Search Results (767)

The sustainable management of cultural and landscape heritage is a complex challenge involving many actors and disciplines. This study analyses the governance system of the Po Delta to identify improvements for reconciling heritage protection with sustainable development. Through a literature review, cultural institution mapping, and empirical surveys, the study examines existing network dynamics in the sense of sustainability. The results highlight a need for a mesostructure to facilitate cooperation among local authorities and cultural institutions. Full article

The return of African cultural objects represents an opportunity to practice what Felwine Sarr and Bénédicte Savoy call “a new relational ethics.” Oftentimes, repatriation begins and ends with the literal return of physical objects. This does little to address legacies of colonial theft, value extraction, and epistemicide. It can also reinscribe the power of Western interpretive frameworks and reproduce Western patterns of state power by returning objects to Western-style institutions within postcolonial nation-states. This essay considers the return of the Benin bronzes as a case study for these missed opportunities and alternative paths forward. It follows the various and sometimes competing means by which Benin bronzes came “home:” whether to the postcolonial nation of Nigeria, to the Oba of Benin himself, or to the controversial public-private partnership known as the Museum of West African Art (MOWAA). This essay considers how these various means of return, and these various meanings of “home,” can work against one another and can be co-opted as neoliberal and neocolonial forms of control. The essay also explores alternative paths forward through the framework of relational ethics. Sarr and Savoy first applied the phrase to the return of African cultural objects in their 2018 report. This essay expands on Sarr and Savoy’s report and builds from Native American and Indigenous scholars like Margaret Kovach and Linda Tuhiwai Smith, who identify opportunities to remake relations as a means of restitution. This includes remaking relations between indigenous communities, Western institutions, and postcolonial nation-states. It also includes remaking relations between human beings and the more-than-human world, including spirits of the ancestors, outside the systems of Western knowledge and value production. Full article

Fiscal shocks in post-land-finance China are weakening the funding basis of capital-intensive metro public-private partnership (PPP) projects, but the system-level mechanism through which public fiscal stress becomes subcontractor-level financial viability pressure remains underexplained. This study examines a section-level metro PPP project ecosystem in a sub-provincial Chinese city to trace this transmission mechanism and its financial implications. The analysis combines de-identified audit evidence and interviews with a scenario-based structural NPV model and 800,000 model-generated Monte Carlo realizations under calibrated institutional scenarios. The evidence indicates that quasi-bureaucratic SPV internal capital-market arrangements convert fiscal shortfalls into vertical and horizontal cross-subsidization practices, preserving short-term project continuity while shifting cash-flow pressure downstream. This condition is defined as a strategic resilience trap: practices that preserve short-term project continuity while potentially eroding the project ecosystem’s long-term adaptive capacity. Under calibrated assumptions, improving the contract-payment channel reduces model-generated losses by approximately 4%, suggesting that payment punctuality addresses only one part of the wider internal capital-market mechanism. Full article

This study examines the effectiveness of government support mechanisms in fostering venture capital (VC) ecosystems in emerging economies, with a particular focus on Kazakhstan. While venture capital is widely recognized as a key driver of innovation, entrepreneurship, and economic diversification, many developing countries face persistent structural barriers, including underdeveloped financial markets, limited private investment, and regulatory inefficiencies. To address these challenges, this research adopts a multi-source qualitative design, combining a systematic literature review with semi-structured interviews conducted with venture capital experts and practitioners. The analysis evaluates key policy instruments—such as co-investment schemes, tax incentives, startup accelerators, and regulatory reforms—and assesses their role in shaping VC activity. The findings indicate that although Kazakhstan has made significant progress in establishing institutional support for venture capital, critical constraints remain, including bureaucratic complexity, investor risk aversion, and limited exit opportunities. The study contributes to the literature by integrating global best practices with context-specific evidence, offering policy-relevant insights into how governments can more effectively design and implement interventions to strengthen venture capital ecosystems in developing economies. Full article

