Gerd Weitkamp
Biographic Data
| ID | 2286899 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Gerd Weitkamp |
| GIVEN NAMES | Gerd |
| FAMILY NAME | Weitkamp |
| SIGNATURE | WEITKAMP G |
| AFFILIATIONS | University of Groningen |
| ORCID | 0000-0002-7367-8467 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 23 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 46 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 23 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2011 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 3 |
Geographical accessibility to public healthcare facilities and undernutrition in children under-5 in Uganda
In Uganda, 29% of all children under-5 experience some form of undernutrition, a key predictor of health outcomes. Healthcare accessibility is a key determinant of undernutrition. Longer travel times to healthcare may increase undernutrition due to access barriers. The aim of this study is to assess the impact of geographical accessibility on undernutrition in children under-5 in Uganda. The Ugandan Demographic Health Survey from 2016 (UDHS-2016)…
A more realistic picture of older adults’ activity spaces
The everyday activities of older adults are enabled through numerous micro-movements, which are small spatial and bodily movements and non-movements essential for maintaining health. This study introduces and applies the concept of collateral mobilities to capture both bodily and spatial micro-movements and their interactions in everyday activity spaces. Using GPS tracker and pedometer data, we analysed the collateral mobilities of older adults i…
A Healthier Distance? Spatial Proximity to Everyday Amenities and Self‐Rated Health among Older Adults in the Northern Netherlands
This study investigates the association between the proximity of home to various everyday life amenities and self‐rated health (SRH) among 7,226 older adults who participated in the Lifelines health survey. Our results show that SRH was significantly higher for participants living farther from grocery shops and closer to healthcare places. We also found that not being female, living alone, having a paid job, having a high level of education (espe…
Maternal and perinatal mortality
While there is ample evidence of the overall reduction in perinatal and pregnancy-related mortality in Ethiopia, it remains uncertain if geographic disparities have diminished. This study aimed to investigate perinatal and pregnancy-related mortality spatial distributions, trends over time, and factors associated with the distribution in Ethiopia. We used data from Ethiopian Demographic and Health Surveys conducted in 2000, 2005, 2011, and 2016. …
Optimizing maternal health facility locations in Ethiopia
Emergency Obstetric and Newborn Care (EmONC) facilities are scarce in Ethiopia and concentrated in bigger cities. Using geospatial analysis, this study modeled the optimal locations for new EmONC facilities such that a maximum number of women could access them. We used data from the 2016 EmONC Assessment encompassing 3804 health facilities (including 370 EmONC facilities). Using OpenStreetMap data, we created a road network with different speed a…
Interviewing in the metaverse
In this paper, we explore the methodological implications of conducting online qualitative interviews in the metaverse through virtual reality (VR). Technology companies have invested heavily in creating metaverse platforms for bringing people together in digital worlds, yet there is a significant absence of geographical research examining the implications of these spaces. Twenty-six undergraduate students participated in a remote interviewing ex…
Challenges and opportunities during the Covid-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic has had wide-ranging implications on the academic community and there have been numerous commentaries on the effects of the pandemic on qualitative health research. However, the vulnerabilities faced by participants and researchers during the pandemic have remained underexplored. Addressing this gap, this reflective article discusses the intersecting challenges and opportunities arising for participants and researchers in qu…
Seasonal differences in mobility and activity space in later life
Mobility is crucial for maintaining well-being in later life. Previous research has shown that older adults' mobility fluctuates throughout the day, with a particular focus on afternoon outdoor movement. This paper takes a broader approach and explores the seasonal differences and similarities in mobility and activity space in later life, using older adults in the Northern Netherlands as a case study. Seventeen older adults participated in the st…
Mapping spatial opportunities for urban climate adaptation measures in public and private spaces using a GIS-based Decision Support Model
This study presents a novel Decision Support Model to map opportunities for climate adaptation. • High resolution data are essential to map land use in both public and private space. • The Decision Support Model supports action-driven implementation of climate adaptation. • The DSM shows a relationship between urban design and different adaptation measures. • The DSM can support in evaluating adaptation efforts in different spatial contexts
