Search Results (1,034)

(1) Background: Climate change and inequality are topics of major interest in Mediterranean Archaeology. However, comparatively less attention has been dedicated to how these themes are interlinked in the literature. No scoping review has ever addressed this issue. This study aims to identify major research trends on inequality and climate change in the Mediterranean c. 4000 BC–AD 500. It also pinpoints current research gaps on the topic and nascent areas of enquiry. (2) Method: We performed a scoping review on JSTOR, Scopus, Google Scholar and PubMed in December 2025–January 2026. A modified version of the PRISMA-ScR protocol was followed. We sampled journal articles, book chapters, edited volumes and monographs published between 2015 and 2025 which matched the search and inclusion criteria. Additional searches were done on Google Scholar in February 2026 to expand upon emerging research trends relevant to our topic but largely absent from the scoping review. We manually extracted, charted, analysed and synthesised the data. (3) Results: A total of 154 studies were eligible for the scoping review. We identified six research trends prominent in the sampled literature: 1. the rise and fall of world systems, macroscale causal links, and collapse research; 2. inequality, subalternity, and marginality; 3. agriculture, crops, and diet; 4. natural resource management, and water supply; 5. epistemology and methodology; and 6. natural archives and climate proxy datasets. We also recognised the following research gaps or topics that were comparatively less addressed: collapse research applied to the microscale level and marginalised communities; isotope analysis applied to both climate change and inequality in the same study; biomedical approaches applied to both climate change and inequality in the same study; social marginality as a complex construct in human–climate interactions; and the environmental and climate dimensions of the early Roman expansion, especially regarding marginality and the microscale. Finally, we identified artificial intelligence (AI), Big Data, environmental and climate activism, and the perception of climate hazards by subaltern communities as nascent topics of interest that might rise to prominence in the future. (4) Conclusions: We identified major research trends and gaps on climate change and inequality in the ancient Mediterranean in literature published 2015–2025. We also recognised nascent or unexplored topics. The review is intended as a benchmark for developing novel research on the cutting-edge of Mediterranean Archaeology. Full article

Rapid urbanization, spatial inequality, and environmental pressures highlight the need for planning approaches that strengthen urban sustainability and quality of urban life (QoUL). While these issues are often assessed at metropolitan scales, the key processes shaping daily urban experience occur at the neighborhood level. This study examines how neighborhood planning contributes to QoUL and sustainability through a comparative analysis of three neighborhoods with different urban development patterns in Konya, Türkiye. A neighborhood-scale spatial multi-criteria QoUL assessment framework was developed, consisting of four dimensions—Core Services, Physical Structure, Spatial Quality, and Social Dynamics—covering eleven sub-criteria and 55 measurable criteria. The framework uses objective data from planning documents, institutional sources, and field observations to ensure a robust and comparable neighborhood scale QoUL and sustainability performance evaluation. Findings reveal significant variations in livability between neighborhoods. Accessibility to services, human-scale design, and opportunities for social interaction emerge as more influential than the quantity of services alone. Neighborhoods with permeable street networks, mixed land use, and accessible public spaces demonstrate higher QoUL performance. The study highlights the critical role of neighborhood-scale planning in enhancing livability and supporting the transition toward more sustainable urban environments, while offering practical insights for planning and policy development. Full article

Understanding how sustainable urban competitiveness evolves within megaregions has become a central concern in urban and regional studies, particularly under the pressures of carbon neutrality, spatial inequality, and network-driven urbanization. This study develops a multidimensional framework to assess the sustainable competitiveness of cities in the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei “2 + 36” urban agglomeration and examines its spatio-temporal evolution and relational structure. Using a 30-indicator system grounded in factor foundations, economic performance, innovation capacity, openness, and environmental livability, we construct a composite competitiveness index through principal component analysis (PCA). Kernel density estimation reveals a pattern of overall improvement accompanied by widening disparities, characterized by selective agglomeration and the emergence of a pronounced high-value tail. Spatial autocorrelation consistently indicates significant spatial dependence, while LISA analysis identifies persistent low–low clusters and limited spillover absorption around core cities. A modified gravity model further uncovers a transition from a linear, corridor-based linkage structure to a more polycentric and networked competitiveness system, albeit with enduring peripheral weak nodes. The study contributes theoretically by conceptualizing sustainable urban competitiveness as a multidimensional nexus shaped jointly by territorial attributes and relational network structures. It demonstrates that competitiveness dynamics in megaregions emerge from the interplay of hierarchical consolidation, spatial divergence, and network reconfiguration—challenging the traditional assumption of simple core-to-periphery diffusion. The findings offer broader global implications, showing that the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei case mirrors worldwide megaregional patterns, where proximity alone is insufficient to ensure functional integration, and where coordinated governance, network embeddedness and sustainability transitions increasingly determine regional competitiveness. This research provides a comprehensive analytical foundation for understanding and governing megaregional competitiveness in the era of sustainable development. Full article