China’s extensive experience with Public–Private Partnerships (PPPs) over the past decade offers valuable lessons for international infrastructure governance. Central to the PPP concept is the imperative to deliver Value for Money (VfM), and VfM assessment serves as a critical tool to determine whether the PPP modality is appropriate for a given project. While China’s Ministry of Finance (MoF) introduced a qualitative VfM assessment framework in 2015, its conceptual ambiguity, indicator overlap, and procedural inconsistencies have limited its effectiveness in guiding PPP decisions. This paper critically examines the existing Chinese qualitative VfM framework through comparative analysis with two international approaches: the UK HM Treasury’s three-dimensional VfM approach and the UN ESCAP’s developmental framework for Asia–Pacific countries. Through pair-wise and structural comparison, the study identifies key gaps in the Chinese model, including the absence of a preliminary applicability screening stage and insufficiently specified treatment of output clarity, scope stability, interface coordination, private-sector capability, revenue sustainability, and asset-life/contract-term alignment. Drawing on international insights, a refined VfM framework is proposed, featuring a pre-screening mechanism, a refined indicator system, and enhanced scoring methodology. The framework is applied to a complex, large-scale PPP case in China through a retrospective reassessment to illustrate its operability and diagnostic usefulness. Results show that the refined approach preserves the original positive VfM judgement while improving analytical clarity, procedural transparency, and the traceability of expert scoring. The paper concludes by discussing how a more structured qualitative VfM procedure can contribute to evaluation governance in PPP decision-making, while also identifying the need for further testing across additional PPP cases in China and beyond. Full article

The transition towards sustainable, resilient and digitally integrated port ecosystems has increased the need for collaborative innovation approaches capable of supporting broader sustainability transitions. In this context, open and sustainable innovation (OSI) offers a strategic mechanism for integrating economic, environmental and social objectives within complex maritime ecosystems. Although previous studies have explored technological innovation and isolated sustainability initiatives in ports, limited empirical attention has been given to how stakeholders perceive OSI and how its implementation is operationalised across a national port system. This study addresses this gap by investigating the central research question: how do key stakeholders perceive and implement OSI practices within the Portuguese port system? Specifically, it analyses organisational culture, governance structures, stakeholder engagement mechanisms, institutional barriers and sustainability-oriented innovation practices. The research adopts a qualitative approach based on ten semi-structured interviews with representatives of five Portuguese port authorities occupying senior management and strategic positions. The findings show that OSI is widely recognised as important for competitiveness, sustainability performance and alignment with transition agendas, but its implementation remains uneven across ports. Organisational resistance, fragmented governance, regulatory complexity and limited monitoring mechanisms constrain the institutionalisation of OSI practices. Nevertheless, collaborative initiatives involving universities, innovation networks, public–private partnerships and digital platforms indicate a gradual shift towards more integrated and participatory governance models. The study concludes that OSI can support sustainability transitions in port ecosystems when enabled by coordinated governance, stakeholder collaboration and organisational capabilities. Full article

Healthcare facilities are among the most energy-intensive public infrastructures due to their continuous operations, complex systems, and critical service requirements. In this context, Energy Performance Contracts (EPCs) have gained increasing attention as a strategic tool for enhancing energy efficiency and sustainability in healthcare facilities. This paper investigates the potential and implementation of EPCs in the hospital sector, with a particular focus on their integration within Public–Private Partnership (PPP) frameworks. The study addresses that gap through a cross-case analysis of fourteen hospital EPC projects implemented in Italy, the United Kingdom, the Nordic countries and Central-Eastern Europe, mapping their technical scope against a three-family taxonomy (envelope, plant systems, regulation and monitoring) and benchmarking their energy and economic performance. All figures reported derive from project documentation and contractual monitoring records. The results show that envelope-led configurations deliver the deepest reductions in primary and final energy consumption (up to 50% on the baseline), while plant-side measures, and trigeneration in particular, generate the largest absolute CO₂ savings (from approximately 500 to 17,000 tCO₂eq/yr); lighting, and building management systems (BMS) retrofits, although ubiquitous, account for a 20–25% band when deployed in isolation. The findings reframe EPCs as a configurable contract for decarbonization in healthcare environments and offer practitioners a reading grid for scoping future hospital retrofits under this framework. Full article

