Search Results (328)

Optimizing solar access is fundamental for developing ‘Sustainable Healthy Cities’ and ensuring occupant well-being in high-radiation climates like Egypt. This study establishes an environmental methodology to enhance urban sustainability by controlling solar exposure to facades to mitigate health risks and reduce energy demand. The methodology involved a verified simulation using Autodesk Revit with Insight, followed by a comparative analysis of 45 scenarios. These scenarios evaluated the impact of orientation, geometry, urban spacing, etc., on solar performance. Additionally, the paper discusses the prospective integration of Generative AI and algorithmic engines to automate solar access layouts, proposing a roadmap for future AI-driven sustainable urban planning. The results indicate that strategic adjustments in urban morphology significantly improve solar access levels, directly influencing indoor environmental quality. The findings serve as a scalable framework applicable to regions like Kafr El-Sheikh or adaptable to extreme climates like Aswan, aligning with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs 3 and 11). In conclusion, this study demonstrates that environmental simulation provides a pragmatic pathway for architects to achieve integrated sustainability and healthy urban standards. This research offers a foundation for future sustainability investigations into thermal comfort and non-linear interactions between urban variables to refine solar access strategies in diverse contextual conditions. Full article

Rural settlements are significant carriers of rural production, living, and land use activities and are also significant subjects for researching regional socio-economic development and spatial structural changes. With regard to the unique topographical environment and transportation situation in the Qiongbei volcanic lava area, a settlement form with prominent topographical constraints and transportation orientation is created. This paper utilizes land use/land cover data from different periods, along with rural settlement expansion patch data, to quantitatively analyze the spatial patterns and expansion characteristics of rural settlements, as well as their influencing factors, from 1990 to 2025 using GIS spatial analysis, buffer gradient analysis (BGA), and multi-order adjacency index (MAI). The research results indicate the following: (1) The spatial pattern of rural settlement distribution in the study area is “peripheral agglomeration and core sparsity,” and the general expansion trend is “rapid in the early period and stable in the late period.” The settlement area expands from 37.21 km² in 1990 to 80.87 km² in 2025. (2) The evolutionary pattern of rural settlements in the study area changes from “core–peripheral extension” in the early period to a mixed “core stabilization and peripheral leapfrogging development” model in the later period. The new patches formed in the peripheral areas have obvious discrete features, such as varying land use patterns and differing population densities compared to the core areas. (3) The spatial correlation factors for rural settlement expansion in the study area exhibit stage differences and distinct spatial non-stationary characteristics. During the early period (1990–2008), with strict limitations imposed by the natural material environment, sunlight (interpretability of 0.367) and water systems (0.286) show significant spatial coherence, indicating the great adaptability of rural settlements to the material conditions of the landforms; during the later period (2008–2025), after the implementation of the rural revitalization strategy, the population density (0.135) and transport-related factors become the main spatial correlation factors. The GWR model also shows the percentage of positive and negative influences by influencing factors at each stage and their significant differences in space, proving that human activities break through in the limitations of natural topology in a discontinuous way. According to this research, “inefficient land use” should be understood in a dialectical manner in volcanic geomorphological areas, and spatial optimization should be achieved on the premise of respecting the physicality of volcanic landscapes and rural identity. The research conclusions have important guiding significance for the spatial resilience planning in tropical volcanic areas and traditional settlement culture preservation. Full article

As rural revitalization advances, the age-friendliness of public spaces directly impacts the well-being of left-behind elderly populations. However, the spatial and social marginalization of these vulnerable groups in tourism-driven peri-urban villages remains critically underexplored. To bridge this gap, this study proposes a quantitative evaluation framework integrating space syntax and multiple linear regression to investigate the matching mechanism between physical spatial layout and elderly activity needs. Focusing on Shixia Village in Beijing, surveys and satisfaction assessments were conducted with 30 elderly residents (representing a rigorous 27.3% of the permanent population). Space syntax analysis revealed a distinct “core-periphery” spatial differentiation. Despite a moderate spatial intelligibility (0.586), the rapid decay of integration in peripheral clusters acts as the primary physical bottleneck restricting the elderly’s social radius. Furthermore, regression results indicate that public facility accessibility (β = 0.703) and residential environment quality (β = 0.779) are the core positive drivers of satisfaction (p < 0.001). Conversely, road connectivity exhibited an unexpected negative correlation (β = −0.308). This highlights a crucial “double-edged sword” effect: in traditional villages with tourism development, excessive spatial permeability diminishes the elderly’s territorial sense of security due to external traffic interference. Finally, targeted optimization strategies—including traffic-calming interventions and hierarchical node layouts—are proposed, providing an operational evaluation model and design reference for age-friendly environmental construction in similar peri-urban villages. Full article

