Paul Hess
Biographic Data
| ID | 5411948 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Paul Hess |
| GIVEN NAMES | Paul |
| FAMILY NAME | Hess |
| SIGNATURE | HESS P |
| AFFILIATIONS | University of Toronto |
| VERIFIED | No |
| TOTAL WORKS | 18 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 82 |
| WORKS AS AUTHOR | 18 |
| WORKS AS EDITOR | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2008 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 5 |
Was the Covid-19 pandemic a ‘critical juncture’ for active transportation planning in Canada?
Becoming Fully Human in Community
Defined by Desmond Tutu as “a person is a person through other persons”, Ubuntu has contributed a great deal to our theological understanding of personhood. However, this article argues that it is time for a critical theology of Ubuntu. We need to be cognisant of the following dangers within Ubuntu as it has been traditionally been defined: (1) Ubuntu equates community with moral virtue, (2) Ubuntu is premised on idealised notions of community an…
Evaluating the implementation of active transportation infrastructure during the pandemic
The impact of urban transportation on human health is a critical area of study in public health. The pandemic created a need to re-imagine urban public spaces and trial built environment interventions under expedited timelines. By expanding street space for active transportation during the pandemic, cities aimed to enable access to essential destinations and supported physical and mental health during physical distancing regulations through ‘stre…
Ramming attacks, pedestrians, and the securitization of streets and urban public space
Over the last decade, vehicles have been used as weapons to target, kill, and injure pedestrians in cities such as London, New York, and Berlin. In response to these attacks, governments are implementing new policies and physical interventions to securitize pedestrian spaces. A previous wave of urban securitization hardened buildings against explosives delivered by vehicles, but ramming attacks, by using the vehicles themselves as weapons, challe…
Can We Retrofit Suburban Arterials
Problem, research strategy, and findings The multilane arterial roadway is a central feature of post–World War II (WWII) suburbs that challenges efforts to create more transit-oriented regions. Retrofitting suburbs is an important planning goal, but research examining the urban form of arterials and their potential for transformation has been scarce. We analyzed four suburban corridors in the Toronto (Canada) region developed during different per…
Pandemic-time bike lanes in three large Canadian urban centres- differences in use and public perception by socio-demographic groups and geographical contexts
Engaging Disability Theory in Planning Practice
In this commentary, we suggest that disability in planning practice is widely under-theorized. Planners must respond to normalized inattention to disability in the planning field and can begin doing so by engaging disability theory in practice. Five disability perspectives are discussed with a view to providing planners with a disability theory toolkit: (1) the medical, (2) social, and (3) biopsychosocial models; (4) a neoliberal viewpoint; and (…
Livable Streets and Global Competitiveness
Mexico City is rapidly building livable streets (i.e., streets redesigned to accommodate pedestrians, cyclists, and public space users). Livable streets are justified by decision makers as investments to increase urban equity yet tend to reinforce socioeconomic stratification through their location in wealthy and/or gentrifying neighborhoods. Using semi-structured interviews, policy reviews, and participant observation, this article documents Mex…
Property Rights, Redevelopment Areas, and Toronto Ratepayer Associations in the 1950s
In the 1950s, Toronto ratepayer associations inserted themselves into debates about property relations and the appropriate use of the City’s new redevelopment authority as then being tested by elected officials and developers. Two case studies are presented: a designated redevelopment area where the City failed to close a deal with development firms, and a request, ultimately denied, by a developer group to to have the City establish another area…
Liturgy in Postcolonial Perspectives
Compact, concurrent, and contiguous
In this article, we use parcel-based land-use data to analyze 50 years of residential development in the Toronto region. We test two hypotheses: (1) Toronto's form does not conform to conventional definitions of suburban sprawl and (2) Toronto's suburban development shows high levels of continuity over time with relatively high densities and mixed housing types. Contrary to recent research suggesting a convergence of urban forms among North Ameri…
The Influence of Local Food Environments on Adolescents’ Food Purchasing Behaviors
This study examined the relationship between the neighborhood food environment and the food purchasing behaviors among adolescents. Grade 7 and 8 students (n = 810) at 21 elementary schools in London, Ontario, Canada completed a questionnaire assessing their food purchasing behaviors. Parents of participants also completed a brief questionnaire providing residential address and demographic information. A Geographic Information System (GIS) was us…
Obesogenic neighbourhoods
Objective To examine the relationship between the neighbourhood food environment and dietary intake among adolescents. Design Cross-sectional design using: (i) a geographic information system to assess characteristics of the neighbourhood food environment and neighbourhood socio-economic status; (ii) the modified Healthy Eating Index (HEI) to assess participants’ overall diet quality; and (iii) generalized linear models to examine associations be…
Linking Childhood Obesity to the Built Environment
Route-Based Analysis to Capture the Environmental Influences on a Child's Mode of Travel between Home and School