First launched in Boston, MA in January 2018, Community Care in Reach^® is a mobile addiction model that uses mobile clinics to deliver harm reduction and clinical services to people at high risk of drug-related morbidity and mortality and who are unhoused or at risk of losing housing. Through a public/private partnership, the model has grown to include six programs across Massachusetts. Using the RE-AIM framework, this initial, descriptive evaluation for this multisite project included quantitative and qualitative methods to give insight into reach and performance. From 1 January 2022 to 30 June 2024, there were 17,887 harm reduction encounters and 16,117 clinical encounters providing care to 4645 individuals. Buprenorphine-based treatment (a key medication for opioid use disorder) was initiated among 1227 individuals, of whom 15% remained in buprenorphine-based treatment after 180 days. Evaluation across multiple organizations posed unique challenges; however, results demonstrated universal engagement of hard-to-reach individuals. Full article

Urban infrastructure is crucial to urban development and determines urban functionality, resilience, and sustainability. Effective planning for urban infrastructure development and municipal services driving economic development and improving the quality of urban life. However, many urban areas of countries in the Global South suffer from contextually inappropriate urban planning. This has led to uncontrolled expansion, urban sprawl and inadequate public infrastructure. This study answers the following research questions: What are the main challenges in urban and infrastructure planning, and what are possible solutions to mitigate them for sustainable urban development? Based on a review of 75 studies, keyword co-occurrence analysis and thematic analysis reveal seven key challenges in urban infrastructure planning: governance and institutional challenges; economic constraints and funding gaps; environmental and climate change challenges; urbanization and population growth; technological gaps and innovation difficulties; political instability and conflict; and social inequality and exclusion. To mitigate these issues, this study suggests that the concerned policymakers in the Global South prioritize governance and institutional reform, adopt technological and nature-based solutions and strengthen public–private partnerships, community-based engagement, and capacity building. Full article

Background: PPPs are central to Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 healthcare transformation, yet evidence on their impact on accessibility, quality, and sustainability remains limited. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the perceived associations between PPP implementation under Vision 2030 and three healthcare system outcomes—service accessibility (geographical, financial, technological), care quality (clinical outcomes, patient satisfaction, efficiency), and reform sustainability (economic, operational, adaptive)—from the perspectives of healthcare professionals and patients in Saudi Arabia. Methods: A cross-sectional, mixed-methods design was employed. Surveys were administered to 150 healthcare professionals and 210 patients at PPP-operated facilities (response rates of 61.2% and 65.6%, respectively). Descriptive and inferential statistics—including t-tests, ANOVA, chi-square tests, and multiple regression analysis adjusted for age, sex, education, household income, comorbidities, and facility type were used to assess associations between PPP initiatives and outcomes. Instrument reliability was confirmed (Cronbach’s α ≥ 0.7), and content validity was supported by an expert-panel content validity index of 0.91. Thematic analysis of open-ended responses captured stakeholder perceptions and challenges (inter-coder κ = 0.83). Results: Among professionals, 56.6% reported improved accessibility following the implementation of PPP, with 60.6% endorsing telemedicine as a key facilitator. However, 64.6% indicated financial access remained unchanged or worsened due to persistent out-of-pocket expenditures, and a statistically significant urban–rural gap was observed (p = 0.008). Quality indicators showed positive trends, including improved patient outcomes (52%), reduced waiting times (60.6%), and high satisfaction with hygiene and safety (74%). Sustainability assessments were cautiously favorable (mean financial viability = 3.4/5), though subsidy dependence remained a concern. Adjusted regression analysis identified financial accessibility (β = 0.31, p < 0.001) and reduced waiting times (β = 0.23, p = 0.005) as variables significantly associated with patient-reported outcomes. Conclusions: PPPs were associated with measurable improvements in healthcare accessibility, quality, and efficiency in Saudi Arabia. However, achieving the Vision 2030 objectives requires reforms that address financial equity, service distribution, workforce nationalization, and governance. Full article

