Search Results (1,104)

Wellington, New Zealand, is highly vulnerable to disaster-induced food security crises due to its geography and geological characteristics, which can disrupt transportation and isolate the city following disasters. Urban agriculture (UA) has been proposed as a potential alternative food source for post-disaster scenarios. This study examined the potential of urban agriculture for enhancing post-disaster food security by calculating vegetable self-sufficiency rates. Specifically, it evaluated the capacity of current Wellington’s community gardens to meet post-disaster vegetable demand in terms of both weight and nutrient content. Data collection employed mixed methods with questionnaires, on-site observations and mapping, and collecting high-resolution aerial imagery. Garden yields were estimated using self-reported data supported by literature benchmarks, while cultivated areas were quantified through on-site mapping and aerial imagery analysis. Six post-disaster food demand scenarios were used based on different target populations to develop an understanding of the range of potential produce yields. Weight-based results show that community gardens currently supply only 0.42% of the vegetable demand for residents living within a five-minute walk. This rate increased to 2.07% when specifically targeting only vulnerable populations, and up to 10.41% when focusing on gardeners’ own households. However, at the city-wide level, the current capacity of community gardens to provide enough produce to feed people remained limited. Nutrient-based self-sufficiency was lower than weight-based results; however, nutrient intake is particularly critical for vulnerable populations after disasters, underscoring the greater challenge of ensuring adequate nutrition through current urban food production. Beyond self-sufficiency, this study also addressed the role of UA in promoting food diversity and acceptability, as well as its social and psychological benefits based on the questionnaires and on-site observations. The findings indicate that community gardens contribute meaningfully to post-disaster food security for gardeners and nearby residents, particularly for vulnerable groups with elevated nutritional needs. Despite the current limited capacity of community gardens to provide enough produce to feed residents, findings suggest that Wellington could enhance post-disaster food self-reliance by diversifying UA types and optimizing land-use to increase food production during and after a disaster. Realizing this potential will require strategic interventions, including supportive policies, a conducive social environment, and diversification—such as the including private yards—all aimed at improving food access, availability, and nutritional quality during crises. The primary limitation of this study is the lack of comprehensive data on urban agriculture in Wellington and the wider New Zealand context. Addressing this data gap should be a key focus for future research to enable more robust assessments and evidence-based planning. Full article

This research aims to identify and prioritize key planning elements for the redevelopment of such housing complexes by incorporating perspectives from both experts (supply-side) and residents (demand-side). To achieve this, a hybrid multi-criteria decision-making framework was developed by integrating the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and the Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS). A total of 25 planning elements were identified through Focus Group Interviews and organized into five domains: legal and institutional reforms, project feasibility, residential conditions, social integration, and complex design. The AHP was used to assess the relative importance of each element based on responses from 30 experts and 130 residents. The analysis revealed a clear divergence in priorities: experts emphasized feasibility and regulatory considerations, while residents prioritized livability and spatial quality. Subsequently, the TOPSIS method was applied to evaluate four real-world redevelopment cases. From the supply-side perspective, Seoul A District received the highest score (0.58), whereas from the demand-side perspective, Gyeonggi D District ranked highest (0.69), illustrating the differing priorities of stakeholders. Overall, Gyeonggi D District emerged as the most favorable option in the combined evaluation. This research contributes a structured and inclusive decision-making framework for the regeneration of public housing. By explicitly comparing and quantifying the contrasting preferences of key stakeholders, it underscores the critical need to balance technical feasibility with resident-centered values in future redevelopment initiatives. Full article

