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Strategies for Sustainable Urban Development
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Strategies for Sustainable Urban Development

A topical collection in Buildings (ISSN 2075-5309). This collection belongs to the section "Architectural Design, Urban Science, and Real Estate".

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Printed Edition Available!
A printed edition of this Special Issue is available here.

Editors

Prof. Dr. Liyin Shen

grade E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. School of Spatial Planning and Design, Zhejiang University City College, Hangzhou, China
2. School of Management Science and Real Estate, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400045, China
3. Department of Real Estate and Construction, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
Interests: green building; sustainable urbanization; low carbon city; city carrying capacity
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Jorge Ochoa

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Australian Research Centre for Interactive and Virtual Environments (IVE), UniSA STEM, University of South Australia, Adelaide, SA 5000, Australia
Interests: sustainable construction; sustainable urbanisation; smart construction; smart cities
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Haijun Bao

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Spatial Planning and Design, Hangzhou City University, Hangzhou 310015, China
Interests: sustainable urban planning; sustainable urban land use; resilient cities; land policies
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Topical Collection Information

Dear Colleagues,

Buildings invites research papers related to the above theme for inclusion in a Special Issue arranged to be published in 2022.

The aim of this Special Issue is to present the latest research findings and ideas with respect to the theme of strategies for sustainable urban development to readers globally.

The pursuance of sustainable urban development is a dynamic and long term mission as new challenges against the mission continuosly appear. The development of new technologies in the digital era presents opportunities for discovering strategies that are more capable in addressing these challenges. These strategies cross a wide range of dimensions, including governance, economic measures, technical methods, management mechanism, and other aspects.

The inclusion of these research studies on this specific theme in the journal will provide valuable theories and technologies for designating effective methods for promoting sustainable urban development.      

This Special Issue is edited by Liyin Shen, Jorge Ochoa, and Haijun Bao.

This collection belongs to the Architectural Design, Urban Science, and Real Estate Section.

Prof. Dr. Liyin Shen
Dr. Jorge Ochoa
Prof. Dr. Haijun Bao
Guest Editors

Yitian Ren, PhD Researcher
Guest Editor Assistant
Department of Planning and Environmental Management, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
Email: [email protected]

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the collection website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Buildings is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

 

Keywords

  • sustainable urbanization
  • sustainable urban planning and design
  • sustainable urban land use
  • digital technologies
  • sustainability measures
  • urban policy and governance
  • sustainable development goals
  • circular economy
  • response to COVID-19

Published Papers (32 papers)

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2024

Jump to: 2023, 2022, 2021

30 pages, 2406 KiB  
Article
Cause Identification and Coupling Relationship Analysis of Urban Problems: A Case Study of Poor Parking Convenience
by Wei Chen, Yishuai Tian, Yanhua Wang, Hang Yan and Yong Wang
Buildings 2024, 14(2), 516; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/buildings14020516 - 14 Feb 2024
Viewed by 547
Abstract
As the size and complexity of cities around the world increase, various types of urban problems are emerging. These problems are caused by multiple factors that have complex relationships with each other. Addressing a single cause blindly may result in additional problems, so [...] Read more.
As the size and complexity of cities around the world increase, various types of urban problems are emerging. These problems are caused by multiple factors that have complex relationships with each other. Addressing a single cause blindly may result in additional problems, so it is crucial to understand how urban problems arise and how their causes interact. The study utilizes the Grey Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (Grey-DEMATEL), in conjunction with the Grey Interpretative Structural Model (Grey-ISM), to construct a hierarchical structure that examines the relationships between the causes of urban problems, thereby revealing the root causes and developmental mechanisms of urban problems. The Grey Matrix Cross-Reference Multiplication Applied to Classification (Grey-MICMAC) method was employed to clarify the influence and position of each cause. The Poor Parking Convenience (PPC) in Wuhan, China, is taken as a case study. The findings reveal the following: (1) the proposed method effectively identifies the key causes and processes of urban problems; (2) the insufficient management of roadside parking areas and impractical allocation of temporary parking spaces are the two main causes of PPC in Wuhan City. This method would be helpful to urban managers in discovering the causes of urban problems and formulating corresponding policies, to ultimately contribute towards healthy urban and sustainable development. Full article
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21 pages, 12687 KiB  
Article
Investigating of Spatiotemporal Correlation between Urban Spatial Form and Urban Ecological Resilience: A Case Study of the City Cluster in the Yangzi River Midstream, China
by Jialei Huang and Hong Geng
Buildings 2024, 14(1), 274; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/buildings14010274 - 19 Jan 2024
Viewed by 665
Abstract
The anthropogenic disturbance caused by irrational urbanization impacts the ecological security of cities. The study of the relationship between urban spatial form (USF) and urban ecological resilience (UER) can offer guidance for sustainable urban development. We select the UER evaluation indexes and construct [...] Read more.
The anthropogenic disturbance caused by irrational urbanization impacts the ecological security of cities. The study of the relationship between urban spatial form (USF) and urban ecological resilience (UER) can offer guidance for sustainable urban development. We select the UER evaluation indexes and construct a DRSIR model based on the causal relationship among the natural, social, and economic dimensions of cities. We also carried out empirical research on the impact of USF on UER in the city cluster located in the Yangtze River midstream (YRM) through the geographical and temporal weighted regression (GTWR) model and geographical detector for four time cross-sections: 2005, 2010, 2015, and 2020. The following findings were obtained: (1) The computing results for UERIs of cities in the YRM noticeably and consistently increased during the study period, exhibiting a spatial distribution pattern with high values in the southeast, second-highest in the northwest, and low values in the center. (2) The regression coefficients of USFIs and UERIs displayed significant spatial and temporal variations in the YRM during the study period. (3) CA, AWMPFD, PD, and AI showed a positive correlation with UERIs, while PD exhibited a negative correlation with UERIs. (4) LPI and AI emerged as the primary drivers of spatial heterogeneity in UERIs, and the interaction between these two factors significantly enhanced their impact on UERIs compared to individual influencing factors. Exploring the correlation between UER and USF can be utilized to provide urban management recommendations that are suitable for the level of urban development, which will contribute to the achievement of sustainable development in the YRM. Full article
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16 pages, 3373 KiB  
Article
Community Governance in Age-Friendly Community Regeneration—A Case Study on Installing Elevators in Old Residential Buildings
by Kailun Fang, Yifei Wu and Lu Jiao
Buildings 2024, 14(1), 125; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/buildings14010125 - 02 Jan 2024
Viewed by 937
Abstract
The rise in aging world populations poses enormous concerns, among which is the critical topic of how to promote active aging by improving the health and well-being of the elderly. Accordingly, installing elevators in old residential buildings has become a main issue in [...] Read more.
The rise in aging world populations poses enormous concerns, among which is the critical topic of how to promote active aging by improving the health and well-being of the elderly. Accordingly, installing elevators in old residential buildings has become a main issue in age-friendly community regeneration to make it easier for the elderly to go outside. There is limited evidence on stakeholder involvement in age-friendly community regeneration. Some studies have overlooked the fact that fostering age-friendly communities in developing countries requires innovative governance for inclusive physical and social features despite the low awareness of citizen engagement. With reference to community governance as a structure and process, a theoretical framework is proposed to understand the practice of elevator installation in age-friendly community regeneration in Guangzhou, China. This study adopted the questionnaire survey method and collected 455 valid samples (150 valid samples with installed elevators; 305 valid samples did not install elevators). The findings led to the following conclusions: (1) shared common interests lead to effective community governance and smooth elevator installation; (2) some communities failed to install elevators due to opposition from people whose interests were hindered; and (3) it is important to set up self-governing organizations and find key people in community governance for interest-based negotiation. This paper’s contribution is that it makes up for the deficiency in the previous research that has neglected the elderly’s participation in public affairs via age-friendly community regeneration. Finally, this study suggests further research on the dynamic processes of different types of age-friendly community regeneration affairs. Full article
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2023