The Relationship between Park Design and Seniors’ Use of Green Spaces in X’ian, China
Urban parks can facilitate a healthy and active lifestyle among older adults by promoting their physical activities and social interactions. However, unless these parks meet the needs of this group, they may not be effectively utilized or contribute to seniors’ well-being. We applied the concept of environmental affordances in an investigation of the relationship between urban parks’ design characteristics and their use by older adults. Specifica…
E-bikes in rural areas
This study considers how socio-demographic characteristics, mobility situation and attitudes explain current and potential e-bike use in rural areas. Due to longer distances between travel destinations, rural areas in most western societies are characterized by a high car dependence and low use of active modes like walking and cycling. Developing e-bike mobility in these areas can support more healthy and sustainable rural mobility. A large-scale…
Making use of sense of place in amalgamated municipalities
Political-administrative reorganizations are often underpinned by spatial and historical narratives to tap into people’s sense of place and, this way, justify the new territories. Using a mixed-methods study of the recently amalgamated municipality Het Hogeland (Netherlands), we studied how sense of place is politically mobilized and in what sense this corresponds with residents’ associations with their living environment. While inter-municipal c…
I choose the quiet roads’
The physical and cognitive impairments that come with age can have a negative impact on everyday mobility. Furthermore, the mobility and transport potential of older adults differs between rural, semi-dense and urban areas. Some comparative research has shown that rural older adults with and without impairments are more disadvantaged than their urban counterparts in terms of their everyday mobility. The aim of this article is to explore the every…
What happens behind doors? Exploring everyday indoor activities when ageing in place
Engaging in social interaction and physical movement during everyday activities has a positive influence on wellbeing in later life. For older adults who age in place, the majority of activities occur indoors, yet studies typically focus on outdoors. Gender influences social and physical activities but is understudied in an ageing-in-place context. We aim to address these gaps by increasing insight into the indoor activities in later life, with a…
The impact of the built environment on creativity in public spaces of Dutch university campuses and science parks
Studies on university campuses public spaces have recognized that there is a significant relationship between the built environment and people’s perceptions of creativity. There is, however, little empirical evidence to support this claim. This research quantifies and measures this relationship, defined as ‘spatial affordances for creativity’, using two types of Dutch university campuses as case studies: inner-city campuses and science parks (SPs…
How applicable is geospatial analysis in maternal and neonatal health in sub-Saharan Africa? A systematic review
Exploring assets of people with memory problems and dementia in public space
With more people with dementia living at home, neighborhoods and public spaces are being recognized as dementia care settings. Further, there is a shift from emphasizing the loss and decline of a person with dementia to a focus on strength and capacity. The aim of this paper is to identify assets that contribute to the well-being of people with memory problems and dementia living in a community context in the Netherlands. A deductive content anal…
Using the concept of activity space to understand the social health of older adults living with memory problems and dementia at home
Globally as the population ages, the prevalence of dementia will increase. Simultaneously, there is a trend toward people ageing at home. Therefore, more people will be ageing at home with dementia, as opposed to institutional environments. In this context, there has been a recent shift in research exploring ways that people can live well with the consequences of the disease. As a part of this emerging research, the social and spatial aspects of …
Public Spaces as Knowledgescapes
The success of university campuses depends on the interrelations between creative encounters and the built environment, conceptualised here as spatial affordances for creativity. Such an interface plays a fundamental role in interactions for knowledge sharing and the exchange of ideas on campus. Due to campus public spaces generally being considered as the leftovers between buildings and classrooms, undermanaged, and overlooked, little is known a…
Quality over Quantity
