Search Results (533)

The key path to achieving global sustainable development is a low-carbon economy, which is of great significance for implementing the United Nations’ 2030 SDGs 7, 11, 12, and 13. Utilizing provincial panel data of 30 Chinese provinces spanning 2006–2024, this study explores the influencing pathways and intrinsic mechanisms of urban-rural integration (abbreviated as U-R integration) toward green low-carbon sustainable growth. Empirical results demonstrate that U-R integration prominently boosts regional low-carbon growth, and such conclusions pass multiple reliability verification procedures. Heterogeneity assessments demonstrate that the impact is most pronounced in eastern zones, whereas it proves insignificant or even adverse in central, western, and northeastern locales. The influence of U-R integration is notably stronger in less urbanized districts relative to highly urbanized ones. Mechanism analysis suggests that energy structure transformation and industrial structure transformation play an intermediary role. Further extended analysis shows that Internet development features a unique threshold characteristic; once the threshold is exceeded, it markedly strengthens the catalytic role of U-R integration. Furthermore, spatial spillover estimates reveal that U-R integration drives local low-carbon progress while delivering remarkable positive externalities to adjacent provinces. Accordingly, this paper proposes adopting region-specific strategies, reinforcing institutional arrangements and factor mobility support for central, western, and northeastern areas, and advancing U-R integration in line with local realities. Full article

Optimizing solar access is fundamental for developing ‘Sustainable Healthy Cities’ and ensuring occupant well-being in high-radiation climates like Egypt. This study establishes an environmental methodology to enhance urban sustainability by controlling solar exposure to facades to mitigate health risks and reduce energy demand. The methodology involved a verified simulation using Autodesk Revit with Insight, followed by a comparative analysis of 45 scenarios. These scenarios evaluated the impact of orientation, geometry, urban spacing, etc., on solar performance. Additionally, the paper discusses the prospective integration of Generative AI and algorithmic engines to automate solar access layouts, proposing a roadmap for future AI-driven sustainable urban planning. The results indicate that strategic adjustments in urban morphology significantly improve solar access levels, directly influencing indoor environmental quality. The findings serve as a scalable framework applicable to regions like Kafr El-Sheikh or adaptable to extreme climates like Aswan, aligning with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs 3 and 11). In conclusion, this study demonstrates that environmental simulation provides a pragmatic pathway for architects to achieve integrated sustainability and healthy urban standards. This research offers a foundation for future sustainability investigations into thermal comfort and non-linear interactions between urban variables to refine solar access strategies in diverse contextual conditions. Full article

Housing acquisition decisions play a strategic role in shaping urban habitability and long-term sustainability, as they directly influence the quality of the built environment and users’ well-being. From an architectural and urban perspective, housing selection can be understood as an assessment of urban habitat quality, in which economic, spatial, social, environmental, and risk-related dimensions interact to define the conditions of livability. This study proposes a multi-objective decision-support framework that integrates evolutionary optimization algorithms (NSGA-II and MOEA/D) with multi-criteria decision analysis (TOPSIS) to support sustainable housing decisions. The model simultaneously considers four conflicting objectives: minimizing acquisition cost, minimizing spatial accessibility and disutility from essential services, maximizing socio-spatial safety and long-term habitat value, and minimizing environmental and territorial risk. A real-world case study in the Tampico metropolitan area demonstrates how the proposed approach generates Pareto-optimal housing alternatives that explicitly reveal trade-offs between habitability dimensions. The resulting non-dominated solutions are subsequently ranked using TOPSIS to reflect user-centered preferences and facilitate transparent decision-making. The results show that the proposed framework effectively operationalizes the concept of urban habitat quality through an explainable, customizable computational tool, thereby contributing to sustainable urban development, resilience, and informed housing choices. This research supports the technological enablement of habitat assessment and aligns with the objectives of SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities, offering a replicable methodology for urban and architectural decision-making contexts. Full article

This study examines the drivers and challenges/barriers faced by built-environment professionals in applying circular economy (CE) principles within Maiduguri, Nigeria’s housing delivery system, a city recovering from prolonged conflict. Using a mixed-method approach, including a literature review, an interview and a questionnaire administered to construction professionals (n = 188), the research assesses awareness and practical implementation. Key drivers for CE adoption include regulatory incentives, increased research funding, potential cost savings, and rising environmental awareness. Major barriers, however, consist of limited technical expertise, weak policy enforcement, and financial constraints. The analysis also reveals significant gaps in on-site waste management and resource recovery practices. To address these issues, this study recommends targeted capacity-building programmes, stronger policy frameworks, and enhanced multi-stakeholder collaboration. Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) should be supported to venture into engineering waste recycling and management. These measures aim to promote core CE practices, such as waste minimisation, reuse, recycling, and remanufacturing within the construction industry, aligned with Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities). The research concludes that integrating CE strategies can foster sustainable housing development in Maiduguri, supporting environmental protection, socio-economic growth, and increased resilience of the built environment in post-conflict contexts. Full article