Jump to: 2024, 2022, 2021

17 pages, 1286 KiB  
Article
Energy Management and Environmental Protection in Industrial Parks: A Comparative Study of Central Taiwan Science Park and Silicon Glen
by Fu-Hsuan Chen and Hao-Ren Liu
Buildings 2023, 13(9), 2299; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/buildings13092299 - 09 Sep 2023
Viewed by 913
Abstract
This manuscript focuses on analyzing the growth dynamics of the Central Taiwan Science Park (CTSP) and Silicon Glen in Scotland with a specific emphasis on their approaches to energy, environmental conservation, and economic management. The objective is to provide insights into their sustainable [...] Read more.
This manuscript focuses on analyzing the growth dynamics of the Central Taiwan Science Park (CTSP) and Silicon Glen in Scotland with a specific emphasis on their approaches to energy, environmental conservation, and economic management. The objective is to provide insights into their sustainable development strategies. In terms of energy, CTSP addresses Taiwan’s energy security and green transformation challenges, while Silicon Glen concentrates on Scotland’s wind energy generation technologies. Both regions prioritize the advancement of renewable energy sources and smart grid technologies. In the realm of environmental conservation, both CTSP and Silicon Glen prioritize environmental protection and sustainability by implementing rigorous environmental monitoring measures. Regarding economic management, CTSP and Silicon Glen serve as vital technology industry hubs in Taiwan and Scotland, respectively, attracting a multitude of high-tech and startup enterprises. This growth is facilitated through various means, including policy support, access to research resources, and robust infrastructure. This manuscript presents a comparative analysis of these two industrial parks, focusing on their environmental and economic management strategies. It aims to elucidate the principles underpinning the sustainable development and economic growth of industrial parks, offering valuable insights to decision-makers and stakeholders involved in the planning of sustainable industrial parks. Full article
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13 pages, 1108 KiB  
Article
Assessing Sustainable Development Initiatives in Central Taiwan Science Park: A Study of Residents’ Opinions and the Impact on the Urban Ecosystem
by Fu-Hsuan Chen
Buildings 2023, 13(5), 1202; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/buildings13051202 - 30 Apr 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1702
Abstract
The present study aims to explore the role of the Central Taiwan Science Park (CTSP) in promoting sustainable development, with a specific focus on the park’s recycling technologies. By combining survey research and conducting in-depth interviews with residents living around the CTSP, their [...] Read more.
The present study aims to explore the role of the Central Taiwan Science Park (CTSP) in promoting sustainable development, with a specific focus on the park’s recycling technologies. By combining survey research and conducting in-depth interviews with residents living around the CTSP, their observations were analyzed using statistical data released by the government. The purpose of this study is to gain a deeper understanding of how technology parks can promote circular economy and waste reduction, as well as to understand the potential impact of the CTSP on the environment and neighboring communities. The study found that the CTSP is committed to maximizing the use of recycling and has established advanced recycling facilities and green infrastructure to promote waste reduction. Residents’ opinions played a crucial role in understanding the current situation and the way forward, helping the CTSP design effective green infrastructure for the urban ecosystem. The results of this study could inform stakeholders about sustainable recycling and zero-waste initiatives in Taiwan’s technology industry and support government efforts to cultivate more sustainable urban ecosystems. Furthermore, this study found that environmental education can effectively raise awareness and promote action Full article
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21 pages, 2642 KiB  
Article
User-Centric Innovation District Planning: Lessons from Brisbane’s Leading Innovation Districts
by Niusha Esmaeilpoorarabi and Tan Yigitcanlar
Buildings 2023, 13(4), 883; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/buildings13040883 - 28 Mar 2023
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1642
Abstract
Innovation districts are widely known as an effective land use type for fostering and sustaining knowledge and innovation economy growth in cities. Knowledge workers and the public are among the main stakeholders and key drivers for the growth of innovation districts. However, these [...] Read more.
Innovation districts are widely known as an effective land use type for fostering and sustaining knowledge and innovation economy growth in cities. Knowledge workers and the public are among the main stakeholders and key drivers for the growth of innovation districts. However, these groups’ needs are often not well considered in the top-down implementation of innovation districts. This paper aims to explore the user preferences and decision makers’ perspectives in innovation district planning, design, and development. The study tackles the question of which characteristics fulfil the responsibility of innovation districts toward both societies (reflecting user preferences) and cities (reflecting decision makers’ perspectives). As for the methodology, a case study approach was employed to collect the required data from three innovation districts in Brisbane, Australia. The data are qualitatively and quantitatively analysed. The analysis findings highlighted the similarities between user preferences and decision makers’ perspectives—e.g., usefulness of decentralisation, urbanism, mixed-use development, street life, and social interactions in innovation districts—and the differences that need to be carefully factored into the planning, design, and development of innovation districts with a user-centric approach. Full article
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4 pages, 166 KiB  
Editorial
Strategies for Sustainable Urban Development—Addressing the Challenges of the 21st Century
by Liyin Shen, J. Jorge Ochoa and Haijun Bao
Buildings 2023, 13(4), 847; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/buildings13040847 - 23 Mar 2023
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2218
Abstract
Urbanisation has been one of the most transformative processes of our time, and in recent decades has led to significant changes in the way we live, work, and interact with the world around us [...] Full article
4 pages, 180 KiB  
Editorial
Strategies for Sustainable Urban Development—Exploring Innovative Approaches for a Liveable Future
by Liyin Shen, J. Jorge Ochoa and Haijun Bao
Buildings 2023, 13(3), 764; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/buildings13030764 - 14 Mar 2023
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1429
Abstract
Cities are the engines of economic growth, but they are also the source of many environmental and social challenges [...] Full article
22 pages, 2541 KiB  
Article
Analysis of the Conflicts in the Process of Industrial Building Renovation Based on Grounded Theory: A China Study
by Lu Han, Buqing Fang, Wei Feng and Wangyue Zhou
Buildings 2023, 13(3), 676; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/buildings13030676 - 03 Mar 2023
Viewed by 1598
Abstract
With the transformation of industry in China, and industrial production changes from an incremental economy to a stock economy, a massive renovation of industrial buildings and intensification of renovation conflicts coexist. Industrial building renovation conflict seriously affects industrial building renovation. Based on the [...] Read more.
With the transformation of industry in China, and industrial production changes from an incremental economy to a stock economy, a massive renovation of industrial buildings and intensification of renovation conflicts coexist. Industrial building renovation conflict seriously affects industrial building renovation. Based on the Grounded Theory, this paper selects Ningbo City as the research area and builds the “interest–situation–conflict” model through investigation and interview, exploring the reasons for conflicts and the influencing factors of industrial building renovation. Situational factors for three types of conflicts, namely, government–residents, government–enterprises, and residents–enterprises, are greatly affected by policies and systems, supervision and feedback, and different standpoints, respectively. Based on the “interest-situation-conflict” model, this paper analyzes the reasons for the conflicts among government, enterprises, and residents and puts forward countermeasures to solve nimby (not in my back yard) conflict, compensation conflict, development conflict, goals conflict, financial conflict, participation conflict, and conflict of interests and rights, so as to promote the renovation of industrial buildings. Full article
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16 pages, 1736 KiB  
Article
The Perception of Urban Regeneration by Stakeholders: A Case Study of the Student Village Design Project in Korea
by Joo Young Kim, Jung Hoon Kim and Kyung Wook Seo
Buildings 2023, 13(2), 516; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/buildings13020516 - 14 Feb 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1942
Abstract
Urban regeneration by participatory methods is being discussed in many parts of the world, but conflicts between stakeholders emerge as a major challenge. In order to address this problem, a new approach to urban regeneration has been attempted in Korea. By targeting towns [...] Read more.
Urban regeneration by participatory methods is being discussed in many parts of the world, but conflicts between stakeholders emerge as a major challenge. In order to address this problem, a new approach to urban regeneration has been attempted in Korea. By targeting towns with university campuses, this project encourages active participation from university students as well as local residents. As a result of COVID-19 restrictions, the project adopted an online-based communication strategy. First, the online data was collected; second, the data for each participant was classified through data refinement; and third, the data analysis and data visualization were carried out at each stage using program R. The results revealed that the stakeholders exhibited different perceptions about the process, indicating a potential benefit of distinct role division for the success of the multiparty project. The significance of this study lies in the fact that it analyzes participants’ perceptions of urban regeneration using a text-mining process. The results of the study can serve as the basis for minimizing conflict and planning effective urban regeneration. Full article
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11 pages, 2932 KiB  
Article
Participation as a Tool for the Sustainable Redesign of Vacant Heritage: The Case of Politiebureau Groningen Centrum
by Chi Liu, Joana dos Santos Gonçalves and Wido Quist
Buildings 2023, 13(2), 515; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/buildings13020515 - 14 Feb 2023
Viewed by 1758
Abstract
This paper explores the opportunities for locals’ participation as a tool for the sustainable redevelopment of vacant heritage. It focuses on the Politiebureau Groningen Centrum (The Netherlands) as a case study to apply a novel approach to engage community participation in architectural redesign. [...] Read more.
This paper explores the opportunities for locals’ participation as a tool for the sustainable redevelopment of vacant heritage. It focuses on the Politiebureau Groningen Centrum (The Netherlands) as a case study to apply a novel approach to engage community participation in architectural redesign. It fills the academic gap on participation in heritage building redesign lacking diversity in stakeholder perspectives and overcomes some of the current participatory design tools’ downsides, identified in the previous literature: lack of transparent communication and high requirement for participants. This research employs a combination of methods structured by sets of divergent and convergent phases. Cognitive mapping, semi-structured interviewing, and a 2,5D model game were tested in the research for inquiry and redesign testing, the two key participatory stages. The research outcomes include participants’ perceptions and remembrance of the site for generating redesign scenarios, the common ground in their scenario preferences, and their contrasting attitudes toward the overall material and the specific elements. The 2,5D model game tool turns out effective in transparently delivering the redesign possibilities to participants and lowering the requirements of time, language skill, and learning capacity, thus being easily repeatable for other sites and participants to boost social and community values. Future research recommendations are given on applying the approach to larger samples covering all the minorities to get in-depth knowledge on the community’s collective perspectives in relation to their sociodemographic characteristics and validate the hypothesis on their preferences toward materials and elements. Full article
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2022

