Search Results (303)

Urban areas are at the forefront in addressing global challenges such as climate change and biodiversity loss. Among the key responses are nature-based solutions, which are increasingly being integrated into policy frameworks but which require strong community engagement for their effective implementation. This paper presents the findings of surveys conducted within the Place Lab in Katowice, Poland, an initiative developed as part of an international project and used as a participatory tool for co-creating and implementing green infrastructure. The project applies both place-based and people-centred approaches to support European cities in their transition towards regenerative urbanism. Place Lab activities encourage collaboration between local authorities and residents, enhancing awareness and fostering participation in environmental initiatives. The survey data collected during the project allowed for the evaluation of changes in public attitudes and levels of engagement and for the identification of broader societal phenomena that may influence the implementation of nature-based solutions. The findings revealed, for instance, that more women were interested in supporting the project, that residents tended to be sceptical of governmental actions on climate change, and that views were divided on the trade-off between urban infrastructure such as parking and roads and the presence of green areas. Furthermore, questions of responsibility, awareness, and long-term commitment were frequently raised. Building on the survey results and the existing literature, the study proposes a set of indicators to assess the contribution of citizen participation to the adoption of nature-based solutions. While the effectiveness of nature-based solutions in mitigating climate change impacts can be assessed relatively directly, evaluating civic engagement is more complex. Nevertheless, when conducted transparently and interpreted by experts, indicator-based assessment can offer valuable insights. This study introduces a novel perspective by considering not only drivers of engagement but also the obstacles. The proposed indicators provide a foundation for evaluating community readiness and commitment to nature-based approaches and may be adapted for application in other urban settings and in future research on climate resilience strategies. Full article

This position paper proposes a conceptual framework (CF-BIAI-SXT) for integrating blockchain with AI to enhance ethical governance, transparency, and privacy in high-risk AI applications that ensure societal resilience through the mitigation of sexual exploitation. Sextortion is a growing form of digital sexual exploitation, and the role of AI in its mitigation and the ethical issues that arise provide a good case for this paper. Through a combination of systematic and narrative literature reviews, the paper first explores the ethical shortcomings of existing AI systems in sextortion prevention and assesses the capacity of blockchain operations to mitigate these limitations. It then develops CF-BIAI-SXT, a framework operationalized through BPMN-modeled components and structured into a three-layer implementation strategy composed of technical enablement, governance alignment, and continuous oversight. The framework is then situated within real-world regulatory constraints, including GDPR and the EU AI Act. This position paper concludes that a resilient society needs ethical, privacy-first, and socially resilient digital infrastructures, and integrating two core technologies, such as AI and blockchain, creates a viable pathway towards this desideratum. Mitigating high-risk environments, such as sextortion, may be a fundamental first step in this pathway, with the potential expansion to other forms of online threats. Full article

Amidst global efforts toward sustainable development, this research addresses underexplored academic dimensions by evaluating the transformative potential of intelligent, sustainable architecture. Employing bibliometric techniques and Citespace 6.4.R1, we analyze two decades (2005–2024) of the Web of Science literature to identify patterns and challenges. Findings demonstrate rising scholarly output, dominated by themes like energy-efficient design, Building Information Modeling integration, and circular economy principles in urban contexts. While Europe and North America lead research activity, systemic limitations persist—including duplicated methodologies, fragmented institutional networks, and incompatible smart technologies. This study advocates for three strategic priorities: fostering interdisciplinary innovation to break homogeneity, establishing cross-sector collaboration frameworks, and accelerating industry–academia knowledge transfer. Intelligent, sustainable architecture emerges as a dual solution—technologically enabling carbon-neutral construction practices while redefining human-centric spatial quality. This dual advantage positions the International Sustainability Alliance as critical infrastructure for achieving UN Sustainable Development Goals, reconciling ecological responsibility with evolving societal demands for resilient, adaptive built environments. Full article