Monitoring progress toward Sustainable Development Goal 8 (SDG 8) requires analytical tools that enable flexible and transparent assessment of multiple indicators. However, existing monitoring approaches are usually based on predefined indicator sets and static analytical frameworks, which limit their adaptability. This study develops and demonstrates a computer-assisted system for monitoring SDG 8 achievement. The system integrates automatic data retrieval from Eurostat, flexible selection of indicators, countries, and years, procedures for handling missing data, and alternative options for constructing a synthetic index. The system was tested in an illustrative case study for European Union countries using Eurostat data for 2015–2023. The empirical application initially covered 19 indicators (11 core SDG 8 indicators and 8 supplementary indicators) for 27 EU countries, while the final analytical sample included 24 countries after data-based exclusions. The results showed substantial differences in SDG 8 achievement trajectories across countries: some countries maintained relatively stable high positions over time (e.g., Italy, Estonia, Germany, and Austria), whereas others recorded marked improvement (e.g., Ireland, Denmark, Cyprus, Lithuania, and Latvia). These findings confirm the practical usefulness of the proposed tool for data processing, comparative assessment, and evidence-informed monitoring of SDG 8 progress. Full article

Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ) strongly influences health, comfort, and learning performance in academic buildings, yet assessment practices remain fragmented and rarely aligned with sustainability goals. This study conducted a PRISMA 2020-guided systematic literature review to identify, screen, and map IEQ indicators for educational facilities and to develop a sustainability-aligned framework for classroom evaluation. Searches of Google Scholar, Scopus, and Web of Science (2010–2025) yielded 365 records; after de-duplication and eligibility screening, 142 peer-reviewed studies were included. From these, 118 unique IEQ indicators were extracted and classified into six domains: thermal comfort, indoor air quality, acoustic quality, visual comfort, environmental quality, and spatial quality. Using sustainability-oriented screening criteria (measurability, relevance, reliability, data accessibility, understandability, and long-term applicability), 50 indicators (42%) were retained as methodologically robust, while 68 (58%) were excluded due to weak standardization or limited practical applicability. The retained indicators were systematically mapped to the environmental, social, and economic pillars and aligned with key SDGs (3, 4, 7, 11, and 13). The resulting Sustainability-Aligned IEQ Indicator Framework integrates quality-screened indicators with pillar/SDG alignment and a mixed-method pathway that combines objective monitoring and occupant perception, supporting context-sensitive evaluation, particularly for naturally ventilated and tropical learning environments. Full article

Speedcubing, the competitive practice of fast solving the Rubik’s Cube, has gained global popularity both as a sporting and an educational activity. Aside from its recreational value, speedcubing may contribute to broader social and developmental outcomes. This study aims to examine the potential of speedcubing as a tool for sustainable social development, concentrating on its educational, psychological, and social implications and its relationship to selected United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). An anonymous online survey consisting of 26 items (22 used for the main analysis and 4 demographic items) was conducted among 112 participants associated with the speedcubing community, including active competitors, coaches, and parents. The questionnaire addressed accessibility, cognitive and social competencies, and perceived educational and social benefits, as well as user preferences regarding digital tools supporting learning. The results indicate that participation in speedcubing supports the development of analytical thinking, problem-solving skills, perseverance, and self-control. Respondents also emphasized its educational value, accessibility, and role in fostering fair play and social integration. These findings suggest that speedcubing may contribute to several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being), SDG 4 (Quality Education), and SDG 11 and SDG 12 (Sustainable Cities and Communities; Responsible Consumption and Production). Full article

