Search Results (46)

The Saudi Green Initiative (SGI) represents a major national effort to enhance environmental sustainability and urban livability in Saudi Arabia. Despite its ambitious targets, limited empirical research has evaluated its spatial performance and social impacts. This study assesses the progress of SGI implementation in Riyadh by examining the spatial distribution, accessibility, and equity of urban green spaces (UGS), alongside residents’ perceptions of their quality. A mixed-methods approach was adopted, integrating Geographic Information Systems (GIS)-based spatial analysis with a structured survey of 180 residents. Spatial indicators were evaluated against the World Health Organization (WHO) benchmark of 9 m² per capita and the SGI target of 28 m² per capita. The results reveal that although total green space has increased between 2018 and 2024, its distribution remains uneven, with high-density neighborhoods consistently falling below recommended standards. Survey findings indicate high satisfaction with recreational and environmental benefits, but lower satisfaction with facilities and public engagement. The study highlights that increasing total green space alone does not ensure equitable access and emphasizes the need for population-sensitive planning strategies. These findings provide practical insights for improving the spatial equity and effectiveness of urban greening initiatives and contribute to broader sustainable urban development goals. Full article

Peri-urban village renewal in China has increasingly improved infrastructure and environmental conditions, but its effects on residents’ subjective well-being remain insufficiently understood. Taking Siqing Village in Chanba District, Xi’an, as a case study, this research examines how spatial restructuring is associated with residents’ perceptions of livability, place attachment, and well-being. A mixed-methods approach was adopted, combining field observation, spatial classification, questionnaire survey, semi-structured interviews, reliability and validity testing, Spearman correlation analysis, and hierarchical regression. The results show that recent renewal improved roads, lighting, sanitation, drainage, waste management, and housing interfaces. Questionnaire responses indicated generally positive evaluations of spatial restructuring and living environment satisfaction, although the highly positive distribution suggested a ceiling effect. Correlation analysis showed significant positive relationships among spatial restructuring perception, living environment satisfaction, place attachment, and subjective well-being. Regression results further indicated that place attachment had the strongest association with subjective well-being after spatial restructuring perception and living environment satisfaction were included. Interview findings revealed that physical improvements increased convenience and safety, but also raised concerns about reduced informal social interaction, weakened local character, and insufficient public space adaptability. The study concludes that peri-urban village renewal should not be evaluated only by visible environmental improvement, but also by its capacity to sustain everyday use, local familiarity, and residents’ emotional attachment to place. Full article

The perception of livability varies by individual, sociocultural, and environmental factors. Little is known about environment-livability relationships in unique sociocultural contexts with predominantly Mexican-origin Hispanic populations. This study examines how neighborhood environments relate to residents’ perceived livability in selected neighborhoods in El Paso, Texas, and potential differences between Hispanic and non-Hispanic samples. We surveyed 2233 residents and generated GIS (ArcGIS 10.6.1) measures of their neighborhood environments. The binary livability outcome was derived from a survey question about satisfaction with their neighborhood as “a good place to live.” Three logistic regressions were estimated using the full sample and two subsamples (Hispanic and non-Hispanic). For the full sample, significant (p < 0.05) environmental predictors included social cohesion, crime safety, attractive surroundings, sidewalk availability and maintenance, surveillance and night lighting, walkable destinations, and land-use mix; significant interactions existed between Hispanic ethnicity and gender, between Hispanic ethnicity and the density of sit-down restaurants, as well as between age and crime safety. Comparing two subsample models, environmental features and personal health status were more influential in the Hispanic subsample, whereas personal and household factors were more influential in the non-Hispanic subsample. Culturally responsive designs should prioritize the most critical environmental improvements to effectively enhance livability. Full article

