suggest that acyl-ghrelin does not mediate a direct effect on NSPC in the SVZ. Consistent with these findings, treatment with acyl-ghrelin or genetic silencing of GHSR did not alter NSPC proliferation within the SVZ. Similarly, using a bromodeoxyuridine pulse-chase approach, we show that peripheral treatment of adult rats with acyl-ghrelin did not increase the number of new adult-born neurones in the granule cell layer of the OB. These data demonstrate that acyl-ghrelin does not increase adult OB neurogenesis. Finally, we investigated whether elevating ghrelin indirectly, via calorie restriction (CR), regulated the activity of new adult-born cells in the OB. Overnight CR induced c-Fos expression in new adult-born OB cells but not in developmentally born cells, whereas neuronal activity was absent following re-feeding. These effects were not present in ghrelin
Publisher: RMIT University
Date: 2022
Publisher: RMIT University
Date: 2022
Publisher: RMIT University
Date: 2022
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 04-2023
Publisher: RMIT University
Date: 2022
Publisher: RMIT University
Date: 2022
Publisher: RMIT University
Date: 2022
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 30-07-2019
Publisher: RMIT University
Date: 2022
Publisher: RMIT University
Date: 2022
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 13-01-2022
DOI: 10.3390/IJGI11010058
Abstract: Confronted with rapid urbanization, population growth, traffic congestion, and climate change, there is growing interest in creating cities that support active transport modes including walking, cycling, or public transport. The ‘30 minute city’, where employment is accessible within 30 min by active transport, is being pursued in some cities to reduce congestion and foster local living. This paper examines the spatial relationship between employment, the skills of residents, and transport opportunities, to answer three questions about Australia’s 21 largest cities: (1) What percentage of workers currently commute to their workplace within 30 min? (2) If workers were to shift to an active transport mode, what percent could reach their current workplace within 30 min? and (3) If it were possible to relocate workers closer to their employment or relocate employment closer to their home, what percentage could reach work within 30 min by each mode? Active transport usage in Australia is low, with public transport, walking, and cycling making up 16.8%, 2.8%, and 1.1% respectively of workers’ commutes. Cycling was found to have the most potential for achieving the 30 min city, with an estimated 29.5% of workers able to reach their current workplace were they to shift to cycling. This increased to 69.1% if workers were also willing and able to find a similar job closer to home, potentially reducing commuting by private motor vehicle from 79.3% to 30.9%.
Publisher: RMIT University
Date: 2022
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 17-07-2023
Publisher: RMIT University
Date: 2022
Publisher: RMIT University
Date: 2022
Publisher: RMIT University
Date: 2022
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 19-05-2021
DOI: 10.1111/GEAN.12290
Abstract: Pedestrian accessibility is an important factor in urban transport and land use policy and critical for creating healthy, sustainable cities. Developing and evaluating indicators measuring inequalities in pedestrian accessibility can help planners and policymakers benchmark and monitor the progress of city planning interventions. However, measuring and assessing indicators of urban design and transport features at high resolution worldwide to enable city comparisons is challenging due to limited availability of official, high‐quality, and comparable spatial data, as well as spatial analysis tools offering customizable frameworks for indicator construction and analysis. To address these challenges, this study develops an open source software framework to construct pedestrian accessibility indicators for cities using open and consistent data. It presents a generalized method to consistently measure pedestrian accessibility at high resolution and spatially aggregated scale, to allow for both within‐ and between‐city analyses. The open source and open data methods developed in this study can be extended to other cities worldwide to support local planning and policymaking. The software is made publicly available for reuse in an open repository.
Publisher: RMIT University
Date: 2022
Publisher: RMIT University
Date: 2022
Publisher: RMIT University
Date: 2022
Publisher: RMIT University
Date: 2022
Publisher: RMIT University
Date: 2022
Publisher: Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)
Date: 04-2000
DOI: 10.1109/9.847116
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 08-07-2021
Abstract: Cities are widely recognised as important settings for promoting health. Nonetheless, making cities more liveable and supportive of health and wellbeing remains a challenge. Decision-makers’ capacity to use urban health evidence to create more liveable cities is fundamental to achieving these goals. This paper describes an international partnership designed to build capacity in using liveability indicators aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and social determinants of health, in Bangkok, Thailand. The aim of this paper is to reflect on this partnership and outline factors critical to its success. Partners included the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration, the UN Global Compact—Cities Programme, the Victorian Government Department of Health and Human Services, the Victorian Health Promotion Foundation, and urban scholars based at an Australian university. Numerous critical success factors were identified, including having a bilingual liaison and ch ion, establishment of two active working groups in the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration, and incorporating a six-month hand-over period. Other successful outcomes included contextualising liveability for erse contexts, providing opportunities for reciprocal learning and knowledge exchange, and informing a major Bangkok strategic urban planning initiative. Future partnerships should consider the strategies identified here to maximise the success and longevity of capacity-building partnerships.