This study examined environmental influences on a child's mode of travel between home and school. Grade 7 and 8 students (n = 614) from twenty-one schools throughout London, Ontario, participated in a school-based travel mode survey. Geographic information systems (GIS) were employed to examine environmental characteristics of the child's mode of travel between home and school measured at the scale of the likely travel route. Logistic regression …
The Influence of the Physical Environment and Sociodemographic Characteristics on Children's Mode of Travel to and From School
Objectives. We examined whether certain characteristics of the social and physical environment influence a child's mode of travel between home and school. Methods. Students aged 11 to 13 years from 21 schools throughout London, Ontario, answered questions from a travel behavior survey. A geographic information system linked survey responses for 614 students who lived within 1 mile of school to data on social and physical characteristics of enviro…
Environmental influences on physical activity levels in youth
Fronts and Backs
With New Urbanist ideas reshaping the form of American and Canadian suburban development, this research surveys residents of three Toronto-area neighborhoods to explore how residents use the streets, yards, and alleys immediately adjoining their houses. Despite the presence of attractive front yards and streets, because most of the residents surveyed rely on automobiles stored in alleys for traveling to work or shop, the backdoor is the de facto …
Linking Childhood Obesity to the Built Environment
Environmental influences on physical activity levels in youth
The Influence of the Physical Environment and Sociodemographic Characteristics on Children's Mode of Travel to and From School
Objectives. We examined whether certain characteristics of the social and physical environment influence a child's mode of travel between home and school. Methods. Students aged 11 to 13 years from 21 schools throughout London, Ontario, answered questions from a travel behavior survey. A geographic information system linked survey responses for 614 students who lived within 1 mile of school to data on social and physical characteristics of enviro…
Route-Based Analysis to Capture the Environmental Influences on a Child's Mode of Travel between Home and School
This study examined environmental influences on a child's mode of travel between home and school. Grade 7 and 8 students (n = 614) from twenty-one schools throughout London, Ontario, participated in a school-based travel mode survey. Geographic information systems (GIS) were employed to examine environmental characteristics of the child's mode of travel between home and school measured at the scale of the likely travel route. Logistic regression …
Fronts and Backs
With New Urbanist ideas reshaping the form of American and Canadian suburban development, this research surveys residents of three Toronto-area neighborhoods to explore how residents use the streets, yards, and alleys immediately adjoining their houses. Despite the presence of attractive front yards and streets, because most of the residents surveyed rely on automobiles stored in alleys for traveling to work or shop, the backdoor is the de facto …
Engaging Disability Theory in Planning Practice
In this commentary, we suggest that disability in planning practice is widely under-theorized. Planners must respond to normalized inattention to disability in the planning field and can begin doing so by engaging disability theory in practice. Five disability perspectives are discussed with a view to providing planners with a disability theory toolkit: (1) the medical, (2) social, and (3) biopsychosocial models; (4) a neoliberal viewpoint; and (…
Livable Streets and Global Competitiveness
Mexico City is rapidly building livable streets (i.e., streets redesigned to accommodate pedestrians, cyclists, and public space users). Livable streets are justified by decision makers as investments to increase urban equity yet tend to reinforce socioeconomic stratification through their location in wealthy and/or gentrifying neighborhoods. Using semi-structured interviews, policy reviews, and participant observation, this article documents Mex…
Compact, concurrent, and contiguous
In this article, we use parcel-based land-use data to analyze 50 years of residential development in the Toronto region. We test two hypotheses: (1) Toronto's form does not conform to conventional definitions of suburban sprawl and (2) Toronto's suburban development shows high levels of continuity over time with relatively high densities and mixed housing types. Contrary to recent research suggesting a convergence of urban forms among North Ameri…
Environmental influences on physical activity levels in youth
Fronts and Backs
With New Urbanist ideas reshaping the form of American and Canadian suburban development, this research surveys residents of three Toronto-area neighborhoods to explore how residents use the streets, yards, and alleys immediately adjoining their houses. Despite the presence of attractive front yards and streets, because most of the residents surveyed rely on automobiles stored in alleys for traveling to work or shop, the backdoor is the de facto …
The Influence of the Physical Environment and Sociodemographic Characteristics on Children's Mode of Travel to and From School
Objectives. We examined whether certain characteristics of the social and physical environment influence a child's mode of travel between home and school. Methods. Students aged 11 to 13 years from 21 schools throughout London, Ontario, answered questions from a travel behavior survey. A geographic information system linked survey responses for 614 students who lived within 1 mile of school to data on social and physical characteristics of enviro…
The Influence of Local Food Environments on Adolescents’ Food Purchasing Behaviors
