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Sustainable Building for Urban Development: Common Practices, Ethical Issues, Technologies, and Global Perspectives

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A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Green Building".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2023) | Viewed by 39504

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Olugbenga Timo Oladinrin

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Guest Editor

Built Environment Department, School of Art, Design and Architecture, 302 Roland Levinsky Building, University of Plymouth, Drake Circus, Plymouth PL4 8AA, UK
Interests: construction ethics, construction safety; circular economy; new working practices; construction and demolition waste management

Prof. Dr. Chaminda Pathirage

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Guest Editor

School of Architecture and Built Environment, University of Wolverhampton, Wolverhampton WV1 1LY, UK
Interests: disaster resilience; brownfield research; knowledge management; quantity surveying practice

Dr. Ayokunle Olanipekun

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Guest Editor

Faculty of Technology, School of Civil Engineering and Surveying, University of Portsmouth, Portland Building, Portland Street, Portsmouth PO1 3AH, UK
Interests: sustainable building future; sustainable construction procurement; sustainable transitions in the built environment; construction digital transformation

Dr. Muhammad Qasim Rana

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Guest Editor

School of Built Environment, University College of Estate Management, Reading RG1 4BS, UK
Interests: sustainability; offsite construction; simulation modelling

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Sustainable building is an integral part of urban development, producing environmentally responsible, socially inclusive, economically prudent, and resilient built infrastructure, communities, spaces, and cities. The common practices, ethical issues, technologies, and global perspectives are yet to be aggregated for the theoretical stocktaking and practical application of sustainable building for urban development. The goals of this Special Issue are twofold. The first goal is to foster sustainable building practices for urban development. The second one is to create new research knowledge in the built environment field to maximize the impacts of the built environment in urban futures.

Authors are welcome to submit original research in and around the following research areas:

Professional ethics and ethical concerns in sustainable urban development;
Responsible sourcing for building construction;
Inclusiveness (such as safety, resilience, gender, and disability inclusivity) in building and urban planning and development;
Net-zero building for sustainable urban development;
Application of ESG (environmental, social, and governance) standards and measurement tools in the corporate built and urban environment;
Community networks for sustainable building against natural disasters;
Digital technologies for accessing sustainable urban building solutions;
Sustainable building and urban development divide between rural and urban dwellers, and between developed and developing countries;
Global cooperation for sustainable building and urban development (including government regulations and policies, city statutes, intergovernmental collaboration, international development organization frameworks);
Sustainable urban transport systems application.

Dr. Olugbenga Timo Oladinrin
Prof. Dr. Chaminda Pathirage
Dr. Ayokunle Olanipekun
Dr. Muhammad Qasim Rana
Guest Editors

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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

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Keywords

urban development
sustainable building
built environment

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Published Papers (11 papers)

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Research

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22 pages, 879 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Stakeholders’ Roles in the Delivery of Sustainable Housing Projects in Lagos State, Nigeria

by Feyisetan Leo-Olagbaye, Henry Odeyinka and Pavithra Rathnasiri

Sustainability 2023, 15(15), 11709; https://doi.org/10.3390/su151511709 - 28 Jul 2023

Viewed by 1401

Abstract

The role stakeholders play is fundamental to the realisation of sustainable development. Consequentially, there is a need for the major stakeholders to be fully aware of their respective roles. Thus, this paper focused on assessing the stakeholders’ roles in sustainable housing projects in Lagos State, Nigeria. A structured questionnaire survey was used to collect data from 259 stakeholders involved in sustainable housing projects in Lagos State, Nigeria. A total of 203 responses were obtained, representing a 78% response rate. Primary data regarding the extent of stakeholders’ awareness of their roles in sustainable housing were collected. The data collected were analysed using mean ranking analysis and analysis of variance (ANOVA). The data collected were used to determine the extent of awareness of the stakeholders’ role in sustainable housing projects in Lagos State, Nigeria. The results showed that all the stakeholders were aware of their respective roles in the delivery of sustainable housing projects and were highly conscious of them. Although their extent of awareness was at varying levels, there was no statistically significant difference of opinions amongst the different categories of stakeholders in the delivery of sustainable housing projects. The study concluded that Government and Project Managers have key roles to play as major stakeholders in the delivery of sustainable housing projects. The knowledge of the awareness of stakeholders’ roles in the delivery of sustainable housing projects provides invaluable information to stakeholders regarding the important roles to focus attention on in achieving sustainable housing projects. The study provides a veritable basis for understanding and aligning stakeholder roles in sustainable housing project delivery. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Building for Urban Development: Common Practices, Ethical Issues, Technologies, and Global Perspectives)