Publisher: Cambridge University Press (CUP)
Date: 18-05-2022
DOI: 10.1017/S1368980022001197
Abstract: Higher neighbourhood walkability would be expected to contribute to better health, but the relevant evidence is inconsistent. This may be because residents’ dietary attributes, which vary with socio-economic status (SES) and influence their health, can be related to walkability. We examined associations of walkability with dietary attributes and potential effect modification by area-level SES. The exposure variable of this cross-sectional study was neighbourhood walkability, calculated using residential density, intersection density and destination density within 1-km street-network buffer around each participant’s residence. The outcome variables were dietary patterns (Western, prudent and mixed) and total dietary energy intake, derived from a FFQ. Main and interaction effects with area-level SES were estimated using two-level linear regression models. Participants were from all states and territories in Australia. The analytical s le included 3590 participants (54 % women, age range 34 to 86). Walkability was not associated with dietary attributes in the whole s le. However, we found interaction effects of walkability and area-level SES on Western diet scores ( P 0·001) and total energy intake ( P = 0·012). In low SES areas, higher walkability was associated with higher Western dietary patterns ( P = 0·062) and higher total energy intake ( P = 0·066). In high SES areas, higher walkability was associated with lower Western diet scores ( P = 0·021) and lower total energy intake ( P = 0·058). Higher walkability may not be necessarily conducive to better health in socio-economically disadvantaged areas. Public health initiatives to enhance neighbourhood walkability need to consider food environments and socio-economic contexts.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 11-10-2021
DOI: 10.1038/S42949-021-00039-5
Abstract: Recognition is increasing globally that urban planning interventions to improve neighbourhood liveability enable healthy sustainable lifestyles and assist in the prevention and management of chronic disease. We present the spatial urban liveability index (ULI) as a tool to inform localised interventions that would create healthier, more sustainable cities and examine its associations with cardiometabolic and wellbeing-related health outcomes. The ULI and associated indicators were calculated for Melbourne address points and spatially linked with health outcomes for participants from the 2014 Victorian Population Health Survey. Residing in higher liveability areas was found to be positively associated with a more physically active lifestyle and negatively associated with BMI—more so than for a comparable walkability index. Although walkable neighbourhoods underpin a liveable city, areas with erse ‘community, culture and leisure’ destinations displayed strongest beneficial associations with cardiometabolic health outcomes, suggesting that access to erse local destinations may encourage more active sustainable living.
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 07-09-2021
Publisher: RMIT University
Date: 2022
Publisher: RMIT University
Date: 2022
Publisher: RMIT University
Date: 2022
Publisher: RMIT University
Date: 2022
Publisher: RMIT University
Date: 2022
Publisher: RMIT University
Date: 2022
Publisher: Cambridge University Press (CUP)
Date: 08-12-2014
DOI: 10.1017/S1041610214002361
Abstract: Memory clinics, typically led by multidisciplinary teams and requiring health professional referral, are one means of providing diagnosis and care coordination for dementia. Nurse-led clinics may provide an effective and alternative means to dementia diagnosis, and open referral policies may minimize existing barriers to accessing a diagnosis, but evidence is needed. Patients attending a one-day per week nurse-led memory clinic over a 25-month period during 2011–2013 ( n = 106) completed comprehensive cognitive assessments and were diagnosed by an aged care nurse practitioner. Descriptive statistics detail the demographics, assessment scores, and diagnostic profiles of patients. Comparable data from published literature was identified, and the differences were analyzed qualitatively. One hundred and six patients were assessed with the key differences from other data sets being history of falls more common, higher mean Mini-Mental State Examination scores, and fewer dementia diagnoses. Sixty-four patients (60%) were self-referred to the nurse-led memory clinic, of which 19 (30%) were diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or dementia. Overall, forty-eight patients (45%) received diagnoses of MCI or dementia. An open referral policy led to a high proportion of patients being self-referred, and nearly a third of these were diagnosed with cognitive impairment or dementia. Open referral policies and nurse-led services may overcome some of the barriers to early diagnosis that are currently experienced. Considering an aging population worldwide and the associated increases in cognitive impairment, which benefits from early identification and intervention, this paper provides an alternative model of nurse-led assessment.