This study examines the multidimensional nature of poverty and its underlying local determinants within the Suri Sadar Sub-Division of Birbhum District, Eastern India, an area marked by sharp ecological and socio-economic contrasts. Adopting a mixed-method approach, the research integrates primary household survey data (2024-25) with secondary spatial datasets to construct a comprehensive analytical framework. The extent and intensity of multidimensional poverty were measured using the Alkire–Foster (AF) method, while the determinants were identified through a Binary Logistic Regression model. Findings reveal that multidimensional poverty in the region is deeply rooted in the intersection of human, environmental, and spatial factors rather than mere income deprivation. Approximately 26.8 per cent of households were found to be multidimensionally poor, with the western plateau blocks, i.e., Rajnagar, Khoyrasole, and Md. Bazar, showing the highest deprivation levels. Spatial poverty drivers include education, agriculture, and gender equality improvements. Policy implications emphasise the need for geographically tailored, multi-sectoral interventions that focus on human capability, investing in infrastructure, and promoting gender-inclusive development. By elucidating the localized dynamics of poverty, this research contributes to the broader discourse on spatial inequality and sustainable development in rural Eastern India, offering actionable insights for evidence-based regional planning and targeted poverty alleviation. Full article

The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the global shift to e-learning, raising concerns about its sustainability, student well-being, and educational inequality. This study evaluates e-learning in higher education during crises by examining its psychological, behavioral, social, and academic impacts on university students in the United Arab Emirates over two academic years of remote learning. Using a mixed-methods approach, data were collected from two cohorts (n = 228): Group 1 (G1, n = 76; 2020–2021) and Group 2 (G2, n = 152; 2021–2022). Analysis included descriptive statistics, independent sample t-tests, and thematic analysis. The results revealed significant differences between groups across most domains (p < 0.001). G2 reported higher psychological distress, including increased depression, stress, and reduced focus, while G1 demonstrated stronger behavioral and social adaptation, such as better self-care, family communication, and engagement in hobbies and sports. Regression analysis showed a strong linear relationship between online and campus grade distributions (R² = 0.7862), indicating academic consistency across learning modes. However, the findings highlight a sustainability paradox: although e-learning enhances flexibility and access and reduces environmental impact, prolonged reliance is linked to psychological strain, behavioral risks, and widening social inequality. The study underscores the need for a resilient and sustainable education model that supports students academically, psychologically, and socially to ensure the well-being and public health of all. These insights are particularly relevant amid ongoing regional crises and the continued expansion of e-learning and generative AI in education. Aligning with sustainable education goals, such approaches contribute to SDGs 3, 4, and 10, and support broader progress toward the 2030 Agenda. Full article