Translating diverse stakeholders’ needs for tourism into precise technical requirements for mobile resilience applications is a significant challenge, especially for at-risk coastal communities. Therefore, we developed a structured decision-support framework that uses the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) combined with Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) to systematically identify and prioritize functional features for a disaster-resilient tourism application called AuTour. The framework was validated through a case study in Aurora Province, Philippines, involving 152 diverse stakeholders, including government officials, tourism operators, and technology students. The AHP analysis results revealed that safety infrastructure (a mean weight of 0.5256) was the dominant design criterion, far outweighing environmental sustainability (0.2480) and community preparedness (0.1241). The MCDA ranked key functional modules using these criteria to determine an optimal system architecture. The highest-priority features identified were a real-time Disaster Preparedness Alert module, a geospatial Smart Tourism Guide, and a participatory Health Surveillance module. The analysis results confirmed high utility for features incorporating AI-powered chatbots (a mean score of 4.1921) and multi-dialect communication capabilities (4.1513). The developed scalable, data-driven framework can be used for user-centered design in the critical domain of disaster-resilient technology. By translating stakeholder priorities into a ranked set of technical specifications, the framework contributes to the development of resilient mobile systems, supporting the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals for innovation (SDG 9) and resilient infrastructure (SDG 11). Full article

Recurring socio-temporal events, such as Ramadan in Middle Eastern cities, introduce pronounced non-stationarity in urban traffic demand. During these periods, daytime traffic volumes typically decline, while congestion becomes more severe in the evening around the Iftar (fast-breaking) period and persists into late-night hours, making conventional fixed-time signal plans less effective. An additional challenge is that demand is not only time-varying, but also unevenly distributed across competing movements: attempts to prioritize high-volume phases can inadvertently cause excessive delays—or even starvation—on lower-demand approaches. To address these issues, this study presents an adaptive, regime-aware traffic signal control framework that combines predictive modeling with constrained optimization. Short-term phase-level delays are forecast using Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) models, and a Model Predictive Control (MPC) scheme then determines the green time allocation at each control cycle through a receding-horizon strategy. The optimization explicitly represents phase interactions by including constraints that prevent excessive delay in competing movements, thereby yielding a balanced and operationally realistic control policy. The approach is validated with one-minute-resolution TomTom delay data from a signalized intersection in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, covering both Normal and Ramadan conditions. The LSTM models show stable predictive performance, achieving root mean square errors (RMSEs) of 19.8 s under Normal conditions and 17.1 s during Ramadan. In general, the results show that the proposed framework cuts total intersection delay by about 0.3% to 2.8% compared to standard control strategies. Even though these total-delay improvements are small, they come with big drops in delay for lower-demand phases (about 12–20%) and keep the delay increases for higher-demand phases under control. This shows that the method makes the whole process more efficient by fairly spreading out the delay instead of just making one phase better on its own. The results show that combining forecasting with constrained optimization is a strong and useful way to handle changing traffic demand. This is especially true during times of high demand when flexibility, stability, and fairness across movements are all important. Full article

Contemporary emergency systems operate at the intersection of climate volatility, digital interdependence, and cascading institutional disruptions. Despite growing research on resilience, adaptive governance, and digital transformation, these fields remain largely disconnected, leaving a theoretical gap in explaining how emergency systems perform under compound uncertainty. This integrative review synthesizes 32 peer-reviewed articles (post-2020) using structured narrative methodology and VOSviewer bibliometric analysis to map the field’s intellectual architecture and identify its structural gaps. The analysis reveals six thematic clusters organized around resilience as the central construct, yet characterized by three recurring disconnections: the weak integration between digital transformation and governance theory, the operational underdevelopment of polycentric governance frameworks, and the temporal separation between emergency response and climate adaptation. Drawing on this structural diagnosis, the study advances the Complex Adaptive Governance (CAG) model—a three-layer framework encompassing systemic architecture, adaptive mechanisms, and operational resilience—in which digital interoperability functions as a cross-cutting accelerator. The CAG model reconceptualizes resilience as a relational property of governance ecosystems, enhanced by digital interoperability, and offers design principles for climate-resilient emergency systems aligned with SDG 9, SDG 11, SDG 13, and SDG 16. Full article

School handwashing facilities in rural areas without piped water and drainage systems often discharge wastewater directly into the ground, leading to environmental contamination and loss of a valuable water resource, particularly in water-scarce regions. This study evaluates a decentralised three-stage handwashing wastewater treatment system combining biochar and sand filtration with chlorination. The integrated system effectively improved water quality by reducing turbidity, colour, suspended solids, nutrients, organic matter, and microbial contamination. While biochar and sand filtration provided substantial physicochemical treatment, chlorination was essential to ensure complete microbial inactivation. The treated water met several water quality standards for potable use (handwashing only) set by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) standards. Additionally, it complied with international guidelines for greywater reuse in toilet flushing, irrigation, and floor washing. This innovative water treatment strategy could help clean and reuse handwashing wastewater on-site. This could provide rural schools with clean water to support water needs in water shortage periods, such as hand hygiene, garden irrigation, toilet flushing, and floor washing. Overall, integrating biochar and sand filtration with disinfection could help remote rural schools recover water, advancing towards the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) for good health (SDG 3), clean water and sanitation (SDG 6), and sustainable communities (SDG 11). Full article