Under the macro background of the rural revitalization strategy and urban-rural integrated development, rural settlements are undergoing a profound transformation from physical morphology to functional connotation. However, existing studies mainly focus on the expansion of single land elements, lacking long-term quantitative monitoring of the coupling relationship between rural development and policy texts. Taking Fuzhou City as a case study, this research selects long-term Global Human Settlement Layer (GHSL) and Night-Time Light (NTL) data from 1990 to 2025, combined with policy text quantification methods. Based on rural development units, the Coupling Coordination Degree Model (CCDM), Macro-Micro Matching Index (MMI), and gravity center migration analysis are employed to systematically reveal the spatiotemporal evolution characteristics and driving mechanisms of rural settlement morphology under policy institutional changes. The research results indicate that: (1) Fuzhou’s rural settlements exhibit relatively stable gravity centers of construction land, while the gravity center of economic vitality has significantly shifted toward the southeastern coastal area under policy guidance; (2) The coupling coordination degree of rural human–land relationships has generally increased, but with significant spatial heterogeneity, forming a pattern of high-quality coordination in coastal areas and low-efficiency lag in mountainous regions; (3) The shift in policy orientation from scale expansion to functional enhancement has driven economic factors to concentrate in key policy areas ahead of physical spatial expansion. The analytical framework combining remote sensing monitoring and policy quantification constructed in this study reveals the precedence of factor flow and the lag of physical space driven by policies, providing a scientific basis for the differentiated governance of rural areas in coastal mountainous cities. Full article

To deal with the high standards, strong restrictions, and high repeatability that are inside State Grid small-scale infrastructure projects, this research puts forward a norm-driven generative design method, which conquers the low efficiency, compliance dangers, and semantic breakage that are usual in manual modeling. Taking standards such as Q/GDW 11382.3-2015 as the knowledge origin, we construct an ALBERT-BiLSTM-CRF semantic parsing model and change natural-language clauses into executable design restrictions via normative text pre-processing, BIO sequence marking, and rule triplet mapping. Therefore, model training and assessment produce Accuracy, Precision, Recall, and F1 of 98.05%, 95.49%, 95.88%, and 95.59% separately, with 100% precision for logical comparison and conjunction labels; thus, this provides a steady semantic base for the rule base. At the component level, a three-part coding plan and unit module collection are built based on OmniClass and GB/T 51269, which makes semantic consistency and traceability between components and space functions possible. At the system level, a continuous work process is carried out through the Revit API, which covers scheme making, automatic arrangement, and deliverable output. Hence, validation on a real case in a digital operation center for the power system shows that the design time for the third-floor administrative office area was cut from about 20 h to around 4 h, and the first-time solution met all code restrictions, which improves efficiency and compliance in a significant way. The results point out that norm-driven generative design can supply deployable automation and high-quality outputs for small-scale power infrastructure, which provides a sustainable database for digital twins and smart O&M. Full article

Digital stylization of Dunhuang murals can support cultural heritage revitalization by transferring their distinctive aesthetics to modern images, but existing methods face practical limitations. Transformer-based models can yield high visual quality, but often at a prohibitive computational cost. In contrast, standard state space models (SSMs) are more efficient but tend to incur issues such as semantic loss, inconsistent stylization, and an undesired coupling between color and structure when processing the complex textures of historical murals. To address these issues, we propose Dh-Mamba, a hierarchical visual Mamba framework tailored for high-fidelity Dunhuang mural style transfer. Dh-Mamba introduces a CrossMamba in-context style injection mechanism. This mechanism prefixes the style token sequence to the content sequence, which enables globally consistent style propagation as a persistent memory and retains linear-time efficiency. We also designed two additional components: a Modulated Style Perception Module (Δt) and an Orthogonal Decoupled HSV Modulator. The former adaptively regulates texture injection based on style complexity. The latter models mineral pigment palettes and mitigates oxidation-related artifacts by disentangling hue, saturation, and value. Experiments on a custom Dunhuang dataset show that Dh-Mamba improves content preservation and produces more natural mural textures than recent state-of-the-art methods; multiple quantitative metrics corroborate these gains. With 20.04 million parameters, Dh-Mamba provides a resource-efficient solution suitable for deployment in resource-constrained terminal applications for cultural heritage preservation Full article

