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Semi-subterranean house occupation in the southern Columbia Plateau of Western North America was episodic over the latter half of the Holocene. Several analyses of radiocarbon chronologies for house features have emphasized environmental change as a primary catalyst of shifts in subsistence strategies and house settlement. Our analysis incorporates summed probability distributions of radiocarbon dates for house occupations, climatic conditions, and evidence of conflict to assess the relationship among the three variables. Climate change is outlined using previously published proxy data. Results of our analysis indicate that climate had a strong influence on the settlement systems of the southern Columbia Plateau. Along with the direct influence of climate on resource availability, conflict became more frequent when house communities became larger. Developing a greater understanding of the cause and effect, and timing of environmental and social changes will ultimately require more robust datasets for house occupations, simulations of demographic trajectories, and higher resolution temporal and spatial models of climate change on the Columbia Plateau. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Appropriates managed retreat to theorise the slow withdrawal of government services. • Examines policy history distinguishing between remote communities and homelands. • Argues Australian states are managing a retreat from remote community housing. • Considers the potential of withdrawal for Indigenous sovereignty over remote housing. Managed retreat is part of the planners' analytical toolkit. It considers that human displacements driven by climate change will be more just if they are strategically managed by well-resourced authorities. In contrast to the contradistinction this discourse establishes between the status quo of ad hoc displacement and planned relocation, managed retreat disregards other policies that similarly encourage migration from places the state deems unviable. This article argues that slow withdrawal as managed retreat offers a framework for understanding policies that facilitate the reduction or discontinuation of services that settler colonial states formerly delivered to particular contexts. It does so through historical analysis of state support for housing and essential services infrastructure at Indigenous homelands and remote communities in the Northern Territory of Australia. Slow withdrawal as managed retreat emphasises the geographically differentiated character of state investment, highlights the reconfiguration of obligations for service provision between different levels of government, and considers whether and how 'abandonment' is appropriate 'land back' policy advancing Indigenous sovereignty. The article examines how the settler state withdraws specific supports while remaining present, and it considers the process of slow withdrawal as managed retreat in relation to contemporary demands for greater community control of Indigenous housing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

House relocation is a circular reuse approach with potential to address multi-pronged community challenges in rapidly redeveloping cities. Historically used throughout the USA, Austin, Texas serves as the testing ground for this contemporary research on house relocation, exemplifying a urban context experiencing a range of challenges, including rampant demolition, housing shortages, exponential population increase, and unmet zero waste goals. Researchers took a mixed-methods approach, including literature review, interviews, and permit record analysis to assess the use of house relocation as a tool to address these urban challenges, while identifying associated community benefits, barriers, and applications. Written in parallel, the academic research also informed an educational guide for the development community and broader public audience released in 2023. • House relocation is a circular reuse approach and redevelopment tool to address the challenges of rapidly redeveloping cities. • Austin, Texas, USA serves as the research context, due to its historical use of relocation and range of current community challenges. • Three community benefits of house relocation are retaining housing, reducing waste, and preserving neighborhood fabric. • House relocation is an under-researched subject, warranting attention from academics and practitioners aiming to address contemporary urban issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite there being a rich set of studies documenting the association between the built environment and the spread of COVID-19, little attention has been paid to the communities that are with informal housing. Whether the government's policy could help mitigate the risk of suffering COVID-19. Little is known about this issue. To fill this blank, we would like to consider the communities with sub-divided units (SDU) in Hong Kong. SDU is a kind of informal housing, where the appearance is due to some homeowners spontaneously subdividing their domestic flats into two or more units with small sizes to low-income tenants for making extra cash flows. On collecting the daily confirmed case of COVID-19 from the Department of Health in Hong Kong (from late November 2020 to mid-May 2021) and the SDU data from the local property agent's website, our findings reveal: initially, street blocks with SDU are more vulnerable to COVID-19, exhibiting higher case counts and more frequent compulsory testing notices (CTN) compared to non-SDU areas; subsequently, SDU areas also required a longer recovery time during the fourth wave of the pandemic, with CTN implementation not significantly hastening recovery; thirdly, a quicker response time between the first case report and CTN implementation correlated with fewer cases and shorter recovery periods, particularly when actions were taken within a shorter serial interval of less than 3.6 days; finally, re-evaluating the effectiveness of CTN based on reaction time and serial intervals suggests