There is increasing evidence that the quality of green space significantly contributes to neighborhood satisfaction and well-being, independent of the mere amount of green space. In this paper, we examined residents' perceptions of the quality and beneficial affordances of green space in relation to objectively assessed accessibility and usability. We used data from a survey in two neighborhoods ( N = 223) of a medium-sized city in the Netherland…
Cycling was never so easy!” An analysis of e-bike commuters' motives, travel behaviour and experiences using GPS-tracking and interviews
Numbers and narratives
Measuring Visible Space to Assess Landscape Openness
This paper presents and discusses a procedure for measuring landscape openness, which is an important characteristic of the visual landscape. The procedure aims to ensure the quality of descriptions of landscape openness while being flexible enough to produce descriptions suitable for various purposes. Geo-data and a Geographic Information System (GIS) are used to develop the procedure, which consists of five steps: 1) select road network and app…
Numbers and narratives
Using the concept of activity space to understand the social health of older adults living with memory problems and dementia at home
Globally as the population ages, the prevalence of dementia will increase. Simultaneously, there is a trend toward people ageing at home. Therefore, more people will be ageing at home with dementia, as opposed to institutional environments. In this context, there has been a recent shift in research exploring ways that people can live well with the consequences of the disease. As a part of this emerging research, the social and spatial aspects of …
Cycling was never so easy!” An analysis of e-bike commuters' motives, travel behaviour and experiences using GPS-tracking and interviews
Making use of sense of place in amalgamated municipalities
Political-administrative reorganizations are often underpinned by spatial and historical narratives to tap into people’s sense of place and, this way, justify the new territories. Using a mixed-methods study of the recently amalgamated municipality Het Hogeland (Netherlands), we studied how sense of place is politically mobilized and in what sense this corresponds with residents’ associations with their living environment. While inter-municipal c…
I choose the quiet roads’
The physical and cognitive impairments that come with age can have a negative impact on everyday mobility. Furthermore, the mobility and transport potential of older adults differs between rural, semi-dense and urban areas. Some comparative research has shown that rural older adults with and without impairments are more disadvantaged than their urban counterparts in terms of their everyday mobility. The aim of this article is to explore the every…
What happens behind doors? Exploring everyday indoor activities when ageing in place
Engaging in social interaction and physical movement during everyday activities has a positive influence on wellbeing in later life. For older adults who age in place, the majority of activities occur indoors, yet studies typically focus on outdoors. Gender influences social and physical activities but is understudied in an ageing-in-place context. We aim to address these gaps by increasing insight into the indoor activities in later life, with a…
Measuring Visible Space to Assess Landscape Openness
This paper presents and discusses a procedure for measuring landscape openness, which is an important characteristic of the visual landscape. The procedure aims to ensure the quality of descriptions of landscape openness while being flexible enough to produce descriptions suitable for various purposes. Geo-data and a Geographic Information System (GIS) are used to develop the procedure, which consists of five steps: 1) select road network and app…
A Healthier Distance? Spatial Proximity to Everyday Amenities and Self‐Rated Health among Older Adults in the Northern Netherlands
This study investigates the association between the proximity of home to various everyday life amenities and self‐rated health (SRH) among 7,226 older adults who participated in the Lifelines health survey. Our results show that SRH was significantly higher for participants living farther from grocery shops and closer to healthcare places. We also found that not being female, living alone, having a paid job, having a high level of education (espe…
Measuring Visible Space to Assess Landscape Openness
This paper presents and discusses a procedure for measuring landscape openness, which is an important characteristic of the visual landscape. The procedure aims to ensure the quality of descriptions of landscape openness while being flexible enough to produce descriptions suitable for various purposes. Geo-data and a Geographic Information System (GIS) are used to develop the procedure, which consists of five steps: 1) select road network and app…
Numbers and narratives
Quality over Quantity
