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A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Energy Sustainability".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (26 March 2023) | Viewed by 21855

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Prof. Dr. Seongju Chang

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Guest Editor

Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science & Technology, 291 Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea
Interests: smart green building; zero energy building solution; sustainability assessment; cyberphysical system; decision support system

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Sustainable buildings and cities have become a distinctive prevailing agenda for most regions and countries. Socially, ecologically, and economically sustainable built environments would be characterized as a pseudo perpetual ecosystem revealing homeostasis, resilience, and self-regulatory capacity. Ambitious goals have been declared by numerous organizations even targeting a completely everlasting built environment without relying on external supply of energy and materials and internal production of unhealthy substances or stress. Nevertheless, planning, designing, constructing, operating, and remodeling a sustainable building or city calls for significant efforts in identifying problems and developing solutions based on a deep understanding of the inherent complexity and uncertainty of such tasks.

The objective of this Special Issue would be to rigorously explore the motivations, directions, and socio-techno-economic enablers to realize sustainable buildings and cities on the globe. The purpose of the Special Issue is to check whether the current and future prevailing approaches for “green buildings and cities” have the potential to achieve their promises. Exemplary domains and issues include but are not limited to:

Sustainability concerns and indicators associated with architectural/urban ecology;
Sustainability assessment models and techniques for a built environment;
Refuse, reduce, reuse, repair, repurpose and recycle approaches for circular architectural/urban metabolism;
Zero-energy, zero-emission, zero-waste, zero-pollution, zero-congestion and zero-stress built environment;
Innovative strategies, methods, and techniques for making perpetual buildings and cities:
Sustainable life cycle management of built environment;
Analysis on successful planning, design or operation examples of a sustainable built environment.

This Special Issue has a clear aim and shall keep its emphasis on the innovative life cycle assessment and management of sustainable buildings, communities, and cities. The goal to provide in-depth knowledge and understanding of this topic can be obtained through multidimensional (social, environmental, and economic) investigations over the diversified elements and their interrelations of architectural and urban ecology systems. Please kindly send me your abstract first before submitting the full manuscript.

Prof. Dr. Seongju Chang
Guest Editor

Keywords

Architectural and urban ecology
Sustainability assessment
Circular metabolism
Perpetual buildings and cities
Life cycle management

Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

19 pages, 5042 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Analysis of the Energy Performance of a Retrofitted Low-Rise Residential Building after an Energy Audit

by Abdulhameed Babatunde Owolabi, Abdullahi Yahaya, Hong Xian Li and Dongjun Suh

Sustainability 2023, 15(16), 12129; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su151612129 - 08 Aug 2023

Viewed by 970

Abstract

The main reason for this research is to support the Korean government building retrofitting program initiated to evaluate energy usage trends, propose energy-saving technologies, and focus on reducing the energy demand in residential buildings through energy efficiency improvement. This is achieved by assessing the energy saved after introducing a simple retrofitting measure to an existing residential building. The energy savings in the building were realized after collecting relevant data from the house occupants, analyzing electricity bills, and introducing energy conservation measures (ECMS), leading to an improvement in the energy performance of the building. The building envelope saved 2098 kWh and 6307 kWh of energy via the heating and cooling equipment with an initial incremental cost of USD 500, fuel cost savings of USD 306, and a simple payback of 1.6 years. The analysis takes the occupants 2.6 years to recoup the initial cost of USD 2400 invested with an electricity savings of 2144 kWh. Also, 3.3 tons of CO₂ emissions per year were reduced, equivalent to 3.3 people reducing energy use by 20%. Finally, the actual and simulated data are almost the same for the consumption period, with only a slight difference in October and December, given 0.92 as the Pearson Correlation coefficients. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Prospective Pathways to Architectural and Urban Sustainability)

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22 pages, 1977 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Evaluation of the Sustainable Development of Macau, Based on the BP Neural Network

by Yue Huang, Youping Teng and Shuai Yang

Sustainability 2023, 15(1), 879; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su15010879 - 03 Jan 2023