Autonomous navigation in dynamic, multi-vessel maritime environments presents a formidable challenge, demanding strict adherence to the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea (COLREGs). Conventional approaches often struggle with the dual imperatives of global path optimality and local reactive safety, and they frequently rely on simplistic state representations that fail to capture complex spatio-temporal interactions among vessels. We introduce a novel hybrid reinforcement learning framework, D* Lite + Transformer-Enhanced Soft Actor-Critic (TE-SAC), to overcome these limitations. This hierarchical framework synergizes the strengths of global and local planning. An enhanced D* Lite algorithm generates efficient, long-horizon reference paths at the global level. At the local level, the TE-SAC agent performs COLREGs-compliant tactical maneuvering. The core innovation resides in TE-SAC’s synergistic state encoder, which uniquely combines a Graph Neural Network (GNN) to model the instantaneous spatial topology of vessel encounters with a Transformer encoder to capture long-range temporal dependencies and infer vessel intent. Comprehensive simulations demonstrate the framework’s superior performance, validating the strengths of both planning layers. At the local level, our TE-SAC agent exhibits remarkable tactical intelligence, achieving an exceptional 98.7% COLREGs compliance rate and reducing energy consumption by 15–20% through smoother, more decisive maneuvers. This high-quality local control, guided by the efficient global paths from the enhanced D* Lite algorithm, culminates in a 10–32 percentage point improvement in overall task success rates compared to state-of-the-art baselines. This work presents a robust, verifiable, and efficient framework. By demonstrating superior performance and compliance with rules in high-fidelity simulations, it lays a crucial foundation for advancing the practical application of intelligent autonomous navigation systems. Full article

Autonomous vehicles (AVs) have emerged as a promising sustainable urban mobility solution, expected to lead to enhanced road safety, smoother traffic flows, less traffic congestion, improved accessibility, better energy utilization and environmental performance, as well as more efficient passenger and freight transportation, in terms of time and cost, due to better fleet management and platooning. However, challenges also arise, mostly related to data privacy, security and cyber-security, high acquisition and infrastructure costs, accident liability, even possible increased traffic congestion and air pollution due to induced travel demand. This paper presents the results of a survey conducted among 654 residents who experienced an autonomous bus (AB) service in the city of Trikala, Greece, in order to assess their willingness to use (WTU) and willingness to pay (WTP) for ABs, through testing a range of factors based on a literature review. Results useful to policy-makers were extracted, such as that the intention to use ABs was mostly shaped by psychological factors (e.g., users’ perceptions of usefulness and safety, and trust in the service provider), while WTU seemed to be positively affected by previous experience in using ABs. In contrast, sociodemographic factors were found to have very little effect on the intention to use ABs, while apart from personal utility, users’ perceptions of how autonomous driving will improve the overall life standards in the study area also mattered. Full article

Groundwater is one of the main water sources for consumption, domestic use, agriculture, and tourism in coastal communities. However, high total dissolved solids (TDS) levels in the water (700–2000 mg L⁻¹ TDS) and electrical conductivity (3000–5000 µS cm⁻¹) threaten the health and economic growth opportunities for residents. This research aims to evaluate the performance of a laboratory-scale electrodialysis system as a technology for desalinating brackish water. For this purpose, water samples were collected from real groundwater sources. Batch experiments were conducted with varying operational parameters, such as voltage (2–10 V), feed volume (100–1600 mL), recovery rate (50–80%), and cros-flow velocity (1.3–5.1 cm s⁻¹) to determine the electrodialysis system setup that meets the requirements for drinking water in terms of TDS and energy efficiency. A total specific energy consumption of 1.65 kWh m⁻³, including pumping energy, was achieved at a laboratory scale. The conditions were as follows: flow velocity of 5.14 cm s⁻¹, applied voltage of 6 V, feed volume of 1.6 L, and a water recovery of 66%. Furthermore, increasing the flow velocity and the applied voltage enhanced the desalination kinetics and salt removal. Additionally, the system presented opportunities for scalability. This research aims to evaluate a sustainable membrane-based treatment technology for meeting the growing demand for water resources in coastal communities, particularly in developing countries in South America. Full article