that adopting the serial interval as a threshold for implementation could significantly reduce the incidence in SDU areas. These insights highlight the unique challenges faced by informal housing communities during pandemics and underscore the need for tailored government policies to effectively mitigate risks. • This study is the first to examine COVID-19 resilience in informal housing areas. • SDU street blocks show higher COVID-19 cases and more CTNs than non-SDU areas. • During the fourth wave, SDU areas had longer recovery times; CTNs did not speed recovery. • Faster CTN response (<3.6 days) after first case linked to fewer cases and quicker recovery. • Using serial intervals as CTN thresholds could notably lower SDU area incidence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates how the notion of degrowth directs our focus as researchers, which leads us to deliberate on the consequences of empirically placing degrowth 'in the world.' We propose to rethink methodological questions about how phenomena are put into relation with notions of degrowth (or not) – and our own role as researchers in this process. Mobilizing the concept of diffraction, we argue that careful attention must be paid to what notions of 'degrowth' do in/to our research practices, including their role in researchers' selecting, thinking and talking about social phenomena – as well as the material and discursive practices encountered in fieldwork. This is illustrated through engagement with two studies, which undertook research on a housing community in Manchester (United Kingdom) and eco-social entrepreneurs in Stuttgart (Germany). Analyzing these cases with a diffractive lens, we show how an attunement to difference allows for attention to be paid to the 'translation' and 'operationalization' of degrowth in (research) practice. This orientation, we suggest, can help scholars with the inevitable negotiations intrinsic to the choice of how and whether to engage with and understand degrowth in empirical research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent decades have witnessed continued research interest in the residents' sense of community (SOC) towards their neighborhoods, attributed to the rapid global expansion of urban spaces and increased human mobility. Early studies predominantly focused on the influence of SOC from a place-centric perspective, emphasizing the physical attributes of neighborhoods. However, recent scholars have called for a shift in research towards an individual-activity-based approach. Despite this, there has been a relative dearth of knowledge regarding the nuanced activity factors and intrinsic pathways that impact SOC, particularly within mixed housing neighborhoods. To bridge this gap, this study utilized first-hand social survey data and daily activity diaries collected in Fuzhou to examine the associations between daily activities and SOC and identify the critical mediator. Multi-group Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) analysis revealed several noteworthy findings. Firstly, despite living together in a mixed neighborhood, affordable and market housing residents exhibited significant disparities in their daily activities, facility utilization, and SOC. Residents of market housing demonstrated lower SOC compared to those in affordable housing. Secondly, daily activities had differing impacts on SOC between these groups. A variety of activity factors, such as the proportion of activity space to the neighborhood, time allocated to local activities, and the diversity of activity types, collectively enhanced SOC. These effects were particularly marked within affordable housing. Conversely, the positive influence of daily social interactions on SOC was exclusive to residents of market housing. Additionally, the use of neighborhood facilities serves as an underlying mechanism. Frequent utilization of proximal facilities can substantially improve SOC among residents, particularly for those in affordable housing. These findings offer valuable insights for the planning and managing of mixed housing neighborhoods and may also inspire strategies in other neighborhood types. • In a mixed neighborhood, market housing residents exhibited a poorer SOC than those in affordable housing. • Expanded individual activity spaces, increased time spent, and activity diversity in neighborhoods enhance SOC. • The beneficial impact of daily social interactions on SOC was only observed among market housing residents. • Frequent use of local facilities promotes SOC, especially in affordable housing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Affordable housing and transit accessibility have long been focal points for housing and urban development agencies at all levels, from national to regional. However, these elements are often considered and planned for independently, leading over time to an expanding spatial gap between affordable housing and transit services. This separation creates issues of mobility equity. Fortunately, bikeshare, an emerging mobility solution, provides the potential to bridge this spatial gap between affordable housing communities and transit services. To leverage this, we designed a bikeshare station (BSS) location optimization tool that aims to alleviate the impacts of this spatial divide through bikeshare services. Specifically, we developed a multimodal agent-based modeling (ABM) and simulation framework aimed at enhancing accessibility to a variety of destinations. To solve this optimization problem, we developed a genetic algorithm to determine the optimal locations for BSS. There are three main conclusions from this research. First, the strategic positioning of BSS will enhance accessibility for affordable housing community (AHC) residents by reducing average transit travel time and walk distance, or increasing the number of destinations accessible by transit. This underscores the advantages of combining bikeshare and transit systems to cater to the mobility requirements of AHC residents, especially for non-work-related trips in suburban areas. Second, the relationship