Authors:Kamel Almutairi, Ramzi Alahmadi, Ahmed T. M. Halawani, Yasir Almutairi, Abduallah Alsehaimi Abstract: By 2030, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) is seeking to increase homeownership to 70%. This has led to a considerable investment in residential construction, with the Housing Ministry establishing a stimulus program to enhance the use of Modern Methods of Construction (MMC). These technologies offer several benefits, including cost and time reduction, improved quality and productivity, and job creation. This study quantitatively analyzes the economic impacts of MMC adaptation on the Saudi economy using the Global Trade Analysis Project (GTAP) model. It considers incentives to adopt MMC, its technological advancements, and the skills currently available in the Saudi labor market. Moreover, the embodied carbon emissions of MMC are calculated using the Input–Output Life Cycle Assessment Approach (IO-LCA); the detailed environmental emissions from the transportation phase, accounting for material reduction, are assessed using the COPERT model and compared to conventional construction. The results reveal an increase of 1.92% in Saudi GDP, along with improved welfare of $28.5 billion and a notable increase in the sectors related to construction. Job creation is demonstrated by an increase in the employment of unskilled and skilled labor by 2.02 and 1.5%, respectively. The paper concludes that MMC’s total embodied carbon emissions were approximately 77 million metric tonnes CO2, while its transport-related emissions are less than conventional approaches. PubDate: 2024-08-09T00:00:00Z
Authors:Chin-Ling Chen, Cheng-Yang Tu, Yong-Yuan Deng, Der-Chen Huang, Ling-Chun Liu, Hsing-Chung Chen Abstract: With the progress of the times, cars have become an important means of transportation in our lives. However, with new cars of all kinds, road safety issues still cannot be effectively improved. While countries have responded by enforcing traffic laws and using electronic technology to enhance enforcement, challenges still need to be addressed, including blurred images and misjudgments by police agencies, and even exploiting loopholes in traffic enforcement frameworks to evade consequences through bribery or connections. exacerbating an accident and leaving victims and families in the lurch of the aftermath. To solve this problem, we proposed a data traceability law enforcement system based on blockchain and InterPlanetary File System (IPFS). The system ensures rapid traceability and protects law enforcement data from external attacks. The goal of leveraging blockchain’s decentralized nature and smart contracts is to instill accountability and fairness in road safety measures, mitigate the effects of corruption, and pave the way for a safer and more just transportation environment. Our experimental results show that under our stress test of 50 transactions per second, the throughput can be as high as 300 and the maximum delay can reach 2.01s, which is enough to experimentally prove that our system is feasible. Our approach is designed to solve the data corruption problem caused by the centralized server being paralyzed. It applies to all technology enforcement, with high flexibility and scalability for all participants to join or set privileges. we also provide an automated traffic law enforcement system in a smart city. To make the data storage more secure and fair, and not easily damaged by malicious people or tampered with by intentional attackers. This brings a breakthrough to the country’s program security. PubDate: 2024-08-07T00:00:00Z
Authors:Christoph Woiwode, A. Ramachandran, Tarun Philip, D Rishika, Sudhir Chella Rajan Abstract: Governing transitions have assumed increasing significance in managing change with respect to climate change and rapid periurbanization. In this respect, evidence from sustainability transitions research in South Asia stipulates the need for institutional innovations that are suitable to the governance context, which is characterized by a fuzzy field of “speculative frontiers,” and strong hierarchically structured mechanisms. This paper focuses on Chennai, India to ascertain the potentials of “adaptive governance” in this periurban region of the Global South. We approach this by (a) defining the periurban space from a bio-regional, socio-ecological systems perspective, (b) complementing it with a zonal classification considering disaster and climate change risks, and (c) presenting an adaptive governance framework. Based on analyzing existing governance structures, the paper discusses identified syndromes, synergistic potentials and activities for adaptive governance, especially highlighting water and agroecology-related pathways. Our integrated analytical approach is (a) multi-dimensional deploying the adaptive governance framework, (b) multi-level considering local, intermediate and state governance, and (c) multi-scalar applying macro, meso and micro scales. The implications underscore that transformative interventions, sooner or later, will have to challenge the system that produces such climate vulnerabilities. In spite of several barriers, there are noteworthy indications of adaptive governance practices discernible in numerous niche projects in the Chennai region that demonstrate diverse embryonic forms to build more strategic and conscientious approaches. PubDate: 2024-08-06T00:00:00Z
