Search Results (5,260)

Against the dual background of ICH (intangible cultural heritage) revitalization and urban stock space renewal, the renovation of traditional craft workshops has shifted from limited workshop repair to comprehensive space creation that balances craft protection, cultural dissemination, and sustainable operation. While existing scholarship has explored the functional composition and qualitative design strategies of ICH workshops, there remains a notable research gap in quantitative spatial performance evaluation frameworks tailored to craft production constraints, and the actual contribution of spatial design to living heritage transmission lacks objective measurement tools. This study takes craftsmanship-oriented ICH workshops as the core research object. Based on field investigations, multi-subject questionnaires, and expert consultations, 14 tertiary indicators are selected from three dimensions: production and safeguarding, experience and dissemination, and operation and development, to construct a spatial performance evaluation system for living heritage transmission. The Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) is adopted to determine the weight of each indicator. Taking the Yuezhou Fan ICH workshop as an empirical case, this study conducts a quantitative comparison of spatial performance before and after renovation. The results show that the comprehensive performance score of the workshop after renovation has increased by approximately 109.7% compared with that before renovation, among which the production and safeguarding dimension have the most significant improvement, verifying the rationality and practicability of the evaluation system. Theoretically, this study extends the application scope of built environment performance evaluation to the field of craft heritage spaces and establishes a closed-loop logic of “quantitative diagnosis—deficiency identification—targeted optimization” for workshop renovation. Based on the evaluation results, this paper proposes a progressive optimization path of “consolidating production baseline—upgrading experience scenarios—empowering diversified operation”, which provides a generalizable quantitative framework and practical reference for the spatial renovation and performance evaluation of similar craftsmanship-oriented ICH workshops. Full article

Flood disaster risk assessment serves as an important foundation for formulating regional sustainable development strategies. This study establishes a risk assessment model for flood disasters in small and medium-sized rivers based on a theoretical framework integrating Geographic Information Systems (GIS), the Delphi method, and Bayesian networks (Delphi–BNs). An indicator system for the assessment was developed from three dimensions: hazard, vulnerability, and exposure. Hazard is represented by flood inundation area and depth; vulnerability is indicated by population distribution and economic layout; and exposure is reflected by road accessibility. By constructing a GIS-based Bayesian network and employing the Delphi method to create a probabilistic and spatially explicit model, this approach quantifies various sources of uncertainty in the assessment process, enabling a probabilistic expression of risk. Based on the risk assessment results, a stratified, phased flood emergency rescue and personnel transfer plan was established, designating extremely high-risk areas as the core zones for the first phase of personnel transfer, high-risk areas as the second-phase rescue zones, and medium-risk areas as the third-phase rescue zones, thereby providing clear operational guidance for flood emergency response in the basin. The Delphi–BN assessment framework developed in this study focuses on the core elements of flood disaster risk formation, organically integrates expert experience with spatial big data, and effectively overcomes the limitations of traditional assessment methods, such as strong subjectivity, insufficient accuracy, and poor quantification. It achieves a refined and quantitative assessment of flood risk in small and medium-sized river basins in semi-arid regions. The outcomes of this research contribute to a clearer understanding of both the driving mechanisms and the spatial patterns of regional flood risk. Furthermore, they establish a scientifically credible and operationally relevant foundation for key disaster-response decisions, encompassing timely emergency actions, phased population transfers, and the optimized deployment of limited emergency resources. Full article