between transit and bikeshare is twofold: complementation and substitution. In instances where a lengthy trip involves multiple transit transfers and significant waiting time, bikeshare could replace some transit trips. Lastly, but most importantly, this study advises a forward-looking approach for governments and operators to avoid the waste of public resources when planning bikeshare systems. The tool developed by this research can facilitate this forward-looking approach in practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although studies have explored the travel behavior of residents in informal housing communities in recent years, few have been conducted in the context of a time series before and after the outbreak of COVID-19. This paper tracks individual-level daily mobility response for three months, using an interrupted time series (ITS) quasi-experimental design to infer daily causal effects of COVID-19 and community close-off management on individuals' daily travel distances. This study compares the mobility response to COVID-19 between people living in urban villages and commodity housing communities in Shenzhen, China. The results reveal that urban village residents reduced their travel less, with slower response and recovery rates after the COVID-19 outbreak. The community close-off management was less effective for urban village residents, with a smaller abrupt reduction in mobility and their recovery rate increasing faster during the post-lockdown period. Therefore, urban village residents may have experienced greater limitations in adjusting travel with higher exposure risks during the pandemic, compared with commodity housing residents. The variations in mobility change are significantly affected by some inherent differences between these two groups, even after controlling for their socioeconomic and built environment features. These results provide important insights for designing mobility restriction policies for different housing groups and planning more resilient neighborhoods in the post-COVID era. • Adopting an interrupted time series quasi-experimental design to infer daily causal effects of COVID-19 • Comparing mobility effects of COVID-19 in urban villages and commodity housing communities • Urban village residents reduced their travel less, with slower response and recovery rates. • The community close-off management was less effective for urban village residents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: α-Tocopherol (αT) in its natural form [2'R, 4'R, 8'R αT (RRR-αT)] is more bioactive than synthetic α-tocopherol (all rac-αT). All rac-αT is widely used in infant formulas, but its accretion in formula-fed infant brain is unknown.Objective: We sought to compare αT and stereoisomer status in infant rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) fed infant formula (RRR-αT or all rac-αT) with a reference group fed a mixed diet of breast milk and maternal diet.Methods: From 1 d after birth until 6 mo of age, infants (n = 23) were either nursery reared and exclusively fed 1 of 2 formulas by staff personnel or were community housed with their mothers and consumed a mixed reference diet of breast milk (69 mL/d at 6 mo) transitioning to monkey diet at ∼2 mo (MF; n = 8). Formulas contained either 21 μmol RRR-αT/L (NAT-F; n = 8) or 30 μmol all rac-αT/L (SYN-F; n = 7). Total αT and αT stereoisomers were analyzed in breast milk at 2, 4, and 6 mo and in monkey plasma and liver and 6 brain regions at 6 mo of age. α-Tocopherol transfer protein (α-TTP), lipoprotein αT, and urinary α-carboxyethyl-hydroxychroman (α-CEHC) were measured. One-way ANOVA with Tukey's post-hoc test was used for analysis.Results: At study termination, plasma, liver, lipoprotein, and brain total αT did not differ between groups. However, the NAT-F-fed group had higher RRR-αT than the SYN-F-fed group (P < 0.01) and the MF group (P < 0.0001) in plasma (1.7- and 2.7-fold) and brain (1.5- and 2.5-fold). Synthetic αT 2R stereoisomers (SYNTH-2R) were generally 3- and 7-fold lower in brain regions of the NAT-F group compared with those of the SYN-F and MF groups (P < 0.05). SYNTH-2R stereoisomers were 2-fold higher in MF than SYN-F (P < 0.0001). The plasma percentage of SYNTH-2R was negatively correlated with the brain percentage of RRR-αT (r = -0.99, P < 0.0001). Brain αT profiles were not explained by α-TTP mRNA or protein expression. Urine α-CEHC was 3 times higher in the NAT-F than in the MF group (P < 0.01).Conclusions: Consumption of infant formulas with natural (NAT-F) compared with synthetic (SYN-F) αT differentially impacted brain αT stereoisomer profiles in infant rhesus macaques. Future studies should assess the functional implications of αT stereoisomer profiles on brain health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The outbreak of COVID-19 reminds people that aerosols have an important impact on health. The concentration and composition of microbial aerosol in livestock and poultry houses are closely related to the environmental conditions of livestock and poultry houses, and also related to the healthy growth of livestock and poultry. In our study, 16S and ITS sequencing techniques were used to analyze the relation and difference of bacteria and fungi in the air samples of a chicken house. At the age of 7 to 42 d, the operation classification unit (OTU) numbers of bacteria and fungi identified in our results were 2,398 and 986, respectively, of which the shared OTU numbers were 410 and 141, respectively. At the phylum level, Firmicutes, Proteobacteria, and Actinomycetes were the 3 most abundant bacterial phyla, and Ascomycetes and Basidiomycetes were the top 2 phyla in fungi. At the genus level, 7 differential fungal genera were identified, including Debaryomyces, Trichosporon, Wallemia, Aspergillus, Nigrospora, Fusarium, and Vishniacozyma. Compared with other bacterial genera, Lactobacillus, Cetobacterium, and Romboutsia had the highest abundance (more than 5%). The result showed that the Alpha diversity and Beta diversity of fungi were significantly different in different growing periods. However, only Beta diversity showed significant differences among bacteria. In general, the bacterial and fungal diversity of microbial aerosols in the chicken house increased significantly at the age of 7 to 42 d. And the evenness and richness of airborne fungal communities also increased obviously. In a word, we must pay attention to the complex community composition in the chicken house, this is closely related to animal health and the health of surrounding residents. The cooperation and communication between bacteria and fungi in PM2.5 samples provides a new reference to analyze the influence of microbial aerosol. