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Joint Strategic Needs Assessments (JSNAs) are intended to help create evidence-based priorities for public health commissioning at local government level in the UK. They are supposed to consider the needs of people with protected characteristics, and this study aims to look at how the JSNAs for London are serving the city’s lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ+) population.

JSNAs are documentary data and are in the public domain. Each of the 31 JSNAs for London was individually assessed against a series of questions designed to test their inclusion of the local LGBTQ+ population.

Fewer than one in five of London’s JSNAs: had a dedicated LGBTQ+ section; cited bespoke research into, or engagement with, the local LGBTQ+ population; made recommendations for specialist services for people from this community; or considered intersectionality in the context of this population.

This study demonstrates that many of London’s JSNAs contain little information on the city’s local LGBTQ+ population and only minimal assessment of its health, care and wellbeing needs. Recommendations include conducting further research on this population at the local level, using available guidance and engaging best practice.

The interval multi-objective optimization problems (IMOPs) are universal and vital uncertain optimization problems. In this study, an interval multi-objective grey wolf optimization algorithm (GWO) based on fuzzy system is proposed to solve IMOPs effectively.

First, the classical genetic operators are embedded into the interval multi-objective GWO as local search strategies, which effectively balanced the global search ability and local development ability. Second, by constructing a fuzzy system, an effective local search activation mechanism is proposed to save computing resources as much as possible while ensuring the performance of the algorithm. The fuzzy system takes hypervolume, imprecision and number of iterations as inputs and outputs the activation index, local population size and maximum number of iterations. Then, the fuzzy inference rules are defined. It uses the activation index to determine whether to activate the local search process and sets the population size and the maximum number of iterations in the process.

The experimental results show that the proposed algorithm achieves optimal hypervolume results on 9 of the 10 benchmark test problems. The imprecision achieved on 8 test problems is significantly better than other algorithms. This means that the proposed algorithm has better performance than the commonly used interval multi-objective evolutionary algorithms. Moreover, through experiments show that the local search activation mechanism based on fuzzy system proposed in this study can effectively ensure that the local search is activated reasonably in the whole algorithm process, and reasonably allocate computing resources by adaptively setting the population size and maximum number of iterations in the local search process.

This study proposes an Interval multi-objective GWO, which could effectively balance the global search ability and local development ability. Then an effective local search activation mechanism is developed by using fuzzy inference system. It closely combines global optimization with local search, which improves the performance of the algorithm and saves computing resources.

The purpose of this paper is to identify patterns of development that fit the unique attributes of minorities living in peripheral regions and determine the role of public policy in stimulating such patterns.

First, a theoretical model is developed for development measures to be considered for minorities living in a peripheral area, the case of the Bedouins in Israel is analyzed, using secondary data, questionnaires, and focus groups.

The paper finds that economic development among minorities living in a peripheral region could be achieved through the combination of policies at the local, regional, and national levels: support of local economic activities, development of regional activities, and improvement of access to the labor market at the national level.

The Bedouins in Israel present unique cultural attributes that do not necessarily reflect the situation of other minorities in peripheral areas. Consequently, some of the conclusions of this study may not be relevant to other cases.

Public policy should focus on improving education, professional training, infrastructure development, removing barriers, and launching regional economic projects.

This paper suggests an alternative approach to the prevailing policy of social support to retarded regions and populations: using both theory and empirical analysis, it develops an integrative approach at the local, regional, and national level, that would create conditions for healthy and sustainable economic growth.

The purpose of the present study is to examine how local consumers disassociate themselves from migrants' acculturative practices and negotiate their identity through the symbolic consumption of fashion.

Data for this interpretive study were obtained via phenomenological interviews with locally-born Chinese youth in Guangzhou, China, to examine their acculturative consumption practices as well as their subjective experiences of perceived threats to their lifestyle imposed by the influx of outsiders. Snowballing and purposive sampling methods were adopted in recruiting the research participants.

Data analyses revealed that local consumers adopt three dissociative strategies (stigmatization, avoidance and self-assertion) in order to ascribe meanings to their fashion consumption practices as a means of resolving identity conflicts and differentiate themselves from the migrant consumers.