Authors:Deepak Singla, Sanjeev Kumar, Yonis Gulzar, Mohammad Shuaib Mir, Deepali Gupta, Wassim Jaziri, Najla Sassi, Shweta Arora Abstract: Counterfeit drugs pose significant health risks due to their variable efficacy and potential harmful ingredients. To combat this issue, a reliable and secure track-and-trace system is essential for pharmaceutical supply chains. This paper proposes an Immutable and Decentralized Pharma (IDP) model, leveraging blockchain technology to ensure the safe and efficient distribution of medications. The IDP model utilizes smart contracts to record transactions between entities onto a blockchain, enabling end-to-end product tracking and provenance. Experimental results on a polygon blockchain test network demonstrate the feasibility and enhanced security of the IDP model in a collaborative environment. Our solution addresses the challenges of data privacy, openness, and authenticity inherent in centralized track-and-trace systems, providing a promising approach to eliminate counterfeits and guarantee product safety in pharmaceutical supply chains. PubDate: 2024-08-05T00:00:00Z
Authors:Yuanxiang Yang, Shuiyu Yan, Cong Cong, Yu Tian, Wen Liu Abstract: IntroductionIn the context of ongoing discussions in Chongqing (China) about urban development strategies for the city’s transit system, this paper introduces an empirical framework for assessing the development of urban transit stations in mountainous cities. Cities in mountainous areas possess unique natural topography, development patterns, cultures, and natural resources, leading to distinct urban development characteristics compared to cities built on plains.MethodsDrawing on the node-place modelling literature, we develop a multidimensional station assessment methodology adapted for mountainous cities. By adding the dimension of pedestrian experience, we propose indicators that represent the unique challenges of accessing stations in such terrains that are not typically reflected in conventional node-place analysis.ResultsOur findings reveal station-specific development opportunities in greater detail and can guide more targeted planning for land use around stations.DiscussionOur assessment method is particularly useful for cities facing terrain challenges that impact pedestrian experience. PubDate: 2024-07-31T00:00:00Z
Authors:Nir Mualam Abstract: In the age of technological acceleration, new digital shifts and the increased use of ICT have changed the ways we work, live, sleep, and shop. Remarkable transformations have left footprints in the planning world as well, with many urban planners harnessing technology to improve and expedite planning processes. This process accelerated further during the COVID pandemic, which forced many planning committees and local governments to conduct public meetings, hearings, and participatory processes remotely in order to allow the planning machine to continue rolling while abiding by social distancing rules. Developments such as this have been part of a broader shift toward the increasing reliance of planning on video-conferencing and other technological innovations. While this new policy has proved advantageous to many, it has also had regressive impacts and severely affected social inclusion in the planning process. This paper reviews these outcomes by focusing on the Israeli planning system post-COVID, which continues to embrace videoconferencing as a tool in planning. The findings illustrate the vulnerability of certain groups to the accelerated digitalization of urban planning. Despite planners’ awareness of these outcomes and adaptations made to existing means of e-participation, online planning meetings are not geared toward using tools and platforms to improve practice; instead, remote participation remains largely a ‘pro-developers’ process and could marginalize other participants. PubDate: 2024-07-31T00:00:00Z
Authors:Marisol Ugalde-Monzalvo Abstract: This study examines the sustainability of urban growth, described by patterns of environmental fitness. The main assumption is that resource use—energy, materials, electricity, water, fossil fuels, soil, and humans—describes growth patterns whose sustainability can be categorized according to environmental fitness, which is assessed by the availability of environmental resources (characteristics of the environment) and the adaptation of the city to this availability (characteristics of the built environment). The article offers an innovative perspective by proposing a model for categorizing the sustainability of urban growth based on environmental fitness, but also by providing a mean to understand the city as a process and the city as a satisfier of needs. The methodology comprises two parts: (1) creating a matrix of indicators of urban environmental fitness and (2) constructing an urban growth sustainability index. From this methodology, six patterns emerged: (i) Economizing growth: available resources with maximum urban adaptation; (ii) Weak growth: availability of resources with minimal urban adaptation; (iii) Efficient growth: availability of resources with appropriate urban adaptation; (iv) Deficient growth: availability of resources without urban adaptation; (v) Efficient growth and of investment: lack of resources with urban investment; and (vi) Deficient growth and of degradation: lack of resources with urban deterioration and wear. The finding of these sustainable urban growth patterns demonstrates the concrete application of environmental adaptation theories and an understanding of the global behavior of cities. The empirical results support the assertion that urban growth presents challenges and potentials in terms of reduction, of reuse, and recycling; of urban sprawl, urban renewal, redevelopment and infill growth, and the efficiency and maintenance of urban infrastructure as guidelines for urban sustainability. PubDate: 2024-07-26T00:00:00Z