Jump to: 2024, 2023, 2021

32 pages, 28295 KiB  
Article
Identifying Barriers to the Digitalization of China’s Real Estate Enterprises in Operations Management with an Integrated FTA–DEMATEL–ISM Approach
by Ying Xiang, Qiaoyun Jiang, Yicheng Zhang and Wangyue Zhou
Buildings 2023, 13(1), 100; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/buildings13010100 - 30 Dec 2022
Viewed by 2208
Abstract
This paper aims to identify indicators of the obstacles that affect the digitalization of real estate enterprises in their operations management, and analyze the influence, hierarchy and relationships of these indicators. The indicators of obstacles that affect the digitalization of real estate enterprise [...] Read more.
This paper aims to identify indicators of the obstacles that affect the digitalization of real estate enterprises in their operations management, and analyze the influence, hierarchy and relationships of these indicators. The indicators of obstacles that affect the digitalization of real estate enterprise operations management were explored by searching the literature and using the Delphi method and a word cloud diagram. The obstacle indicator system was built according to the upstream, middle and downstream levels of the value chain. The FTA obstacle model was used to analyze the influence of obstacle index, and the DEMATEL–ISM model was used to analyze the hierarchical structure and correlations between indicators. The results are as follows. The biggest barriers in real estate digitalization are in the upstream level, such as the difficulty in adopting new technologies, lack of information technology talent and the high cost of digital software. According to analysis from the DEMATEL–ISM, the difficulty of enterprises to use new technologies has a deep-rooted influence on the digitalization of real estate enterprises. Lack of information technology talent and the high cost of digital software in the upstream level as well as barriers related to a company’s development strategy and investment willingness constitute barriers in the midstream level. These barriers not only affect the external and internal links, but also influence each other. The lack of overall regulation and supervision can explain the reason for these barriers. Full article
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16 pages, 2023 KiB  
Article
Post-Occupancy Evaluation of Sports Parks during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Taking Sports Parks in Beijing as Examples
by Xianfeng Wu and Xiangyu Li
Buildings 2022, 12(12), 2250; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/buildings12122250 - 16 Dec 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1893
Abstract
China fully built a wealthy society but faced a serious COVID-19 epidemic together with the rest of the world. The emergence of the epidemic highlights the importance of sports parks for physical activity. By reviewing national fitness policies and identifying several types of [...] Read more.
China fully built a wealthy society but faced a serious COVID-19 epidemic together with the rest of the world. The emergence of the epidemic highlights the importance of sports parks for physical activity. By reviewing national fitness policies and identifying several types of sports parks, this paper investigates urban dwellers’ usage and preferences in sports parks by means of a questionnaire, with behavioural observation and interviews as complementary research methods. Taking the Beijing Olympic Forest Park, Sun Park, and Huilongguan Park as examples, this study reveals that participants present a high overall satisfaction with the sports parks. The factor analysis indicates that Sports Facilities and Maintenance & Management are the first and second most significant factors influencing residents’ willingness to use sports parks. This research can guide the planning and construction of sports park in the future. Full article
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16 pages, 2557 KiB  
Article
Green Roofs as an Approach to Enhance Urban Sustainability: A Study of Public Perception in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
by Ali Alqahtany
Buildings 2022, 12(12), 2202; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/buildings12122202 - 12 Dec 2022
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 3475
Abstract
This study focuses on highlighting the major effects and challenges being faced in the implementation of the green roof technique in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Green roofs have proven to be energy efficient, environment friendly, and economical in a long run. Due to the [...] Read more.
This study focuses on highlighting the major effects and challenges being faced in the implementation of the green roof technique in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Green roofs have proven to be energy efficient, environment friendly, and economical in a long run. Due to the increasing global environment temperature, it has become necessary to implement such sustainable methods that help in the achievement of urban sustainability. Saudi Arabia has seen some reluctance in the implementation of green roofs in buildings. The reasons for not adopting this system have not been reported as yet. To study the level of awareness among the public and the challenges they are facing regarding green roofs, this study was taken up. A survey questionnaire was designed with a high level of flexibility covering the key issues, including the related areas that are affected in the daily life of a resident and also the challenges faced by the general public in the installation of such systems in their existing or new buildings. An extensive literature review and a reconnaissance survey were performed before shortlisting the major factors and challenges to be included in the survey questionnaire. An overwhelming response was received from the people of Riyadh City. Almost 94% of people agreed to the fact that green roofs enhance the aesthetics of the building, and the same number of people agreed that they play a role in controlling the air quality. On the other hand, 91% of the respondents identified the climate of the area as the biggest challenge in implementing green roofs on the buildings. The study concludes with strong recommendations for the local authorities to plan quick actions. The study shall help the building owners, city planners, and policy makers in identifying the major hurdles being faced by the residents in adopting green roofs and will help them to provide solutions to these issues. Full article
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20 pages, 5283 KiB  
Article
A Parametric Framework to Assess Generative Urban Design Proposals for Transit-Oriented Development
by Xiaoran Huang, Wei Yuan, Marcus White and Nano Langenheim
Buildings 2022, 12(11), 1971; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/buildings12111971 - 14 Nov 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2379
Abstract
Urban design has been valuable in bringing the principles of transit-oriented development (TOD) into reality. However, a majority of recommendations summarized by scholars for promoting TODs through urban design have failed to promote the progress of the urban design. The main reason for [...] Read more.
Urban design has been valuable in bringing the principles of transit-oriented development (TOD) into reality. However, a majority of recommendations summarized by scholars for promoting TODs through urban design have failed to promote the progress of the urban design. The main reason for this issue is the long-standing tradition of design decision-making based on designers’ experience and the lack of quantitative assessment feedback on design schemes. With the development of big data and artificial intelligence, optimisation-based generative design has been explored to overcome the limitations of experience-based urban design approaches. However, the techniques and workflows are still not mature enough for designers to adopt. In response to these challenges, this study proposes a framework that integrates the generative design method and data-driven decision-making approach for urban design solutions that better implement the basic principles of TODs. Based on the urban design intelligence for TODs, this framework uses parametric tools and models to evaluate the generative urban design proposals, providing timely feedback to support the design decisions. The framework is applied to a case study to examine the feasibility. It is demonstrated that this approach succeeds in selecting optimal TOD design solutions. The role of designers’ decision-making in generative urban design, as well as the importance of quantitative and qualitative assessment in experience-based decision-making, are highlighted. Full article
