Search Results (1,308)

This study explores whether sustainability achievements—proxied through ESG (environmental, social, and governance) reporting—are associated with superior financial performance in Latvia’s manufacturing sector, where ESG maturity remains low and institutional readiness is still emerging. Building on stakeholder, legitimacy, signal, slack resources, and agency theories, this study applies a mixed-method approach (that consists of two analytical stages) suited to the limited availability and reliability of ESG-related data in the Latvian manufacturing sector. Financial indicators from three large firms—AS MADARA COSMETICS, AS Latvijas Finieris, and AS Valmiera Glass Grupa—are compared with industry averages over the 2019–2023 period using independent sample T-tests. ESG integration is evaluated through a six-stage conceptual schema ranging from symbolic compliance to performance-driven sustainability. The results show that AS MADARA COSMETICS, which demonstrates advanced ESG integration aligned with international standards, significantly outperforms its industry in all profitability metrics. In contrast, the other two companies remain at earlier ESG maturity stages and show weaker financial performance, with sustainability disclosures limited to general statements and outdated indicators. These findings support the synergy hypothesis in contexts where sustainability is internalized and operationalized, while also highlighting structural constraints—such as resource scarcity and fragmented data—that may limit ESG-financial alignment in post-transition economies. This study offers practical guidance for firms seeking competitive advantage through strategic ESG integration and recommends policy actions to enhance ESG transparency and performance in Latvia, including performance-based reporting mandates, ESG data infrastructure, and regulatory alignment with EU directives. These insights contribute to the growing empirical literature on ESG effectiveness under constrained institutional and economic conditions. Full article

Sustainable investments in construction are essential for the development of communities and for reducing environmental impacts. This study analyzes two scenarios: rehabilitation of an existing building and construction of a new NZEB-compliant building, based on a life cycle cost–benefit analysis. The results show that both scenarios generate negative Net Present Values (NPVs) due to the social nature of the project, but the new NZEB building presents superior performance (NPV: USD –2.61 million vs. USD –3.05 million for rehabilitation) and lower operational costs (USD 1.49 million vs. USD 1.92 million over 30 years). Key financial indicators (IRR, CBR), sensitivity analysis, and discount rate variation support the conclusion that the NZEB scenario ensures greater economic resilience. This study highlights the relevance of extended LCCBA in guiding sustainable investment decisions in social infrastructure. Full article

This study explores the migration intentions of university students—representing the potential creative class—in Erzurum, a medium-sized city in eastern Turkey experiencing shrinkage. Within the theoretical framework of shrinking cities, it investigates how economic, social, physical, and personal factors influence students’ post-graduation stay or leave decisions. Survey data from 742 Architecture and Fine Arts students at Atatürk University were analyzed using factor analysis, logistic regression, and correlation to identify key migration drivers. Findings reveal that, in addition to economic concerns such as limited job opportunities and low income, personal development opportunities and social engagement also play a decisive role. In particular, the perception of limited chances for skill enhancement and the belief that Erzurum is not a good place to meet people emerged as the strongest predictors of migration intentions. These results suggest that members of the creative class are influenced not only by economic incentives but also by broader urban experiences related to self-growth and social connectivity. This study highlights spatial inequalities in access to cultural, educational, and social infrastructure, raising important questions about spatial justice in shrinking urban contexts. This paper contributes to the literature on shrinking cities by highlighting creative youth in mid-sized Global South cities. It suggests smart shrinkage strategies focused on creative sector development, improved quality of life, and inclusive planning to retain young talent and support sustainable urban revitalization. Full article

This paper investigates how governance frameworks shape sustainable tourism outcomes in protected areas by comparing Tara National Park (Serbia) and Triglav National Park (Slovenia). Both parks, established in 1981 and classified under IUCN Category II, exhibit rich biodiversity and mountainous terrain but differ markedly in governance structures, institutional integration, and local community engagement. Using a qualitative, indicator-based methodology, this research evaluates ecological, economic, and social dimensions of sustainability. The findings reveal that Triglav NP demonstrates higher levels of participatory governance, tourism integration, and educational outreach, while Tara NP maintains stricter ecological protection with less inclusive management. Triglav’s zoning model, community council, and economic alignment with regional development policies contribute to stronger sustainability outcomes. Conversely, Tara NP’s centralized governance and infrastructural gaps constrain its potential despite its significant conservation value. This study highlights the importance of adaptive, inclusive governance in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) within protected areas. It concludes that hybrid approaches, combining legal rigor with participatory flexibility, can foster resilience and sustainability in ecologically sensitive regions. Full article