Authors:Leonardo Chiesi, Paolo Costa, Fabio Ciaravella, Bianca Galmarini Abstract: This study discusses the essential need of re-naturalizing the built environment, focusing on schools. Leveraging research on the impact of nature on health, children’s development, and learning, we analyze case studies from America, Asia, and Europe with distinct trajectories of interplay between architecture and pedagogy. Using a theoretical framework on plant-architecture relationship, we identify effective re-naturalization solutions in some applications of biophilic design in rural and urban contexts, cautioning against superficial nature incorporations in schools. Our study asserts that technological sustainability is needed but insufficient, emphasizing the necessity of concurrent efforts in architecture and education to create meaningful student-nature connections. PubDate: 2024-07-24T00:00:00Z
Authors:Basma Altaf, Eva Bianchi, Isabella P. Douglas, Kyle Douglas, Brandon Byers, Pablo E. Paredes, Nicole M. Ardoin, Hazel R. Markus, Elizabeth L. Murnane, Lucy Z. Bencharit, James A. Landay, Sarah L. Billington PubDate: 2024-07-23T00:00:00Z
Authors:Carolina Innella, Grazia Barberio, Claudia Brunori, Francesca Cappellaro, Anna Rita Ceddia, Rocco Civita, Salvatore Dimatteo, Marco Ferraris, Rocco Pentassuglia, Luigi Sciubba Abstract: The Urban Living Lab (ULL) is both a methodology and a place where different actors of a territory can collaborate with the aim of urban transformation and sustainable development. This paper briefly introduces a methodological framework, that combines stakeholder engagement and co-design process on Circular Economy (CE) ideas and projects. The structure of the methodological framework foresees four main phases: scouting and analysis of the territorial context, listening and exploration, participation and execution. The main objective of this paper focuses on the application and experimentation of the same ULL methodology framework in four different Italian urban territories (Anguillara Sabazia in the metropolitan area of Rome, Bologna, Taranto and Venosa, a small town in southern Italy), to highlight how the ULL is an effective approach for stakeholder engagement and co-design processes aiming to the transition toward CE. The discussion section of the four ULL cases highlights the main results of the co-design process: the ideation of project proposals of CE activities suitable for implementation in the reference urban territories. The four ULL cases have shown how the same methodological steps can be applied in urban areas with different geographical, territorial and socio-economic characteristics, with comparable results in terms of activating processes of engagement and co-design within the communities living there. In conclusion, experimenting the proposed methodological framework in each of the four urban areas, despite their differing characteristics, it has stimulated the growth of cultural capital and community ties. This was achieved through the exchange of different skills and the collaborative contributions of multidisciplinary teams, resulting in increased collective awareness. PubDate: 2024-07-23T00:00:00Z
Authors:Anna Rita Ceddia, Stefano Oricchio, Grazia Barberio, Carolina Innella Abstract: Circular Economy (CE) studies often focus primarily on technical and economic aspects of the transition process. Recently, some authors have started to enquire the social processes connected to of the CE, often referring to communities. This article provides a Systematic Literature Review on the nexus between CE and community to investigate its features according to the experiences reported in the collected documents. The retrieved corpus has been analyzed recurring to consolidated frameworks, as the R hierarchy, the societal areas challenges identified by the Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda developed by the EU project CICERONE, and to the spectrum of participation provided by the International Association for Public Participation. The participative dynamics found in the corpus are analyzed also considering the type of communities, tools, methodologies and goals reported in the retrieved documents. Besides descriptive statistics about the mentioned aspects, the article includes a discussion on some CE social aspects, problematizing and questioning the retrieved stakeholders engagement practices, recurring to a qualitatively selected literature. Conclusions address the main findings related to the most commonly found R strategy, community type, societal challenge areas and type of participative dynamics according to the analytical components chosen in the methodology. Research implications are illustrated, suggesting possible directions for future research to widen the analysis on the nexus between CE and communities. PubDate: 2024-07-16T00:00:00Z
Authors:Imran Hossain, A. K. M. Mahmudul Haque, S. M. Akram Ullah Abstract: Bangladesh is going through an unprecedented period of urban growth, and its cities are having to deal with rising service, housing, and infrastructural needs. It is critical to comprehend how urban government promotes sustainable development as the nation struggles with the intricacies of urbanization. This study aims to investigate how urban governance impacts sustainable urbanization at the city corporation level in Bangladesh, focusing on Goal 11 of the Sustainable Development Agenda, which is “sustainable cities and communities.” The study selected Rajshahi and Gazipur City Corporations as case studies and employed Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and descriptive statistics methods to gather data from primary and secondary sources. The findings of the study reveal gaps in urban governance, highlighting inconsistencies between the expectations of stakeholders and the reality on the ground. Stakeholders express high expectations for housing access, infrastructure development, disaster management, transportation, and environmental sustainability, but the current state falls short in several areas. Further, the study proposes several recommendations to enhance urban governance, including fostering participatory approaches, ensuring sufficient budget allocation for infrastructure development, addressing housing challenges, enhancing women’s safety in transportation, and strengthening disaster management systems. PubDate: 2024-07-15T00:00:00Z