This research offers a single perspective (i.e. that of local-born young consumers residing in Guangzhou) on the locals' attitudes aimed at distinguishing and negotiating their identities in an intercultural setting via specific fashion-clothing choices. This research has theoretical implications for the consumer acculturation theory and identity negotiation.

Findings yielded by the present study have important implications for commercial companies focusing on fashion consumption, in particular for marketing practices aimed at rural-urban identification and youth market segmentation.

This study contributes to the existing discussion on consumer acculturation by offering an intracultural perspective to the understanding of local consumers' responses to migrants' acculturation. It also provides managerial insights for fashion retailers, prompting them to rethink their market segmentation strategies to address population mobility in the marketplace and better understand how it alters the in-between social relationships that result in different consumption patterns and practices.

This study contributes to the existing discussion on youth consumer acculturation theories by offering an intercultural perspective to the understanding of local consumers' responses to migrants' acculturation attempts. It also offers managerial insights for fashion retailers, prompting them to rethink their market segmentation strategies to address population mobility and better understand how it alters the social relationships that result in different consumption patterns and practices.

Purpose – To combine insights from urban and environmental sociology to examine local drivers of carbon emissions in the United States, with particular focus on demographic, economic, and consumptive dynamics.

Design/methodology/approach – Apply spatial regression analysis to a novel county-level data set to test hypotheses about how different conditions and activities relate independently and positively to total carbon emissions at the local level.

Findings – Results provide strong support for theoretically derived hypotheses, even after controlling for other factors, including spatial autocorrelation. The implication is that within a social system that treats land as a commodity, efforts to increase the exchange value of this commodity tend to drive up local carbon emissions, thereby contributing to global climate change.

Originality/value – Complements previous sociological work on greenhouse gas emissions at the national level. Shows how local processes in general and urbanization in particular contribute to global climate change at and from the local areas where they occur.

The concept of multi-purpose cyclone shelters has been found effective in saving various lives during past cyclones. The recent cyclone Amphan, which hit the Indian states of Odisha and West Bengal in the middle of pandemic COVID-19 has posed severe issues related to cyclone shelter management in the rural areas. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the case of Odisha in a pandemic and draw some key lessons of cyclone shelter management, which can be useful for future cascading risks in other parts of the country and the region.

Cyclone shelters are critical infrastructures in the management of cyclones, associated hazards and saving crucial lives. The effective management of shelters during emergencies is dependent on the existing institutional mechanism, local stakeholders and their understanding of the key functions of the emergency shelters. This paper reviews the key challenges through literature, reports and direct interviews of field professionals and practitioners.

In normal times, cyclone shelters are used as schools and their management lies with the local communities and/or elected bodies. Some of the key emerging issues include: the convincing population at risk for evacuation with proper care, existing emergency shelters being repurposed as COVID-19 facilities, need for hygiene and safety material, special arrangement and segregation of population at higher risk of COVID-19 and large destruction of social infrastructures.

During cascading disasters, adaptive governance becomes important. With the study of cyclones during the pandemic period, the paper draws key decision-making and governance points of cyclone shelter management. This case analysis can be useful to other similar situations during the prolonged pandemic time.

In Metro Vancouver, Vaisakhi celebrations are organized by local Sikh gurdwaras to mark the Punjabi harvest season and the anniversary of the Sikh Khalsa, which was formed in 1699. The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate how Vaisakhi celebrations have become mechanisms for state institutions to refigure and extend their racial authority over Sikh places and populations through their coordinated appearances at these public events. These appearances are analyzed to reveal how contemporary racial states are characterized by complex conditions of visibility and public identification that obscure and foreclose the racial conditions of their authority.

The data analyzed for this paper were generated through observational fieldwork at Vaisakhi celebrations and extensive archival and media research on the changing racial governance of Sikh and South Asian populations.

The results show that, in Metro Vancouver, racial modes of governance have created “post-racial” relations between the state’s public visages of diversity and accessibility and its expanded legal regulation of the social and political places of local Sikh populations.

