Search Results (506)

This paper develops a new conceptual and operational understanding of cultural heritage transformation, interpreting it as a systemic and dynamic process rather than a static state. It explores the realities and opportunities for action when cultural heritage is understood and managed as a complex, adaptive system. The study builds on a critical review of contemporary literature to identify the multi-scalar challenges currently facing urban heritage systems, such as climate change, disaster risks, social fragmentation, and unsustainable urban development. To respond to these challenges, the paper introduces a metamodel for heritage-based urban transformation, designed to apply systems thinking to heritage management that was developed based on cases from the Western European context. This metamodel integrates key variables—actors, resources, tools, and processes—and is used to test the hypothesis that a systems-oriented approach to cultural heritage can enhance the capacity of stakeholders to connect, adapt, use, and safeguard heritage in the face of complex urban transitions. The hypothesis is operationalized through scenario-based applications in the fields of disaster risk management (DRM), circular economy, and broader sustainability transitions, demonstrating how the metamodel supports the design of cross-over resilience strategies. These strategies not only preserve heritage but activate it as a resource for innovation, cohesion, identity, and adaptive reuse. Thus, cultural heritage is reframed as a strategic investment—generating spillover benefits such as improved quality of life, economic opportunities, environmental mitigation, and enhanced social capital. In light of the transition toward a greener and more resilient society, this paper argues for embracing heritage as a driver of transformation—capable of engaging with well-being, behavior change, innovation, and education through cultural crossovers. Heritage is thus positioned not merely as something to be protected, but as a catalyst for systemic change and future-oriented urban regeneration. Full article

The aim of this paper is to analyze the potential of circular economy in the context of increasing the supply of raw materials for modern economy with particular focus on the role of science and business. The article presents an approach consistent with the concept of sustainable development and fitting in with the implementation of four Sustainable Development Goals: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure (SDG 9), Responsible Consumption and Production (SDG 2), Climate Action (SDG 13), and Life on Land (SDG 15). An innovative approach to raw material supply sources is also presented. In addition, the potential of urban mining e-waste in meeting the demand for critical metals is emphasized. The paper presents barriers and challenges for using the potential of raw materials deposited in spoil heaps and landfills or in tailings ponds, with emphasis on the role of modern technologies in increasing the competitiveness of Polish industry. The necessity of a systemic approach to the topic of the circular economy was also emphasized, particularly regarding secondary raw materials as essential for securing critical resources. Full article

In Mediterranean cities, high solar radiation combined with limited shading and vegetation intensifies the urban heat island (UHI) phenomenon. As the road network often covers a large portion of the cities’ surfaces and is mostly constructed using asphalt pavements, it can significantly affect the urban microclimate, leading to low thermal comfort and increased energy consumption. Recycled and waste materials are increasingly used in the construction of pavements in accordance with the principle of sustainability for minimizing waste and energy to produce new materials based on a circular economy. The scope of this study is to evaluate the effect of recycled or waste materials used in road pavements on the urban microclimate. The surface and ambient temperature of urban pavements constructed with conventional asphalt and recycled/waste-based mixtures are assessed through simulation. Two study areas comprising large street junctions near metro stations in the city of Thessaloniki, in Greece, are examined under three scenarios: a conventional hot mix asphalt, an asphalt mixture containing steel slag, and a high-albedo mixture. The results of the research suggest that the use of steel slag could reduce the air temperature by 0.9 °C at 15:00, east European summer time (EEST), while the high-albedo scenario could reduce the ambient temperature by 1.6 °C at 16:00. The research results are useful for promoting the use of recycled materials, not only as a means of sustainably using resources but also for the improvement of thermal comfort in urban areas, the mitigation of the UHI effect, and the reduction of heat stress for human health. Full article

This study examines the socio-economic and behavioral factors influencing sustainable consumption through secondhand clothing purchases among young consumers in Hanoi, Vietnam. By addressing the changing consumption patterns, this research contributes to understanding how youth behavior supports the transition toward sustainability in emerging urban markets. This research integrates the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) with additional constructs such as perceived economic benefits, environmental concern, perceived risk, shopping experience, and gender differences to provide an integrated socio-economic framework. Data were collected through a structured questionnaire administered to university students and analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). Results indicate that perceived economic benefits and subjective norms are the strongest predictors of purchase intention across both general and luxury secondhand fashion segments, emphasizing affordability and social acceptance. Environmental concern and attitude also positively influence general secondhand purchase intentions, while perceived behavioral control notably impacts luxury secondhand purchases. Contrary to prior studies, perceived risk was found to be insignificant, and male consumers exhibited a higher engagement rate than females in this context. These findings underscore the complex interplay of economic, social, and environmental dimensions shaping sustainable fashion consumption among youth. This study suggests targeted marketing and policy strategies to promote sustainable consumption and supports the expansion of circular economy practices in emerging urban markets. Limitations related to sample scope and self-reported data warrant further research to generalize the findings and explore additional moderating variables. Full article