This study examined the relationship between the neighborhood food environment and the food purchasing behaviors among adolescents. Grade 7 and 8 students (n = 810) at 21 elementary schools in London, Ontario, Canada completed a questionnaire assessing their food purchasing behaviors. Parents of participants also completed a brief questionnaire providing residential address and demographic information. A Geographic Information System (GIS) was us…
Obesogenic neighbourhoods
Objective To examine the relationship between the neighbourhood food environment and dietary intake among adolescents. Design Cross-sectional design using: (i) a geographic information system to assess characteristics of the neighbourhood food environment and neighbourhood socio-economic status; (ii) the modified Healthy Eating Index (HEI) to assess participants’ overall diet quality; and (iii) generalized linear models to examine associations be…
Linking Childhood Obesity to the Built Environment
Route-Based Analysis to Capture the Environmental Influences on a Child's Mode of Travel between Home and School
This study examined environmental influences on a child's mode of travel between home and school. Grade 7 and 8 students (n = 614) from twenty-one schools throughout London, Ontario, participated in a school-based travel mode survey. Geographic information systems (GIS) were employed to examine environmental characteristics of the child's mode of travel between home and school measured at the scale of the likely travel route. Logistic regression …
Compact, concurrent, and contiguous
In this article, we use parcel-based land-use data to analyze 50 years of residential development in the Toronto region. We test two hypotheses: (1) Toronto's form does not conform to conventional definitions of suburban sprawl and (2) Toronto's suburban development shows high levels of continuity over time with relatively high densities and mixed housing types. Contrary to recent research suggesting a convergence of urban forms among North Ameri…
Liturgy in Postcolonial Perspectives
Property Rights, Redevelopment Areas, and Toronto Ratepayer Associations in the 1950s
In the 1950s, Toronto ratepayer associations inserted themselves into debates about property relations and the appropriate use of the City’s new redevelopment authority as then being tested by elected officials and developers. Two case studies are presented: a designated redevelopment area where the City failed to close a deal with development firms, and a request, ultimately denied, by a developer group to to have the City establish another area…
Livable Streets and Global Competitiveness
Mexico City is rapidly building livable streets (i.e., streets redesigned to accommodate pedestrians, cyclists, and public space users). Livable streets are justified by decision makers as investments to increase urban equity yet tend to reinforce socioeconomic stratification through their location in wealthy and/or gentrifying neighborhoods. Using semi-structured interviews, policy reviews, and participant observation, this article documents Mex…
Ramming attacks, pedestrians, and the securitization of streets and urban public space
Over the last decade, vehicles have been used as weapons to target, kill, and injure pedestrians in cities such as London, New York, and Berlin. In response to these attacks, governments are implementing new policies and physical interventions to securitize pedestrian spaces. A previous wave of urban securitization hardened buildings against explosives delivered by vehicles, but ramming attacks, by using the vehicles themselves as weapons, challe…
Can We Retrofit Suburban Arterials
Problem, research strategy, and findings The multilane arterial roadway is a central feature of post–World War II (WWII) suburbs that challenges efforts to create more transit-oriented regions. Retrofitting suburbs is an important planning goal, but research examining the urban form of arterials and their potential for transformation has been scarce. We analyzed four suburban corridors in the Toronto (Canada) region developed during different per…
Pandemic-time bike lanes in three large Canadian urban centres- differences in use and public perception by socio-demographic groups and geographical contexts
Engaging Disability Theory in Planning Practice
In this commentary, we suggest that disability in planning practice is widely under-theorized. Planners must respond to normalized inattention to disability in the planning field and can begin doing so by engaging disability theory in practice. Five disability perspectives are discussed with a view to providing planners with a disability theory toolkit: (1) the medical, (2) social, and (3) biopsychosocial models; (4) a neoliberal viewpoint; and (…
Becoming Fully Human in Community
Defined by Desmond Tutu as “a person is a person through other persons”, Ubuntu has contributed a great deal to our theological understanding of personhood. However, this article argues that it is time for a critical theology of Ubuntu. We need to be cognisant of the following dangers within Ubuntu as it has been traditionally been defined: (1) Ubuntu equates community with moral virtue, (2) Ubuntu is premised on idealised notions of community an…
Evaluating the implementation of active transportation infrastructure during the pandemic
The impact of urban transportation on human health is a critical area of study in public health. The pandemic created a need to re-imagine urban public spaces and trial built environment interventions under expedited timelines. By expanding street space for active transportation during the pandemic, cities aimed to enable access to essential destinations and supported physical and mental health during physical distancing regulations through ‘stre…
Was the Covid-19 pandemic a ‘critical juncture’ for active transportation planning in Canada?
Urban Transport and Accessibility (12 works) · Sociology (11 works) · Geography (10 works) · Medicine (7 works) · Psychology (7 works) · Engineering (6 works) · Environmental health (6 works) · Demography (5 works) · Business (4 works) · Civil engineering (4 works)