Climate finance has become a major means of fostering sustainability in the construction industry, which encounters higher pressures to mitigate its environmental footprint without sacrificing economic viability. In line with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, this study employs a hybrid approach, integrating a systematic literature review (SLR) and bibliometric analysis, to provide a comprehensive overview of the role and mechanisms of climate finance for sustainable practices in the construction industry. From 2019 to 2025, 176 papers were identified in the Scopus (73) and Web of Science (103) databases. The SLR enables both systematic collection and qualitative analysis of financial instruments, policy frameworks, and sustainability performance metrics, and bibliometric analysis provides a report of publication behavior, geographic distribution, and thematic network. Findings suggest intense clustering of research in countries, with India, China, and the United States as key focus areas, and that construction firms predominantly accessed climate finance on instruments including green bonds, sustainability-linked loans, public–private partnerships, and multilateral climate funds. Sustainability performance is commonly assessed using indicators such as carbon emissions, energy efficiency, lifecycle costs, and environmental, social, and governance (ESG) metrics. The findings also highlight the critical role of public policies, such as green procurement, carbon pricing, and fiscal incentives, in enabling sustainable construction practices. From a theoretical perspective, this study contributes to the understanding of how financial mechanisms, policy frameworks, and sustainability metrics interact to drive sectoral transformation. Future research should focus on standardizing sustainability metrics, evaluating financing impacts, and expanding studies in emerging economies. Full article

This article offers an exploratory overview of the contemporary Ethiopian textile, fashion and apparel system. The contribution originated from a teaching experience in Addis Ababa within the framework of the AICS–UNIDO-funded project “Ethiopia: Support to Youth and Women through Products and Services Development and Public–Private Partnerships in the Fashion Value Chain” which prompted the authors to deepen their understanding of the local fashion ecosystem. Drawing on informal conversations, observations, and ethnographically oriented field notes, the authors developed the analysis through desk research and a review of the relevant literature. The picture that emerges reveals both the creativity and strong entrepreneurial drive of Ethiopian designers, alongside the structural barriers they commonly face, including limited access to materials, investment, and institutional support. Designers are shown to negotiate ongoing tensions between cultural heritage and global aesthetics, while also contending with local consumption patterns situated between second-hand clothing markets and international brands. These dynamics highlight both the challenges and the potential of the Ethiopian fashion scene, pointing to opportunities for mutual learning and for fostering fashion practices that are sustainable, globally relevant, and firmly grounded in local contexts. Full article

This study applies the Actor-Centered Power (ACP) framework to analyze urban green-space governance in three Asian cities, focusing on how power is distributed and exercised among actors in the management of their representative multipurpose parks: Seoul Forest in Seoul, Da’an Forest Park in Taipei, and Yoyogi Park in Tokyo. Conventionally used in large-scale forest governance in the Global South, ACP is extended here to East Asian cities of the Global North. This can provide nascent insight into how coercion, (dis)incentives, and information operate across different institutions. The study found that the initial formation of the parks was driven by potent actors through coercive measures in all three cities. While Seoul maintains centralized statutory governance under the national act, Taipei adopts a decentralized governance model that foregrounds subordinate actors, notably exemplified by the higher education-oriented foundation. This organization promotes citizen science involvement and community-based stewardship. Tokyo, by contrast, uses a public–private partnership model that supports private sector commercial collaboration. This comparative case study demonstrates that the ACP framework is well-suited for analyzing urban green-space governance, as it distinguishes between power subjects (potentates and subordinates) and power sources (coercion, incentives, and information), providing theoretical and managerial implications. Through the lens of the ACP framework, this study argues that distinct institutional arrangements produce divergent power configurations for urban green-space management even within similarly developed urban contexts. Full article

Public building projects in the United States continue to face challenges related to cost escalation and schedule delays, prompting increased interest in alternative project delivery methods. Although Design–Bid–Build (DBB) remains the most commonly used approach, Design–Build (DB) and Public–Private Partnership (P3) delivery methods are increasingly adopted with the expectation of improved project performance. This study uses three statistical tests to determine whether three performance metrics related to the cost and schedule of U.S. building projects delivered using P3, DB, and DBB are significantly different. Before conducting this test, project costs were adjusted to constant 2025 dollars using the RS Means City Cost Index to account for differences in completion years. On average, all three test results indicate that P3 projects’ cost growth (−2.61%) is significantly lower than that of DB (7.95%) and DBB (24.40%). Similarly, the schedule growth of P3 projects (−2.51%) was significantly lower than that of DB (2.65%) and DBB (27.09%). However, no statistically significant difference in the schedule was observed between DB and DBB. Differences in construction intensity were not statistically significant. These findings provide quantitative insight for owners when selecting delivery methods for building projects. Full article