Search Results (189)

Exposure to wildfire smoke has been a growing public health issue with the increasing effects of climate change. The increasing frequency and severity of wildfires fueled by higher global temperatures and shifting climate change patterns have left more people exposed to smoke for longer periods. This exposure is primarily driven by fine particulate matter (PM_2.5) and carbon monoxide (CO) and other toxic gases, causing harmful health impacts, particularly to the respiratory system and cardiovascular system. The potential to reduce health effects is dependent on the adaptive capacity of individuals, households, and communities in anticipating, responding to, and recovering from smoke events. Social vulnerability factors, including socioeconomic status, race/ethnicity, housing quality, and healthcare access, greatly influence how well individuals or communities can prepare for and respond to the effects of wildfire smoke exposure. Although simple protective steps are often possible, more expensive solutions are usually out of reach for the most marginalized groups, showing that the ability to adapt depends on the resources people have. This review aims to analyze the convergence of wildfire smoke exposure, social vulnerability, and adaptive capacity in vulnerable communities with specific reference to approaches to building community resilience. This study adopts a narrative integrative review approach to synthesize current interdisciplinary evidence on the health impacts of wildfire smoke, associated social inequities, and adaptive capacity strategies, while introducing an integrated conceptual framework linking social vulnerability, adaptive capacity, and community resilience. The findings of this review substantiate the necessity of integrated, equity-oriented adaptation responses, such as enhanced risk communication, sustainable climate change mitigation strategies, and improved access to healthcare and infrastructure. In conclusion, strengthening community resilience to wildfire smoke requires confronting structural social inequities while simultaneously enhancing the adaptive capacity of resource-constrained communities. Full article

The accelerating climate crisis and resource depletion demand new architectural paradigms that move beyond linear models of production and consumption. While the concept of Intelligent Ecologies is often associated with digital and artificial intelligence systems, this study reinterprets it through the lens of Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK), vernacular architecture, and constraint-based innovation. Grounded in a critical reading of key references in ecological knowledge, vernacular studies, circular economy theory, and responsible innovation, the paper develops a conceptual framework tracing a trajectory from TEK to adaptive and circular design. Two architectural case studies, the ARCò kindergarten in Sant’Alessio (biological cycle) and the Parabase Elementa housing project in Basel (technical cycle), are analysed to demonstrate how natural and collective intelligence can be operationalised in contemporary practice. The findings show that circularity emerges not as an added sustainability layer but as the logical outcome of design under ecological and material constraints. The study concludes that Intelligent Ecologies should be understood as socio-ecological systems in which architecture participates in living processes through adaptive, regenerative, and temporally open strategies, thereby repositioning innovation as continuity with historically embedded forms of ecological intelligence rather than technological rupture. Full article

This study examines the relationship between climate policy uncertainty (CPU) and residential housing prices across U.S. metropolitan areas using the U.S. CPU index developed by Gavriilidis in 2021 and monthly S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller Home Price Indices, covering January 1991 to May 2024. Employing a Fourier-augmented Toda–Yamamoto causality framework that accounts for both abrupt and gradual structural breaks, we document significant CPU → housing prices transmission in multiple metropolitan markets, with bidirectional transmission dynamics emerging in Los Angeles, New York, San Diego, and San Francisco, as well as at the U.S. national level. The results reveal substantial spatial heterogeneity across various market types. Coastal high-exposure markets exhibit strong CPU sensitivity, which may reflect the influence of physical climate risks and regulatory uncertainty; inland growth markets display housing prices → CPU feedback, likely operating through political economy channels; Midwest extreme-weather markets show persistent transmission despite their non-coastal locations; recession-sensitive markets become CPU-responsive following the Great Recession; and insulated markets show no significant transmission. The findings indicate that CPU operates as a priced systematic risk factor requiring integration into housing finance oversight, macroprudential frameworks, and investment strategies. These results have important implications for financial stability monitoring, mortgage credit risk assessment, and climate policy design as markets navigate transition risks in a low-carbon economy. Full article