Urban pluvial flooding (UPF) is an increasingly critical issue due to rapid urbanization and intensified precipitation driven by climate change that yet remains understudied in the Caribbean. This study analyzes the effects of UPF resulting from the transformation of a natural karstic landscape into an urbanized area considering a sub-watershed in Chetumal, Southern Mexican Caribbean, as a case study. Hydrographic numerical modeling was conducted using the IBER 2.5.1 software and the SCS-CN method to estimate surface runoff for a critical UPF event across three stages: (i) 1928—natural condition; (ii) 1998—semi-urbanized (78% coverage); and (iii) 2015—urbanized (88% coverage). Urbanization led to the orthogonalization of the drainage network, an increase in the sub-watershed area (20%) and mainstream length (33%), flow velocities rising 10–100 times, a 52% reduction in surface roughness, and a 32% decrease in the potential maximum soil retention before runoff occurs. In urbanized scenarios, 53.5% of flooded areas exceeded 0.5 m in depth, compared to 16.8% in non-urbanized conditions. Community-based knowledge supported flood extent estimates with 44.5% of respondents reporting floodwater levels exceeding 0.50 m, primarily in streets. Only 43.1% recalled past flood levels, indicating a loss of societal memory, although risk perception remained high among directly affected residents. The reported UPF effects perceived in the area mainly related to housing damage (30.2%), mobility disruption (25.5%), or health issues (12.9%). Although UPF events are frequent, insufficient drainage infrastructure, altered runoff patterns, and limited access to public shelters and communication increased vulnerability. Full article

Ground subsidence is a significant geotechnical hazard in urban areas, leading to property damage, casualties, and broader societal issues. This study investigates the mechanisms of cavity formation and ground subsidence through laboratory model tests using Korean standard sand and marine clay under controlled conditions. A transparent soil box apparatus was fabricated to simulate sewer pipe damage, with model grounds prepared at various relative densities, groundwater levels, and fines contents. The progression of cavity formation and surface collapse was observed and quantitatively analyzed by measuring the time to cavity formation and ground subsidence, as well as the mass of discharged soil. Results indicate that lower relative density accelerates ground subsidence, whereas higher density increases cavity volume due to greater frictional resistance. Notably, as the fines content increased, a tendency was observed for ground subsidence to be increasingly suppressed, suggesting that cohesive clay particles can limit soil loss under seepage conditions. These findings provide valuable insights for selecting backfill materials and managing subsurface conditions to mitigate ground subsidence risks in urban infrastructure. Full article

This study explores the integration of digital media tools—specifically TikTok, online press news analysis, and digital portfolios—into pre-service chemistry teacher education to enhance student engagement, foster conceptual understanding, and highlight the relevance of chemistry in society. The educational intervention involved 138 pre-service teachers who analysed digital news articles to reflect on the societal and environmental implications of chemistry, promoting media literacy and awareness of socioscientific issues. Additionally, they created short-form TikTok videos, using social media to communicate scientific concepts creatively and interactively. All participants compiled their work into digital portfolios, which served as both a reflective and integrative tool. A post-course Likert-scale questionnaire (N = 77) revealed high overall satisfaction with the methodology, with 94.8% valuing the news analysis activity and 59.7% finding TikTok particularly engaging. Despite some limitations regarding access to technical infrastructure, the findings indicate that incorporating Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in this manner supports motivation, meaningful learning, and the development of key teaching competencies. This case study contributes practical insights into ICT use in science education. Full article

Organizing sustainability through innovation-driven ecosystem platforms is the core focus of this study. We aim to explore the attributes, practices, and participatory architecture of innovation-driven platforms designed to address grand challenges in sustainable development. A longitudinal study of an innovation platform’s organization enables us to capture major developments in the evolution of these platforms. Employing a comparative analysis of innovation-driven platforms managed by the Israel Innovation Institute (III), we review their activities in three main platform areas: Climate-related challenges, unmet mobility needs, and agricultural technology. The research questions guiding this study are: What specific attributes define each innovation-driven platform, and how can the strategies implemented by the III inform innovation practices across different domains? Further, we observe recent strategic changes and characterize the “nexus” concept to explore the novel integration of critical infrastructure components of innovation-driven platforms into a new institutional model. This model is designed to innovate while addressing higher-order societal challenges such as climate change. We introduce this model as a framework that may inform approaches to advancing sustainability across different regional or ecosystem contexts. Full article

ChatGPT, a prominent large language model developed by OpenAI, has rapidly become embedded in digital infrastructures across various sectors. This narrative review examines its evolving role and societal implications in three key domains: healthcare, education, and the economy. Drawing on recent literature and examples, the review explores ChatGPT’s applications, limitations, and ethical challenges in each context. In healthcare, the model is used to support patient communication and mental health services, while raising concerns about misinformation and privacy. In education, it offers new forms of personalized learning and feedback, but also complicates assessment and equity. In the economy, ChatGPT augments business operations and knowledge work, yet introduces risks related to job displacement, data governance, and automation bias. The review synthesizes these developments to highlight how ChatGPT is driving digital transformation while generating new demands for oversight, regulation, and critical inquiry. It concludes by outlining priorities for future research and policy, emphasizing the need for interdisciplinary collaboration, transparency, and inclusive access as generative AI continues to evolve. Full article