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25 pages, 2996 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Critical Review of Developers’ Decision Criteria for Brownfield Regeneration: Development of the BRIC Index

by Oriyomi Modupe Okeyinka, Rana Khan, Chaminda Pathirage, Charf El Dine Mahammedi and Antony West

Sustainability 2023, 15(9), 7105; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15097105 - 24 Apr 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2584

Abstract

The complexity of processes and constraints associated with redevelopment of brownfield lands calls for provision of relevant, adequate, sufficient, up-to-date, and easily accessible information on brownfield lands to enable developers make an informed decision when navigating the hurdles of brownfield redevelopment. Furthermore, the various obstacles and barriers that developers encounter during decision making for brownfield redevelopment has continued to contribute to the limited uptake of brownfield lands in England by developers for redevelopment and regeneration. This study was conducted to explore the factors that developers consider when redeveloping brownfield lands and to present a decision criterion that will support brownfield site selection and subsequent regeneration. A mixed methodology using qualitative and quantitative approaches was adopted to investigate the factors, criteria, and information that developers consider when making decisions for brownfield redevelopment. Data collection was carried out using a literature review and interviews with brownfield experts. Using a purposeful sampling approach, a total of 11 brownfield stakeholders, which cut across key experts involved in brownfield redevelopment within the Black Country region of England, was interviewed. Each expert interviewed holds a stakeholder critical role in regulatory organisations and construction industry organisations, including local authorities, geo-environmental organisations, land remediators and consultants, housing developers, etc. A comparative analysis of evidence obtained from developer interview responses, the literature review, and the brownfield register showed that 57% of factors, criteria, and information such as cost/capital expenses, funding, contamination level, infrastructure, water risk, neighbours, connectivity (digital, energy networks/grid), and access and transport, which developers require for decision making relating to redevelopment of brownfield sites, are not available on a standard local authority’s brownfield land register. To address the identified information gaps, this study developed “The BRIC Index”, a decision-making tool that incorporates a GIS-based system to facilitate screening of brownfield sites based on specified criteria and to help identify risks, contamination, and remediation costs of brownfield development. The effectiveness of the BRIC Index was validated through successful usage for site selection by various SMEs in the Black Country. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Building for Urban Development: Common Practices, Ethical Issues, Technologies, and Global Perspectives)

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21 pages, 398 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Smart Home Technologies to Facilitate Ageing-in-Place: Professionals Perception

by Olugbenga Timo Oladinrin, Jayantha Wadu Mesthrige, Lekan Damilola Ojo, João Alencastro and Muhammad Rana

Sustainability 2023, 15(8), 6542; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15086542 - 12 Apr 2023

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 3327

Abstract

An ageing population is a global phenomenon. Like other developed economies, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), China, also faces a severe ageing problem. One initiative to enhance the safe living and well-being of the growing elderly population is to assist them by building ageing-friendly living environments with the application of smart home technologies (SHTs). Therefore, this study focused on investigating the perception of professionals on the use of SHTs to improve and enhance the “ageing-in-place” (AIP) of elderly residents in HKSAR, China. A questionnaire survey was employed to obtain the perception of professionals with requisite knowledge of the older people facility needs regarding SHTs in achieving AIP for the elderly. The data retrieved were analysed with different statistical analyses. Based on the results of the analyses, all the professionals had similar perceptions of the use of SHTs for the safety and well-being of the elderly, except for the incongruence observed between the government employees, contractors and academic regarding how SHTs may not help to better monitor elderly daily activities. The possible reasons for the inconsistent opinions of the academics with other groups were linked to the knowledge of human behaviours and early dementia symptoms in gerontology. The findings will help care receivers, healthcare professionals, social workers, policymakers, smart home designers and developers to improve and enhance AIP in elderly residences in HKSAR, China. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Building for Urban Development: Common Practices, Ethical Issues, Technologies, and Global Perspectives)