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 3020

Abstract

(1) Background: the rapid development of cities and the process of industrialization has improved the level of economic development for all humanity, accompanied by a series of problems, such as the waste of ecological resources and the environmental destruction. Macau has long been one of the regions with the most active economic activities. However, the phenomenon of economic recession, unreasonable land use, and frequent flood disasters have appeared in the past few decades, which violate the concept of sustainable development; (2) Methods: this paper uses the BP neural network model to evaluate the sustainable development of Macau; (3) Results: the weight ranking of sustainable development is: economic > social > ecological environment. A correlation analysis shows that ecology and economy have a significant negative correlation; (4) Conclusions: In Macau, economic growth is given priority while social and ecological environment development lags behind. Macau has problems, such as a unitary economic structure and a high population density. This paper advocates that investment in ecological protection should be increased, environmental resources should be optimized and saved, and the concept of sustainable development should be strengthened in the application of Macau’s urban development. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Prospective Pathways to Architectural and Urban Sustainability)

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18 pages, 5286 KiB

Open AccessArticle

More Circular City in the Energy and Ecological Transition: A Methodological Approach to Sustainable Urban Regeneration

by Ginevra Balletto, Mara Ladu, Federico Camerin, Emilio Ghiani and Jacopo Torriti

Sustainability 2022, 14(22), 14995; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su142214995 - 13 Nov 2022

Cited by 17 | Viewed by 2812

Abstract

Cities consume over 75% of natural resources, produce over 50% of global waste, and emit 60–80% of greenhouse gases. The scenario that by 2050 two thirds of the world population will live in cities, highlights how cities are still responsible for the growing consumption characterized by linear economic processes, with the production of various types of waste. In this unsustainable framework, the Circular Economy offers the opportunity to shape the urban system by means of rethinking the possibility to produce and use goods and services, exploring new ways to ensure long-term prosperity. The Circular City paradigm contains in fact all the principles of the Circular Economy: recovery, recycling, and sharing. In particular, Circular City also introduces actions related to the development of renewable energy communities, use of green materials, CO₂ absorption approaches, and Proximity Cities. This work aims to develop a methodology to build a composite index (Circular City Index) capable of measuring the degree of implementation of urban policies that may enable an ecological transition of public assets. Circular City Index was applied to the military cluster of the city of Cagliari (Sardinia, Italy), a significant case study to guide circular policies in public properties for civil and military uses. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Prospective Pathways to Architectural and Urban Sustainability)

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18 pages, 8740 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Urban Informatics in Sustainable Waste Management: A Spatial Analysis of Korea’s Informal Recycling Networks

by Jaehong Lee, Hans Han, Jong-Yoon Park and David Lee

Sustainability 2021, 13(6), 3076; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su13063076 - 11 Mar 2021

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 3769

Abstract

Large-scale informal recycling networks often emerge among developing economies in response to the challenges of modern urban waste accumulation. South Korea, despite its highly industrialized, developed economy, still maintains an extensive informal recycling sector made up of networks of local junk shops and individual waste pickers. As cities’ large data sources have become more widely available, the use of urban informatics in sustainable smart waste management has become more widespread. In this paper, we use geographic information system (GIS) analysis in order to uncover patterns within Korea’s informal recycling system, looking at the relationship between population demographics, waste levels, and urban planning with the prevalence of junk shops across Korea. We then interviewed junk shop owners, urban planning researchers, and government officials in order to better understand the factors that led to the coexistence of the country’s informal and formal systems of waste management and how junk shops have changed their operations over time in response to recent developments in cities’ urban fabrics. We conclude by giving suggestions for how the usage of urban informatics could increase the efficiency and sustainability of the country’s waste management systems, while also discussing the possible pitfalls of using such existing datasets for future policy decisions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Prospective Pathways to Architectural and Urban Sustainability)

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25 pages, 285 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Growing Together: Community Coalescence and the Social Dimensions of Urban Sustainability

by Charlotte Glennie

Sustainability 2020, 12(22), 9680; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su12229680 - 20 Nov 2020