While the explosive growth in e-commerce stresses urban logistics systems, city planners lack of fine-grained data in order to anticipate and manage the resulting freight flows. Using a three-stage analytical approach combining descriptive zonal statistics, hotspot analysis and different regression modeling from univariate to geographically weighted regression, this study integrates one year of parcel deliveries from a leading courier with open spatial layers of land-use zoning, census population, mobile-signal activity and household income to model last-mile demand across different land use types. A baseline linear regression shows that residential population alone accounts for roughly 30% of the variance in annual parcel volumes (2.5–3.0 deliveries per resident) while adding daytime workforce and income increases the prediction accuracy to 39%. In a similar approach where coefficients vary geographically with Geographically Weighted Regression to capture the local heterogeneity achieves a significant raise of the overall R² to 0.54 and surpassing 0.70 in residential and institutional districts. Hot-spot analysis reveals a highly fragmented pattern where fewer than 5% of blocks generate more than 8.5% of all deliveries with no apparent correlation to the broaden land-use classes. Commercial and administrative areas exhibit the greatest intensity (1149 deliveries per ha) yet remain the hardest to explain (global R² = 0.21) underscoring the importance of additional variables such as retail mix, street-network design and tourism flows. Through this approach, the calibrated models can be used to predict city-wide last-mile demand using only public inputs and offers a transferable, privacy-preserving template for evidence-based freight planning. By pinpointing the location and the land uses where demand concentrates, it supports targeted interventions such as micro-depots, locker allocation and dynamic curb-space management towards more sustainable and resilient urban-logistics networks. Full article

Improving the energy efficiency of residential buildings is essential for achieving global climate goals and reducing environmental impact. This study analyzes the Total Performance approach using the example of a modern semi-detached house built by a Polish developer, as an example. The building is designed with integrated systems that minimize energy consumption while maintaining resident comfort. The building is equipped with an air-to-water heat pump, underfloor heating, mechanical ventilation with heat recovery, and automatic temperature control systems. Energy efficiency was assessed using ArCADia–TERMOCAD 8.0 software in accordance with Polish Technical Specifications (TS) and verified by monitoring real-time electricity consumption during the heating season. The results show a PED from non-renewable sources of 54.05 kWh/(m²·year), representing a 23% reduction compared to the Polish regulatory limit of 70 kWh/(m²·year). Real-time monitoring conducted from December 2024 to April 2025 confirmed these results, indicating an actual energy demand of approximately 1771 kWh/year. Domestic hot water (DHW) preparation accounted for the largest share of energy consumption. Despite its dependence on grid electricity, the building has the infrastructure to enable future photovoltaic (PV) installation, offering further potential for emissions reduction. The results confirm that Total Performance strategies are not only compliant with applicable standards, but also economically and environmentally viable. They represent a scalable model for sustainable residential construction, in line with the European Union’s (EU’s) decarbonization policy and the goals of the European Green Deal. Full article

The demand for sustainable animal production is increasing. Microalgae such as Chlorella and Spirulina show promise as sustainable and functional ingredients in animal (poultry) feed. However, little is known about consumer perceptions regarding the use of algae in broiler diets and potential effects of algae on chicken meat. Residents of Flanders (Belgium) were surveyed to evaluate consumer knowledge, attitudes and willingness to buy chicken meat produced with algae-supplemented feed. Demographic data were collected, and both descriptive and inferential statistics were applied to assess influencing factors (n = 275 respondents who purchase chicken meat). While most respondents (69.6%) had tasted macroalgae (seaweed), only 11.4% and 24.6% indicated having tasted Chlorella and Spirulina before, respectively. Health, taste and safety were the most important drivers for consuming algae. Meat quality was the most important factor when purchasing chicken meat, while organic production was least valued. Regarding algae-fed chicken, 72.5% expressed willingness to purchase meat labeled as such, and 83.7% would buy algae-fed chicken regardless of its color. Sustainability beliefs significantly influenced willingness to accept a yellower meat color (β = 0.42 to 0.66, p < 0.001). Educational level and age also played a role, with higher-educated consumers showing greater acceptance. The influence of age was also related to the price of the meat, with consumers over 30 expressing a greater willingness to pay more than young people (under 30). Despite limited general knowledge about microalgae, the consumers surveyed are open to the idea of algae-fed chicken meat, particularly when it is framed as more sustainable. Clear ingredient labeling and consumer education may further support market acceptance. Full article

