This study examined associations of neighbourhood walkability with cognitive functioning (i.e., global cognition, memory, language, attention-psychomotor speed, and executive functioning) in... Show moreThis study examined associations of neighbourhood walkability with cognitive functioning (i.e., global cognition, memory, language, attention-psychomotor speed, and executive functioning) in participants without or with either heart failure, carotid occlusive disease, or vascular cognitive impairment. Neighbourhood walkability at baseline was positively associated with global cognition and attention-psychomotor speed. These associations were stronger in patients with vascular cognitive impairment. Individuals who live in residential areas with higher walkability levels were less likely to have impairments in language and executive functioning at two-year follow-up. These findings highlight the importance of the built environment for cognitive functioning in healthy and vulnerable groups. Show less
Chinese Feng-Shui and Indian Vāstu-Shāstra are two of the world’s best-known and longest-enduring systems of geomancy which have, for centuries, informed architectural practice of their respective... Show moreChinese Feng-Shui and Indian Vāstu-Shāstra are two of the world’s best-known and longest-enduring systems of geomancy which have, for centuries, informed architectural practice of their respective cultural spheres. Albeit developed in different geo-cultural contexts and reinforced by their distinct religious and philosophical convictions, these two systems are based on comparable expressions of architectural Do’s & Taboos. Mores specifically, the Do’s & Taboos of both traditions reflect three important common concerns: the configuration of built spaces, the orientation of built spaces and the spatial hierarchy of built spaces. On the basis of the paradigm of ‘architecture as a representation of realities’, this book is the first of its kind to provide a comparative and structural analysis of the meanings of the Do's & Taboos in two different architectural traditions. It paves the way for a deeper understanding of the shared socio-cosmic realities articulated through the built spaces of global architectural traditions. Show less