Digital Twin technology is transforming how buildings are designed, operated, and optimized, serving as a key enabler of smarter, more energy-efficient, and sustainable built environments. By creating dynamic, data-driven virtual replicas of physical assets, Digital Twins support continuous monitoring, predictive maintenance, and performance optimization across a building’s lifecycle. This paper provides a structured review of current developments and future trends in Digital Twin applications within the building sector, particularly highlighting their contribution to decarbonization, operational efficiency, and performance enhancement. The analysis identifies major challenges, including data accessibility, interoperability among heterogeneous systems, scalability limitations, and cybersecurity concerns. It emphasizes the need for standardized protocols and open data frameworks to ensure seamless integration across Building Management Systems (BMSs), Building Information Models (BIMs), and sensor networks. The paper also discusses policy and regulatory aspects, noting how harmonized standards and targeted incentives can accelerate adoption, particularly in retrofit and renovation projects. Emerging directions include Artificial Intelligence integration for autonomous optimization, alignment with circular economy principles, and coupling with smart grid infrastructures. Overall, realizing the full potential of Digital Twins requires coordinated collaboration among researchers, industry, and policymakers to enhance building performance and advance global decarbonization and urban resilience goals. Full article

Responsible artificial intelligence (RAI) has been increasingly embedded within circular economy (CE) models to facilitate sustainable artificial intelligence (SAI) and to enable data-driven transitions in smart-city contexts. Despite this progression, limited synthesis has been undertaken to connect RAI and SAI principles with their translation into policy, particularly within deep learning contexts. Accordingly, this study was designed to integrate RAI and SAI research within CE-oriented smart-city models. A science-mapping and knowledge-translation design was employed, with data retrieved from the Scopus database in accordance with the PRISMA 2020 flow protocol. From an initial yield of 3842 records, 1176 studies published between 1 January 2020 and 20 November 2025 were included for analysis. The first set of results indicated that publication trends in RAI and SAI for CE models within smart-city frameworks were found to be statistically significant (${\mathrm{R}}^2$ = 0.94, p < 0.001). The second set of results revealed that circular manufacturing, waste management automation, predictive energy optimisation, urban data platforms, and smart mobility systems were increasingly embedded within RAI and SAI applications for CE models in smart-city contexts. The third set of results demonstrated that RAI and SAI within CE models were found to yield a significant effect (M = −0.61, SD = 0.09, t(9) = 7.42, p < 0.001) and to correlate positively with policy alignment (r = 0.34, p = 0.042) in smart-city contexts. It was therefore concluded that policy-responsive AI governance is required to ensure inclusive and sustainable smart-city transformation within frameworks of RAI. Full article

This study presents a comprehensive decomposition analysis of waste-to-energy (WtE) in India through a systematic literature review (SLR) employing the PRISMA guidelines. The findings underscore the immense potential of WtE technologies in addressing India’s escalating municipal solid waste (MSW) generation amid rapid urbanization while simultaneously contributing to sustainable energy production and circular economy goals. The thematic analysis reveals four key themes: global trends in MSW generation, MSW as an alternative energy source, WtE approaches within a circular economy framework, and the impact of India’s urban expansion on MSW generation. Despite significant potential, India’s current WtE initiatives face substantial challenges, including inadequate waste segregation, policy gaps, public resistance, technological limitations, and insufficient financial investment. To effectively harness WtE technologies, strategic efforts must focus on robust policy implementation, indigenous technology advancement tailored to India’s waste characteristics, fostering public–private partnerships, and enhancing community engagement to mitigate public concerns. Future research should aim to quantify the economic, environmental, and social impacts of localized WtE interventions to guide scalable solutions. This study contributes valuable insights to policymakers, urban planners, and stakeholders aiming to transition India toward sustainable waste management and energy systems. Full article

Rare earth elements (REE) are vital for renewable energy, electronics, and advanced technologies; however, the process-related evolution of REE research has not been systematically quantified. This study conducts the first large-scale bibliometric analysis of 76,768 REE-related publications (1975–2024) from Web of Science, using the Cross-Disciplinary Publication Index (CDPI) and Technology–Economic Linkage Model (TELM). Results reveal three development phases: publication growth from <300 (1975–1990) to >5000 after 2008, driven by China’s export restrictions and the global clean energy transition; China leads with 24.1% of publications, followed by the U.S. (11.7%) and Germany (6.4%). Interdisciplinary mapping identifies materials science as the central field (CDPI = 0.81) linked to nanotechnology (0.75) and environmental science (0.66). Four thematic clusters dominate: (i) deposit geology, (ii) material applications, (iii) green extraction technologies, and (iv) circular economy strategies. Recent emphasis on sustainable practices and unconventional sources—such as phosphorites, bauxite, coal fly ash, and urban mining—reflects a shift toward green innovation. The findings guide policies to diversify REE supply through unconventional deposits (~50 Mt coal-hosted REE), eco-friendly extraction, and recycling. Future priorities include AI-driven exploration, lifecycle assessment of secondary sources, and stronger global collaboration to secure resilient, sustainable REE supply chains. Full article