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The prevailing property management philosophy in China is outdated and is therefore not useful for improving the sustainability of buildings and their facilities. However, the introduction and integration of basic ecological concepts in the existing studies of ecological property management theory has been limited. The analysis related to the methods for and the influencing factors on ecological behavior implementation has hardly been covered. Based on the use of grounded theory, this paper conducts an in-depth analysis of property management ecological behavior by setting the influencing factors as the research target. First, a literature review is conducted to identify the definition of property management ecological behavior. Based on the theory of planned behavior, a preliminary theoretical model of the factors influencing ecological behavior in property management is constructed. Then, the research framework and a data analysis scheme are designed based on grounded theory. An in-depth review is used to gather information on property management in community and public housing. The interview data are coded and analyzed with the help of NVivo11 software to identify the influencing factors of the property management ecological behavior in China. Studies have shown that factors influencing property management ecological behavior include stimulus, status, scenario, and result. The stimulus factors include government regulations , market pressure , and social supervision. The status factors include scale, nature, capabilities, value , environmental awareness of managers, and financial situation. The scenario factors include service cost, resource availability, object factor , and owner willingness. The result factors include the profits of the company and the satisfaction of the owners. This study comprehensively identifies the influencing factors of the property management ecological behavior in China and enriches the definition of property management ecological behavior. A theoretical model of influencing factors of property management ecological behavior is built and employed to systematically analyze the characteristics of the ecological behavior of property service companies. This study provides a foundation for further analysis of the mechanisms guiding ecological behavior among property management companies in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Affordable housing has emerged as a key issue in urban development in a wide range of countries. Themes in research on affordable housing development across the world are reviewed. Affordable Housing Communities for low income households have been built on a large scale in developing countries such as China during the last two decades, mainly in urban fringe areas. Evidence on the impact of the location on access of residents to services is rare. Studying Nanjing, this paper compares spatial access to services between Affordable Housing Communities and Other Housing Communities by measuring distances and imputing walking time between residential land parcels and facilities. Affordable Housing Communities have significantly poorer access than Other Housing Communities, because of poor neighbourhood provision of low order services and poor access to high order services. A household survey of Affordable Housing Communities and Other Housing Communities records the daily lives, degrees of satisfaction and community attachments of residents. Residents in affordable housing have low degrees of satisfaction, weak community attachments and desire to move. The findings emphasize that service provision should be planned to keep pace with Affordable housing construction, so that these communities become better places to live. • Affordable Housing Communities (ACs) are found in Nanjing's periphery. • Access to services was measured as walking time from land parcels to facilities. • Residents in ACs have poor access to health care, schools and shopping malls. • AC residents were dissatisfied with the lack of access and wished to move. • Planners need to invest in making services accessible to AC residents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Cyclone-induced damage of traditional wooden houses in east coastal regions of Madagascar were evaluated. • Field test methods were developed, and tests carried out to evaluate the strength of members and connections at two coastal study sites. • Uncertainties related to wind loads and structural properties are considered. • A wind fragility model is developed for these houses based on the performance of the M−T joints, wrapped connections and embedded columns. Cyclones are a common hazard in Madagascar, each year causing fatalities and damage to the physical and socioeconomic infrastructure. Residential infrastructures are a critical sector within the built environment and studying their performance under natural hazards is a significant step for assessing the risk and resilience of a community. In the coastal regions of Madagascar, more than 80% of houses are self-built, non-engineered traditional wooden houses constructed based on heritage practices and using low or no-cost materials collected in nearby areas or forests. These traditional wooden houses are particularly vulnerable to cyclonic winds, and in this paper, a novel approach is used to evaluate their structural performance and to predict their likelihood of failure under extreme