Low-lying and riverine areas of Sabah and Sarawak in East Malaysia are increasingly exposed to compound flood hazards driven by intensified monsoon rainfall, sea-level rise, and land-use change. Recent projections indicate stronger extreme rainfall, fewer dry days, but more high-intensity events, and significant increases in annual rainfall and sea level, all of which elevate fluvial, pluvial, and coastal flood risk. In this study, climate-responsive vernacular architecture is investigated as a passive, low-carbon strategy for enhancing residential flood resilience in East Malaysia. Traditional stilted Malay kampung houses, Bornean longhouses, and coastal stilt settlements were explored since they have historically evolved to cope with seasonal inundation, high humidity, and tropical thermal loads. In this study, the following was conducted: (1) historical flood and climate analysis for key basins (Rajang, Sarawak, Kinabatangan); (2) morphological and typological analysis of vernacular dwellings; (3) parametric physical and hydrodynamic simulation of elevated and amphibious configurations; and (4) multi-criteria performance assessment based on structural robustness, flood safety, thermal comfort, cultural acceptability, and embodied carbon. Results from scenario-based simulations show that well-configured stilted typologies, with optimized floor elevation, breakaway panels, and porous undercroft zones, can reduce flood damage depth by 60–80% and expected annual loss by 30–55%. By translating these findings into a design guideline and decision matrix for climate-responsive housing in East Malaysia, contemporary reinterpretations of vernacular strategies were embedded into Malaysian building codes, state-level planning policies, and community-led upgrading programmes. Full article

The UK has a legally binding commitment to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, and multiple statutory responsibilities related to mitigation actions are held at local or regional authority levels. However, local authorities face multiple political, financial and service pressures. Adopting a “whole-systems approach” which addresses complexity across interrelated sectors is necessary to achieve significant progress and to optimise co-benefits, but systems thinking is not currently formally embedded in local government. Using the West Midlands’ journey to net zero as a case study, this research explores the use of participatory systems mapping with local and regional authority officers to examine the system that would enable ‘thriving, net zero communities in the West Midlands’. Analysis of the systems map, constructed across a workshop and online follow-up sessions, identified opportunities for local and regional authorities to create local benefit whilst delivering on both statutory functions and net zero, by disrupting reinforcing poverty cycles, improving the quality of housing, and increasing skills and employment support. This whole-system approach also highlights the need for different ways of working in local government to facilitate greater cross-team collaboration to address ‘wicked’ problems such as poverty, climate adaptation and resilience. Full article

The extent of, and limits of, the metabolic flexibility of feedlot cattle to cope with heat loads of varying intensity and duration is a research gap. Two cohorts of 12 Black Angus steers were housed in climate-controlled rooms (CCR) and subjected to three thermal periods: PreChallenge (5 days), Challenge (7 days) and Recovery (5 days). PreChallenge and Recovery provided thermoneutral conditions. The Challenge simulated a strong heatwave. Finally, the steers were returned to outdoor pens for 20 days. The animals were bled on days 3, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 15, 17, 24 and 38. A clinical plasma biochemistry panel was used to measure the concentrations of major metabolites and electrolytes. During Challenge, energy metabolites fell (except for β-hydroxybutyrate). Creatinine, urea and total bilirubin rose rapidly. In Recovery, the major liver enzymes were released into plasma, and total bilirubin remained high. Most analytes showed non-linear relationships with core temperatures during Challenge, suggesting threshold-dependent responses rather than gradual dose-dependent adjustments. The responses and relationships differed from those reported for moderate heat load challenge and recovery. We integrated the metabolic changes over the course of the experiment with previously reported metabolic hormone and physiological responses of these steers. Full article

Rapid urbanization and the decline of inner-city areas have led to a sharp increase in vacant houses in large cities. Cities are increasingly converting vacant land into green space to mitigate associated negative externalities. This study quantifies the urban heat island (UHI) mitigation effects of green infrastructure using meta-analysis and applies the derived relationships to predict both on-site and surrounding cooling effects for vacant land. First, we conducted a meta-analysis of published studies reporting the cooling effects of green infrastructure and derived regression equations relating green-space area to (i) cooling within the green space, (ii) cooling in the surrounding area, and (iii) the spatial extent of the cooling effect. Second, we applied these equations to two high-density areas in Sungui-dong, Nam-gu, Incheon, Republic of Korea. The results suggest that introducing a neighborhood park at Site A (7559.5 m²) would reduce air temperature by up to 2.751 °C within the park and by 1.507 °C up to 62 m beyond the park boundary. A pocket park at Site C (992.1 m²) would reduce air temperature by up to 2.269 °C within the park and by approximately 0.92 °C in the surrounding area. These findings provide quantitative evidence that green infrastructure can serve as an effective environmental intervention and support the adoption of climate-responsive urban regeneration policies. Full article