Background: Physical inactivity among adolescents, particularly females in conservative societies like Saudi Arabia, poses significant risks to both physical and psychological health. Cultural norms, environmental constraints, and limited access to gender-appropriate sports facilities further exacerbate the problem. Understanding these factors is essential for developing effective, context-sensitive interventions. Aim: This study aimed to examine the relationship between daily physical activity behaviours and health outcomes, both physical and psychological, among adolescent females in Saudi Arabia. This paper also explores the impact of socio-environmental variables such as income, household size, and urban/rural residence on activity levels and wellbeing. Methods: A cross-sectional survey of 636 adolescent females aged 13–21 was conducted using validated instruments. The Physical Activity Questionnaire for Adolescents (PAQ-A) measured physical activity levels, and the Self-Rated Health (SRH) assessed psychological wellbeing and health-related quality of life. The analysis employed an Ordinal Logistic Model (OLM) guided by the Social Ecological Model (SEM) to assess predictors of physical activity participation. Results: The OLM results indicated that higher income levels, smaller household size, urban residence, and older age categories were significantly associated with higher levels of physical activity (p < 0.05). Participants with higher PAQ-A scores reported better psychological health and quality of life. The model showed a good fit, with a pseudo-R² of 0.36. Cultural and environmental barriers, particularly in rural areas, were identified as significant deterrents to participation. Conclusions: The findings highlight the urgent need for culturally adapted, gender-sensitive health promotion programs that target both individual and structural barriers to physical activity among adolescent girls in Saudi Arabia. Enhanced societal support and accessible sports infrastructure could significantly improve health outcomes and quality of life. Full article

Urban water supply pipelines play a critical role in ensuring the continuous delivery of water, and their failure during earthquakes can result in significant societal disruptions. This study proposes a seismic damage prediction method for urban buried water supply pipelines affected by seismic wave propagation, grounded in empirical data from past earthquake events. The method integrates key influencing factors, including pipeline material, diameter, joint type, age, and soil corrosivity. To enhance its practical applicability and address the challenge of quantifying soil corrosivity, a simplified classification approach is introduced. The proposed model is validated using observed pipeline damage data from the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake, with predicted results showing relatively good agreement with actual failure patterns, thereby demonstrating the model’s reliability for seismic risk assessment. Furthermore, the model is applied to assess potential earthquake-induced damage to buried pipelines in the city center of Ganzhou, and the corresponding results are presented. The findings support earthquake risk mitigation and the protection of urban infrastructure, while also providing valuable guidance for the replacement of aging pipelines and the enhancement of urban disaster resilience. Full article

Aviation is widely recognised as one of the most carbon-intensive modes of transport and among the most challenging sectors to decarbonise. The use of green hydrogen (H₂) in airside operations can help reduce emissions from air transport. While the pace and scalability of technology development, including H₂-powered and ground support equipment, will be key factors, other financial, regulatory, legal, organisational, behavioural, and societal issues must also be considered. This paper investigates the key opportunities and challenges of using H₂ in the aviation industry through eleven semi-structured interviews and a virtual expert workshop (N = 37) with key aviation industry stakeholders and academia. The results indicate that, currently, decarbonisation of the aviation sector faces several challenges, including socio-technical, techno-economic, and socio-political challenges, with socio-technical challenges being the most prominent barrier. This study shows that decarbonisation will not occur until the UK government is ready to have all the required infrastructure and capacity in place. Governments can play a significant role in directing the necessary ‘push’ and ‘pull’ to develop and promote zero-carbon emission aircraft in the marketplace and ensure safe implementation. Full article

Road crashes impose significant societal costs, and while links between static land use and safety are established, the long-term impacts of dynamic land use conversions remain under-explored. This study addresses this gap by investigating and quantifying how specific land use transitions over a decade influence subsequent road crash frequency in Metropolitan Melbourne. Our objective was to understand which conversion pathways pose the greatest risks or offer safety benefits, informing urban planning and policy. Utilizing extensive observational data covering numerous land use conversions, we employed Negative Binomial models (selected as the best fit over Poisson and quasi-Poisson alternatives) to analyze the association between various transition types and crash occurrences in surrounding areas. The analysis revealed distinct and statistically significant safety outcomes. Major findings indicate that transitions introducing intensified activity and vulnerable road users, such as converting agricultural land or parks to educational facilities (e.g., Agri → Edu, coefficient ≈ +0.10; Park → Edu, ≈+0.12), or intensifying land use in previously less active zones (e.g., Park → Com, ≈+0.07; Trans → Park, ≈+0.10), significantly elevate long-term crash risk, particularly when infrastructure is inadequate. Conversely, conversions creating low-traffic, nature-focused environments (e.g., Water → Park, ≈–0.16) or channeling activity onto well-suited infrastructure (e.g., Trans → Com, ≈–0.12) demonstrated substantial reductions in crash frequency. The critical role of context-specific infrastructure adaptation, highlighted by increased risks in some park conversions (e.g., Com → Park, ≈+0.06), emerged as a key mediator of safety outcomes. These findings underscore the necessity of integrating dynamic, long-term road safety considerations into land use planning, mandating appropriate infrastructure redesign during conversions, and prioritizing interventions for identified high-risk transition scenarios to foster safer and more sustainable urban development. Full article