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34 pages, 3916 KiB  
Article
The Principles of Design for Vulnerable Communities: A Research by Design Approach Overrunning the Disciplinary Boundaries
by Emanuele Giorgi, Tiziano Cattaneo and Karol Paulina Serrato Guerrero
Buildings 2022, 12(11), 1789; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/buildings12111789 - 25 Oct 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 3764
Abstract
Current changes are making communities, cities, and territories increasingly vulnerable. Urban architectural interventions have the power to intervene this situation, directly reducing vulnerabilities or backing social initiatives. Urban and architectural interventions, however, are also those that take a longer time to be implemented [...] Read more.
Current changes are making communities, cities, and territories increasingly vulnerable. Urban architectural interventions have the power to intervene this situation, directly reducing vulnerabilities or backing social initiatives. Urban and architectural interventions, however, are also those that take a longer time to be implemented and to impact society. For this, these interventions must be sustained by broad and transversal visions, as well as referring to the temporal context of the coming decades. For these reasons, the research project “Design for Vulnerables” aims to define which methodologies should be adopted to reduce urban vulnerabilities in the coming decades. A design workshop, set in a vulnerable community in the northern Mexico, was organized, documented, and analyzed. Based on the research by design methodology, the research highlighted current issues, transversal to urban-architectural design, which influence urban vulnerabilities. This multidisciplinary approach made it possible to generating a set of principles of Design for Vulnerables, graphically represented by a re-interpretation of the Krebs cycle. Full article
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17 pages, 2310 KiB  
Article
Measuring Street Network Efficiency and Block Sizes in Superblocks—Addressing the Gap between Policy and Practice
by Rim Anabtawi and Martin Scoppa
Buildings 2022, 12(10), 1686; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/buildings12101686 - 13 Oct 2022
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 1768
Abstract
This paper uses quantitative methods to evaluate the application of street connectivity policies stated by Abu Dhabi’s Urban Planning Council (UPC) on newly developed projects. The evaluation of the study was performed by measuring efficiency, i.e., how short and direct are paths between [...] Read more.
This paper uses quantitative methods to evaluate the application of street connectivity policies stated by Abu Dhabi’s Urban Planning Council (UPC) on newly developed projects. The evaluation of the study was performed by measuring efficiency, i.e., how short and direct are paths between residential and nonresidential destinations to understand the ability of street networks to support sustainable transportation modes in the Capital District project. Efficiency is measured in twelve neighborhoods of the Capital District using Pedestrian Route Directness (PRD), a metric that meets Estidama—Abu Dhabi Green Rating System—walkability standards. Observation and analysis of the current stage of development show that more than 58% of the neighborhoods failed the route efficiency test to connect residential plots to one another. In addition, more than 40% of the neighborhood’s residential plots could not efficiently connect to nonresidential plots. The study includes recommendations for policymakers and project developers to enhance the street infrastructure to correlate with Estidama ratings by taking advantage of sikkak, the alleyways system that is found in other neighborhoods in the city. Significantly, recommendations are based on rigorous quantitative analyses that can be used for implementation in real-world projects, thus strengthening the connection between policy and practice. Full article
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32 pages, 3637 KiB  
Article
Structural Relationship between COVID-19, Night-Time Economic Vitality, and Credit-Card Sales: The Application of a Formative Measurement Model in PLS-SEM
by Seong-a Kim and Heungsoon Kim
Buildings 2022, 12(10), 1606; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/buildings12101606 - 04 Oct 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1513
Abstract
Cities worldwide are actively promoting their Night-Time Economies (NTEs) to recover from the economic crisis caused by COVID-19. However, in the case of Seoul, Korea, the interest in the NTE from an urban perspective remains insufficient. Therefore, this study was performed with the [...] Read more.
Cities worldwide are actively promoting their Night-Time Economies (NTEs) to recover from the economic crisis caused by COVID-19. However, in the case of Seoul, Korea, the interest in the NTE from an urban perspective remains insufficient. Therefore, this study was performed with the following two objectives: (1) To empirically identify the characteristics of Korea’s NTE and derive an indicator of the nighttime economic vitality (NTEV) by considering the NTE in urban regions; (2) to explore the structural relationship between NTEV, COVID-19, and credit-card sales in Seoul, to which operational restrictions were stringently applied according to the COVID-19 policy of Korea. The NTEV was evaluated using indicators of the nightly floating population, night-lighting value, and number of entertainment facilities. Moreover, to identify the structural relationship between COVID-19, NTEV, and credit-card sales based on abnormal analysis data, a formative measurement model of the partial least squares structural equipment modeling framework was used. The results highlighted that the effect of COVID-19 differed depending on the density of facilities to which the “social distancing policy” was applied, and the NTEV boosted the consumption economy of the entire city. Moreover, we empirically confirmed that an increase in the number of confirmed COVID-19 patients directly or indirectly decreased credit-card sales, which deteriorated the urban economy. Full article
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18 pages, 2343 KiB  
Article
Decarbonization of the Colombian Building Sector: Social Network Analysis of Enabling Stakeholders
by John Salazar, Jose Guevara, Monica Espinosa, Felipe Rivera and Juan F. Franco
Buildings 2022, 12(10), 1531; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings12101531 - 26 Sep 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1880
Abstract
Reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions is one of the main challenges to stopping climate change; in particular, the building sector acts as one of the main emitters. In response, governments have been developing nationally determined contributions (NDCs) and roadmaps to establish measures to [...] Read more.
Reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions is one of the main challenges to stopping climate change; in particular, the building sector acts as one of the main emitters. In response, governments have been developing nationally determined contributions (NDCs) and roadmaps to establish measures to achieve net-zero emissions. One of the main barriers to implementing these measures, particularly in the building sector, underlays in stakeholder integration. Through social network analysis (SNA) concepts, this research explores the roles of the actors whose participation is required in decarbonizing the Colombian building sector. These stakeholders engage in enabling categories (e.g., policy, finance, technology, and capacity development) required to achieve net-zero emissions, according to the goals proposed by the Colombian Green Building Council (CGBC). For the network analysis, we employ the results of semi-structured interviews led by the CGBC within the framework of the Zero Carbon Building Accelerator (ZCBA) project. Findings show highly interconnected networks characterized by redundant connections among actors. Three types of actors are identified within each enabler network: prominent actors with high centrality values, in charge of coordinating most of the actions required to achieve net-zero emissions; second-level actors limited to specific roles in policy-making processes; and perimeter actors focused on a few particular actions. Full article
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11 pages, 3202 KiB  
Article
A Classification-Based Blockchain Architecture for Smart Home with Hierarchical PoW Mechanism