Across the Global South, energy inequity disproportionately affects women in off-grid communities. However, existing optimisation models for rural electrification rarely incorporate explicit gender constraints. This study develops and validates a multi-objective optimisation framework for balancing environmental sustainability, economic viability, and gender equity in energy access. The model’s objective functions are environmental impact, unsatisfied energy demand, total system cost, and gender inequality. Optimal values for these objectives were generated based on allocation of energy across solar PV, generators, and firewood sources. The Non-dominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm II (NSGA II), particle swarm optimisation (PSO), and a hybrid NSGA-PSO II approach were used to solve the developed model. A remote Nigerian community (Olooji) with 600 households and a population of 7000, classified as Tier 1 energy consumers, was used as a case study. The hybrid NSGA-PSO II method demonstrated superior performance. It achieved the lowest fitness value (4,461,024) by combining the exploration capabilities of NSGA II with the Pareto-optimal convergence strengths of PSO. Over the 25-year planning horizon, the model projects solar energy share to increase from 19.05% to 47.79%, firewood to decrease from 61.90% to 35.45%, and generator share to increase from 14.3% to 14.7%. The community’s energy demand coverage improves from 95.24% to 97.92%. The community maintains a stable male-to-female energy consumption ratio of approximately 1.18:1, while the energy equity gap decreases from 0.2000 to 0.0800 kWh/person/quarter over the planning period. Results demonstrate that the hybrid NSGA-PSO II effectively manages the complexity of multi-objective energy distribution while promoting energy equity and environmental sustainability in rural electrification. Full article

In response to environmental degradation and social inequities exacerbated by automobile-dependent urban sprawl, this study proposes a framework for dynamic delineation and vitality assessment of 15-min walkable neighborhoods, using Baohe District, Hefei, China as a case study. Static service catchments were constructed using POI and road network data, then refined using one week’s mobile phone signaling trajectories calibrated to actual walking behavior, yielding 143 validated living circles (out of 156 initially delineated). These circles are classified into five typologies: commercial-residential, industrial-residential, educational-residential, predominantly residential, and public-service-oriented. A dual-index system—Facility Vitality Index (FVI) and Population Vitality Index (PVI)—is developed and synthesized into a Composite Vitality Index (VI) through normalization and weighting. Results show that only 27.3% of living circles achieve high vitality in both dimensions, indicating widespread service–demand misalignment. Conversely, 61.5% exhibit low or very low vitality, forming a “vitality depression” around the urban periphery—a pattern of service poverty with significant socioeconomic implications. High-vitality circles cluster along the Binhu New District corridor, while low-vitality circles concentrate in industrial parks (e.g., Feinan Industrial Park) and transport hubs (e.g., Hefei South Railway Station). The historic core lacks micro-infrastructures, whereas new districts—despite high-standard amenities—suffer from weak pedestrian activity. To address these deficiencies, we propose a differentiated zoning strategy: retrofitting micro-infrastructures in legacy neighborhoods, applying Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) principles in new urban extensions, and integrating community-serving functions within industrial peripheries. This framework provides actionable protocols for data-informed governance of 15-min living circles. Full article

Urban heat inequality represents a critical barrier to inclusive climate-resilient governance. While existing research has extensively mapped surface temperature patterns, the dynamic evolution of human thermal stress and the divergent regulatory efficiencies of cooling features across socio-economic contexts remain poorly understood. This study integrates multi-source datasets from 15 typical Chinese cities, employing a machine learning framework and GeoShapley interpretation to resolve the drivers of heat inequality across spatio-temporal and mechanistic dimensions. The findings demonstrate that high-density urbanization in China leads to a spatial synchronization of wealth and heat exposure, contrasting with the “Luxury Effect” observed in low-density Western contexts and indicating that high-income urban cores bear significantly higher absolute thermal stress. This inequality exhibits pronounced seasonal dynamics, where extreme summer conditions non-linearly amplify exposure gaps between socio-economic groups. Crucially, the results identify a systemic failure of cooling mechanisms in low-income communities, where the empirical thermal response of physical features deviates from expected patterns, failing to mitigate or even exacerbating perceived heat stress. These results emphasize that urban mitigation should move beyond quantitative resource expansion toward efficiency restoration, utilizing targeted spatial optimization to achieve precision climate justice. Full article