27 pages, 2837 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Composite Resilience Index (CRI) for Developing Resilience and Sustainability in University Towns

by Mohammed Abdul-Rahman, Wale Alade and Shahnawaz Anwer

Sustainability 2023, 15(4), 3057; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15043057 - 8 Feb 2023

Viewed by 2491

Abstract

Globally, most higher educational institutions can no longer house their students within their campuses due to the increased number of enrolments and the unavailability of land for spatial expansion, especially in urban areas. This leads to studentification which negatively impacts university towns. Developing resilience against the negative impacts of studentification will make university towns more sustainable. However, there is no existing community resilience index designed for that purpose. Thus, this study develops a composite resilience index for university towns, using Akoka, a university town in Lagos, Nigeria, as a case study. The composites of the index were determined by prioritizing online user-generated content mined from Twitter between 1 January 2010 and 31 December 2021 using artificial intelligence, while the elements of resilience and risk reduction were developed through the Delphi and analytic hierarchy process. The research outcomes showed that the physical, economic, social, and cultural criteria subjected to comparisons represented ≥70% of the total weights. These criteria made up the outcome indicators, while the integrated community-based risk reduction program model was adopted for the process indicators. Both outcome and process indicators formed the localized composite resilience index for Akoka, Lagos, Nigeria. This proposed composite resilience index would help the town to assess and build resilience against the negative impacts of studentification and provide a methodology for other university towns to create theirs using similar methods. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Building for Urban Development: Common Practices, Ethical Issues, Technologies, and Global Perspectives)

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30 pages, 5320 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Novel Use of Social Media Big Data and Artificial Intelligence for Community Resilience Assessment (CRA) in University Towns

by Mohammed Abdul-Rahman, Mayowa I. Adegoriola, Wilson Kodwo McWilson, Oluwole Soyinka and Yusuf A. Adenle

Sustainability 2023, 15(2), 1295; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15021295 - 10 Jan 2023

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 3369

Abstract

University towns face many challenges in the 21st century due to urbanization, increased student population, and higher educational institutions’ inability to house all their students on-campus. For university towns to be resilient and sustainable, the challenges facing them must be assessed and addressed. To carry out community resilience assessments, this study adopted a novel methodological framework to harness the power of artificial intelligence and social media big data (user-generated content on Twitter) to carry out remote studies in six university towns on six continents using Text Mining, Machine Learning, and Natural Language Processing. Cultural, social, physical, economic, and institutional and governance community challenges were identified and analyzed from the historical big data and validated using an online expert survey. This study gives a global overview of the challenges university towns experience due to studentification and shows that artificial intelligence can provide an easy, cheap, and more accurate way of conducting community resilience assessments in urban communities. The study also contributes to knowledge of research in the new normal by proving that longitudinal studies can be completed remotely. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Building for Urban Development: Common Practices, Ethical Issues, Technologies, and Global Perspectives)

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19 pages, 3405 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Scientometric Analysis of the Global Scientific Literature on Circularity Indicators in the Construction and Built Environment Sector

by Kasun Gomis, Ravindu Kahandawa and Ruchini Senarath Jayasinghe

Sustainability 2023, 15(1), 728; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15010728 - 31 Dec 2022

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2045

Abstract

The circular-economy-related research has exponentially increased in recent years. The literature shows that circularity indicators represent a timely topic that requires an in-depth analysis. However, the trends and gaps in the literature in the area of the circular economy have not need analysed in depth. This study uses a scientometric analysis as the research methodology to examine the current literature on circularity and circular economic indicators. The publications were extracted from the Web of Science and were published until the end of the third quarter of 2022. The scientometric analysis was conducted using VOSviewer software to map the relationships between the 1117 articles selected on the topic. The findings revealed that the most productive author and university were Jorge de Brito and Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands. The overlay visualisation of the keywords identified a notable shift in research themes from dynamics, frameworks, models, and design in previous years to economy, barriers, and strategies in the current research context. The overlay visualisation of the keywords identified trending research hotspots within the current research context. This study is the first holistic and global overview of circularity and circular economic indicators in the construction context and identifies a critical need for further research to understand circularity and circular economic indicators under co-occurrence analysis conditions. This study offers academics, policymakers, and other circularity activists a guide for future research and valuable insight into circularity and circularity indicator themes. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Building for Urban Development: Common Practices, Ethical Issues, Technologies, and Global Perspectives)