Aesthetic perception of rural streetscapes reflects individuals’ cognitive responses to their surroundings and is central to understanding how landscape preferences are formed. Existing studies using Scenic Beauty Estimation (SBE) are constrained by incomplete indicator systems and overreliance on linear approaches. This study proposes an interpretable machine learning framework that integrates multi-source data to examine the nonlinear influences of streetscape features on SBE. Using Sanguan Village, a water-networked settlement in Jiangsu, we developed a 24-indicator system spanning color, spatial, natural, artificial, and cultural dimensions. Based on 523 panoramic images and aesthetic ratings from 1175 respondents, we compared OLS, DT, MLP, SVR, RF, and XGBoost models. The best-performing XGBoost, combined with SHAP analysis, revealed threshold effects and interaction patterns among variables. Green visibility, architectural aesthetics, building visibility, sky visibility, environmental coordination, and water are the top six feature variables most strongly associated with rural streetscape aesthetic perception, and each exhibits threshold effects. The saturation threshold for green visibility is 0.153, and architectural aesthetics can only make a positive contribution when its score exceeds 3.815. The appropriate range for building visibility is below 0.452, while the optimal value for sky visibility is approximately 0.194. We also explored the context-dependence of these threshold effects across urban and rural settings. This study proposes streetscape optimization strategies focusing on screening key factors, controlling their thresholds, and coordinating the allocation of streetscape features. The interpretable analytical framework for rural scenic beauty established in this research can facilitate evidence-based landscape optimization and provide scientific support for sustainable rural development and tourism in this case. Full article

Climate risks drive dynamic adjustments to global climate policies, creating significant climate policy uncertainty (CPU). This uncertainty profoundly affects enterprises’ survival and sustainable development. A key question emerges: how do enterprises’ perception of CPU influence their resilience? To answer this, this study adopts a capability perspective and empirically examines the impact of climate policy uncertainty perception (CPUP) on enterprise resilience (RESI) and the underlying mechanism. Using panel data on Chinese A-share listed companies on the Shanghai and Shenzhen Stock Exchanges from 2009 to 2023, the study defines CPUP as the interaction between a news-based provincial CPU index and the frequency of climate risk words in annual report texts, and measures RESI with the entropy weight method across four dimensions (business volatility, long-term growth, short-term performance, and enterprise survival). Panel regression with fixed effects indicates that CPUP significantly enhances RESI. A one-standard-deviation increase in CPUP raises RESI by approximately 0.0019 index units, equivalent to about 2.2% of the standard deviation of RESI. This effect is more pronounced for enterprises in the eastern and central regions and in high-carbon industries. Mechanism tests confirm that CPUP boosts RESI by optimizing management capabilities and strengthening development capabilities, revealing a capability-driven path between CPUP and RESI. This study enriches the theoretical understanding of CPU’s economic consequences and RESI antecedents from a capability perspective. It also provides empirical references for enterprises to build resilience amid policy fluctuations and for policymakers to formulate regionally differentiated climate policies. Full article

Climate change is becoming an increasingly important source of economic and health vulnerability in developing countries. This study examines the dynamic relationship between climate change and poverty across 22 countries in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region from 2000 to 2023. Poverty is captured through two indicators: household consumption expenditure, the monetary dimension, and infant mortality, the non-monetary dimension. Methodologically, the analysis relies on a panel autoregressive distributed lag (panel ARDL) model, estimated using the Pooled Mean Group (PMG) and Mean Group (MG) approaches. The results reveal a long-run relationship among climatic variables, macroeconomic factors, and poverty-related indicators. In the long run, precipitation is associated with a decline in household consumption expenditure, while temperature is associated with higher infant mortality, indicating a deterioration in both monetary and health-related well-being under changing climatic conditions. In the short run, rising temperatures are also associated with lower household consumption expenditure, revealing the immediate vulnerability of living standards to climate shocks. In addition, GDP per capita is associated with higher household consumption and lower infant mortality, while education is associated with lower health-related poverty. Inflation appears to exacerbate poverty, whereas the positive association between health expenditure and infant mortality suggests reverse causality or inefficiencies in the allocation of health resources. These findings highlight the need to articulate climate adaptation strategy, macroeconomic stability, education investment, and improved efficiency of health spending in order to achieve sustainable reduction in poverty in the MENA region. Full article