Promoting municipal solid waste (MSW) sorting is critical to advancing sustainable and low-carbon urban development. While existing research often focuses separately on external policy tools or internal behavioral drivers, limited attention has been given to their joint effects within an integrated framework. This study addresses this gap by analyzing micro-survey data from 1983 residents across 34 prefecture-level and above cities in China, using a bivariate probit model to examine how policy tools and policy perception—both independently and interactively—shape residents’ active and passive compliance with MSW sorting policies. The findings reveal five key insights. First, the adoption and spatial distribution of policy tools are uneven: environment-type tools dominate, supply-type tools are moderately deployed, and demand-type tools are underutilized. Second, both policy tools and policy perception significantly promote compliance behaviors, with policy cognition exerting the strongest effect. Third, differential effects are observed—policy cognition primarily drives active compliance, whereas policy acceptance more strongly predicts passive compliance. Fourth, synergistic effects emerge when supply-type tools are combined with environment-type or demand-type tools. Finally, policy perception not only directly enhances compliance but also moderates the effectiveness of policy tools, with notable heterogeneity among residents with higher cognitive or emotional alignment. These findings contribute to a deeper understanding of compliance mechanisms and offer practical implications for designing perception-sensitive and regionally adaptive MSW governance strategies. Full article

The United Kingdom (UK) is a key market for puppy importation from the European Union (EU), as demand for puppies exceeds domestic supply. Many are illegally imported. Potential welfare risks to the puppies and negative impacts of these on their prospective owners are well documented, but UK residents’ perspectives on the trade are not. This study aimed to use an online survey to capture UK residents’ understanding of the benefits and risks to imported puppies of being imported from Romania for sale in the UK, and the benefits and risks of buying an imported puppy for their prospective owners. Eligible responses were collected from n = 7184 participants; 4000 randomly selected free-text comments underwent content analysis. Respondents displayed a limited understanding of the nature and range of risks potentially associated with puppy importation. Worryingly, many viewed an EU-born puppy as equivalent to one bred in the UK; others considered them as “rescued”. Synonyms used for non-endemic diseases that might be carried by the puppies varied widely, suggesting substantial confusion may exist on this topic. The UK public may underestimate the potential risks associated with buying a puppy bred in the EU, which plays into the hands of illegal puppy traders. Full article

Africa’s rapid urbanization often exceeds the capacity of governments to provide essential services and infrastructure, exacerbating structural inequalities and exposing vulnerable populations to serious health risks. This paper examines the case of Douala, Cameroon, to demonstrate that health inequities in African cities are not simply the result of urban growth but are shaped by spatial inequities, historical legacies, and systemic exclusion. Disadvantaged neighborhoods are particularly impacted, becoming epicenters of health crises. Using a mixed-methods approach combining spatial analysis, household surveys and interviews, the study identifies three key findings: (1) Healthcare services in Douala are unevenly distributed and dominated by private providers, which limits access for low-income residents. (2) Inadequate infrastructure and environmental risks in informal settlements lead to a higher disease burden and an overflow of demand into better-equipped districts, which overwhelms public health centers across the city. (3) This structural mismatch fuels widespread reliance on informal and unregulated care practices. This study positions Douala as a microcosm of broader public health challenges in rapidly urbanizing African cities. It highlights the need for integrated urban planning and health system reforms that address spatial inequalities, strengthen public health infrastructure, and prioritize equity—key principles for achieving the third Sustainable Development Goal (ensuring good health and well-being for all residents) in sub-Saharan Africa. Full article

This article demonstrates how positioning residents as active co-designers fundamentally transforms both the process and outcomes of carbon-positive building development. Through structured collaborative workshops, shared decision-making protocols, and continuous partnership throughout the building lifecycle, the REN+HOMES Positive Carbon Building methodology challenges the conventional expert-driven approach to sustainable construction. Developed and validated through the H2020 REN+HOMES project, this resident-centered approach achieved remarkable technical performance—65.9% reduction in final energy demand—while simultaneously enhancing community ownership and long-term sustainability practices. By integrating participatory design with Zero Emissions Building (ZEB) criteria, renewable energy systems, and national carbon offset programs, the methodology proves that resident collaboration is not merely beneficial but essential for creating buildings that truly serve both environmental and human needs. This research establishes a new paradigm where technical excellence emerges from authentic partnership between residents and sustainability experts, offering a replicable framework for community-driven environmental regeneration. Full article