The aim of this paper is to conceptualize smart culture as an important yet under-researched dimension of smart cities, and to empirically demonstrate the extent to which cultural events in Vilnius’ public spaces align with the key principles of smart culture. The theoretical section of the article provides a definition of smart culture in a smart city, based on which four categories of analysis are identified: accessibility, the integration of technology into the cultural experience, engagement of the population, and promotion of community building. The methodology consists of an instrumental case study, analysis of secondary sources, and directed content analysis. The research findings reveal that Culture Night festival events in Vilnius not only reduce social and geographical barriers to culture but also create spaces for active participation of the population, fostering community and the application of technological solutions in cultural activities. Culture Night represents a clear example of smart culture, highlighting the importance of this dimension in smart city policies. The study shows that the identified characteristics of smart culture may support inclusive and sustainable urban development trends associated with SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities) and SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities). Full article

The originality of this paper lies in addressing a gap in research concerning the growing use of AI in higher education (HE) and the lack of sector-specific policies. AI policy in HE is an emerging area with limited scholarship, yet existing studies warrant systematic synthesis. Using a PRISMA-informed systematic review approach, the study screened peer-reviewed English-language journal articles published between 2015 and early 2025; 11 studies met the inclusion criteria, indicating a limited evidence base on AI policy in higher education. The small final corpus indicates that peer-reviewed research on AI policy in higher education remains emergent. This paper advances theoretical understanding of the pace of policy learning, the actors involved, and persisting gaps. It also consolidates available policy recommendations, notes their limitations, and underscores the need for collective action to accelerate effective AI policy responses across HE. In doing so, it informs policy-making and supports efforts to align institutional responses to AI with SDG4 on inclusive and equitable quality education. Full article

The Yeongnam wildfires in March 2025 destroyed over 40 temple halls across five Buddhist monasteries in South Korea, exposing a critical gap in wildfire management for mountain-sited cultural heritage: the existing approaches rely on static hazard maps and reactive suppression, lacking real-time terrain-aware prediction and proactive resource deployment. This study proposes a Digital Twin framework coupling high-resolution wildfire simulation with adaptive water-mist optimization to address this gap. Bogwangsa Temple (est. 949 CE, ~315 m elevation, Cheonmasan Mountain, Namyangju) serves as the case study, selected for its representative vulnerability—dense Pinus densiflora forests on steep western slopes forming a continuous fire corridor, limited vehicular access, and proximity to recent large-scale fire events. A modified Rothermel model on a 1 m cellular-automata grid, driven by a 1 m DEM, Korea Forest Service fuel data, and local weather records, simulates five scenarios from normal spring to extreme dry-wind conditions through Monte Carlo ensembles. Binary integer optimization selects the minimum-cost nozzle configuration, keeping the fire-arrival probability at four heritage structures below a safety threshold via pre-emptive activation. The adaptive deployment reduces the mean fire-arrival probability by approximately 80% compared with static sprinklers while substantially lowering water consumption. Sensitivity analyses confirm that 1 m DEM resolution captures micro-terrain features that are critical to accurate spread prediction that are lost at coarser resolutions. The modular, transferable framework contributes to SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities, Target 11.4) and SDG 13 (Climate Action). Full article

The sharing economy has emerged as a transformative urban phenomenon shaping sustainable development pathways, governance practices, and spatial organization in cities. Despite its growing prominence, fragmented conceptual approaches and inconsistent indicator frameworks hinder systematic assessments of urban sustainability at the city scale. This study develops an integrated analytical perspective through a qualitative meta-synthesis of the sharing economy and the sharing city literature. Following the PRISMA protocol, a systematic review of the Web of Science and Scopus databases identified 73 peer-reviewed articles (2015–2024), analyzed across four dimensions: spatial, operational, governance, and environmental. The findings reveal increasing multi-dimensional approaches yet limited structural integration. The meta-synthesis shows that 68% of studies focus on only two dimensions, few address three, and none integrate all four. Research predominantly focuses on spatial–governance relations, while environmental performance and operational equity indicators remain underexplored. Studies are concentrated in European and North American metropolitan contexts, highlighting gaps in developing countries and medium-sized cities. The study introduces a Hybrid Dimension concept capturing inter-dimensional interactions and proposes an indicator-based framework for assessing sharing-oriented urban sustainability. The framework contributes to the literature by enabling a measurable multidimensional assessment aligned with SDG 11 and supporting integrated urban sustainability governance. Full article