Authors:Alessia Candido, Ali Amiri, Seppo Junnila, Francesco Pittau Abstract: In Europe, buildings account for 40% of the energy consumption and produce 36% of CO2 emissions. Renovation could be a great tool to decarbonize the building stock since it allows for a decrease in the operational energy required for buildings and is less material-consuming than new construction. Further benefits are brought by the usage of bio-based insulation materials that can drastically reduce embodied emissions and transform structures into factual carbon sinks. This study focuses on a particular kind of biogenic material, mycelium-wood composites, consisting of organic matter bound by the root structure of fungal organisms. This innovative insulation material was compared with traditional ones for the renovation of the building stock, with a focus on vertical components like walls in the Helsinki metropolitan area. To characterize mycelium-wood composites, density and carbon content information were gathered from the samples realized in the Politecnico di Milano MaBa.SAPERLab, while the production processes were included in a SimaPro model to obtain the GWP value. Different scenarios were then defined by two variables: the renovation rate of the building stock and the market penetration of mycelium-wood composites. For each scenario, the overall GWP and CO2 stored values were calculated. Results show the great potential of the innovative material that grants carbon storage in the building stock that could even surpass the amount stored in the 32,500 ha of forest in the area. However, this possibility is heavily influenced by factors independent of the type of insulation used that should be further investigated. PubDate: 2024-07-10T00:00:00Z
Authors:Judith Schröder, Susanne Moebus Abstract: To date, health in the context of climate change has mainly been considered from a biomedical perspective, whose pathogenic focus on health risks has primarily promoted curative and/or behavioral problem-solving strategies. This article therefore examines health in climate change from a perspective of Urban Public Health and political science, which has received less attention so far. The aim is to address existing constructions of health in climate change and their implications for dealing with the climate crisis, in particular regarding the design of urban environments. In doing so, it adopts a regulation-theoretical approach that allows for a theoretically grounded analysis of health in climate change, taking the triangle of nature, society and the individual as the object of research and revealing the significance of existing constructions of health—understood as a social relation—and its (re)production in climate change. This theoretical approach is extended to aspects of different spatial forms and the productions of space in social relations. The theoretical foundation makes it possible to recognize that there are understandings of health in climate change discourse that largely exclude the causes of climate change and thus make its treatment selective. As a result, broad socio-ecological transformation processes are obstructed, while the structural causes of climate change are preserved and stabilized despite their crisis character. An understanding of health that also sees health as a resource in a salutogenic sense and that strengthens the promotion of health by means of structural changes is being pushed into background. Positioning climate change as a public health issue requires a shift from curative, individual and behavioral interventions toward a focus on structural health promotion, especially through the development of health-promoting, just and climate-friendly urban environments. It also means that health must once again become more of a political issue and that existing boundaries between the private and public spheres must be questioned. PubDate: 2024-07-10T00:00:00Z
Authors:Marjolein H. J. van Huijgevoort, Dirk Gijsbert Cirkel, Joris G. W. F. Voeten Abstract: The number of artificial turf fields in cities has increased due to increased pressure on outside sport facilities caused by a higher population density. Downsides of these fields are changes in thermal conditions and decreased infiltration of rain. Artificial turf can reach very high surface temperatures leading to unfavourable playing conditions and contributing to the urban heat island effect. In this study the possibilities of a subsurface water storage and capillary irrigation system for evaporative cooling of artificial turf based on rainwater capture, storage and reuse are investigated. The system consists of an 85 mm water-retention subbase with capillary columns, a capillary shockpad and a natural infill. First, a laboratory experiment was conducted to test the evaporative potential of the system with different types of infill and artificial turf. Next, four research plots were designed in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, which consisted of natural grass, conventional artificial turf and two versions of the cooled artificial turf system (non-infill and standard). Evaporation from the cooled artificial turf reached maximum values around 4 mm/d during summer and surface temperatures were significantly lower than at the conventional artificial turf. Rainwater was stored below the fields. By combining these functions, these fields can help cities adapt to climate change. PubDate: 2024-07-09T00:00:00Z