There is increasing evidence that the quality of green space significantly contributes to neighborhood satisfaction and well-being, independent of the mere amount of green space. In this paper, we examined residents' perceptions of the quality and beneficial affordances of green space in relation to objectively assessed accessibility and usability. We used data from a survey in two neighborhoods ( N = 223) of a medium-sized city in the Netherland…
Cycling was never so easy!” An analysis of e-bike commuters' motives, travel behaviour and experiences using GPS-tracking and interviews
Public Spaces as Knowledgescapes
The success of university campuses depends on the interrelations between creative encounters and the built environment, conceptualised here as spatial affordances for creativity. Such an interface plays a fundamental role in interactions for knowledge sharing and the exchange of ideas on campus. Due to campus public spaces generally being considered as the leftovers between buildings and classrooms, undermanaged, and overlooked, little is known a…
Exploring assets of people with memory problems and dementia in public space
With more people with dementia living at home, neighborhoods and public spaces are being recognized as dementia care settings. Further, there is a shift from emphasizing the loss and decline of a person with dementia to a focus on strength and capacity. The aim of this paper is to identify assets that contribute to the well-being of people with memory problems and dementia living in a community context in the Netherlands. A deductive content anal…
Using the concept of activity space to understand the social health of older adults living with memory problems and dementia at home
Globally as the population ages, the prevalence of dementia will increase. Simultaneously, there is a trend toward people ageing at home. Therefore, more people will be ageing at home with dementia, as opposed to institutional environments. In this context, there has been a recent shift in research exploring ways that people can live well with the consequences of the disease. As a part of this emerging research, the social and spatial aspects of …
The impact of the built environment on creativity in public spaces of Dutch university campuses and science parks
Studies on university campuses public spaces have recognized that there is a significant relationship between the built environment and people’s perceptions of creativity. There is, however, little empirical evidence to support this claim. This research quantifies and measures this relationship, defined as ‘spatial affordances for creativity’, using two types of Dutch university campuses as case studies: inner-city campuses and science parks (SPs…
How applicable is geospatial analysis in maternal and neonatal health in sub-Saharan Africa? A systematic review
Mapping spatial opportunities for urban climate adaptation measures in public and private spaces using a GIS-based Decision Support Model
This study presents a novel Decision Support Model to map opportunities for climate adaptation. • High resolution data are essential to map land use in both public and private space. • The Decision Support Model supports action-driven implementation of climate adaptation. • The DSM shows a relationship between urban design and different adaptation measures. • The DSM can support in evaluating adaptation efforts in different spatial contexts
The Relationship between Park Design and Seniors’ Use of Green Spaces in X’ian, China
Urban parks can facilitate a healthy and active lifestyle among older adults by promoting their physical activities and social interactions. However, unless these parks meet the needs of this group, they may not be effectively utilized or contribute to seniors’ well-being. We applied the concept of environmental affordances in an investigation of the relationship between urban parks’ design characteristics and their use by older adults. Specifica…
E-bikes in rural areas
This study considers how socio-demographic characteristics, mobility situation and attitudes explain current and potential e-bike use in rural areas. Due to longer distances between travel destinations, rural areas in most western societies are characterized by a high car dependence and low use of active modes like walking and cycling. Developing e-bike mobility in these areas can support more healthy and sustainable rural mobility. A large-scale…
Making use of sense of place in amalgamated municipalities
Political-administrative reorganizations are often underpinned by spatial and historical narratives to tap into people’s sense of place and, this way, justify the new territories. Using a mixed-methods study of the recently amalgamated municipality Het Hogeland (Netherlands), we studied how sense of place is politically mobilized and in what sense this corresponds with residents’ associations with their living environment. While inter-municipal c…
I choose the quiet roads’
The physical and cognitive impairments that come with age can have a negative impact on everyday mobility. Furthermore, the mobility and transport potential of older adults differs between rural, semi-dense and urban areas. Some comparative research has shown that rural older adults with and without impairments are more disadvantaged than their urban counterparts in terms of their everyday mobility. The aim of this article is to explore the every…