Integrated watershed sustainability assessments are still incipient in Ecuador, where scarce and heterogeneous data are limiting factors. This study introduces the Watershed Sustainability Index (WSI) to the Chibunga Basin in Chimborazo, Ecuador, marking its first application in this region. A key aspect of this study is the development of a clear and reproducible method for applying the index, particularly in inter-Andean basins where data are limited. The four dimensions—Hydrology, Environment, Life, and Policy—were assessed through the Pressure–State–Response (PSR) framework by combining secondary statistics, field sampling, GIS land-use analysis, and a two-round Delphi consultation with ten experts to operationalize the institutional (Policy) component. The basin scored 0.38 (low sustainability), with a critical Hydrology dimension (0.08), poor Policy dimension (0.33), moderate–low Life dimension (0.42), and moderate Environment dimension (0.67). The central finding goes beyond these scores: the operationalized PSR framework pinpointed where the management cycle breaks down in practice. Systematically null response scores reveal that unsustainability stems from the failure to translate an existing regulatory framework into formal institutional action, rather than from regulatory absence or physical water scarcity alone, further constrained by unfavorable socioeconomic conditions. The procedure turns the WSI from a scoring tool into a diagnostic one, providing a replicable reference for data-scarce Andean basins. Full article

As China’s urbanization shifts toward quality-oriented development, urban regeneration increasingly prioritizes the perceived quality of public spaces to enhance urban vitality and advance sustainable urban living. This study takes Zhengzhou’s Dongfeng Canal, a revitalized urban core waterfront, as a case to develop a human–machine collaborative analytical framework for exploring nonlinear relationships between visual environmental features and human spatial quality perception. By integrating 779 geolocated panoramic images with volunteers’ subjective rating data, this study adopts deep learning-based semantic segmentation to quantify eight objective visual indicators (e.g., greenness, color diversity, spatial structure). A random forest (RF) model links these indicators to three perceptual dimensions: scenic beauty, safety, and recreational value. Adopting explainable artificial intelligence (SHAP and PDPs), the results indicate that: (1) greenness is positively associated with positive perceptions but exhibits a significant threshold effect; (2) color diversity and waterfront accessibility substantially improve user experience, while excessive uniformity and extreme openness negatively affect perceived spatial quality. These findings challenge the simplistic linear “more-is-better” assumption in urban design and highlight the value of balanced, context-sensitive spatial interventions. This study provides evidence-based, segment-specific strategies for urban waterfront regeneration, advancing people-centered planning that integrates ecological functionality, social inclusivity, and long-term sustainability via Geospatial Artificial Intelligence (GeoAI) and geospatial analytics. Full article

With the backdrop of the coexistence of sustainable development of marine economy and ecological environment restrictions, how to enhance the efficiency of marine environmental governance (MEGE) has become a significant topic whereby coastal regions should attain green transformation. The research object in this paper is 11 coastal provincial administrative units in mainland China between 2013 and 2021, and marine environmental governance is divided into two stages of production and governance. MEGE and its stage efficiency are measured with the help of the two-stage super-efficiency Network SBM model, and the efficiency growth is characterized with the help of the Network Malmquist index. It is on this basis that, using the technology–organization–environment (TOE) framework, six antecedent conditions of digital economy, technological innovation, marine industrial structure, marine industrial agglomeration, environmental regulation, and degree of openness are chosen and fsQCA is applied to determine the multiple configuration paths of high MEGE growth. The findings indicate the following: (1) The MEGE in the coastal regions of China is improving in general, although the differences in the region remain evident. The efficiency characteristics of the production stage and the governance stage differ, and the inter-provincial differentiation of the governance stage is more pronounced. (2) No single condition is required to achieve high MEGE growth but four equifinal configurations created by the combined action of several conditions can be further reduced to three types, namely technology–environment driven, technology–organization–environment synergistic and technology–organization driven. (3) There exists apparent synergy, compensation, and substitution relationships between technology, organization, and environmental conditions. The most important aspect of high-efficiency growth is not that all positive conditions are on a high level simultaneously, but that a complex of conditions corresponding to the foundation of regional development is created. (4) High and non-high MEGE growth have a strong causal asymmetry and the effective driving routes in various regions are also different. This paper extends the study of the efficiency of marine environmental governance in the two dimensions of internal stage structure and configuration mechanism, and applies accurate, path adaptation, and regional differentiation governance to coastal regions. Full article