As part of the post-conflict reconstruction and recovery, the development of Kabul New City aims to bring relief to the existing capital city, Kabul, which has experienced exponential population growth, putting heavy pressure on its existing resources. Kabul New City is divided into four subsectors, and each of them is being developed and is expected to reach a target population by 2025, as defined by the master plan. The study’s objective is to determine which of the four zones are in demand and need to be prioritized for development, as per the model results. The data collection involves an online questionnaire, and the responses are collected from residents of Kabul and Herat. Agent-based modeling (ABM) is an emerging method of simulating urban dynamics. Cities are evolving continuously and are forming unique spatial patterns that result from the movement of residents in search of new locations that accommodate their needs and preferences. An agent-based model is developed using the weighted random selection process based on household size and income levels. The agents are the residents of Kabul and Herat, and the environment is the land use classification image using the Sentinel 2 image of Kabul New City. The barren class is treated as the developable area and is divided into four sub-sectors. The model simulates three alternative growth rate scenarios, i.e., ambitious, moderate, and steady. The results of the simulation reveal that the sub-sector Dehsabz South, being closer to Kabul city, is in higher demand. Barikab is another sub-sector high in demand, which has connectivity through the highway and is an upcoming industrial hub. Full article

Background: Minimally invasive surgery (MIS) is increasingly adopted in pediatric surgical practice, yet it demands specific technical skills that require structured training. Simulation-based education offers a safe and effective environment for skill acquisition, especially in complex procedures such as thoracoscopic repair of esophageal atresia with tracheoesophageal fistula (EA-TEF). Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a 3D-printed simulator for training pediatric surgeons in thoracoscopic EA-TEF repair, assessing improvements in operative time and technical performance. Methods: A high-fidelity, 3D-printed simulator replicating neonatal thoracic anatomy was developed. Six pediatric surgeons at different training levels performed eight simulation sessions, including fistula ligation and esophageal anastomosis. Operative time and technical skill were assessed using the Stanford Microsurgery and Resident Training (SMaRT) Scale. Results: All participants showed significant improvements. The average operative time decreased from 115.6 ± 3.51 to 90 ± 6.55 min for junior trainees and from 100.5 ± 3.55 to 77.5 ± 4.94 min for senior trainees. The mean SMaRT score increased from 23.8 ± 3.18 to 38.3 ± 3.93. These results demonstrate a clear learning curve and enhanced technical performance after repeated sessions. Conclusions: Such 3D-printed simulation models represent an effective tool for pediatric MIS training. Even within a short time frame, repeated practice significantly improves surgical proficiency, supporting their integration into pediatric surgical curricula as an ethical, safe, and efficient educational strategy. Full article

(1) Background: The provision of monofunctional or inadequately distributed services in urban park green spaces often constrains residents’ opportunities and diversity for outdoor activities, particularly limiting access and participation for specific age groups or activity preferences. However, functional nodes with temporal and spatial flexibility demonstrate high-quality characteristics of resilient and shared services through integrated development. Accurately identifying user demand provides a solid basis for optimizing the functional configuration of urban parks. (2) Methods: This study took the old city area of Zhengzhou, Henan Province, China, as a case study. By collecting and integrating various types of data, such as geographic spatial data, field investigation data, and behavioral observations, we developed a population demand quantification method and a modular analysis approach for park service functions. This framework enabled correlation analysis between diverse user needs and park services. The study further classified and combined park functions into modular units, quantifying their elastic and shared service capabilities—namely, the adaptive flexibility and shared utilization capacity of park services. Additionally, we established a demand-responsive evaluation system for identifying and diagnosing problem areas in park services based on multi-source data. (3) Results: The demand response index and diagnostic results indicate that the supply of fitness facilities—particularly equipment-based installations—is insufficient within the old urban district of Zhengzhou. Among the three user groups—children, young and middle-aged adults, and the elderly—the elderly population exhibited the lowest demand response index, revealing a significant gap in meeting their specific needs. (4) Conclusions: Based on the research findings, a three-tier optimization strategy is proposed: A. improve green space connectivity to expand the service coverage of parks; B. implement multifunctional overlay and coordinated integration in spatial design based on site characteristics and demand diagnostics; and C. increase the total supply of facilities to enhance spatial efficiency in parks. By integrating the demand assessment data and diagnostic results, this approach enabled a data-driven reorganization of service types and targeted allocation of resources within existing park infrastructure, offering a practical tool and reference for the planning of urban outdoor activity spaces. Full article