What happens behind doors? Exploring everyday indoor activities when ageing in place
Engaging in social interaction and physical movement during everyday activities has a positive influence on wellbeing in later life. For older adults who age in place, the majority of activities occur indoors, yet studies typically focus on outdoors. Gender influences social and physical activities but is understudied in an ageing-in-place context. We aim to address these gaps by increasing insight into the indoor activities in later life, with a…
Interviewing in the metaverse
In this paper, we explore the methodological implications of conducting online qualitative interviews in the metaverse through virtual reality (VR). Technology companies have invested heavily in creating metaverse platforms for bringing people together in digital worlds, yet there is a significant absence of geographical research examining the implications of these spaces. Twenty-six undergraduate students participated in a remote interviewing ex…
Challenges and opportunities during the Covid-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic has had wide-ranging implications on the academic community and there have been numerous commentaries on the effects of the pandemic on qualitative health research. However, the vulnerabilities faced by participants and researchers during the pandemic have remained underexplored. Addressing this gap, this reflective article discusses the intersecting challenges and opportunities arising for participants and researchers in qu…
Seasonal differences in mobility and activity space in later life
Mobility is crucial for maintaining well-being in later life. Previous research has shown that older adults' mobility fluctuates throughout the day, with a particular focus on afternoon outdoor movement. This paper takes a broader approach and explores the seasonal differences and similarities in mobility and activity space in later life, using older adults in the Northern Netherlands as a case study. Seventeen older adults participated in the st…
Maternal and perinatal mortality
While there is ample evidence of the overall reduction in perinatal and pregnancy-related mortality in Ethiopia, it remains uncertain if geographic disparities have diminished. This study aimed to investigate perinatal and pregnancy-related mortality spatial distributions, trends over time, and factors associated with the distribution in Ethiopia. We used data from Ethiopian Demographic and Health Surveys conducted in 2000, 2005, 2011, and 2016. …
Optimizing maternal health facility locations in Ethiopia
Emergency Obstetric and Newborn Care (EmONC) facilities are scarce in Ethiopia and concentrated in bigger cities. Using geospatial analysis, this study modeled the optimal locations for new EmONC facilities such that a maximum number of women could access them. We used data from the 2016 EmONC Assessment encompassing 3804 health facilities (including 370 EmONC facilities). Using OpenStreetMap data, we created a road network with different speed a…
Geographical accessibility to public healthcare facilities and undernutrition in children under-5 in Uganda
In Uganda, 29% of all children under-5 experience some form of undernutrition, a key predictor of health outcomes. Healthcare accessibility is a key determinant of undernutrition. Longer travel times to healthcare may increase undernutrition due to access barriers. The aim of this study is to assess the impact of geographical accessibility on undernutrition in children under-5 in Uganda. The Ugandan Demographic Health Survey from 2016 (UDHS-2016)…
A more realistic picture of older adults’ activity spaces
The everyday activities of older adults are enabled through numerous micro-movements, which are small spatial and bodily movements and non-movements essential for maintaining health. This study introduces and applies the concept of collateral mobilities to capture both bodily and spatial micro-movements and their interactions in everyday activity spaces. Using GPS tracker and pedometer data, we analysed the collateral mobilities of older adults i…
A Healthier Distance? Spatial Proximity to Everyday Amenities and Self‐Rated Health among Older Adults in the Northern Netherlands
This study investigates the association between the proximity of home to various everyday life amenities and self‐rated health (SRH) among 7,226 older adults who participated in the Lifelines health survey. Our results show that SRH was significantly higher for participants living farther from grocery shops and closer to healthcare places. We also found that not being female, living alone, having a paid job, having a high level of education (espe…
Geography (14 works) · Medicine (13 works) · Psychology (13 works) · Sociology (13 works) · Urban Transport and Accessibility (9 works) · Computer Science (8 works) · Gerontology (8 works) · Political science (8 works) · Environmental health (7 works) · Engineering (6 works)