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Volume 15
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10.3390/buildings15132196
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Article

Optimizing the Food–Energy–Water Nexus: A Multi-Objective Spatial Configuration Framework for High-Density Communities

by
Jie Zheng
1,2,
Hengyu Li
2,
Lulu Sun
3,
Mingxuan Li
4,* and
Yukun Zhang
2
1
China Architecture Design & Research Group, No. 19, Che Gong Zhuang Street, Xi Cheng, Beijing 100044, China
2
School of Architecture, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
3
China Ippr International Engineering Co., Ltd., Beijing 100089, China
4
Faculty of Innovation and Design, City University of Macau, Macau SAR, China
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Buildings 2025, 15(13), 2196; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings15132196
Submission received: 29 May 2025 / Revised: 16 June 2025 / Accepted: 20 June 2025 / Published: 23 June 2025
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advancements in Super-Low-Energy Buildings: Innovations for Extreme Climate Conditions)
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Abstract

Global urbanization and climate change are intensifying challenges in the sustainable management of the Food–Energy–Water (FEW) system. This study introduces a multi-objective optimization framework that redefines urban spaces through a dual rooftop-ground hierarchy, interlinkage nodes for mapping material and energy flows, and the application of NSGA-II optimization to balance food production, energy output, and costs. The framework was applied to a case study area, generating non-dominated solutions with diverse resource-cost configurations. The findings revealed that optimal scenarios could meet 40.6% of local energy demands and exceed 102.9% of local grain demands, while maintaining economic viability. This approach bridges resource systems theory and spatial planning practice, providing economically viable pathways for high-density cities to transform into hybrid production-consumption spaces, effectively addressing the dual pressures of urbanization and climate change.
Keywords: food–energy–water nexus; urban resource self-sufficiency; multi-objective optimization; residential buildings; solar photovoltaic (PV) systems; urban agriculture food–energy–water nexus; urban resource self-sufficiency; multi-objective optimization; residential buildings; solar photovoltaic (PV) systems; urban agriculture

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MDPI and ACS Style

Zheng, J.; Li, H.; Sun, L.; Li, M.; Zhang, Y. Optimizing the Food–Energy–Water Nexus: A Multi-Objective Spatial Configuration Framework for High-Density Communities. Buildings 2025, 15, 2196. https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings15132196

AMA Style

Zheng J, Li H, Sun L, Li M, Zhang Y. Optimizing the Food–Energy–Water Nexus: A Multi-Objective Spatial Configuration Framework for High-Density Communities. Buildings. 2025; 15(13):2196. https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings15132196

Chicago/Turabian Style

Zheng, Jie, Hengyu Li, Lulu Sun, Mingxuan Li, and Yukun Zhang. 2025. "Optimizing the Food–Energy–Water Nexus: A Multi-Objective Spatial Configuration Framework for High-Density Communities" Buildings 15, no. 13: 2196. https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings15132196

APA Style

Zheng, J., Li, H., Sun, L., Li, M., & Zhang, Y. (2025). Optimizing the Food–Energy–Water Nexus: A Multi-Objective Spatial Configuration Framework for High-Density Communities. Buildings, 15(13), 2196. https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings15132196

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