Loneliness and social isolation among older adults pose significant challenges for social sustainability. Intergenerational interaction is a key to promoting social well-being and fostering inclusive communities. Using binary logistic regression and structural equation modeling, this study investigates how neighborhood environments, transportation and recreational walking, and intergenerational interactions, defined as social engagement with children, differ among 871 older adults in intergenerational (n = 436) vs. age-targeted (n = 435) communities in central Texas. Results highlight that accessible “third places”, including streets and sidewalks, churches, and restaurants, were important for supporting intergenerational interactions, with substantially higher levels of such interactions in these places among older adults from intergenerational communities. Employment status moderated the relationship between community types and intergenerational interactions. Across both community types, recreational walking emerged as a significant, positive predictor for intergenerational interactions. Modifiable neighborhood features, particularly the presence of benches along sidewalks, were positively associated with recreational walking, which in turn predicted intergenerational interactions. While age-targeted communities may offer high neighborhood satisfaction and livability, they provide fewer opportunities for routine contact with younger generations. Findings underscore the importance of walkable, inclusive communities and intentional intergenerational programming in promoting intergenerational interaction among older adults, contributing to social sustainability and healthy aging in place. Full article

High-latitude, cold-climate cities have long faced inherent climatic disadvantages due to prolonged frigid winters, historically limiting their attractiveness for population inflow. Global warming, particularly the polar amplification effect, offers potential for improving climate livability in such cities, creating new opportunities for population redistribution and urban development. Taking Harbin, a representative cold-climate city in Northeast China, as a case study, this research integrates meteorological data (2010–2023) with questionnaire responses from 1053 recent in-migrants. Using Analytic Hierarchy Process and Structural Equation Modeling, we systematically examine how climate livability is associated with migration decisions. The key findings are as follows. (1) Harbin’s climate livability improved significantly from 2010 to 2023. (2) In-migrants display a spatial pattern of “proximate dominance and distant diversity”, with pronounced heterogeneity in climate perception and satisfaction across origin regions. (3) Climate livability is associated with settlement intention through a partial mediation pathway: the indirect effect via deep adaptation (β = 0.330) accounts for 37.2% of the total effect, while a significant direct effect (β = 0.559) also exists, correcting an earlier inflated full-mediation estimate. (4) This perception–adaptation–decision pathway remains stable across subgroups and is not significantly moderated by origin climate contrast or occupational exposure, although boundary conditions apply. (5) Migration decisions involve trade-offs between climatic experience and socioeconomic rationality: climate livability reinforces long-term settlement intentions through psychological adaptation, while short-term migration is chiefly driven by socioeconomic factors. These findings provide empirical evidence and policy insights for cold-climate cities, such as Harbin, aiming to establish inclusive adaptation support systems and implement phased, context-sensitive population strategies. Full article

Public green spaces play a critical role in fostering social cohesion in rapidly industrializing cities. However, empirical research on how urban residents in non-Western contexts perceive, evaluate and use these spaces remains limited, particularly in Islamic industrial cities with distinct cultural practices and urban development patterns. This study examines determinants of visitor satisfaction in Coastal Park, Asaluyeh, a rapidly industrializing Persian Gulf city. The city’s industrial character, marked by acute green space scarcity and demographic imbalances due to workforce migration, provides a distinctive context for examining urban park dynamics in Iran’s petrochemical industrial zones. Using structured questionnaires and systematic field observations, we assess factors influencing park satisfaction and the role of the park in facilitating community bonds. Results reveal that vegetation quality shows the strongest association with visitor satisfaction (r = 0.45, p < 0.001), surpassing demographic characteristics in explanatory power. The park predominantly serves group-based activities, with family gatherings representing the dominant form of social interaction, reflecting cultural preferences for communal recreation. Significant disparities emerge across men and women in satisfaction levels and usage patterns. Temporal concentration during weekend evenings is driven by extreme daytime heat, while transportation barriers limit equitable access. Statistical analyses indicate weak correlations between demographic variables and satisfaction, underscoring the primacy of experiential factors in shaping visitor perceptions. The findings provide evidence-based recommendations for culturally sensitive park design in industrial Islamic cities, emphasizing the need for infrastructure, amenities, and improved public transport connectivity to ensure equitable access across diverse demographic groups. Full article