In recent decades, the Ucayali region, the main territory of the Asheninka communities, has experienced increasing socio-environmental pressures associated with climate change, educational inequality, and territorial vulnerability in rural and indigenous contexts. In response, this research proposes the design of a sustainable agricultural school for the Asheninka community, conceived as an educational building that integrates biophilic strategies to enhance environmental performance and spatial quality. The methodological approach comprises a literature review, site-specific environmental analysis based on hydrometeorological data, and the development of an architectural proposal focused on sustainable building design. Digital tools such as Revit and SketchUp were employed alongside official climatic data sources to support design decision-making. The proposal includes twelve biophilic agricultural classrooms incorporating passive design strategies, rainwater harvesting systems with a capacity of 22.5 m³ per day per classroom, and photovoltaic-powered public lighting systems. Results indicate that the integration of natural ventilation, green infrastructure, and locally sourced materials contributes to significant improvements in thermal comfort, humidity control, and energy autonomy within the educational facilities. The architectural complex is complemented by green corridors and collective open spaces that reinforce environmental performance at the site scale. This study demonstrates that sustainable educational buildings adapted to local ecosystems and climatic conditions can function as effective infrastructures for environmental mitigation and resilient rural development, contributing to more sustainable forms of urban and rural living. Full article

Driven by the goal of carbon neutrality, low-carbon development in township spaces is essential for sustainable urban–rural growth. This paper employs a carbon accounting methodology, taking Fuqiushan Town in the Dongting Lake Ecological Economic Zone as a case study to develop a detailed carbon measurement inventory at the township scale. Using spatial analysis techniques, it synthesizes multi-source data—including land use, agricultural inputs, and population—to estimate emissions from key sources such as crop cultivation, livestock and poultry breeding, industrial production, and residential activities. The study also evaluates the carbon sequestration capacity of sinks such as woodlands and water bodies, enabling the spatial visualization of both carbon emissions and carbon sinks. Key findings include: (1) Fuqiushan Town exhibits a carbon emission profile characterized by “industrial activities as the primary source, supplemented by agriculture, with additional contributions from residential and transportation sectors,” while forested areas and water bodies serve as core carbon sink zones. (2) An innovative multidimensional indicator system for low-carbon development efficiency was established, consisting of the Low-Carbon Development Efficiency Index in Production, the Daily Life Carbon Responsibility Efficiency Index, and the Ecological Carbon Sink Efficiency Index, which together form a Comprehensive Efficiency Index for Low-Carbon Development. (3) Analysis reveals significant spatial coupling relationships and efficiency differentiation patterns among carbon emissions, industrial structure, energy dependence, and ecological background. Based on dominant carbon emission types, low-carbon efficiency thresholds, and spatial factor interactions, the 17 villages and one forest farm in the township are classified into five zones: “Industrial High-Carbon Transition Zone,” “Agricultural Pollution Reduction and Carbon Emission Reduction Synergy Zone,” “Ecological Low-Carbon Conservation Zone,” “Human Settlements Balanced Development Zone,” and “Ecological Core Zone.” Tailored low-carbon spatial planning strategies for material resources are proposed for each zone. These results offer quantitative support and spatially targeted insights for low-carbon spatial planning in ecologically sensitive townships, contributing to the achievement of objectives such as “carbon reduction and sink increase” and “rural revitalization.” Full article

Industrial heritage in resource-depleted mining towns faces the dual challenge of physical decay and social severance. To achieve sustainable urban revitalization, adaptive reuse strategies must align with local collective memory and emerging experiential consumption trends. Adopting a Scene Theory perspective, this study constructs a multi-level analytical framework using Meitanba Town (Hunan, China) and its power plant as a case study. A mixed-methods approach was employed, combining semantic network analysis of 1582 online user comments with 61 offline questionnaires distributed to local residents to quantitatively diagnose current scene elements, functions, and features. The quantitative results reveal a significant imbalance: while “Functional Media” achieved the highest comprehensive score (10.0) due to strong historical recognition, “Diverse Groups” scored the lowest (3.4), indicating a lack of social inclusivity. Specifically, residents expressed the highest demand for sports facilities (31.2%) and cultural spaces (23.7%), identifying the main workshop (26.4%) and chimney as core carriers of industrial identity. Responding to these findings, the paper proposes three targeted strategies: (1) Activate: creating open-access recreation scenes to satisfy urgent sports demands; (2) Link: constructing immersive cultural scenes to narrate the “coal–electricity–life” history; and (3) Enhance: developing industry-powered commercial scenes to avoid homogenization. This study enriches the localized application of Scene Theory and provides a data-driven, context-adjustable analytical and strategic model that can inform the sustainable renewal of mining towns globally, with its specific implementation requiring adaptation to local social, economic, and cultural characteristics. Full article