Across California, the seven largest cities—Los Angeles, San Diego, San Jose, San Francisco, Fresno, Sacramento, and Long Beach—carry a disproportionate share of the state’s homelessness crisis, even though they operate under the same statewide policy framework. Each city’s homelessness system reflects its own history, political climate, and housing market conditions, and this study shows that a common set of structural forces especially severe housing scarcity, fragmented behavioral–health systems, and uneven local capacity shapes homelessness across these urban areas while producing different outcomes on the ground. Drawing on multidisciplinary research, statewide policy analyses, and municipal data, the analysis compares how cities interpret and implement key interventions, including permanent supportive housing, interim shelter expansion, prevention strategies, and enforcement-oriented responses. The findings make clear that California’s homelessness crisis cannot be reduced to a single cause; instead, understanding it requires a systems-oriented perspective that accounts for the intertwined economic, social, and policy forces shaping conditions in each community. By situating city-level strategies within broader statewide patterns, the study identifies points of convergence and divergence, as well as persistent structural constraints that limit the effectiveness of current responses, underscoring the need for coordinated, scalable, and context-responsive policy solutions. Full article

The building sector is responsible for 40% of CO₂ emissions in Portugal, making the integration of renewable energy systems increasingly relevant. Photovoltaic (PV) technologies have become more accessible due to declining levelized costs of energy, and when coupled with battery energy storage systems (BESSs), they can enhance grid independence, reduce household energy expenses, and mitigate peak load stress. However, high upfront costs still limit adoption, particularly among vulnerable communities. This study evaluates the technical, economic, and environmental performance of PV systems, with and without BESSs, compared with an existing solar thermal configuration in a social-housing neighbourhood in Porto, Portugal. Numerical simulations were conducted for three scenarios, optimising system sizing and ensuring hourly energy flow balance between generation, storage, and grid supply. Results indicate that all configurations are technically feasible within Porto’s climate conditions, though with distinct investment needs, payback periods, and CO₂ reduction outcomes. The findings offer practical guidance for designing renewable energy solutions tailored to social housing, supporting both decarbonization goals and long-term mitigation of energy poverty. Full article

Cities play a central role in shaping societal responses to the climate crisis, concentrating both on climate risks and institutional capacity to address them. While climate impacts are widely distributed, they are experienced unevenly, with marginalized populations facing disproportionate exposure to economic disruption and environmental stress, particularly in urban environments. This article examines how cities can enhance climate resilience while supporting a just transition to a post-carbon economy. It addresses three interrelated questions: how vulnerable urban populations can be better prepared for green employment; how transformations in work and commuting can promote compact, mixed-use, and transit-friendly urban districts; and how such districts can be designed to protect residents from urban heat and improve walkability through shade and nature-based solutions. The analysis synthesizes findings from recent empirical studies and applied policy initiatives, including a municipal green-employment pilot in Tel Aviv-Yafo, the “Reinventing Paris” office-to-housing program, and urban heat and pedestrian-behavior research. Together, these cases illustrate how physical adaptation strategies interact with labor-market dynamics and social policy. The article concludes that effective urban climate resilience requires integrating infrastructural and spatial interventions with labor-market transformation, social protection, and inclusive governance, positioning cities as key operational units for advancing equitable climate action. Full article

Residential buildings in Erbil City are increasingly facing challenges due to climatic extremes, rapid urbanization, and inadequate insulation practices. This study investigates the effects of insulation material type and placement on the thermal performance of external walls in both newly constructed and refurbished houses under the hot semiarid climate (BSh). Using integrated environmental solutions virtual environment (IES-VE) simulations, various wall systems—concrete, brick, and lightweight block—were assessed with different insulation types (expanded polystyrene (EPS), extruded polystyrene (XPS), rock wool (RW), and mineral wool (MW)) applied either internally or externally. Field surveys combined with numerical simulations demonstrated that external insulation significantly enhances thermal mass without diminishing insulation effectiveness, leading to greater energy savings and improved indoor comfort. Among all configurations, externally applied XPS on concrete and lightweight block walls achieved the highest resistance values (R-values) and the greatest reductions in heating and cooling loads. The results indicate that prioritizing the placement of external insulation can support the development of more energy-efficient and climate-responsive housing policies in Erbil. This research offers evidence-based recommendations for optimizing building envelope design in similar climatic contexts. Full article

