Rama Devi Nandineni

Pediatric healthcare environments are often associated with elevated stress levels, anxiety, and discomfort in children due to unfamiliar settings, medical procedures and anticipatory uncertainty. Spatial design becomes important in healthcare environments as children are particularly sensitive to environmental stimuli. Within this context, Supportive Design Theory (SDT) identifies positive distraction (PD) as a key mechanism for reducing stress through sensory and environmental engagement. Nature, through biophilic design (BD), offers a promising strategy to support children’s emotional well-being; however, its role within non-clinical spaces- waiting areas, corridors, lobbies, and play areas which serve as shared and transitional areas remains underexplored. This study presents a PRISMA-ScR 2018 guided scoping review examining BD as a positive distraction strategy in these transitional healthcare environments. A comprehensive search of the Scopus database, supplemented by manual reference screening identified 34 peer-reviewed studies meeting the inclusion criteria. Given the methodological diversity of the included studies, a descriptive quantitative and theory-driven synthesis was conducted, supported by bibliometric mapping, keyword co-occurrence mapping and outcome domains classification. Findings indicate that stress reduction was the most consistently reported outcome, followed by cognitive and physiological responses. Interventions involving real nature and multisensory engagement showed stronger restorative benefits than a single-sensory strategy. Emerging themes highlighted increasing interest in virtual reality, sustainability-oriented outcomes and technology-supported nature exposure. Overall, the review positions BD as a broader environmental strategy aligned with SDT, within which positive distraction functions as a key mechanism supporting child’s emotional regulation. The study contributes to Sustainable Development Goal 3 (Good Health and Well-Being) and Sustainable Development Goal 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities) by advocating nature-integrated and child-centered built environments.

1. “The environments of children are not always environments for children: in many cases, the places where children grow up, play, and learn are, at best, designed for them by adults; at worst they...

The rapid growth of the older adult population (aged 60 years and above) underscores the urgent need for walkable urban environments that support their mobility, independence, and well-being. Although walkability is known to influence physical activity, social participation, and quality of life, empirical evidence explaining how perception-based dimensions of the built environment shape these outcomes remains limited, particularly in non-Western and developing country contexts. This study develops and validates a structural model linking five perceptual dimensions, safety, security, comfort, convenience, and aesthetics, with walkability outcomes among older adults. A cross-sectional survey of 333 older adults in Udupi District, India, was conducted via a structured, self-administered questionnaire. Adopting a positivist paradigm, Structural Equation Modelling using SmartPLS 4 was employed to test 33 direct hypotheses and three mediating effects involving five perceptual dimensions: safety, security, comfort, convenience, and aesthetics, along with community engagement programs. The results revealed that community engagement programs significantly enhance perceived security, comfort, convenience, and aesthetics but not safety. Comfort positively influences both increased physical activity levels and increased socialization and mediates the relationship between community engagement programs and these outcomes. Convenience has a significant positive effect on quality of life and mediates the relationship between community engagement programs and quality of life. Aesthetics positively affect increased physical activity levels and increased socialization, whereas safety has a significant positive relationship with increased socialization. The study presents a validated, perception-driven structural model explaining walkability outcomes for older adults. Although context specific, the findings offer transferable theoretical and practical insights, providing actionable guidance for age-friendly, community-centered urban planning and policy development.

Transit accessibility is a critical determinant of urban equity (SDG-11) in the Global South, a term referring to emerging economies characterised by rapid urbanisation and significant infrastructure deficits. A significant ‘compliance–resilience gap’ persists in intermediate Indian cities. This study evaluates a 10.2 km primary transit corridor in Udupi, auditing 42 transit interfaces across 21 nodes using a unified 14-parameter framework. Analytical reliability was confirmed via inter-rater reliability testing (Krippendorff’s alpha = 0.822). Using a joint display synthesis, technical compliance failures were mapped to qualitative user narratives. Results supported Hypothesis 1 (H1) via chi-square testing, revealing systemic failures (p < 0.05) in ramps (2%) and information systems (0%). Hypothesis 2 (H2) was validated through a one-sample t-test, showing that stakeholder perception (mean = 1.55) was statistically significantly lower than the neutral threshold (t(99) = −21.10, p < 0.001). These deficits triggered restrictive user adaptation strategies, including temporal displacement and forced social dependency. The study establishes a replicable ‘justice-centred’ audit framework to prioritise interventions in resource-constrained urban contexts.