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24 pages, 4360 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effect of Indoor Environment on Occupant Air Comfort and Productivity in Office Buildings: A Response Surface Analysis Approach

by Amit Kant Kaushik, Mohammed Arif, Matt M. G. Syal, Muhammad Qasim Rana, Olugbenga Timo Oladinrin, Ahlam Ammar Sharif and Ala’a Saleh Alshdiefat

Sustainability 2022, 14(23), 15719; https://doi.org/10.3390/su142315719 - 25 Nov 2022

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 3877

Abstract

Indoor air quality is a significant factor influencing occupant comfort, health and productivity. Indoor air comfort and its relationship to occupant comfort and productivity are widely documented. Statistical correlation between the two has been highlighted in scientific literature. This paper investigates any unique correlations between non-air quality parameters (such as lux level, temperature, and noise level) and indoor air comfort and presents a study investigating the effect of indoor environmental quality on occupant air comfort and productivity. This study was conducted by collecting data on indoor environmental parameters using remote sensors and an online survey for occupant responses for twelve months. Data analysis was performed using Response Surface Analysis to present mathematical relationships between indoor environmental quality parameters and occupant air comfort. Results show that carbon dioxide up to 600 ppm, VOC up to 25% (by volume) and humidity up to 60% have a positive impact on occupant air comfort and productivity. Our research highlighted that some non-air quality parameters, such as outdoor temperature and lux levels, affect occupant air comfort. These results would enable built environment professionals to design and operate offices (subtropical desert climate) conducive to occupant comfort and productivity. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Building for Urban Development: Common Practices, Ethical Issues, Technologies, and Global Perspectives)

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20 pages, 1207 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Measuring Environmental Resilience Using Q-Methods: A Malaysian Perspective

by Hisham Tariq, Chaminda Pathirage, Terrence Fernando, Noralfishah Sulaiman, Umber Nazir, Siti Kursiah Kamalia Abdul Latib and Haidaliza Masram

Sustainability 2022, 14(22), 14749; https://doi.org/10.3390/su142214749 - 9 Nov 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 3241

Abstract

Communities increasingly need tools that can help them assess the environmental risks they face to understand better their capacities in mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery. Environmental resilience (ER) is a crucial feature of community resilience that is not adequately covered in the literature. This paper proposes an inclusive, participatory approach to achieve stakeholder engagement on the definitions, objectives, and indicators for measuring ER at the community level. This study uses a 5-step approach utilising Q-methods to contextualise a resilience index for Environmental Resilience (ER). An initial set of 57 indicators from 13 frameworks from the literature was reduced to 25 by combining the indicators of similar type, format and terminology. A total of 10 participants from two groups (academics and practitioners) took part in the interviews and Q-sort workshops in Malaysia in this study. Both stakeholder groups identified Ecosystem monitoring as one of the most critical indicators to understand ER, closely followed by rapid damage assessments and an effective communication system. The exercise also revealed marked differences between them regarding the importance of fair access to basic needs and services for citizens, a priority for academics, and the value of building green infrastructure, a priority for practitioners, with the most significant difference between the two groups on the importance of measuring the natural defences of a community. The Environmental Resilience Capacity Assessment Tool (ER-CAT), proposed in this paper, can be used by local governments and communities for engagement, discussion and consensus building to select the resilience indicators that are most relevant to them in their contexts. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Building for Urban Development: Common Practices, Ethical Issues, Technologies, and Global Perspectives)

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19 pages, 1751 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Rethinking Green Supply Chain Management Practices Impact on Company Performance: A Close-Up Insight

by Lekan Damilola Ojo, Onaopepo Adeniyi, Olajide Emmanuel Ogundimu and Olasunkanmi Ososanmi Alaba

Sustainability 2022, 14(20), 13197; https://doi.org/10.3390/su142013197 - 14 Oct 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2931