Authors:Niall Byrne, Susan Pierce, Lorenzo De Donatis, Ruth Kerrigan, Niall Buckley Abstract: The European Green Deal (EGD) represents the response of the European Union (EU) to the climate crisis and a strategy to mitigate against climate change and the associated environmental degradation. European Climate Law supports the EGD by setting the legally binding target of climate neutrality for the EU on a time horizon of 2050 and mandates that member states develop and implement their own Climate Action Plans (CAP), which are strategic roadmaps outlining steps to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and adapt to the impacts of climate change. Within the Irish context, the CAP focuses on six specific sectors, three of which, namely the energy grid, the built environment and transportation are considered in this research. This policy proposes the retrofitting of all residential buildings in the country to a B2 energy performance certificate (EPC), all public transport and 60% of private vehicles electrified and the full decarbonisation of the electrical grid by 2050. This study aims to implement the targets and goals outlined within CAP 2021 in an urban area of Ireland, specifically a historical city centre. The research leverages digital twin technology developed by IES to model the carbon emissions associated with the built environment, while also incorporating GHG emissions associated with transportation and the grid. Furthermore, CAP scenarios are applied systematically and strategically, prioritising building retrofits based on buildings with similar characteristics, typologies and performance. This study has assessed the performance of CAP about two future grid scenarios (1) business as usual and (2) a decarbonised grid. In both scenarios, CAP was not sufficient to achieve the targets set out, resulting in a shortfall of between 25 and 33%. Based on this outcome it may be concluded that any decarbonisation targets specified should be tested and validated before their implementation in policy. Moreover, current state-of-the-art digital twin technologies can facilitate the rapid holistic appraisal of complex multi-sectoral policy at the urban scale, which, depending on data availability, could prove useful in future iterations of CAP at both national and international levels. PubDate: 2024-07-05T00:00:00Z
Authors:Shaimaa S. Alsayed Abstract: Cities have been created to meet human needs, but creating sustainable societies has become a major challenge in light of the planners’ broad interest in creating smart cities or giving exclusive priority to the environmental dimension of sustainability. This is one of the goals related to sustainable development (SDGs) and therefore, the human perspective of urbanism is considered a future challenge in achieving (SDGs). The research aims to bridge the gap in previous studies and highlight the integration of human needs in plans for urban human cities. It also aims to create a conceptual framework that leads to a new theory of urban needs by bridging the knowledge gap in previous studies by considering modern numerical analysis tools, Thus, a bibliometric analysis based on the Biblioshiny and VOSviewer tools within the scope of human needs and urban cities promotion was accomplished. Next selecting evaluation criteria for human needs through a comparative critique of the most important theories of human needs. Then deducting the new theory of urban needs and linking it to the elements of urban composition. Results have reached a new framework that clarifies the human needs that need to be achieved and links them to the urban components to create an integrated urbanization that fulfills the desires of the population. This research serves as a reference for reevaluating urban directions and modern theories that aim to develop future cities. It also helps evaluate cities, envision future human needs, and achieve future prosperity for cities. PubDate: 2024-07-05T00:00:00Z
Authors:Silvia Mazzetto, Roula El-Khoury, Joanna Malkoun Abstract: Promoting sustainable communities aims at creating both environmentally and socially responsible living environments. This paper explores the role of affordable housing in promoting the long-term sustainability of a community within healthy living conditions by closely examining the relationship between affordable housing, urban development policies, and sustainability, with the capital of Lebanon, Beirut, serving as a case study. The first part of the paper focuses on the current building laws issued in the official newspaper in 2004 using a content analysis methodology to demonstrate the impact of the changes in the laws on the new morphology and social fabric of the city through the creation of a favorable environment for big developers, wealthy property owners, and real estate agencies and, at the expense of old city residents and low-income families. The second part of the paper uses the qualitative analysis methodology to justify the presence of large unused stock of residential units in Beirut, referring to information from multiple data sources selected based on their applicability to sustainable development, affordable housing, and urban planning in areas related to the case study, Beirut. This part then investigates the potential presented by this stock of residential units in Beirut to increase the supply of affordable housing and foster a sustainable community. This paper argues that the promoted vertical expansion of the city weighs heavily on the environment and fails to provide a diverse mix of housing units, excluding a significant portion of the community from the city. Alternative development models aligning with principles of sustainable development and challenging the current building laws can promote social inclusivity, reduce urban sprawl, and minimize environmental impacts associated with new constructions, thus preserving the city’s physical and social fabric. PubDate: 2024-07-03T00:00:00Z
Open Access journal