Blockchain technology (BT) is increasingly recognized as a transformative digital infrastructure for advancing environmental, economic, and social sustainability. However, academic research on its sustainability potential remains fragmented, with limited integration of theoretical models, sector-specific applications, and system-level impacts. This study addresses these gaps by conducting a systematic literature review of 131 peer-reviewed articles published between 2015 and early 2025, guided by the PRISMA 2020 framework. The analysis is structured around the three pillars of sustainability, exploring the mechanisms through which blockchain enables transparent governance, ethical consumption, resilient infrastructure, and inclusive development. Anchored in Institutional and Stakeholder theories, the review develops an integrative dual-framework that overlays four technical components of BT (data, network, consensus, and application) onto institutional pressures and stakeholder-engagement dynamics. The framework shows how BT enhances resource efficiency, supply-chain traceability, and social inclusion across sectors such as renewable energy, agriculture, healthcare, education, and logistics. The study makes two principal contributions. First, it unifies previously dispersed findings into a holistic model that links BT’s technical capabilities with organizational and societal conditions. Second, it provides actionable guidance: policymakers should harmonize cross-border standards and incentivize energy-efficient consensus protocols, while managers should co-design stakeholder-inclusive pilots to scale sustainable BT solutions. Collectively, these insights map a research and practice agenda for leveraging blockchain to accelerate progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals. Full article

Hydrological extremes, particularly floods, are becoming prevalent in parts of Nigeria. During the 2022 rainy season, Nigeria experienced a devastating riverine flood with severe societal impacts. However, the principal factors contributing to riverine flooding in Nigeria remain debatable, necessitating data-driven and policy-relevant studies to quantify the primary causes of riverine floods in Nigeria. In this study, we applied remote sensing techniques and climate data to characterize the 2022 flood event in Nigeria by quantifying the flooded areas, the number of people affected per state, and riverine flood risk assessment. We investigated rainfall and soil moisture anomalies during the flood event and inferred the contribution of the opening of the Lagdo Dam, in Cameroon, to the severity of the flood event. Our results show that large parts of Cameroon and northern Nigeria experienced above-average rainfall during the 2022 rainy season, contributing to soil saturation. About 50,000 ha of land were flooded in Nigeria between July and August; however, following the opening of the Lagdo Dam in September, the flood extent spiked to 200,000 ha (i.e., about 300% increase), suggesting that excess water from the Lagdo Dam, coupled with inadequate drainage infrastructure, amplified the flood extent in Nigeria. Flooded areas were more extensive in northern Nigeria than in southern regions; however, due to denser settlements in flood-prone areas, Anambra State in southeastern Nigeria was the most affected in terms of people impacted. Therefore, besides rainfall changes and inadequate drainage infrastructures leading to the inundation of the major rivers in Nigeria and their tributaries, we also ranked poor town planning against the population density per square meter as a critical factor that amplifies the societal impacts of flooding in Nigeria. Finally, based on the 2022 conditions and the available pre-flood population data, an estimated number of 105,000 people are at critical risk of riverine flooding in Nigeria. Full article

The smart city era has already begun and its societal and environmental implications in urban development are expected to be huge. In this context, Internet of Things (IoT) technologies have become the major path towards novel e-Government practices, to improve citizens’ quality of life, increase the efficiency of infrastructure and services, promote sustainable economic growth, and integrate multiple city sectors, creating an interconnected and smart urban environment. This work offers an up-to-date survey of smart city definitions, their development framework, their characteristics, and their areas of application. Furthermore, it provides the current state of smart city applications in Greek municipalities and a proposed comparison among them, in terms of well-accepted key performance indicators, while it comments on their suitability in the context of e-Government and the challenges that must be faced regarding their efficient implementation. Full article