Traditional villages in the Jiangnan region have experienced significant spatial transformation under rural revitalization, yet thermal environment regulation in public spaces remains insufficiently addressed. This study examines how spatial morphology influences microclimate and outdoor thermal comfort during summer and proposes evidence-based climate-responsive strategies. Three representative provincial-level traditional villages in Wuxi—Yaogeli Village, Zhu Village, and Huangtutang Ancient Village Area—were selected as case studies. Public spaces were classified into open, semi-open, and semi-private types according to spatial openness. Field microclimate measurements and thermal comfort surveys were conducted, and Physiological Equivalent Temperature (PET) was calculated to evaluate thermal conditions. Results show that rural public spaces generally experience significant summer heat stress, with PET exceeding the neutral range during most daytime periods. Spatial openness is significantly positively correlated with PET, identifying solar radiation as the dominant thermal driver. Water bodies provide cooling benefits within limited spatial ranges, constrained by configuration and ventilation conditions. Ecological and composite surfaces reduce heat accumulation compared to single materials. These findings indicate that thermal comfort in rural public spaces is a multi-factor and interaction-driven process, providing empirical support for climate-adaptive rural renewal. Full article

The accurate measurement and optimization of spatial vitality inside commercial complexes has become crucial for sophisticated urban governance as urban growth moves from rapid expansion to quality-oriented stock augmentation. This research creates a multifaceted assessment methodology that incorporates systemic connectedness (transportation synergy), spatial performance (public activity and social efficacy), and spatial supply (human–land linkages and arrangement). We used a stratified purposive sample of 20 business complexes spread across eight districts in Guangzhou, a typical high-density megacity. In order to understand the underlying mechanisms of spatial vitality, we measured important indicators including the Polycentricity Index (α) and the Spatial Performance Index (β) using a mixed-methods approach that included K-means clustering, multinomial logit regression, and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). Four important insights are shown by our findings. 1. The paradox of density and efficiency: The notion that high-density development inevitably ensures lively public space is called into question by the lack of a significant linear correlation between the Floor Area Ratio (FAR) and spatial performance (r = 0.32, p > 0.05), despite a core–periphery gradient in development intensity. 2. Structural Supply Demand Mismatch: Although overall spatial performance is strong (β = 0.81 ± 0.07), there is a notable shortfall in cultural and artistic venues, where young adults’ demand (0.27) is 145% greater than supply (0.11). 3. Polycentric Networking vs. Transport Polarization: While spatial structures show a networked polycentric pattern (mean α = 6.40), transportation synergy is affected by core–periphery polarization, which results in “vitality islands” in the periphery. 4. Dual-Path Driving Mechanisms: According to SEM results, cultural spaces have a considerable indirect impact (39.7% mediation) by boosting brand uniqueness and “cultural capital,” while composite plaza spaces have a strong direct effect on commercial performance (γ = 0.682). Based on these findings, we suggest distinct optimization strategies: aging projects need climate-responsive design interventions; growing areas should create family-oriented consumption ecosystems; and core districts should give priority to cultural “IP” integration. For the planning and revitalization of commercial land use in high-density global environments, this study offers a solid analytical framework and practical insights. Full article

The revitalization of vitality in historic cultural districts can enhance a city’s cultural attractiveness and promote the upgrading of the urban cultural industry and sustainable development. Revealing the threshold and synergistic effects of different districts’ scene elements on district vitality helps to identify the distribution patterns of district vitality and provides a basis for managerial decision-making. This study first uses a geographic information system (ArcGIS) to overlay Baidu heatmaps with the street-network distribution in order to depict the spatiotemporal heterogeneity of district vitality and to compute vitality values by partitions at the district scale. Subsequently, based on an explanatory framework that integrates the physical space and subjective cognition, multi-source data such as street-view panoramas and points of interest (POIs) are quantified to obtain scene-element values for each unit area. Then, the scene-element values and vitality values are integrated into a consolidated database. Additionally, the LightGBM model and the SHAP method are employed to evaluate each element’s marginal contribution and relative importance to district vitality, thereby screening out the key scene elements. Finally, by means of SHAP dependence plots and interaction-effect analysis, the threshold intervals of the key elements and their synergistic relationships are identified, revealing the nonlinear threshold effects and synergies by which scene elements influence spatial vitality. The results show that during rest days, district vitality exhibits stronger diffusion, and the synergistic effect between Leisure-Facility Attractiveness and Street-Network Accessibility is the most prominent in enhancing vitality. High Exhibition-Facility Attractiveness is difficult to sustain crowds on its own; only when Leisure-Facility Attractiveness is likewise high does its effectiveness increase significantly. When Transport Accessibility is within the 0.20–0.40 interval, the positive effect of Leisure-Facility Attractiveness is significantly amplified. An excessive Traditional–Modern Facility Mix readily leads to homogenization of districts; therefore, when introducing modern business formats, local cultural characteristics must be retained. Overall, the generation of district vitality relies more on the synergy between material factors and subjective cognition than on improvements to any single element. The findings of this study provide suggestions for the planning of scene elements and the enhancement of vitality in historic cultural districts. Full article