Nature bonding (NB), alongside place identity and place dependence, is among the most frequently discussed and empirically validated contributing factors of place attachment (PA) within urban environments. While PA has been extensively studied through its psychological, personal, and spatial dimensions, the specific contribution of NB across these dimensions and spatial scales remains insufficiently understood. To address this gap, this study aims to demonstrate the importance of NB in fostering PA by highlighting the need for spatially sensitive urban planning that integrates natural elements across scales to enhance community satisfaction and well-being. Elmwood Village in Buffalo, New York, recognized as one of the top ten most livable American neighborhoods and part of the historic Frederick Law Olmsted-designed parkway system was chosen as a case study. A three-stage investigation was conducted using survey data. First, the three dimensions of PA—place, person, and psychology—were identified. Second, NB was categorized into three levels: attachment, enjoyment, and oneness with nature. Third, the variability of these bonds across three spatial scales—building, street, and neighborhood—was tested to assess their spatial relevance. The findings reveal that the strength and form of NB differ significantly across spatial contexts, shaping how individuals emotionally and behaviorally connect to urban places. By integrating NB into the spatial understanding of PA, this research provides a framework for urban designers and environmental psychologists to better interpret and enhance human–nature relations in the built environment. Full article

Climate change and rapid urbanization are intensifying global environmental challenges, particularly the nexus of urban heat stress and air pollution, which collectively impact human health and outdoor livability. This study investigates the spatiotemporal distribution of the outdoor thermal environment and PM2.5 concentrations in residential areas of Wuhan, a city with a hot-summer–cold-winter climate, and evaluates their combined effects on outdoor thermal comfort. Field measurements of microclimatic parameters and PM2.5 levels were conducted in two typical residential communities during winter and summer, supplemented by 582 valid questionnaires to assess residents’ subjective thermal responses. Key findings include (1) residents’ satisfaction decreases by approximately 1 unit for every 90-unit increase in AQI, and PM2.5 concentrations can effectively substitute for AQI in characterizing the impact of air quality on satisfaction. (2) The explanatory power of the UTCI-MTSV model (R²: 0.3152–0.7763) is pollutant-dependent; winter thermal comfort adheres to the linear law of UTCI, while dispersed summer votes indicate a non-linear effect of PM2.5 on comfort. (3) Wuhan residents show high thermal tolerance across AQIs. The lower limits of the Thermal Acceptability Range (TAR) are 7.1 °C (AQI-I) and 8.8 °C (AQI-II), both below neutral ranges, while the summer TAR-UTCI is 30.9 °C (above the neutral range). Better air quality improves the reliability of the thermal acceptability–UTCI fit. (4) TCV peaks at approximately 16 °C, increasing then decreasing with UTCI; at identical UTCI levels, better air quality enhances comfort, particularly within the 0–10 °C range. This study provides empirical evidence to inform urban design strategies for mitigating heat stress and pollution in hot-summer–cold-winter regions. Full article

In recent years, as Chinese cities have entered a stage of high-quality transformation, enhancing livability and achieving refined governance within existing urban spaces has become a central issue in urban planning and management. The establishment of the Urban Physical Examination mechanism has provided a scientific framework for evaluating urban performance. However, most existing studies focus primarily on objective indicators, paying insufficient attention to residents’ subjective perceptions and their spatial variations. As a result, the multi-scale mechanisms underlying human settlement satisfaction remain poorly understood. Using Xiamen City as a case, this study draws on data from the 2025 Urban Physical Examination Resident Survey and constructs a Geographically Random Forest (GRF) model to examine how block, community, housing, and personal attributes jointly shape human settlement satisfaction (HSS) and its spatial heterogeneity. The results show that (1) overall, block’ business vitality is the most influential factor affecting HSS, followed by community management and housing safety, highlighting the dominant roles of the built environment and grassroots management in shaping residential experience; (2) management and safety issues at the community level are more prominent in suburban areas, old neighborhoods, and zones surrounding tourist attractions, reflecting a mismatch between service provision and urban expansion; (3) housing-scale factors display significant spatial variation, with tenure and housing affordability emerging as key determinants of satisfaction among residents in newly developed districts; and (4) at the personal characteristic, age, residential duration, occupational prestige, and household income exhibit marked spatial heterogeneity, revealing satisfaction patterns jointly shaped by social mobility and urban growth. The study concludes that multi-scale spatial identification and resident perception feedback mechanisms should be strengthened within the Urban Physical Examination framework. Such efforts can promote a shift from static indicator monitoring to dynamic spatial governance, providing theoretical and methodological support for refined urban management and the improvement of human settlement environments. Full article