by Weilu Lv, Ning Wang, Xianwang Xie and Zhen Hong
Buildings 2022, 12(9), 1321; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/buildings12091321 - 29 Aug 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1513
Abstract
Smart home, as a typical Internet of Things (IoT) application, provides people with a variety of conveniences. Unfortunately, it may suffer from security and privacy issues. Currently, blockchain theory is considered as one of the potential solutions to the IoT security problem. However, [...] Read more.
Smart home, as a typical Internet of Things (IoT) application, provides people with a variety of conveniences. Unfortunately, it may suffer from security and privacy issues. Currently, blockchain theory is considered as one of the potential solutions to the IoT security problem. However, according to the rules of blockchain, it requires large storage to store distributed ledgers and undertakes long latency caused by proof of work (PoW), which cannot be performed by resource-constrained IoT devices. To address the issue, we propose a classification-based blockchain architecture with a hierarchical PoW mechanism, which can reduce the storage consumption and decrease the latency. In our architecture, we divide IoT devices into several child nodes by data classification and convert the data storage into partial network storage. Furthermore, we try to set the moderate-cost security grades (SG) to adjust the difficulty of PoW for reduction of latency. Finally, comparing the performance of our scheme with the traditional method and current technology, the proposed architecture not only takes up less storage (i.e., almost 90% reduction) but also increases efficiency (i.e., almost 50% running time saving) while ensuring safety. Full article
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22 pages, 1457 KiB  
Article
Identifying Critical Influencing Factors of the Value Creation of Urban Rail Transit PPP Projects in China
by Xuewei Li, Jingfeng Yuan, Xuan Liu, Yongjian Ke and Sijia Jia
Buildings 2022, 12(8), 1080; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/buildings12081080 - 24 Jul 2022
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2101
Abstract
Value creation is the primary motivation for public-private cooperation. The development of urban rail transit (URT) projects requires heavy investment and abundant construction and management experience. Thus, public-private partnership (PPP) is usually adopted in URT project development to benefit the public and private [...] Read more.
Value creation is the primary motivation for public-private cooperation. The development of urban rail transit (URT) projects requires heavy investment and abundant construction and management experience. Thus, public-private partnership (PPP) is usually adopted in URT project development to benefit the public and private sectors. However, with the high-quality development of PPP projects, the value creation of URT PPP projects is not only about achieving basic project objectives but also relying on partner synergy to achieve value-added. Based on the extended connotation of value creation, this study intends to systematically identify the influencing factors of value creation of URT PPP projects in China. The grounded theory approach was adopted to deduce the influencing factors of value creation through analyzing the various types of articles related to Chinese URT PPP projects. Resources complementarity among stakeholders, cooperation environment, and partnership synergy were identified as the main influencing factors. Meanwhile, a theoretical model that described how these influencing factors combined to promote value creation during public-private sectors cooperation of URT projects was established. This research helps broaden the understanding of how public and private sectors should cooperate and collaborate in URT projects to realize value maximization and promote the sustainable development of URT PPP projects and provides a model for further empirical examination. Full article
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20 pages, 2190 KiB  
Article
Evaluation and Factor Analysis for Urban Resilience: A Case Study of Chengdu–Chongqing Urban Agglomeration
by Bo Wang, Shan Han, Yibin Ao and Fangwei Liao
Buildings 2022, 12(7), 962; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/buildings12070962 - 06 Jul 2022
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2677
Abstract
Resilient cities provide a new operating mechanism for sustainable urban development and can effectively reduce urban disaster losses. Urban resilience has become an important research topic, but few scholars focus on the urban resilience of urban agglomerations in western China. Therefore, this paper [...] Read more.
Resilient cities provide a new operating mechanism for sustainable urban development and can effectively reduce urban disaster losses. Urban resilience has become an important research topic, but few scholars focus on the urban resilience of urban agglomerations in western China. Therefore, this paper takes the Chengdu–Chongqing urban agglomeration of China as the study area and aims to evaluate the resilience level of cities in typical regions of western China. This study uses multiple interdisciplinary methods, such as the entropy weight method, Theil index, and geographically and temporally weighted regression, to evaluate the resilience levels of 16 cities in the region and discuss the influencing factors of regional urban resilience. The results show that the urban resilience of cities in the Chengdu–Chongqing urban agglomeration has evolved from a low to high level. Additionally, there are significant spatial differences in urban resilience in the Chengdu–Chongqing urban agglomeration, and the resilience levels of cities in the east and west of the region are relatively high, while the resilience levels of cities in the south and north are relatively low. Further research found that factors such as administrative level, marketization level, industrial structure, population density, urbanization level, and emergency facility level all have a significant positive impact on the improvement of urban resilience, but this impact has spatial and temporal heterogeneity. Based on the above research results, the strategies have been proposed from the perspective of sustainable urban development to provide a new theoretical support and decision-making reference for improving the resilience level of urban agglomerations in western China. Full article
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15 pages, 524 KiB  
Article
The Influence of Administrative Division Adjustment on Enterprise Earnings Management: A Quasi-Natural Experiment on City–County Consolidation
by Yueling Xu, Yijiu Ge and Haijun Bao
Buildings 2022, 12(7), 951; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/buildings12070951 - 04 Jul 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1249
Abstract
City–county consolidation is a common measure used by many cities to promote urbanization. This study develops the theoretical transmission mechanism, “city-county consolidation intensifies competition in the enterprise market improves the earnings management level of enterprises,” to analyze the influence of city–county consolidation on [...] Read more.
City–county consolidation is a common measure used by many cities to promote urbanization. This study develops the theoretical transmission mechanism, “city-county consolidation intensifies competition in the enterprise market improves the earnings management level of enterprises,” to analyze the influence of city–county consolidation on enterprises’ earnings management. An empirical analysis using the difference-in-differences (DID) method was conducted on data of industrial enterprises from 1999 to 2006. The results show that city–county consolidation promotes motivation for the use of enterprises’ earnings management. Second, city–county consolidation significantly intensifies enterprises’ downward earnings management behavior. Third, following city–county consolidation, non-state-owned enterprises are more strongly motivated to implement earnings management than state-owned enterprises. Fourth, city–county consolidation only significantly impacts the earnings management of enterprises affiliated with counties; it does not significantly impact the earnings management of those affiliated with central, provincial, or municipal governments. Therefore, this study provides empirical evidence from the perspective of market competition, which has important reference significance for urbanization development to improve national governance capacity by optimizing administrative divisions. Full article