The natural resources and local communities of Madre de Dios, Peru, face severe environmental degradation due to illegal mining, deforestation, and the expansion of agricultural activities, threatening one of the most ecologically sensitive regions of the Amazon. This research proposes a low-carbon and bioclimatic architectural design for a Sustainable Interpretation and Research Center dedicated to the conservation of the ecosystems of Manu National Park. The study is based on an analysis of the surrounding environment in terms of flora, fauna, and climate, applying bioclimatic strategies focused on sustainability and supported by specialized digital tools (Revit 2024, Canva, Global Mapper 2024, SketchUp 2024, Photoshop 2022, and Illustrator 2022). The project presents a bioclimatic architectural design that integrates constructive techniques ensuring thermal comfort in a warm-humid climate, while promoting the use of clean technologies such as photovoltaic solar systems generating 15,571.8 kWh per year and a rainwater harvesting system collecting 70,675 L annually. The infrastructure is built with bamboo and locally sourced wood, renewable materials that ensure durability and low environmental impact. In addition, the design includes the reforestation of 17.92% of the total area and 3.46% of public spaces, incorporating native species such as Brazil nut, rosewood, and capirona to reinforce local biodiversity. Overall, this research demonstrates how low-carbon construction, renewable materials, and bioclimatic design can contribute to sustainable development, environmental awareness, and the preservation of natural ecosystems in tropical regions. Full article

The sacredness of religious architecture stems from embodied spatial perception and interactive effects. This study examines the Sakyamuni Pagoda of Fogong Temple in Shanxi Province and explores the generative mechanism of its sacred space through fieldwork, literature analysis, and textual semantic analysis. Findings reveal that the Sakyamuni Pagoda’s sacredness is not an inherent property but is constructed through bodily pilgrimage practices, following a path from sensory experience to cognitive assessment. On the one hand, the pagoda’s material spatial form, the spiritual symbolism of its mural religious images, and the embodied practices of presence collectively constitute a perceptual realm of sacredness. On the other hand, these experiences are deepened into enduring sacred memories and collective identity through cognitive assessment activities such as emotional responses and meaning interpretation. The study reveals the generative logic of sacredness—from perception to internalization—within the continuous interaction between “body and space”, providing theoretical reference for the spatial interpretation of religious architecture and heritage revitalization. Full article

Urbanization and climate change are exerting significant pressure on the living environments of traditional rural settlements. In western Sichuan, the persistently cold and humid winter further intensifies the risks for local residents. Linpan, a distinctive agricultural settlement form that has evolved over centuries, embodies climate-responsive construction wisdom shaped by long-term human–environment interaction. Within Linpan, residential units—composed of outdoor and indoor spaces—serve as the primary activity spaces for inhabitants. Their spatial configuration and construction practices directly regulate the thermal environment and consequently influence daily life. However, whether the winter thermal environment satisfies contemporary thermal comfort requirements, and which landscape and construction determinants can effectively enhance thermal adaptation, remains insufficiently understood. To address this gap, this study integrated meteorological field measurements, thermal comfort questionnaire surveys, and coupled numerical simulations to systematically investigate winter thermal conditions in both outdoor and indoor spaces of Linpan residential units. The optimization performance of key landscape determinants (vegetation configurations and ground materials) and construction determinants (building layouts and envelope materials) was evaluated. The results reveal climate-responsive passive design strategies based on actual inhabitants’ thermal adaptation, establishing a sustainable design framework for improving winter thermal comfort in traditional agricultural settlements. The findings provide scientific support for rural revitalization and contribute theoretical insights into climate-resilient preservation of vernacular dwellings under changing environmental conditions. Full article