This study employs a mixed method. In-depth interviews and observational studies are among the data collection approaches used in qualitative research. The quantitative method measures the weight of respondents’ answers to the distributed questionnaire. The questionnaire, containing 82 items, was distributed to 202 tourists to collect their perceptions based on the 4A tourist components. The results indicate that tourists’ perceptions of attractions, accessibility, and ancillary services are generally positive. In contrast, perceptions of amenity services are less favorable. Using the scores from IFAS, EFAS, and the I-E matrix, the total weighted scores for IFAS and EFAS are 2.68 and 2.83, respectively. The appropriate strategy for BTV is one of aggressive growth in a position of strengths and opportunities. The study highlights key techniques, including the application of information technology in service and promotion, the strengthening of community and government roles, the development of infrastructure and facilities, the utilization of external resources, sustainable innovation, and the encouragement of local governments to issue regulations for halal tourism villages. By identifying drivers and barriers from an economic, environmental, social, and cultural perspective, the SWOT analysis results help design strategies that can make positive contributions to the development of sustainable, community-based halal tourism and digital information in the future. Full article

Public–private partnership (PPP) logistics infrastructure projects have become increasingly prevalent globally. Consequently, the effective management of these projects as their concession periods expire presents a crucial challenge for governments, vital for the sustainable management of PPP logistics infrastructure. This study addresses this challenge by focusing on the pivotal post-concession decision: whether the government should self-operate the mature logistics infrastructure or re-delegate its management to a private entity. Our theoretical model, built on a principal–agent framework, first establishes a social welfare baseline under government self-operation and then analyzes delegated operation under symmetric information, identifying efficiency frontiers. Under symmetric information, we find that government self-operation is more advantageous when its own operational efficiency is sufficiently high, irrespective of the private enterprise’s efficiency; conversely, delegating to an efficient private enterprise is optimal only when government operational efficiency is low. We also demonstrate that if the government can directly specify the demand quantity and service level and delegates operation via a fixed fee, the enterprise can be incentivized to align with the social optimum. However, under asymmetric information, potential welfare gains from delegation are inevitably offset by informational rent and output distortion. We further uncover non-monotonic impacts of parameters like the proportion of low-cost firms on social welfare loss and demonstrate how information asymmetry can indirectly compromise the long-term resilience of the infrastructure. Ultimately, our work asserts that delegation is only superior if its potential efficiency gains sufficiently offset the inherent losses stemming from information asymmetry. Full article

The Barcelona Metropolitan Area (AMB) has implemented various policies to reduce car use and promote more sustainable mobility. Initiatives such as superblocks, Low Emission Zones (LEZs), and the Bicivia network aim to transform the urban model in response to environmental and congestion challenges. However, the high reliance on private vehicles for intermunicipal travel, uneven infrastructure, and social resistance to certain changes remain significant issues. This study examines the evolution of mobility patterns and assesses the effectiveness of the above policies in fostering real and sustainable change. A mixed-methods approach was adopted, which combined an exploratory factor analysis (EFA) of 2011–2024 data, trend linear regression, and a comparative international analysis. The EFA identified four key structural dimensions: traditional transport infrastructure, active mobility and bus lines, public bicycles and mixed use, and transport efficiency and punctuality. The findings reveal a clear reduction in private car use and an increase in sustainable modes of transport. This indicates that there are prospects for future transformation. Nonetheless, challenges persist in intermunicipal mobility and the public acceptance of the measures. This study provides empirical and comparative evidence and emphasizes the need for integrated metropolitan governance to achieve a resilient and sustainable urban model. Full article

The aviation industry is under increasing pressure to reduce its environmental impact while maintaining safety and performance standards. One promising area for improvement lies in the use of sustainable materials in airport infrastructure. One of the issues preventing uptake of emerging sustainable technologies is the lack of guidance relating to the opportunities, potential benefits, associated risks and an implementation plan specific to airport pavements. This research reviewed opportunities to incorporate waste materials into rigid airport pavements, focusing on concrete base slabs. Commonly used supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs), such as fly ash and ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBFS) were considered, as well as recycled aggregates, including recycled concrete aggregate (RCA), recycled crushed glass (RCG), and blast furnace slag (BFS). Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) were also used to quantify the potential for environmental benefit associated with various concrete mixtures, with findings showing 23% to 50% reductions in embodied carbon are possible for selected theoretical concrete mixtures that incorporate waste materials. With considered evaluation and structured implementation, the integration of waste materials into rigid airport pavements offers a practical and effective route to improve environmental outcomes in aviation infrastructure. It was concluded that a Triple Bottom Line (TBL) framework—assessing financial, environmental, and social factors—guides material selection and can support sustainable decision-making, as does performance-based specifications that enable sustainable technologies to be incorporated into airport pavement. The study also proposed a consequence-based implementation hierarchy to facilitate responsible adoption of waste materials in airside pavements. The outcomes of this review will assist airport managers and pavement designers to implement practical changes to achieve more sustainable rigid airport pavements in the future. Full article