This study investigates the effects of transportation, specifically public transit, the built environment, and sociodemographic factors on community quality of life (QOL) and individuals’ overall life satisfaction (OLS) in the United States. Using data from the 2017 National Community Livability Survey (NCLS), which includes responses from 994 adults across all 50 states, structural equation modeling (SEM) was applied to examine four latent constructs: the built environment, access to amenities, transportation quality, and support for transit funding. Additional observed variables included perceived importance of public transit, public transit need, ease of travel, and key sociodemographic indicators. Results show that the built environment and transportation quality significantly enhance community QOL but do not have a direct effect on individual OLS. In contrast, support for transit funding has a significant positive effect on individual OLS but not on community QOL. Public transit and walking access to amenities such as parks and recreation facilities, grocery stores, healthcare services, etc., improve both the built environment’s perceptions and community QOL. Interestingly, the perceived importance of public transit negatively influences community QOL, while perceived transit need negatively impacts individual OLS. Ease of travel is the only factor with a significant positive effect on both outcomes. Sociodemographic factors such as gender, age, income, health, education, and race are also found to significantly influence individual life satisfaction. These findings suggest that enhancing perceptions of the built environment, improving transportation quality—particularly public and active transit—and ensuring ease of travel can contribute to improved quality of life. Policies that integrate transportation planning with broader livability and well-being goals may offer more inclusive benefits at both the community and individual levels. Full article

In recent decades, China has witnessed remarkable growth in housing construction, yet housing-related complaints have not declined significantly, highlighting the gap between housing quality and public expectations. Against this background, this study analyzes 32,277 national surveys to unpack residential satisfaction with green-livable communities in China. Entropy and standard-deviation weighting identified 16 priority indicators; artificial neural networks revealed weak direct influence of basic demographics on satisfaction, highlighting non-linear demand patterns. While 65–75% of respondents are satisfied with most attributes, significant city-level gaps persist—Beijing peaks near 90%, Chongqing falls below 50%. Dissatisfaction converges on three domains: infrastructure (parking, barrier-free access), building performance (leakage, noise, thermal defects) and smart systems (security, energy, health monitoring). Residents’ improvement priorities have shifted from basic shelter to health safety, smart technology, humanistic care and ecological amenities. A “basic-security + quality-upgrade” strategy is proposed: short-term repairs of common defects, medium-term smart-sustainable upgrades and long-term participatory governance. The findings not only enrich the theoretical framework of community satisfaction research but also provide practical guidance for enhancing community quality and meeting residents’ expectations in the context of China’s rapid urbanization and housing development. Full article

Public open spaces have recently attracted significant attention in the national development programs aimed at improving urban livability and quality of life in Saudi Arabia. While many studies have examined the design quality of public open spaces in the country, a contextualized evaluation index that takes into account users’ preferences and the nation’s social context is still lacking. This gap calls for additional field studies to better understand users’ needs and their interactions with the current urban design practices of public open spaces. This study provides deeper insights into the design quality of public open spaces in Saudi Arabia. The study first identified 16 attributes of design quality of public open spaces, and then assessed a case study, Alrabie Park in Al-Khobar city, based on field observation and a survey of users’ satisfaction levels in relation to these quality attributes The findings revealed that the average of users’ satisfaction was 3.76 out of 5.0, indicating a neutral to satisfied response. Key strengths were noted in accessibility and users’ comfort, while areas needing improvement included environmental quality and amenities and services. The study recommends the development of a national evaluation index for public open spaces to create inclusive, safe, and vibrant environments that reflect Saudi Arabia’s urban and socio-cultural context. It also emphasizes the importance of community engagement in this regard to ensure that the design of public spaces aligns well with the users’ needs and helps to create sustainable urban spaces in the city. Full article