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15 pages, 901 KiB  
Article
Behaviour-Driven Energy-Saving in Hotels: The Roles of Extraversion and Past Behaviours on Guests’ Energy-Conservation Intention
by Yi-Bin Li, Tian-Yuan Wang, Rui-Xin Lin, Si-Nan Yu, Xuan Liu, Qian-Cheng Wang and Qian Xu
Buildings 2022, 12(7), 941; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/buildings12070941 - 02 Jul 2022
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 2656
Abstract
The growing environmental concerns and the significant energy consumption in hotel buildings make the ability to proactively manage energy and lower carbon intensity essential in the global hospitality industry. Activating guests’ energy-conservation behaviours is a potential strategy for sustainable hotel operation and maintenance. [...] Read more.
The growing environmental concerns and the significant energy consumption in hotel buildings make the ability to proactively manage energy and lower carbon intensity essential in the global hospitality industry. Activating guests’ energy-conservation behaviours is a potential strategy for sustainable hotel operation and maintenance. Yet, the psychological mechanism of hotel building energy-conservation intention and the roles of personality traits have not been sufficiently investigated. This study aims to examine the role of guests’ extraversion levels in their hotel building energy-conservation behavioural intention using a modified theory of planned behaviour (TPB) model. The study extends the TPB model with personal norms and past behaviour as two additional factors and employs past behaviour as a moderator to bridge extraversion and other psychological factors. A field experiment was conducted consisting of 530 hotel guests in Shanghai, China. The results demonstrate the relationships between attitude, behavioural control, personal norms, past behaviour and energy-conservation intention. Specifically, extraversion negatively influences perceived behavioural control (PBC) (β = −0.176, p < 0.001) and positively impacts on personal norms (β = 0.290, p < 0.001), both of which significantly contribute to guest energy-saving intention. In addition, past behaviours positively moderate the effects of extraversion on subjective norms and personal norms. This research enriches the hospitality and tourism management literature by shedding novel light on how guests’ personality characteristics influence their pro-environment intentions during their stays in hotel buildings. The findings would drive the hotel building energy management forward through actionable and effective energy-conservation interventions and enhanced guest satisfaction. Full article
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19 pages, 263 KiB  
Article
New Direction of Sustainable Urbanization: The Impact of Digital Technologies and Policies on China’s In Situ Urbanization
by Chuanxi Zhang and Wenzhang Zhou
Buildings 2022, 12(7), 882; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/buildings12070882 - 23 Jun 2022
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2634
Abstract
As part of the process of sustainable urban planning in China, digital technologies have led to major practical and academic concerns. However, few scholars have focused on the impact of digital technologies on in situ urbanization from a policy–technology perspective. This interdisciplinary work [...] Read more.
As part of the process of sustainable urban planning in China, digital technologies have led to major practical and academic concerns. However, few scholars have focused on the impact of digital technologies on in situ urbanization from a policy–technology perspective. This interdisciplinary work aims to analyze how digital policies and their technologies contribute to the transformation of in situ urbanization patterns. This study follows the structure of law and policy research regarding the path of phenomenon presentation–institutional analysis–limitation interpretation. First, the legislation and policies for digitalization of the countryside has drastically changed the logic of how traditional in situ urbanization works. The concept of in situ urbanization 2.0 is used to describe this new phenomenon. Second, historical legitimacy, performance legitimacy, and socially sustainable reproduction are three reasons why rural digitalization reform has triggered in situ urbanization 2.0. Finally, the double dilemma of overreliance on technological change in the in situ urbanization 2.0 process is pointed out; these dilemmas need to be addressed through legislation and policy adjustments. Four recommendations for action are proposed to address these dilemmas. The findings of this research contribute to the literature on sustainable urban planning and rural digitalization reform. Full article
20 pages, 5999 KiB  
Article
A Technical Proposal for the Implementation of Transfer of Development Rights (TDR) on Preserved Historic Buildings in Turkey
by Yunus Konbul and Mustafa Yanalak
Buildings 2022, 12(6), 778; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/buildings12060778 - 07 Jun 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2006
Abstract
Buildings that have cultural and historical significance are very important elements of our living spaces and they must be protected by public authorities. However, the preservation of these buildings prevents their landowners from using their development rights and causes economic losses. If those [...] Read more.
Buildings that have cultural and historical significance are very important elements of our living spaces and they must be protected by public authorities. However, the preservation of these buildings prevents their landowners from using their development rights and causes economic losses. If those losses are not compensated, it results in social injustice. Leaving this problem unsolved makes historic buildings a target for arson, facilitates the destruction of unregistered (unlisted) historic buildings for redevelopment with a higher density. The traditional methods, namely expropriation and property exchange, generally fail to compensate those development losses. However, the method of transfer of development rights (TDR) can be a good option for this task in Turkey as well. Although there have been some important legislative actions, an “implementing regulation” could not be enacted so far. In this study, we attempt to develop a step-by-step methodology for the implementation of a TDR program from the perspective of land management. The methodology introduced in this paper is also tested for its validity by interviewing 18 professionals from related sectors and all the interviewees agreed on them with minor suggestions. The results derived from this study could benefit not only property owners, but also overall preservation efforts in the country. Full article
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27 pages, 1881 KiB  
Article
Developing a Conceptual Partner Selection Framework: Digital Green Innovation Management of Prefabricated Construction Enterprises for Sustainable Urban Development
by Shi Yin, Tong Dong, Baizhou Li and Shuo Gao
Buildings 2022, 12(6), 721; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/buildings12060721 - 26 May 2022
Cited by 49 | Viewed by 2995
Abstract
Digital green innovation management activities are the core of low-carbon intelligent development of prefabricated construction enterprises (PCEs) for sustainable urban development. PCEs have to seek joint venture partners to avoid the financial risk of digital green innovation projects. The purpose of this study [...] Read more.
Digital green innovation management activities are the core of low-carbon intelligent development of prefabricated construction enterprises (PCEs) for sustainable urban development. PCEs have to seek joint venture partners to avoid the financial risk of digital green innovation projects. The purpose of this study is to develop a conceptual partner selection framework for the digital green innovation management of prefabricated construction towards urban building 5.0. In this study, first, symbiosis theory and six analysis methods were integrated to innovatively build a 3W1H-P framework system for the joint venture capital partner selection of digital green innovation projects. Second, the dual combination weighting method was innovatively proposed to avoid subjective and objective deviation in attribute weight and time weight. Finally, empirical research was carried out to verify the scientific nature, reliability, and practicability of the framework system and selection model. The results of this study show that the framework system and selection model proposed can be used to assist PCEs to select joint investment partners of digital green and innovative projects for sustainable urban development. Full article