Information and communication technologies (ICTs) are becoming increasingly important for sustainable rural development through the smart village concept. This study aims to model ICT’s potential for public services management in European rural areas. It identifies ICT applications across rural service domains, analyzes how these technologies address specific rural challenges, and evaluates their benefits, implementation barriers, and future prospects for sustainable rural development. A qualitative content analysis method was applied using purposive sampling to analyze 79 peer-reviewed articles from EBSCO and Elsevier databases (2000–2024). A deductive approach employed predefined categories to systematically classify ICT applications across rural public service domains, with data coded according to technology scope, problems addressed, and implementation challenges. The analysis identified 15 ICT application domains (agriculture, healthcare, education, governance, energy, transport, etc.) and 42 key technology categories (Internet of Things, artificial intelligence, blockchain, cloud computing, digital platforms, mobile applications, etc.). These technologies address four fundamental rural challenges: limited service accessibility, inefficient resource management, demographic pressures, and social exclusion. This study provides the first comprehensive systematic categorization of ICT applications in smart villages, establishing a theoretical framework connecting technology deployment with sustainable development dimensions. Findings demonstrate that successful ICT implementation requires integrated urban–rural cooperation, community-centered approaches, and balanced attention to economic, social, and environmental sustainability. The research identifies persistent challenges, including inadequate infrastructure, limited digital competencies, and high implementation costs, providing actionable insights for policymakers and practitioners developing ICT-enabled rural development strategies. Full article

Urban blue-green infrastructure (UBGI) is a comprehensive solution that balances environmental, social, and economic development objectives and has emerged as a critical approach for fostering urban resilience and sustainable development. This paper conducts a systematic bibliometric analysis of 975 academic articles published between 2000 and 2023 in the Web of Science Core Collection, focusing specifically on the ecosystem services associated with UBGI. Employing CiteSpace visualization technology, this study elucidates the major research trends, thematic clusters, and international collaboration patterns shaping this field. The research delves into the diverse range of ecosystem services provided by blue-green infrastructure and analyzes their contributions to urban well-being. Findings indicate that regulatory services—particularly climate regulation, biodiversity enhancement, and water resource management—have become central research foci within the contexts of urban green infrastructure (UGI), urban blue infrastructure (UBI), and UBGI. Co-citation and keyword analyses reveal that nature-based solutions, hybrid green–gray infrastructure, and the application of urban resilience frameworks are gaining increasing scholarly attention. By summarizing the evolutionary trajectory and priority directions of UBGI research, this study provides significant insights for future interdisciplinary research aimed at enhancing the supply of urban environmental ecosystem services. Full article

Enhancing market integration levels is crucial for advancing sustainable regional collaborative development and achieving ecological protection and high-quality development goals within the Yellow River Basin, fostering a balance between economic efficiency, social equity, and environmental resilience. This study analyzed the retail price data of goods from prefecture-level cities in the Yellow River Basin from 2010 to 2022, employing the relative price method to measure the market integration index. Additionally, it examined the temporal and spatial evolution patterns and driving factors using the Dagum Gini coefficient and panel regression models. The results indicate the following. (1) The market integration index of the Yellow River Basin shows a fluctuating upward trend, with an average annual growth rate of 9.8%. The spatial pattern generally reflects a situation where the east is relatively high and the west is relatively low, as well as the south being higher than the north. (2) Regional disparities are gradually diminishing, with the overall Gini coefficient decreasing from 0.153 to 0.104. However, internal differences within the downstream and midstream areas have become prominent, and contribution rate analysis reveals that super-variable density has replaced between-group disparities as the primary source. (3) Upgrading the industrial structure and enhancing the level of economic development are the core driving forces, while financial support and digital infrastructure significantly accelerate the integration process. Conversely, the level of openness exhibits a phase-specific negative impact. We propose policy emphasizing the need to strengthen development in the upper reach of the Yellow River Basin, further improve interregional collaborative innovation mechanisms, and enhance cross-regional coordination among multicenter network nodes. Full article