This study examines the association between financial development and selected telecommunications infrastructure indicators in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), focusing on mobile cellular subscriptions (MBS) and fixed telephone subscriptions (FTS). It also examines whether urbanization moderates these associations and explores the relationships of trade openness, final consumption expenditure, and economic growth with telecommunications infrastructure. The study is based on an unbalanced panel of 44 SSA countries with data for the period 1981–2021 and includes two-way fixed effects (TWFE) models as the baseline specification, Panel Fully Modified Ordinary Least Squares (FMOLS) to estimate long-run associations within the cointegrating framework, and TWFE models with Driscoll–Kraay standard errors as a robustness procedure. The results indicate that financial development is positively and significantly associated with both FTS and MBS across the main specifications, with a substantially stronger association for MBS. These results validate the hypotheses that financial development has a positive relationship with the fixed and mobile telecommunications infrastructure. The moderation analysis also shows that financial development is positively associated with MBS when the level of urbanization increases, while such a positive moderating relationship is not statistically significant for FTS. Trade openness is generally positively associated with telecommunications infrastructure, while the associations of final consumption expenditure and economic growth vary across the MBS and FTS specifications. Overall, the findings suggest that the association between financial development and telecommunications infrastructure is technology-specific and varies with the level of urbanization. Robustness tests with the balanced panel sample and the post-1990s subsample generally give similar results, but caution should be taken in comparing results across specifications because of the differences in samples. The findings provide evidence relevant to the telecommunications infrastructure dimension of the broader Sustainable Development Goal 9 agenda, but they should not be inferred as evidence of comprehensive SDG 9 progress or causal effects. Future studies should use more comprehensive digital infrastructure indicators, disaggregated data, and better identification strategies to mitigate potential reverse causality and other forms of endogeneity. Full article

Urban sustainability governance has long been dominated by growth-oriented metrics that measure aggregate improvement without establishing whether neighborhoods provide enough for all residents without continuous territorial expansion or resource-intensive redevelopment. Drawing on the post-growth planning, sufficiency theory, spatial justice, land governance, and the adaptive planning literature, this paper proposes a Spatial Sufficiency Multifunctionality Framework (SSMF). SSMF is a provisional conceptual framework requiring empirical validation and aiming to reorient neighborhood land assessment from growth optimization to sufficiency thresholds. The framework organizes planning around five interconnected dimensions: social sufficiency, economic resilience without growth dependence, ecological resilience, spatial governance and land-use sufficiency, and institutional and participatory capacity. Each is operationalized through illustrative indicators, thresholds, and linked governance instruments. SSMF asks whether per-capita land use remains within ecological capacities and whether access to services, green space, and affordable space is equitably distributed. The framework is developed through a systematic scoping review of the literature on urban sustainability, land governance, and post-growth planning, and provides a diagnostic logic and a menu of governance instruments. By shifting the evaluative focus from “more” to “enough, equity distributed within neighborhood capacities,” SSMF offers a provisional architecture for understanding post-growth principles at the neighborhood scale. Full article

This paper examines the relationship between digital transformation capabilities and perceived organizational performance in an entrepreneurial fintech SME and considers, at an interpretive level, how these capabilities may support more accessible digital financial services. The study focuses on PiggyVest, a Nigerian digital savings and investment platform. Methodologically, it adopts an embedded single-case research design that combines quantitative survey evidence with qualitative interpretation and secondary-source analysis of the firm’s inclusion- and governance-related practices. The quantitative component examines digital integration, process automation, change management, and training and capability development in relation to perceived organizational performance. The case-based analysis then considers how PiggyVest’s digitally enabled service model may reduce barriers to savings and investment services and support financial inclusion under appropriate governance conditions. Descriptive and correlational results indicate positive associations between the examined dimensions of digital transformation and perceived organizational performance. The broader implications for financial inclusion and social sustainability are not directly measured and are therefore presented as case-based interpretations rather than demonstrated societal effects. The paper contributes to research on digital transformation, SME innovation, entrepreneurship, and sustainability by clearly distinguishing between firm-level empirical evidence and broader interpretive implications. Full article