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19 pages, 2662 KiB  
Article
Analyzing Electricity Consumption Factors of Buildings in Seoul, Korea Using Multiscale Geographically Weighted Regression
by Hanghun Jo and Heungsoon Kim
Buildings 2022, 12(5), 678; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/buildings12050678 - 19 May 2022
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2030
Abstract
The recent increase in energy consumption worldwide has accelerated global warming. Thus, developed countries are aiming to reduce energy consumption in cities and promote eco-friendly policies. Buildings account for most of the energy used in a city. Therefore, it is necessary to identify [...] Read more.
The recent increase in energy consumption worldwide has accelerated global warming. Thus, developed countries are aiming to reduce energy consumption in cities and promote eco-friendly policies. Buildings account for most of the energy used in a city. Therefore, it is necessary to identify the factors that affect electrical energy consumption in urban buildings. In this study, we use multiscale geographically weighted regression (MGWR) to analyze these urban characteristic factors at the global and local scales in Seoul, Korea. It is found that population and household characteristics, outdoor temperature, green and water areas, building area according to building usage, and construction age significantly affect the electrical energy consumption of buildings. In addition, the influences of these variables change with the region. Variables with different coefficients by region are winter temperature, green and water area, and households with three or more persons. The results confirm that even within a city, the influence of the aforementioned factors varies in terms of spatial distribution and patterns. This study is significant as it carried out basic research for energy consumption reduction in buildings by deriving related influencing factors. Full article
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22 pages, 5718 KiB  
Article
Identification of Urban Functional Areas Based on the Multimodal Deep Learning Fusion of High-Resolution Remote Sensing Images and Social Perception Data
by Lijian Xie, Xiuli Feng, Chi Zhang, Yuyi Dong, Junjie Huang and Kaikai Liu
Buildings 2022, 12(5), 556; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/buildings12050556 - 27 Apr 2022
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2359
Abstract
As the basic spatial unit of urban planning and management, it is necessary to know the distribution status of urban functional areas in time. Due to the complexity of urban land use, it is difficult to identify the urban functional areas using only [...] Read more.
As the basic spatial unit of urban planning and management, it is necessary to know the distribution status of urban functional areas in time. Due to the complexity of urban land use, it is difficult to identify the urban functional areas using only remote sensing images. Social perception data can provide additional information for the identification of urban functional areas. However, the sources of remote sensing data and social perception data differ, with some differences in data forms. Existing methods cannot comprehensively consider the characteristics of these data for functional area identification. Therefore, in this study, we propose a multimodal deep learning method with an attention mechanism to fully utilize the data features of these two modalities and apply it to the recognition of urban functional areas. First, the pre-processed remote sensing images, points of interest, and building footprint data are divided into block-based target units of features by the road network. Next, the remote sensing image features and social perception data features of the target unit are extracted separately using a two-branch convolutional network. Finally, features are extracted sequentially along two separate dimensions, being channel and spatial, to generate an attention weight map for the identification and classification mapping of urban functional areas. The model framework was finally applied to the Ningbo dataset for testing, and the recognition accuracy was above 93%. The experimental results deduce, as a whole, that the prediction performance of the deep multimodal fusion model framework with an attention mechanism is comparatively superior to other traditional methods. It can provide a reference for the classification of urban land use and provide data support for urban planning and management. Full article
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17 pages, 2660 KiB  
Article
Green Land Use Efficiency and Influencing Factors of Resource-Based Cities in the Yellow River Basin under Carbon Emission Constraints
by Meijing Chen, Qingri Wang, Zhongke Bai, Zeyu Shi, Peng Meng and Miao Hao
Buildings 2022, 12(5), 551; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/buildings12050551 - 26 Apr 2022
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2048
Abstract
Green and low-carbon strategies represent governance orientations for resource-based cities to respond to global changes and achieve sustainable development. Designating the Yellow River Basin (YRB), an important ecological functional area and an ecologically fragile area, as the research area, this study used the [...] Read more.
Green and low-carbon strategies represent governance orientations for resource-based cities to respond to global changes and achieve sustainable development. Designating the Yellow River Basin (YRB), an important ecological functional area and an ecologically fragile area, as the research area, this study used the super-efficiency SBM model while considering undesirable outputs, including carbon emissions, to analyze green land use efficiency (GLUE) and its temporal and spatial differentiation, then used the Tobit regression model to analyze the influencing factors. The results were as follows: (1) The GLUE of the YRB presented a spatial pattern of “high in the west and low in the east”. (2) Overall, the efficiency values of all areas and types increased annually, but differences occurred in various areas and types of resource-based cities. (3) Overall, the efficiency values of the Yellow River Basin showed a “high-low” polarization. (4) Economic development and population growth factors substantially impacted the GLUE of resource-based cities in this region. It is concluded that increasing the efficiency improvement of low-efficiency regions or cities can improve regional GLUE. To ensure regional green and low-carbon transformation and development, it is essential to enhance urban economic vitality, promote an orderly population flow, and strive to improve social and public services. Full article
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16 pages, 6673 KiB  
Article
The Benefit of Rail: Estimating the Impact of Station Accessibility on Residential Property Prices
by Dániel Tordai and András Munkácsy
Buildings 2022, 12(2), 222; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/buildings12020222 - 16 Feb 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2186
Abstract
This article focuses on the relationship between the prices and the distance from a metro or commuter railway station to residential properties. Relevant efforts have already been dedicated to estimating the effect of station accessibility, but one of the key limitations of previous [...] Read more.
This article focuses on the relationship between the prices and the distance from a metro or commuter railway station to residential properties. Relevant efforts have already been dedicated to estimating the effect of station accessibility, but one of the key limitations of previous studies was the heterogeneity of real estate. Here, the data on homogeneous real estate type in Budapest, Hungary, namely panel flats (built with uniform technology between the 1960s and 1990s) are analysed by statistical methods. First, it is demonstrated that this real estate type is indeed highly homogenous. Second, linear regression is used to understand the relationship and its magnitude between flat prices and distance of stations. The results show a statistically significant relationship, i.e., that five additional minutes of travel time to the nearest station providing fast access to the city centre makes real estate prices drop by nearly 1%. In light of current policies promoting rail for passenger transportation, the findings may be applied for value capture policies to increase the viability and feasibility of urban railway projects. Full article
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2021