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 3716

Abstract

Urban sustainability is most often measured using a series of social, economic, and ecological indicators. Assessment methods for urban sustainability typically factor in the ecological dimensions of greenspace, such as biodiversity maintenance, stormwater management, and/or air quality—yet indicator schemas that consider only the ecological dimensions largely overlook the social benefits of some types of urban greenspace, particularly community gardens and orchards. This article makes the case that the process of community formation and strengthening that occurs in shared growing spaces is an important element of urban sustainability in its own right. Based on 55 interviews of community garden advocates, policy-makers, and development professionals involved in urban agriculture planning, this article traces the widespread understanding among practitioners that shared growing spaces strengthen social as well as environmental sustainability, though the social benefits are often difficult to measure. The latter concern was most frequently expressed by urban agriculture advocates who, after involvement in the political process, perceived the need for such metrics in order to communicate persuasively with planners and policy makers. The social values of shared growing spaces, at once self-evident to garden advocates and difficult for them to demonstrate with quantitative data, may be theorized by drawing on insights from sociology: A truly sustainable city requires community coalescence among diverse citizens, and such community is fostered particularly well in shared growing spaces. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Prospective Pathways to Architectural and Urban Sustainability)

24 pages, 324 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Necessary Conditions for Multi-Domain Indoor Environmental Quality Standards

by Ardeshir Mahdavi, Christiane Berger, Veselina Bochukova, Leonidas Bourikas, Runa T. Hellwig, Quan Jin, Anna Laura Pisello and Marcel Schweiker

Sustainability 2020, 12(20), 8439; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su12208439 - 13 Oct 2020

Cited by 17 | Viewed by 3029

Abstract

A discussion of sustainability in architecture cannot be meaningfully carried out without the inclusion of most buildings’ central purpose, namely the provision of indoor environments that are accommodating of occupants’ needs and requirements. To this end, building designers and operators are expected to demonstrate compliance with codes and standards pertaining to indoor environmental quality (IEQ). However, the majority of conventional IEQ standards, codes, and guidelines have a single-domain character, in that they address IEQ in terms of a number of isolated domains (i.e., thermal, visual, acoustic, air quality). In this context, the present contribution explores the current state of multi-domain IEQ evaluation approaches and the necessary conditions for their further development and application. Toward this end, a number of common building rating schemes were selected and analyzed in detail. The results of this assessment imply the necessity of both short-term improvements of the existing schemes in terms of the transparency and plausibility of the applied point allocation and weighting strategies and the fundamental need for a deeper empirically grounded understanding of the nature of occupants’ perception of and behavior in the built environments. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Prospective Pathways to Architectural and Urban Sustainability)

23 pages, 1625 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Factors Driving Consumer Involvement in Energy Consumption and Energy-Efficient Purchasing Behavior: Evidence from Korean Residential Buildings

by Soyoung Yoo, Jiyong Eom and Ingoo Han

Sustainability 2020, 12(14), 5573; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su12145573 - 10 Jul 2020

Cited by 15 | Viewed by 3486

Abstract

The recent rapid transition in energy markets and technological advances in demand-side interventions has renewed attention on consumer behavior. A rich literature on potential factors affecting residential energy use or green technology adoption has highlighted the need to better understand the fundamental causes of consumer heterogeneity in buildings’ energy-related behavior. Unresolved questions such as which consumers are most likely to opt into demand-side management programs and what factors might explain the wide variation in behavioral responses to such programs make it difficult for policy-makers to develop cost-effective energy efficiency or demand response programs for residential buildings. This study extends the literature on involvement theory and energy-related behavior by proposing a holistic construct of household energy involvement (HEI) to represent consumers’ personal level of interest in energy services. Based on a survey of 5487 Korean households, it finds that HEI has a stronger association with consumer values, such as preferences for indoor thermal comfort and automation, than with socioeconomic or housing characteristics and demonstrates HEI’s potential as a reliable, integrated predictor of both energy consumption and energy-efficient purchases. The study illuminates the multifaceted influences that shape energy-related behavior in residential buildings and offers new tools to help utility regulators identify and profile viable market segments, improve the cost-effectiveness of their programs, and eventually promote urban sustainability. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Prospective Pathways to Architectural and Urban Sustainability)

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