Dear Colleagues,

The current illusory order gave us a sense of security and harmony. However, recent socio-economic and geopolitical events around the world have radically changed our perceptions of reality. Moreover, we are also experiencing an increasingly negative human impact on the environment. Nature "defends" itself, and this defense is manifested by an increasing number of floods, storms, and droughts. It seems our world was not prepared for such drastic and rapid changes. However, we have survived regardless.

Construction is one of the sectors of the economy that has the most significant influence on environmental degradation due to its impact throughout the whole life cycle of building structures. Faced with the uncertainty of tomorrow and ubiquitous risks, the world is trying to find an opportunity to deal with these threats. Thus, an important aspect of security is the need to support sustainable construction. The aim of this  Special Issue is to present the means for this reform by describing determinants for building sustainable human settlements. These areas can become human-friendly when all of the aspects of construction (design phase, construction, operation and maintenance, decommission) are managed in a proper way. Among the most important questions are 1) how can we create make energy-saving buildings, 2) how can we improve design to create healthier settlements, and 3) in what ways can we use renewable energy to reduce the negative externalities of construction projects?

In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome. Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following:

• Energy efficiency;
• Economic efficiency;
• Integrated assessment models;
• Life-cycle assessment;
• Life-cycle cost analysis;
• Digital-based energy management;
• Municipal sustainability policies;
• Green energy applications;
• Emissions;
• Innovative heating systems;
• New mindset and new technologies;
• Resource planning;
• Local heritages;
• Smart cities;
• Waste management;
• Electricity usage.
• …

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Jarosław Górecki
Dr. Arnaud Diemer
Prof. Dr. Pedro Núñez-Cacho
Prof. Dr. Valentín Molina-Moreno
Dr. Mohamad Achour
Guest Editors

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• sustainable construction
• energy saving
• renewable energy sources
• circular economy
• BIM
• life-cycle approach