Abstract

Manufacturing organisations have contributed to a poor living environment via unsustainable practices in the production process and the entire service delivery operation. More importantly, the health performance of manufacturing employees may also be affected by unsustainable production practices in the industry. Therefore, the green supply chain management (GSCM) practice has become a topical issue in recent decades due to its significant impact on the ecosystem at large. Via green practices, various performances have been achieved in organisations; meanwhile, the relationships between the practices and performance metrics in most developing countries are unclear, although there have been supposed general submissions. In addition, the study of relationships in a leading business conglomerate in developing nations is rare. Therefore, this paper investigated relationships between GSCM practices and performance metrics in a leading manufacturing organisation in Africa by using a close-up study approach with data collected from 154 respondents. The data were analysed using multiple methods such as factor analysis to consolidate the measured variables; correlation, multiple regression analysis with stepwise estimation, and structural equation modelling (SEM) were used to examine the relationships between GSCM practices and performance. The results of these analyses revealed that environmental performance is significantly predicted by the measure of the organisation’s commitment to GSCM vision, while financial performance is significantly impacted by eco-centric consumption and education. This study concludes that inhouse-drafted strategies based on the insight from the study will facilitate the optimisation of GSCM practices. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Building for Urban Development: Common Practices, Ethical Issues, Technologies, and Global Perspectives)

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25 pages, 9223 KiB

Open AccessArticle

End-User Stakeholder Engagement in Refurbishment Design in Higher Education

by Yuri Seki, Ayokunle Olubunmi Olanipekun and Monty Sutrisna

Sustainability 2022, 14(19), 11949; https://doi.org/10.3390/su141911949 - 22 Sep 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1969

Abstract

The refurbishment of building facilities needs to incorporate end-user engagement to ensure refurbished building facilities outcomes that include user-responsive learning spaces and satisfy users’ learning needs. However, existing refurbishment design process frameworks neglect to show the engagement process. A new framework for engaging end users in the refurbishment design of building facilities in higher education is presented. A qualitative research methodology was employed to obtain and analyse interview data from twenty-one design team stakeholders involved in two cases of refurbished building facilities in higher education institutions in Australia and New Zealand. The findings revealed four core themes which indicate the context and phases in the refurbishment design process where end-user engagement should be taken seriously. They are the higher education context, early design, user engagement in the design process and post-design phases. In addition, the findings revealed six specific strategies for end-user engagement in the refurbishment design of building facilities in higher education institutions. They are identifying stakeholder value systems, capturing end-user needs, communicating and integrating. Others are the setting of engagement boundaries and surveying of end users. This study modified the project heartbeat originally developed by Stanford University in 2010 for the refurbishment design process in a higher education context. The new framework bridges the gaps in the current literature between stakeholder theory and refurbishment design, and, by incorporating the refurbishment design processes, the framework can be employed in wider education and other project contexts to facilitate the balanced involvement of end users. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Building for Urban Development: Common Practices, Ethical Issues, Technologies, and Global Perspectives)

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Review

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22 pages, 3631 KiB

Open AccessReview

Challenges Faced by Marginalized Communities in a Post-Disaster Context: A Systematic Review of the Literature

by Kalindu Mendis, Menaha Thayaparan, Yamuna Kaluarachchi and Chaminda Pathirage

Sustainability 2023, 15(14), 10754; https://doi.org/10.3390/su151410754 - 8 Jul 2023

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 10858

Abstract

Many international organizations embrace the ideals of resilience and inclusion in the service of marginalized communities but neglect their inclusion in post-disaster settings. It is imperative to explore the challenges faced by marginalized communities to increase their inclusion in the post-disaster context. Therefore, this paper presents a systematic literature review of the challenges facing marginalized communities in the post-disaster context. The study identified 57 challenges faced by children, women, people with disabilities, and older adults under six categories: social, health, political, infrastructure, economic, and communication. The most common challenges all four marginalized communities face are the development of post-traumatic stress disorder, the struggle to acquire the necessities of life due to unequal distribution, the lack of income-generating opportunities, and sexual and gender-based violence. Most studies focus on women’s challenges, followed by those of children, older adults, and persons with disabilities. The study also explored the challenges faced in terms of intersectionality, experienced by groups of people who fall under more than one marginalized community. Finally, a conceptual framework was developed to improve the inclusion of marginalized communities during the post-disaster context by incorporating the challenges as one of the key components of the framework. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Building for Urban Development: Common Practices, Ethical Issues, Technologies, and Global Perspectives)

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