Emergency Departments (EDs) are the primary hospital interface during disasters and mass-casualty incidents, yet surge capacity assessments predominantly emphasize workforce and logistics while overlooking measurable spatial determinants. Observations from five tertiary hospitals in India indicate that circulation bottlenecks, incompatible functional adjacencies, and contamination risks can compromise safety and operational performance. This study develops and validates the Spatial Surge Capacity Assessment Framework (SSCAF) to operationalize spatial resilience as a quantifiable dimension of healthcare infrastructure preparedness. A sequential mixed-methods design was applied across five tertiary hospitals using structured spatial walkthroughs; architectural and disaster-planning document review; and focus group discussions involving 81 clinicians, administrators, and facility planners. The outcome of this thematic analysis produced 42 spatial indicators, refined through three Delphi rounds with a multidisciplinary expert panel. Consensus retained 30 key performance indicators (median ≥ 4/5; IQR ≤ 1; Kendall’s W = 0.855; χ² = 297.42; p < 0.001). Content validity was strong (I-CVI 0.75–1.00; S-CVI/Ave = 0.93), and reliability was high (ICC 0.82–0.91), structured into eight operational domains. The resulting weighted scoring matrix standardizes the measurement of spatial surge preparedness. The SSCAF provides an evidence-based audit and planning tool supporting resilient hospital infrastructure. It aligns with the Sendai Framework, enabling governance audits, guiding ED retrofitting, and supporting performance-based evaluation for planners and architects.

Background The unique accessibility needs of the ageing population in India must be considered across a range of public spaces by adopting inclusive design solutions that address the comfort, mobility, and sensory stimulation. By making these adjustments, religious places can foster a welcoming, accessible environment, allowing elderly visitors to participate in religious activities and maintain their spiritual well-being. This scoping review protocol aims to examine the specific accessibility needs of senior visitors to religious places through the perspectives of Inclusive design principles. The study aims to investigate the application of inclusive design and related concepts in peer-reviewed articles that address the physical accessibility of senior visitors in religious settings. Methods This scoping review will be conducted following the methodological framework developed by Arksey and O’Malley (2005) and further refined by the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) guidelines for scoping reviews. The review process will adopt the Population–Concept–Context (PCC) framework to formulate the research questions and inclusion criteria, ensuring a systematic approach to identifying relevant studies. Peer-reviewed studies published in English and indexed in Scopus and Web of Science (WoS) databases from their inception to 2025 will be considered, irrespective of geographical location. The screening and selection of articles will be carried out independently by two reviewers to ensure reliability and minimize bias. Extracted data will be organized with the Theory–Context–Characteristics–Methodology (TCCM) Framework. Discussions This scoping review maps existing literature on accessibility considerations for senior visitors in religious spaces using the TCCM (Theory–Context–Characteristics–Methodology) framework. The findings aim to enhance the comfort and participation of elderly visitors. Addressing the identified gaps requires focused efforts to design and implement architectural solutions that respond to the specific accessibility needs of older adults, ensuring that religious places remain welcoming and accessible to people of all ages and abilities. Registration This scoping review protocol was registered with the Open Science Framework (OSF): DOI for OSF: https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/GYJ4R

As the global population ages, creating supportive environments for walking is a priority for public health and urban planning. While empirical studies are numerous, there is a lack of synthesized knowledge regarding the underlying theoretical constructs used to understand these environments. This systematic literature review examines the theoretical frameworks and conceptual models that define the relationship between the built environment and walking behaviors of older adults. Specifically, it explores the antecedents within these models that influence walkability. Following PRISMA guidelines, a systematic search was conducted focusing on publications that present or utilize theoretical frameworks for older adult walkability. Papers were analyzed based on their research focus categorized into model development, testing, advancement, or integration and their contribution type to the field. The review identifies a range of theoretical approaches, examining dominant theoretical frameworks within the Built Environment for Walkability (BEW) and its social and policy extensions. Findings suggest that while many models are described as “holistic,” they vary significantly in how they weigh individual, social, and environmental factors. The analysis highlights a shift toward model integration as a means to address the multi-dimensional nature of aged-friendly environments. By focusing on theoretical antecedents rather than purely empirical outcomes, this review provides a roadmap for future research to refine existing models. It emphasizes the need for a more consistent definition of the socio-built environment to better support the mobility of older populations.