This study examines balconies in contemporary Parisian housing (2007–2020) as façade-threshold systems that shape architectural expression and offer qualitative environmental mediation potentials and socio-spatial capacities. The research combines (i) a selective bibliographic synthesis used to construct the analytical domains and criteria, (ii) field observation and photographic documentation, and (iii) graphical–morphological analysis of 33 housing projects. The corpus is organised into three balcony systems (individual, continuous/filant, and combined), and seven recurrent subtypes (symmetrical, asymmetrical, box-shaped, double-height, uniform continuous, variable continuous, and hybrid). Results show how variations in projection, depth, enclosure, and façade integration structure façade rhythm and threshold conditions, and suggest differentiated shading, exposure, and ventilation opportunities consistent with established passive-design principles. Environmental statements are therefore presented as inferential interpretations grounded in observable morphology, not as measured performance outcomes; no thermal simulations or post-occupancy measurements are undertaken. The contribution is a reproducible typological classification and comparative evaluation matrix that can guide future quantitative verification and support climate-responsive housing design under dense regulatory contexts. Full article

Few studies examine how slow-onset climate change interacts with local structural conditions to shape internal migration and long-term community sustainability. Using 2021 county-to-county migration data for the contiguous United States, this study analyzes spatial variation in in-migration, out-migration, and net migration rates in relation to temperature anomalies and place-based socioeconomic characteristics. Spatial regression results reveal no uniform relationship between recent temperature anomalies and migration outcomes. Instead, migration patterns are more strongly associated with urban status, housing market conditions, population composition, and long-run average climate. In some counties, higher temperature anomalies are associated with reduced out-migration, suggesting constrained mobility where economic and housing conditions limit relocation options. By contrast, extreme anomalies and greater environmental vulnerability are linked to lower in-migration, indicating diminished destination attractiveness. Overall, the findings suggest that internal migration responses to climate stress are mediated by local structural conditions rather than driven by temperature change alone, underscoring the importance of equitable adaption policies and place-based resilience strategies for sustainable regional development. Full article

Contemporary housing design practices in Erbil’s hot–dry climate remain understudied with respect to indoor thermal comfort performance. This study evaluates indoor thermal comfort in traditional and contemporary dwellings in Erbil, Iraq, a hot–dry climate characterized by extreme summer conditions. An integrated methodology combining field measurements, locally calibrated climatic data, and validated computational simulation was applied to representative case studies. Indoor thermal comfort parameters were monitored, and a custom EnergyPlus Weather (EPW) file was developed to capture local climatic conditions. Year-round computational simulations were conducted using the Ladybug Tools workflow. Indoor thermal comfort was evaluated using the adaptive comfort model for the naturally ventilated traditional courtyard house and the PMV–PPD model for contemporary air-conditioned dwellings, in accordance with ASHRAE 55 Standard. Validation of the computational simulations against field measurements confirmed close agreement between the measured and simulated results. The findings indicate that the traditional house consistently achieved acceptable thermal comfort within adaptive comfort limits, while contemporary houses experienced persistent overheating and elevated discomfort indices. These results demonstrate that thermal underperformance in contemporary housing is primarily driven by architectural and envelope design rather than modeling uncertainty. The study highlights the effectiveness of vernacular, climate-responsive strategies and suggests their integration into sustainable house design in hot–dry regions. Full article

The residential building sector is a significant source of global energy consumption and carbon emissions, especially in rapidly changing rural areas. In China, the shift from vernacular courtyard dwellings to modern rural housing has altered the relationship among architectural form, thermal comfort (TC), and energy use. Vernacular dwellings in northern China employ passive strategies, such as courtyard-centred layouts, high thermal-mass envelopes, and natural ventilation, to achieve summer comfort with minimal energy input. In contrast, modern dwellings (brick–concrete) depend more on mechanical cooling and consume more electricity. This study investigates how dwelling type, spatial configuration, building materials, courtyard configuration, thermal comfort, and housing satisfaction interact to shape residential environmental adaptability in rural Handan, Hebei Province. A questionnaire survey of 383 households was analysed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM). To supplement perceptual data, summer electricity consumption was monitored in 20 typical dwellings from June to August 2025, and on-site measurements of air temperature, relative humidity, and courtyard air velocity were conducted in six representative cases. The results indicate that dwelling type significantly affects spatial configuration and courtyard form, while spatial configuration and courtyard characteristics together influence material performance. Thermal comfort is identified as a key mediating variable with a strong direct impact on housing satisfaction. Field measurements confirm that vernacular dwellings have lower summer electricity consumption, more stable thermal conditions, improved humidity regulation, and higher courtyard air velocity, indicating superior passive cooling potential. These findings provide empirical evidence that incorporating vernacular passive design principles into contemporary rural housing can improve thermal comfort and reduce energy dependence, thereby supporting climate-responsive, low-carbon rural revitalization strategies. Full article