Urban landscapes are increasingly understood as dynamic systems in which natural, cultural, and socio-spatial layers continuously overlap and evolve. Within this perspective, heritage and memory are often treated as stable qualities of place, to be preserved or restored amid ongoing urban transformation. This paper challenges that static understanding by advancing memory-in-transformation, a theoretical framework positioned within the broader concept of Temporal Urbanism. Drawing on an integrative synthesis of landscape theory, critical heritage studies, memory studies, and urban theory, the paper argues that urban landscape transformation does not simply affect heritage and memory but actively produces, reconfigures, and redefines them over time. The framework rests on three interrelated dimensions: temporal layering, mediated interpretation, and dialectical production, through which transformation operates as a mediating process linking spatial change, collective memory, and the continuous formation of heritage landscapes. Illustrative cases (Superkilen, Copenhagen; the Slussen redevelopment, Stockholm) show how transformation can destabilize existing heritage while generating new heritage systems. The paper further introduces the notion of temporal justice, foregrounding whose memories are sustained or marginalized in processes of change, and outlines new directions for research and practice in heritage urbanism, land-use planning, landscape architecture, and sustainable urban development. Full article

Amid accelerating climate change, natural resource depletion, and rising consumer demand for sustainable, health-promoting products, circular agriculture has emerged as a strategic pathway for reconciling agricultural productivity with environmental and social sustainability; however, empirical evidence on how circular production, health-product innovation, and experiential tourism can be jointly evaluated within a single model remains limited. This study aims to propose a multidimensional value assessment framework for circular agriculture through a case study of the Tam Dao Mushroom Cooperative (TDMC) in Phu Tho Province, Vietnam, centered on the cooperative’s Cordyceps militaris-based production system, nanotechnology-enabled health-product processing, most notably the Nano Cordy Milk functional beverage and Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM)-oriented experiential tourism activities, comprising guided production tours, hands-on cultivation and processing demonstrations, and on-site product tastings offered to school and university groups, domestic and international tourists, and visiting farmers and cooperatives. The research integrates a case study approach with the Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process (Fuzzy-AHP) to determine the priority weights of value dimensions based on the evaluations of seven experts. The findings identify five key dimensions of value generated by the circular agricultural model: economic value, environmental value, social value, educational value, and tourism value. The Fuzzy-AHP results indicate that economic value has the highest priority weight (Best Non-fuzzy Performance, BNP = 0.4050), followed by environmental value (0.2715), social value (0.1307), educational value (0.1313), and tourism value (0.0621). The study demonstrates that the circular agriculture model not only generates economic benefits but also simultaneously creates significant environmental, social, educational, and tourism values. These findings contribute to the theoretical foundation for assessing the multidimensional value of circular agriculture while providing practical references and policy implications for the sustainable development of circular agricultural models. Full article