Background This study investigates the mediating role of comfort (CMT), convenience (CNV), and aesthetics (AST) in the relationship between the enablers of an age-friendly built environment for walkability and outcomes such as increased physical activity level (IPL), increased socialization (ISL), and improved quality of life (IQL) in older adults. The research emphasizes the importance of creating age-friendly environments to support the well-being and quality of life of older adults, with implications for urban planners and policymakers to promote sustainable and inclusive design. Methods The research follows a positivist paradigm using a quantitative approach and survey strategy with a cross-sectional design. A sample of 333 older adults was selected using the convenience sampling technique, and data were gathered through a self-administered questionnaire. Results Findings from hypothesis testing indicate that, among the enablers, age-friendly urban design policies are the most significant construct, positively impacting all three mediating variables. Aesthetics was found to have a significant positive effect on increased physical activity level and increased socialization, while comfort and convenience significantly influenced increased physical activity level and improved quality of life, respectively. Conclusion These results suggest implications for urban planners and policymakers to enhance the contribution of built environment for walkability toward increased physical activity level, increased socialization, and improved quality of life for older adults. The research offers valuable insights for academics and practitioners, emphasizing the importance of sustainable design while ensuring inclusivity to promote the well-being and quality of life of older adults.

Purpose: The paper addresses the review of research trends on the architectural design perspective in school built environments to meet the nature connectedness among school children in india and ensure the attainment of the sustainable development goal (SDG-11) “sustainable cities and communities” target 11.7, “provide access to safe and inclusive green and public spaces.” Design/methodology/approach: After identifying 215 articles from the Scopus database using the search string and applying inclusion and exclusion criteria, 137 articles were considered for a systematic bibliometric review to analyze the identified articles’ scope, degree, and purpose using the VosViewer tool. Further, the quantitative analysis is adopted by framing the research question, analyzing the data obtained from 116 out of 150 respondents through statistical package for the social sciences, and optimizing the top 10 factors using fuzzy technique for order of preference by similarity to ideal solution to identify the priority factors by interviewing 8 professional experts. Findings: The review of articles identified 21 factors with a keen emphasis on SDG target 11.7. The validation and categorization of factors through factor analysis resulted in 4 general parameters, viz. Environment and structural features, functional and learning spaces, community and social integration, and innovation and infrastructure to enhance the natural connectedness in the school-built environment and foster attaining target 11.7. The study results in “outdoor classrooms” and “outdoor art spaces” as the priority factors for increasing nature connectedness in children. Originality/value: The systematic review identifies the need for research attention in this area in a developing country, India. Previous studies also lack accountability for individual SDG target achievement and for developing a concise study. Therefore, this research will advance the design criteria and allow the practitioner to meet the children’s expectations towards the School Environment.

The exponential growth of the global population and rising life expectancy have placed increasing pressure on healthcare systems to deliver efficient, high-quality, and cost-effective services. In India, private hospitals play a crucial role in meeting these demands. However, they are increasingly challenged by high employee attrition rates, often linked to dissatisfaction with the physical work environment. Improving staff satisfaction has therefore become essential for enhancing organizational performance and retaining skilled personnel. This study aims to assess the impact of the physical environment on employee satisfaction in private Indian hospitals. A mixed-methods research approach was adopted. The qualitative phase involved a review of secondary data to conceptualize the research framework and identify key variables related to architectural, interior, and ambient design features. The quantitative phase involved survey-based data collection from employees across various private hospitals. For analysis, both descriptive and inferential statistics were used to explore relationships between variables. The results reveal statistically significant relationships between physical-environment features—specifically architectural layout, interior design elements, and ambient conditions—and employees’ attitudes. These attitudes were found to significantly influence overall workplace satisfaction. Furthermore, this study confirmed a strong link between the physical environment and employee satisfaction. These findings offer actionable insights for hospital administrators to improve the design of workspaces. Enhancing physical environments can elevate employee satisfaction, reduce attrition, and ultimately contribute to improved hospital performance. By empirically establishing the link between physical-environment features and staff satisfaction, this study provides a foundation for evidence-based design strategies in healthcare settings.