With the rapid development of the global urbanization process, the resource utilization of construction waste has become one of the core issues of the development of a circular economy and has been widely concerned by the international community. However, China’s resource utilization efficiency in this field is still in the development stage, and cthere is still a gap with developed countries. It is urgent to systematically solve scientific problems such as low resource utilization efficiency, prominent technical bottlenecks, and imperfect whole process management mechanisms, so as to realize the coordinated high-quality development of the economy, society, and the environment. In order to scientifically predict the generation trend of construction waste and assess the resource potential, this study takes Beijing as the research object. Based on the historical data samples of construction waste in Beijing from 2001 to 2024, the analysis framework of “output estimation—trend prediction—value evaluation” is constructed. The ARIMA model is selected as the core tool of prediction, because it can match the phased change characteristics of construction waste output with the development of the city in time series data processing. Combined with the cost–benefit analysis method, it makes a quantitative analysis of the future production scale of construction waste and the economic benefits of resource utilization in Beijing. The research results show that from 2025 to 2034, the production of construction waste in Beijing will show a trend of first decreasing and then increasing, and it will reach 13.599 million tons by 2034. The resource utilization of construction waste in the next 10 years is expected to bring about USD 2.998 billion of economic benefits. This prediction result may be related to the policy guidance of Beijing’s urban renewal, changes in construction activities, and industrial technology upgrading. Accordingly, this study puts forward countermeasures and suggestions to help the development of industrialization, providing theoretical support and practical references for the sustainable development of the resource utilization of construction waste. Full article

Soil contamination by petroleum hydrocarbons represents a significant environmental challenge, especially in industrial and urban areas. This study evaluates the use of three industrial liquid by-products—sludge dewatering sidestream (SD), leftover yeast (LY), and secondary clarifier effluent (SC)—as biostimulant agents for the bioremediation of soils contaminated with gasoline and diesel mixtures. The novelty lies in applying these waste streams within a circular economy framework, with the added advantage that they can be injected directly into the subsurface. Microcosm tests were conducted over 20 weeks, analyzing the degradation of total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPHs) and their aliphatic and aromatic fractions using gas chromatography. The results show that all by-products improved biodegradation compared to natural attenuation. LY was the most effective, achieving 73.2% TPH removal, followed by SD (70.6%) and SC (65.4%). The greatest degradation was observed in short-chain hydrocarbons (C6–C16), while compounds with higher molecular weight (C21–C35) were more recalcitrant. In addition, aliphatic hydrocarbons showed greater degradability than aromatics in heavy fractions. Kinetic analysis revealed that the second-order model best fitted the experimental data, with higher correlation coefficients (R²) and more representative half-lives. Catalase enzyme activity also increased in soils treated with LY and SD, indicating higher microbial activity. Full article

This study focuses on the search for the optimal value of the cost per liter of raw milk. The sample included 59 farms with different types of labor, containing 422 elements maintained in different accommodation conditions. The farms are located in an urban area in the country’s capital. This study was essentially based on mathematical methodology close to a variant of the Cobb–Douglas function used by many economists. This made it possible to find expressions of the relationships linking different parameters involved in the evaluation of the optimal value of the cost per raw liter, as well as certain critical values of the number of elements to be determined. The results show that the variation in the cost per liter follows two levels; the first relates to a number of elements between one and ten, where the increase occurs in a linear and progressive manner. The second level concerns the range between 10 and 30 elements. It is characterized by a linear increase and is more accentuated than in the previous case. The results also suggest that a critical number indicates the separation between the two levels. Application of these wastes as fertilizers aligns with the EU Action Plan on the Circular Economy and can contribute to achieving SDGs 2 and 12. Full article