Urban informality in amphibious territories represents a critical yet understudied dimension of contemporary urbanisation in the Global South. This article analyses the interrelations between spatial transformation, social equity, and environmental change in Las Flores, an informal settlement located between the Mallorquín Lagoon and the Magdalena River in Barranquilla, Colombia. Drawing on a mixed-methods approach combining GIS interpretation, participatory mapping, and in-depth interviews, the study examines how processes of informal territorialisation have reshaped both the physical landscape and the social fabric of this amphibious environment. Results indicate that the settlement has expanded progressively over the past two decades, occupying areas of the wetland previously covered by mangroves and natural vegetation. This expansion has been accompanied by environmental degradation, soil infilling, and declining water quality. Residents face persistent infrastructural deficits, limited access to education and healthcare, and increasing social fragmentation between the formal and informal sectors. Yet, the community also exhibits strong organisational capacity, adaptive livelihoods, and a deep sense of place that sustains local identity and resilience. These dynamics exemplify the paradox of amphibious life: coexistence with water as both a resource and a source of vulnerability. Building on these findings, the study develops an urban socio-ecological conceptualisation of Amphibious Justice, a framework for interpreting equity, recognition, and governance in hybrid territories where urbanisation and land–water dynamics intersect. The article proposes a framework of equitable amphibious urbanism that integrates environmental restoration, social inclusion, and participatory governance. The findings suggest that sustainability in such territories cannot be achieved through technocratic restoration or forced resettlement, but through co-produced strategies that recognise local knowledge, tenure security, and ecological stewardship. Ultimately, the case of Las Flores offers insights into how cities in the Global South can pursue just and adaptive coexistence with water amid growing climate and urban pressures. Full article

The article reflects on the care for the work of creation within Benedictine spirituality and within the broader tradition of the Cistercian Order. It seeks to demonstrate that monastic spirituality, though developed in a pre-modern context, contains enduring theological and ethical intuitions that remain relevant for contemporary ecological reflection. The starting point of the analysis is the Rule of Saint Benedict written by Benedict of Nursia, which, although it does not employ the modern vocabulary of ecology or environmental ethics, nevertheless articulates a coherent vision of human life characterized by reverence, moderation, and responsibility toward the created world. Particular attention is given to key spiritual and anthropological dimensions of the Benedictine tradition, such as attentive listening (obsculta), humility, moderation, stability, and responsible work, expressed synthetically in the principle ora et labora. These elements are interpreted not only as monastic disciplines shaping individual and communal life, but also as forming a relational anthropology in which the human person is understood as fundamentally embedded within a network of relationships with God, other people, and creation. In this sense, Benedictine spirituality already implies a non-exploitative attitude toward the natural world. The article then examines how concern for creation has been deepened and concretized in the spirituality, institutional practice, and historical development of the Cistercian Order. Drawing on selected Cistercian documents as well as contemporary monastic reflections, the study shows that care for the natural environment is inseparably linked with spiritual attentiveness to God, interior silence, openness of heart, and readiness to serve. The Cistercian tradition, with its emphasis on simplicity of life, manual labor, and harmonious integration with the surrounding environment, develops these Benedictine intuitions in a particularly concrete and historically embodied form. From this perspective, a pro-ecological attitude is not interpreted merely as a reactive response to contemporary environmental crises, but rather as a structural consequence of a theologically grounded vision of reality. It emerges from a deep relationship with God as Creator and from a sense of entrusted responsibility for creation understood as a gift rather than as an object of domination. Ecological sensitivity is thus presented as an intrinsic dimension of monastic spirituality rather than an external adaptation to modern concerns. The main research question of the article is: to what extent and in what way do Benedictine and Cistercian spiritual traditions provide theological, anthropological, and ethical foundations for an ecological attitude toward creation within the framework of contemporary integral ecology. To address this problem, the study employs qualitative research methods grounded in theological inquiry. The primary method is textual analysis of the Rule of Saint Benedict and selected Cistercian documents, complemented by theological–hermeneutical interpretation aimed at identifying key spiritual principles and their implicit ecological implications. In addition, the study applies a historical–critical perspective in order to situate monastic sources within their original cultural and theological context, as well as a comparative theological approach, which enables a dialogue between classical monastic spirituality and contemporary ecological theology. These methods are used not only to reconstruct historical meanings, but also to interpret monastic texts in light of contemporary debates on integral ecology, sustainability, and the ethics of responsibility for our common home. In this way, the article highlights a significant continuity between monastic wisdom and modern ecological reflection, showing their mutual capacity for enrichment. Full article