This research examines the relationship between environmental, social safety and governance risks, and the mitigation strategies of the host country to enhance project performance in the China–Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). The study concludes that the timely and effective completion of CPEC projects is challenged by environmental, social safety, and governance (ESG) risks, including environmental degradation, security threats, and governance issues. Based on the data of 618 respondents from Pakistan and using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) through SMART PLS 4, the study investigates the impact of sustainable environmental practices, safety and security measures, governance risk mitigation actions, and project management systems on the project performance of CPEC projects. The results show that mitigation efforts implemented by the host country reduce the ESG investment risk and yield a positive effect on the project performance. Hence, this paper will show the importance of proactive measures such as sustainable development practices, security risk management systems, and transparent governance practices in matching challenges and enhancing project benefits. This research reinforces the potential for these risks to be mitigated through the adoption of innovative technologies. Innovation in environments, social protection, and governance frameworks can greatly mitigate the negative impacts of risks, directly improving the outcomes of project delivery. Infrastructure projects are extremely challenging to manage, and this study gives key hints for enhancing project safety and risk management in those types of infrastructure projects for practitioners, policymakers, project managers, and other stakeholders to establish innovative, sustainable strategies. Full article

Growing awareness of sustainable development and green consumer concerns is driving the market expansion for green agriculture products. E-commerce live streaming gives rural enterprises a new channel through scenario-building and interaction, while agro-tourism integration combines resources to generate a variety of promotion scenarios. This study examines the effects of external stimuli, including social networks, resource endowment, infrastructure, and the characteristics of e-commerce streamers, on the perception, trust, perceived value, and purchase intention of green consumption. It is based on the SOR (Stimulus–Organism–Response) theoretical model and focuses on e-commerce live streaming in the agriculture-tourism integration scenario. According to a structural equation modeling (SEM) analysis of 350 consumer questionnaires, these external stimuli primarily influence purchase intention through perceived value, trust, and green consumption cognition, with resource endowment having the most significant impact. The effects of infrastructure on perceived value and streamer attractiveness on green consumption cognition are not statistically significant. This research not only broadens the use of the SOR model in the emerging field of agritourism integration but also offers rural businesses theoretical backing and useful guidance to maximize e-commerce live marketing and enhance agritourism integration. Full article

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted critical vulnerabilities in urban logistics systems, particularly in last-mile delivery. To enhance logistics resilience and efficiency, the Korean government has initiated an innovative project that repurposes idle spaces in subway vehicle bases within the Seoul Metropolitan Area into logistics centers. This study proposes a comprehensive multi-criteria evaluation framework combining the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and the Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) to assess the suitability of ten candidate sites. The evaluation criteria span four dimensions, facility, geographical, environmental, and social factors, derived from the literature and expert consultations. AHP results indicate that geographical factors, especially proximity to urban centers and major logistics facilities, hold the highest weight. Based on the integrated analysis using TOPSIS, the most suitable locations identified are Sinnae, Godeok, and Cheonwang. The findings suggest the strategic importance of aligning infrastructure development with spatial accessibility and stakeholder cooperation. Policy implications include the need for targeted investment, public–private collaboration, and sustainable logistics planning. Future research is encouraged to incorporate dynamic data and consider social equity and environmental impact for long-term urban logistics planning. Full article

The sustainable development of higher education exhibits a strong and measurable association with the level of regional innovation capacity. Drawing on panel data covering 31 provincial-level administrative regions in China from 2010 to 2022, we construct evaluation frameworks for both higher education and regional innovation capacity using the entropy weight method. These are complemented by kernel density estimation, spatial autocorrelation analysis, Dagum Gini coefficient decomposition, and the Obstacle Degree Model. Together, these tools enable a comprehensive investigation into the spatiotemporal evolution and driving mechanisms of coupling coordination dynamics between the two systems. The results indicate the following: (1) Both higher education and regional innovation capacity indices exhibit steady growth, accompanied by a clear temporal gradient differentiation. (2) The coupling coordination degree shows an overall upward trend, with significant inter-regional disparities, notably “higher in the east and low in the west”. (3) The spatial distribution of the coupling coordination degree reveals positive spatial autocorrelation, with provinces exhibiting similar levels tending to form spatial clusters, most commonly of the low–low or high–high type. (4) The spatial heterogeneity is pronounced, with inter-regional differences driving overall imbalance. (5) Key obstacles hindering regional innovation include inadequate R&D investment, limited trade openness, and weak technological development. In higher education sectors, limitations stem from insufficient social service benefits and efficiency of flow. This study recommends promoting the synchronized advancement of higher education and regional innovation through region-specific development strategies, strengthening institutional infrastructure, and accurately identifying and addressing key barriers. These efforts are essential to fostering high-quality, coordinated regional development. Full article