Background/Objectives: Adolescence is a critical developmental stage during which lifestyle and dietary habits are established, influencing both general and oral health outcomes. Territorial disparities between rural and urban environments may contribute to nutritional inequalities and health vulnerabilities. The aim of this study was to analyze differences between rural and urban environments in terms of lifestyle behaviors, dietary patterns, and oral health outcomes among adolescents in Mallorca, Spain. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 463 adolescents corresponding to the WHO index ages (12 and 15 years). Data were collected through questionnaires assessing dietary habits, oral hygiene behaviors and lifestyle characteristics. Clinical oral examinations were performed following the World Health Organization Pathfinder methodology. Statistical analyses included descriptive statistics and comparative analyses between rural and urban populations. Results: Urban adolescents reported higher consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages and ultra-processed foods (p < 0.001), whereas rural adolescents showed higher weekly physical activity (4.45 ± 2.34 vs. 3.62 ± 2.41 h/week; p < 0.001). Caries prevalence was higher in rural students (45.0% vs. 28.6%; p < 0.001), who however demonstrated better periodontal indicators. Conclusions: Geographic environment is associated with differences in dietary patterns, physical activity levels, lifestyle behaviors, and oral health outcomes among adolescents. These findings highlight the importance of targeted public health interventions adapted to geographic context and support the role of broader social and environmental determinants in adolescent oral health. Full article

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are referred to as a roadmap to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all people and the planet as a whole by 2030. Attaining these goals requires a multifaceted approach that integrates social development, economic growth, and environmental protection. The construction industry plays a crucial role in all three areas. This paper provides an overview of the SDGs and outlines the specific ways in which the construction industry can contribute to achieving all 17 goals. The progress made by India in achieving the SDGs over time is examined by analyzing the SDG index, SDG dashboard, and trends. India is ranked 99th out of 167 in the SDG index in 2025. From this position, to achieve the SDGs within the timeframe, India has to make rapid progress and has to focus on multiple fronts, including its construction sector. Despite some progress in the right direction, the Indian construction industry still faces significant challenges in fully aligning with the SDGs. For instance, India’s green building footprint is around 954 million m², compared to China’s 8.5 billion m², despite comparable population sizes. Persistent challenges include the unavailability of sufficient skilled manpower, scarcity of advanced construction equipment, highly uneven demand across geographical regions, lack of enforcement, over-reliance on fossil fuels, gender inequality, and inadequate research funding, among others. This paper provides an in-depth examination of the obstacles hindering the efforts of the Indian construction sector to meet the SDGs and explores the necessary course corrections to address these challenges. Full article

With a modest estimate of 11 million workers and high greenhouse gas emissions, the Indian brick sector is a relevant study for understanding how low-carbon energy transition impacts justice for the society, environment, and livelihoods. This empirical article provides an analysis of the ongoing policy-driven energy efficiency transition and justice trade-offs and benefits in the brick production sector in the state of Bihar. The transition is explored in a larger framework of power relations and vulnerability to determine whether the policies enable or challenge transformative justice for the labour force, nature and future generations. Present policies focus on regulations and financial incentives relevant for entrepreneurs with pre-existing skills, network and financial resources. Further, present policy narratives lack attention to mechanisms that reproduce the socio-economic inequality of the brick labour force, and implications for balancing different livelihood and environmental objectives. We conclude that the findings emphasise the need for integrating a wider variety of social dimensions and relevant support schemes to overcome inequality barriers and safeguard the environment for future generations. Full article

American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) populations experience disproportionately high kidney cancer incidence and mortality compared to other groups in the United States. Literature was reviewed to explore the factors contributing to the unequally higher kidney cancer burden in AI/AN communities and to develop recommendations to reduce these disparities. The incidence of kidney cancer has been rising over the past few decades, and this increase has been especially steep among AI/AN populations. Death rates in AI/AN populations are roughly twice those of the non-Hispanic White population. The elevated kidney cancer burden in AI/AN populations may be driven by both clinical and behavioral risk factors (obesity, diabetes, hypertension, chronic kidney disease, smoking, and environmental factors) and structural drivers of health, which can critically shape these disparities. Systemic inequalities limit AI/AN patients and community members’ access to chronic disease management, smoking cessation programs, primary and specialty care for early detection, and ultimately, treatment. AI/AN patients may have mistrust or other cultural barriers to engaging with the healthcare system and providers, while implicit bias in healthcare providers may lead to undertreatment. Therefore, key interventions and tailored programs aimed at reducing kidney cancer incidence and mortality are needed. Here we highlight some current interventions, including access to disease management and smoking cessation programs, facilitating healthcare access and quality, adopting patient navigation and culturally competent education, and developing strategies for early detection. In partnership with AI/AN communities, a combination of prevention, early detection, and healthcare system improvements is needed to close the kidney cancer gap. Full article