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17 pages, 2530 KiB  
Article
New Dimension to Green Buildings: Turning Green into Occupant Well-Being
by Yang Fu, Hongdi Wang, Wen Sun and Xiaoling Zhang
Buildings 2021, 11(11), 534; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/buildings11110534 - 11 Nov 2021
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 3298
Abstract
A series of international conferences and initiatives, such as the Habitat III New Urban Agenda and UN Sustainable Development Goals, have urged industry, scholars, and policymakers to create an inclusive and sustainable built environment for all in the coming era of cities. Green [...] Read more.
A series of international conferences and initiatives, such as the Habitat III New Urban Agenda and UN Sustainable Development Goals, have urged industry, scholars, and policymakers to create an inclusive and sustainable built environment for all in the coming era of cities. Green building schemes, which have been gaining momentum over recent decades, are one of the most influential measures that have been taken to promote urban sustainability. However, due to disciplinary characteristics, most current studies share a techno-engineering focus. Seldom do they answer the question: will green buildings make a difference to the occupants? This paper explains how, and to what extent, green features and design contribute to different dimensions of occupant well-being by conducting a systematic and comprehensive review of current journal articles and industrial reports. It provides an alternative, occupant-oriented perspective to the conventional discourse. A conceptual framework is developed, revealing that green building aspects are linked to six dimensions (three subjective and three objective) of occupant well-being. It further shows how different green features are linked with these dimensions through a detailed examination of the literature. Finally, suggestions are provided based on the research findings for the direction of future green building development and empirical research. Full article
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