The concept of political appearances is developed to explain how contemporary racial states reproduce and augment their authority through discursive practices of public engagement with minority populations as well as the specific aesthetic conditions of these engagements. The paper also offers important cautions against state practices that expand the presence of law enforcement within marginalized communities by showing how this enhanced visibility can engender forms of racialization.

The purpose of this paper is to initiate a new approach to cultural heritage value through the highly revealing example of Chefchaouen city, Morocco. This study relates to approaching the valuation of cultural heritage per se. It does not evaluate or assess the economic value or the economic impacts of the cultural heritage. It tries to assess and measure the “culturality” of heritage based on local population opinion about urban heritage of the medina. This paper aims at obtaining information about their feeling and perceptions in respect of this heritage which may be useful for people democratic participation in decision making about heritage.

A survey using direct interviews with a sample of lower middle-class citizens coupled with direct administration of a questionnaire is carried out. The medina (but not the city) of Chefchaouen is the basis of the surveys conducted recently. The interviews are centered on the idea of preservation and participation instead of any monetized valuation.

The study has shown that there is a strong commitment of social category to participate in any type of activity leading to preserve the medina because it is their source of living and a source of profound affection. Therefore, this “willingness to preserve” may be seen as a key to define a new variable or attribute to measure the intrinsic value of heritage assets and justify the introduction in the national and international heritage list.

This study should have been achieved with much larger target population and preferably through a funded project destined to preserve work and training. Funding for better experiences is severely lacking.

Local authorities may use this research and be inspired by it new and open dimensions. Serious collaboration between authorities and people should have the most promising results.

Local authorities are more sensitive to population; therefore, they may include them in preservation planning and create employment by using the available funding.

This paper tries to enhance heritage study field at methodological level. It suggests a parameter shift to a more simple approach based on the local population opinion toward their heritage. Decision making about heritage should include people opinions and not people’s wishes.

This proposal represents four main advantages: the immediate availability of the relevant information to the local manager; its potential application to any municipality regardless of its size; its reduced economic cost both in terms of information and calculation; and the possibility of obtaining information for very short periods (monthly or even daily) which is very important in areas where the population varies significantly throughout the year.

The authors present an indirect estimation method based on extrapolating the equivalent tourist population from the monthly variations in the production of solid urban waste.

It would also be desirable to compare the estimates made by using other indirect indicators such as electricity or water consumption, which could also provide relevant information on the degree of use of second homes.

These advantages turn this indicator into a practical and accessible estimation tool, which can be directly applied to the planning and management of all types of services and facilities provided by municipalities.

Hydrological and climatological modeling is increasingly being used with the intent of supporting community-based climate change adaptation (CCA) and disaster risk reduction (DRR) initiatives in the Hindu Kush-Himalaya (HKH), as well as filling critical data gaps in a region that contributes significantly to the water resources and ecosystem diversity of Asia. As the case studies presented in the previous chapters illustrate, the utility of modeling in informing and supporting CCA and DRR initiatives depends on a number of criteria, including:•appropriate model selection;•ability to interpret models to local contexts; and•community engagement that incorporates and addresses underlying vulnerabilities within the community.

There are significant challenges to meeting all three of these criteria. However, when these criteria are met, we find:•There is a clear role for modeling to support CCA. The climate is changing now and will continue to do so for several centuries, even if carbon emissions were to stabilize tomorrow. Models, and other scenario development tools, provide our best insight into what the future climate might be and resulting impacts on dynamic social, environmental, political, and economic systems.•There is a clear role for local CCA. The impacts of climate change will be felt mostly at local levels, necessitating community adaptation responses. At the same time, most of the HKH communities and countries engaged in CCA initiatives have pressing, immediate development and livelihood needs. Making current development and livelihood initiatives incorporate climate adaptation considerations is the best way to ensure that the choices made today can set us on paths of increasing resilience, rather than almost inevitable disaster, for the future.•To achieve the best of both modeling and CCA requires thoughtful and patient application of modeling, tailored to local needs, conditions, and politics, with communities engaged around all stages of generating, interpreting, and applying the results. This requires a rare combination of technical skill, cultural sensitivity, political awareness, and above all, the time to continually engage with and build relationships within the community in order to foster resilient change.