The impact of PM_2.5 pollution on the health inequality of vulnerable groups is a core issue in environmental justice research. However, existing studies in China mostly focus on severely polluted areas in northern China. They lack comparative cases in economically developed eastern regions. They also rarely consider changes in the impact of air pollution on residents’ health amid rapid urbanization. Based on multi-source data, this study employed spatial visualization, spatial autocorrelation analysis and spatial regression models. It investigated the impact of PM_2.5 pollution on the health inequality of vulnerable elderly groups in 92 districts and counties of Jiangsu Province from 2010 to 2020. The results show that: first, the regional pattern of health inequality between PM_2.5 pollution and vulnerable elderly groups in Jiangsu has continuously evolved, with a “lower in the south and higher in the north” pollution pattern and high overlap between high-pollution areas and high elderly health risk areas in northern Jiangsu. Second, the spatial coupling between PM_2.5 and elderly health risks has gradually strengthened, showing significant positive spatial agglomeration in 2020, confirming obvious spatial agglomeration characteristics of air pollution’s health impact. Third, the adverse health impact of PM_2.5 on vulnerable elderly groups became significant in 2020, exhibiting cumulative and lagged characteristics; urbanization and regional coordinated development have played a positive role in alleviating regional health inequality, while a lagging energy structure further exacerbates the health vulnerability of the elderly. This study fills the gap of insufficient research on economically developed eastern regions and provides targeted empirical references for urban refined governance and precise prevention and control of environmental health inequality. Full article

Most established street-vitality assessment tools were developed in temperate, predominantly Western urban settings and therefore do not adequately capture the climatic and socio-spatial conditions of hot–arid cities. This study develops and validates the Resident-Centered Street Vitality Framework (RCSVF) using Riyadh as a case study representative of the Arabian Desert urban context. Drawing on a cross-sectional quantitative design, the research integrates a resident survey across nineteen neighborhoods (N = 1102), physical observations of 133 street segments, a visual preference survey (N = 418), and GIS-based spatial analysis. The results reveal marked intra-urban inequality in perceived environmental quality and demonstrate that service proximity is a substantially stronger predictor of residential satisfaction than street physical quality alone. Residents consistently rated shading, green space, and pedestrian infrastructure as the weakest dimensions of their neighborhoods. These findings indicate that street vitality in hot–arid settings cannot be validly assessed through imported observer-based metrics. A resident-centered, climate-responsive framework is required to capture how thermal exposure, functional accessibility, and everyday social use interact in shaping street experience. Full article

While national agencies increasingly adopt ‘sustainable’ rhetoric, their policies frequently prioritize bureaucratic legitimacy over local landscape realities. This research examines how Thailand’s development policies shape water and spatial governance in riverine landscapes, focusing on Chiang Mai Province and the Phaya-Kham irrigation system. Despite ambitious sustainable development objectives, implementation is marked by institutional silos, overlapping mandates, and scalar misalignments, resulting in fragmented governance that favors short-term economic gains over long-term ecological health. These dynamics undermine water resource management and exacerbate socio-ecological inequalities. Drawing on archival reviews, policy analysis, mapping, and interviews, the study employs political ecology perspectives and David Mosse’s framework of policy performance to investigate the disjuncture between policy intentions and on-the-ground realities. The Phaya-Kham system illustrates how modernization pressures, urban expansion, and agricultural intensification destabilize community-based water governance. Findings underscore that governance challenges in Chiang Mai are fundamentally political, rooted in struggles over authority and resource control rather than technical shortcomings. Sustainability-oriented policy frameworks may reproduce socio-ecological degradation. Achieving fairer water and landscape governance requires confronting these dynamics, integrating local knowledge, and fostering inter-agency cooperation. By recognizing context-based hydrosocial territories, policies can move toward more socio-environmentally healthy frameworks supporting local riverine communities and landscape realities. Full article