This paper examines how artificial intelligence (AI) can be strategically deployed to enhance urban planning and environmental livability in Riyadh by generating data-driven, people-centric design interventions. Unlike previous studies that concentrate primarily on visualization, this research proposes an integrative appraisal framework that combines AI-generated design with site-specific environmental data and native vegetation typologies. This study was conducted across key jurisdictional areas including the Northern Ring Road, King Abdullah Road, Al Rabwa, Al-Malaz, Al-Suwaidi, Al-Batha, and King Fahd Road. Using AI tools, urban scenarios were developed to incorporate expanded pedestrian pathways (up to 3.5 m), dedicated bicycle lanes (up to 3.0 m), and ecologically adaptive green buffer zones featuring native drought-resistant species such as Date Palm, Acacia, and Sidr. The quantitative analysis of post-intervention outcomes revealed surface temperature reductions of 3.2–4.5 °C and significant improvements in urban esthetics, walkability, and perceived safety—measured on a five-point Likert scale with 80–100% increases in user satisfaction. Species selection was validated for ecological adaptability, minimal maintenance needs, and compatibility with Riyadh’s sandy soils. This study directly supports the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 by demonstrating how emerging technologies like AI can drive smart, sustainable urban transformation. It aligns with Vision 2030’s urban development goals under the Quality-of-Life Program and environmental sustainability pillar, promoting healthier, more connected cities with elevated livability standards. The research not only delivers practical design recommendations for planners seeking to embed sustainability and digital innovation in Saudi urbanism but also addresses real-world constraints such as budgetary limitations and infrastructure integration. Full article

The efficient management of urban parking systems has emerged as a pivotal issue in today’s smart cities, where increasing vehicle populations strain limited parking infrastructure and challenge sustainable urban mobility. Aligned with the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the strategic goals of smart city planning, this study presents a sustainability-driven, multiagent simulation-based framework to model, analyze, and optimize smart parking dynamics in congested urban settings. The system architecture integrates ground-level IoT sensors installed in parking spaces, enabling real-time occupancy detection and communication with a centralized system using low-power wide-area communication protocols (LPWAN). This study introduces an intelligent parking guidance mechanism that dynamically directs drivers to the nearest available slots based on location, historical traffic flow, and predicted availability. To manage real-time data flow, the framework incorporates message queuing telemetry transport (MQTT) protocols and edge processing units for low-latency updates. A predictive algorithm, combining spatial data, usage patterns, and time-series forecasting, supports decision-making for future slot allocation and dynamic pricing policies. Field simulations, calibrated with sensor data in a representative high-density urban district, assess system performance under peak and off-peak conditions. A comparative evaluation against traditional first-come-first-served and static parking systems highlights significant gains: average parking search time is reduced by 42%, vehicular congestion near parking zones declines by 35%, and emissions from circling vehicles drop by 27%. The system also improves user satisfaction by enabling mobile app-based reservation and payment options. These findings contribute to broader sustainability goals by supporting efficient land use, reducing environmental impacts, and enhancing urban livability—key dimensions emphasized in sustainable smart city strategies. The proposed framework offers a scalable, interdisciplinary solution for urban planners and policymakers striving to design inclusive, resilient, and environmentally responsible urban mobility systems. Full article

The study examines how design quality, indoor air quality, and energy efficiency affect customer satisfaction in eco-friendly houses in Shanghai, China. Further, it examines how environmental awareness mediates community participation and resident satisfaction. A stratified sampling technique is used to collect the data from 742 eligible respondents in public and private eco-residential complexes. The results show that design, air quality, and energy efficiency improve customer satisfaction. At the same time, community engagement partially mediates these correlations, stressing the importance of social cohesion in enhancing residential area quality. Environmental awareness moderated the effects and boosted the happiness benefits of energy efficiency and indoor air quality. This research uses a comprehensive framework that includes psychological, environmental, and social components to make it stand out. Instead of studying green housing benefits in general, it accomplishes this inside China’s urban sustainability program. The results help policymakers, urban planners, and housing authorities make megacity green housing more desirable and livable. Full article