Publisher: RMIT University
Date: 2022
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 25-02-2023
DOI: 10.1038/S41597-023-02013-5
Abstract: Measuring and monitoring the spatial distribution of liveability is crucial to ensure that implemented urban and transport planning decisions support health and wellbeing. Spatial liveability indicators can be used to ensure these decisions are effective, equitable and tracked across time. The 2018 Australian National Liveability Study datasets comprise a suite of policy-relevant health-related spatial indicators of local neighbourhood liveability and amenity access estimated for residential address points and administrative areas across Australia’s 21 most populous cities. The indicators and measures encompass access to community and health services, social infrastructure, employment, food, housing, public open space, transportation, walkability and overall liveability. This national ’baseline’ liveability indicators dataset for residential address points and areas can be further linked with surveys containing geocoded participant locations, as well as Census data for areas from the Australian Statistical Geography Standard. The datasets will be of interest to planners, policy makers and researchers interested in modelling and mapping the spatial distribution of urban environmental exposures and their relationship with health and other outcomes.
Publisher: RMIT University
Date: 2022
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 2017
DOI: 10.1016/J.HEALTHPLACE.2016.11.003
Abstract: Adequate and affordable housing is a major social determinant of health yet no work has attempted to conceptually map and spatially test area-level measures of housing with selected health and wellbeing outcomes. Sourcing data from 7,753 adults from Melbourne, Australia, we tested associations between area-level measures of housing density, tenure, and affordability with in idual-level measures of neighbourhood safety, community satisfaction, and self-rated health. Compared with the reference groups, the odds of: feeling unsafe was higher for residents living in areas with less affordable housing community dissatisfaction was ~30% higher in those living in areas with >36% residential properties assigned as rentals, and was significantly higher in the least affordable areas (OR =1.57). Compared with the reference groups, as dwelling density, proportion of rental properties, and housing unaffordability increased, the odds of reporting poorer self-rated health increased however these associations did not always reach statistical significance. This work highlights the benefits of evidenced-based planning spatial measures to support health and wellbeing.
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 05-09-2022
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 03-05-2022
Abstract: Healthy development in the early years lays the foundations for children’s ongoing physical, emotional, and social development. Children develop in multiple contexts, including their local neighbourhood. Neighbourhood-built environment characteristics, such as housing, walkability, traffic exposure, availability of services, facilities, and parks, are associated with a range of health and wellbeing outcomes across the life course, but evidence with early years’ outcomes is still emerging. Data linkage techniques were used to assemble a dataset of spatial (objectively-measured) neighbourhood-built environment (BE) measures linked to participant addresses in the 2015 Australian Early Development Census (AEDC) for children living in the 21 most populous urban and regional Australian cities (n = 235,655) to help address this gap. This paper describes the methods used to develop this dataset. This linked dataset (AEDC-BE) is the first of its kind worldwide, enabling opportunities for identifying which features of the built environment are associated with ECD across Australia at scale, allow comparisons between erse contexts, and the identification of where best to intervene. National data coverage provides statistical power to model real-world complexities, such as differences by city, state/territory, and remoteness. The neighbourhood-built environment can be modified by policy and practice at scale, and has been identified as a way to help reduce inequitable early childhood development outcomes.
Publisher: RMIT University
Date: 2022
Publisher: RMIT University
Date: 2022
Publisher: RMIT University
Date: 2022
Publisher: RMIT University
Date: 2022
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 10-01-2020
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 07-07-2022
DOI: 10.1371/JOURNAL.PBIO.3001680
Abstract: Early career researchers (ECRs) are important stakeholders leading efforts to catalyze systemic change in research culture and practice. Here, we summarize the outputs from a virtual unconventional conference (unconference), which brought together 54 invited experts from 20 countries with extensive experience in ECR initiatives designed to improve the culture and practice of science. Together, we drafted 2 sets of recommendations for (1) ECRs directly involved in initiatives or activities to change research culture and practice and (2) stakeholders who wish to support ECRs in these efforts. Importantly, these points apply to ECRs working to promote change on a systemic level, not only those improving aspects of their own work. In both sets of recommendations, we underline the importance of incentivizing and providing time and resources for systems-level science improvement activities, including ECRs in organizational decision-making processes, and working to dismantle structural barriers to participation for marginalized groups. We further highlight obstacles that ECRs face when working to promote reform, as well as proposed solutions and ex les of current best practices. The abstract and recommendations for stakeholders are available in Dutch, German, Greek (abstract only), Italian, Japanese, Polish, Portuguese, Spanish, and Serbian.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 11-06-2019
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 06-04-2017
Publisher: RMIT University
Date: 2022
No related grants have been discovered for Carl Higgs.