Contemporary food systems have reached a turning point, as they are required to simultaneously ensure food security and minimize the pressure they exert on the environment, aiming to balance human needs and the rhythm of nature. The low efficiency of current models of food production and distribution systems have revealed the need for a major transition toward circular solutions based on resource circulation, local adaptation, and the responsible use of urban spaces. This study explored the integration of circular economy principles with urban agriculture as a new framework for developing resilient, low-emission, and human-centered cities. In addition, a multiscale (micro, midi, and maxi) approach, combined with SWOT, Weighted SWOT, and TOWS analyses, was applied to identify key factors, barriers, and possible directions for implementation and development strategies. The results showed that the greatest potential of these systems lies in the synergy between water and energy recovery and resource efficiency, while energy intensity and regulatory frameworks have remained major challenges. The proposed strategic approach highlights the need to link food production to renewable energy sources, implement simplified evaluation standards (TEA/LCA-lite), and strengthen social acceptance through education and transparency. Circular urban agriculture emerged as a new type of infrastructure, both technological and social, that may become a pillar of sustainable and resilient cities in the future, supporting the achievement of SDGs 11, 12, and 13. Full article

The construction industry is a major consumer of raw materials and a significant contributor to global waste. In Canada, the construction, renovation, and demolition (CRD) sector diverts only 16% of its waste from landfills, underscoring the urgent need for circular economy (CE) practices. This study develops a generalizable and reproducible framework for archetype identification to support CE strategies, with a focus on Montréal, Canada’s second-largest city. We define a new set of exterior shell archetypes for low-rise residential buildings and demonstrate their application in a neighborhood-scale case study. These archetypes enable systematic estimation of material and component stocks, as well as end-of-life recovery flows, across a representative sample of buildings in the Mercier–Hochelaga–Maisonneuve district. Results show that prioritizing reuse can nearly double material recovery compared to conventional sorting and recycling. More broadly, this framework advances engineering design for circular systems by integrating component-level data into reuse strategy assessment and providing a scalable approach for urban circularity. Full article

We developed and evaluated a compact mushroom fruiting chamber equipped with Internet of Things technologies, designed to support decentralized urban agriculture. The system was constructed from a retrofitted glass-door refrigerator and integrated with Internet-connected sensors and a custom microcontroller to monitor and regulate temperature and humidity continuously. The control unit managed key variables, including temperature and relative humidity, during the cultivation of Pleurotus ostreatus mushrooms. Experimental trials assessed the effectiveness of the IoT-based system in maintaining optimal growth conditions by dynamically adjusting parameters tailored to the fungus’s specific physiological requirements during fruiting. The prototype successfully maintained a stable cultivation environment, achieving an average temperature of 25.0 °C (±0.7 °C) and relative humidity of 90% (±8%). Under optimized conditions (18 °C, with the cultivation block plastic cover preserved), mushroom yield reached 230 ± 2 g per block, corresponding to a biological efficiency of 44% and an estimated productivity of up to 612.04 kg m⁻² per year. Furthermore, the system achieved a water footprint of only 4.39 L kg⁻¹ of fresh mushrooms, significantly lower than that typically reported for conventional cultivation methods. These results demonstrate the feasibility of an efficient, compact, and water-saving controlled environment for mushroom cultivation, enabled by IoT-based technologies and organic residue substrates. Remote monitoring and control capabilities support urban food security, reduce transport-related emissions, optimize water use, and promote sustainable practices within a circular economy framework. The system’s adaptability suggests potential scalability to other crops and urban agricultural contexts. Full article

In recent decades, accelerated urban growth in Arequipa has led to the loss of more than 40% of riparian vegetation and increased ecological fragmentation in the Chili River valley. This transformation has degraded water quality and limited equitable access to green and public spaces. Therefore, this research aims to design a Green Corridor along the Chili River as an ecosystem-based strategy to enhance social connectivity and ecological resilience in Arequipa, Peru. The methodology combined an extensive literature review, a comparative analysis of international case studies, and a territorial diagnosis supported by geospatial and climatic data. The process is supported by digital tools such as Google Earth Pro 2025, AutoCAD 2024, SketchUp Pro 2023, and solar simulations with Ladybug-Grasshopper, complemented by data from SENAMHI, SINIA, and the Solar Atlas of Peru. The results propose a resilient green corridor integrating passive and active sustainability strategies, including 40 photovoltaic panels, 44 solar luminaires, biodigesters producing between 90 and 150 kWh per month, and phytotechnologies capable of absorbing 75,225 kg of CO₂ annually, based on WHO conversion factors adapted to high-altitude conditions. The proposal employs eco-efficient materials such as reforested eucalyptus wood and volcanic sillar, creating recreational and productive spaces that promote social cohesion and circular economy. In conclusion, this study demonstrates the potential of ecosystem-based design to regenerate arid urban riverbanks, harmonizing environmental sustainability, social inclusion, and cultural identity. Thus, the Chili River corridor is consolidated as a replicable model of green-blue infrastructure for Andean cities, aligned with Sustainable Development Goals 6, 7, 11, 12, 13, and 15. Full article