wind conditions. The structural systems and their damage due to extreme winds were first evaluated based on field surveys and collected information such as post-disaster reports. A range of field tests was then carried out at two coastal sites to evaluate the strength of the members and connections identified as commonly used for constructing traditional wooden houses in Madagascar. Damage fragility curves were subsequently developed based on the performance of the connections of roof coverings, wall claddings, the roof structural system, and the performance of columns embedded into the ground and combined to predict the structure's performance. The experimental methods and results presented in this study can be exploited to improve the existing Malagasy guidelines for cyclone resistance of traditional wooden houses published in 2016. The developed fragility curves can also be used to represent traditional wooden houses within a community for risk or resilience assessment under cyclonic wind conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our study proposes to analyze from a social practice and behavioural economics perspective the factors that influence a mismatch between energy behaviour and retrofit efficacy in the context of social housing. Retrofit interventions not only have the potential of improving energy efficiency of buildings, but they also change the context in which individuals live, therefore improving their wellbeing at home. However, the surrounding social context might suggest some context-specific practices and cognitive biases that negatively influence energy behaviour, creating a gap between expected and actual energy performance. Addressing the context-specific practices and cognitive biases is especially necessary when it comes to social housing. Social housing neighbourhoods are not only low-energy efficient, but also socially vulnerable. This context might shape specific practices and make salient specific cognitive biases which require special consideration within an energy retrofit program. The ambition of this study is to understand the context-specific practices and cognitive biases that characterize the pre-refurbishment phase of a retrofit program and to identify the ones that can be used as behavioural and social levers to enhance retrofit efficacy. To this aim, we analyze the results of a questionnaire administered to the tenants of a social housing district through the lenses of social practice theory and behavioural economics. Our results show that analysing tenants’ behaviour through an interdisciplinary social science approach allows to identify a range of context-specific variables that can be used as levers to align behaviour to retrofit interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To promote energy saving in the residential sector Directive 2012/27/EU has set the obligation for buildings supplied by central heating sources to install individual heat metering and accounting systems. However, in social housing, bills based exclusively on individual consumption should be unfair due to some unfavourable situations, such as first and top floors, presence of unheated common spaces, north oriented dwellings. Nevertheless, fair heat accounting rules should be introduced especially in social housing buildings, which are often thermally underperforming with inefficient heating plants and tenants are commonly low-income people and elderly. On the other hand, common regulations for heat accounting providing compensation to avoid inequalities among tenants have not been set and different approaches on this topic are present among EU Member States. In this paper the authors present a new heat accounting method for social housing based on the estimation of extra-consumptions due to building inefficiencies. According to this method, extra-consumptions are charged to all tenants in order to encourage energy efficient retrofit interventions. Finally, the new method has been experimented in a typical social housing building in Italy and compared to other methods applicable in EU, evidencing some advantages and weaknesses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper updates the ongoing research, by simulation and experimentation for a sustainable low-energy method to heat or cool and ventilate affordable housing. Renewable sources are used to heat or cool water which is circulated to low temperature (22-25°C) radiators (LTRs) on inside faces to make houses as thermally comfortable as caves. In cool (15°C annual average temperature) Melbourne, Australia, water from 100m-deep VGHEs has been measured at 22-24°C. Using the 25-30°C increase in ground temperature per kilometre depth given by the International Panel on Climate Change, the depth should be about 200m. Most of the inhabited places have annual average temperature of more than 0°C, and the estimated depth would be less than 1 kilometre. Literature review is included in the introduction and discussion. Method for heating (experimental house/s in Melbourne, Australia) is grouped with simulated results and experimental findings. Next subsection presents experiments in hot tropical Kuching, Malaysia and simulated results. The heat extracted from VGHE in winter is sustainable because in summer, solar-heated water is used for replenishment. In summer and tropical climates, the fan, which can create a cooling sensation of up to 4°C can enable 30.5°C indoors comfortable. Low power is required to circulate water and operate fans and can come from photovoltaics on the roof, enabling off-grid or zero-energy houses. Plans for May-August 2018 experiments include the use of a 300W photovoltaic thermal (PV/T) i.e., outdoor air will be drawn through the gap between the metallic roof and insulated ceiling, to be preheated ventilation air in winter. In Kuching, Malaysia, the water is cooled by radiation to the night sky to 25°C. The cooling coil of a PV or PV/T powered chiller is proposed to make the water colder. Hotter days would likely have more solar radiation to generate more power for the photovoltaic to make the coil colder. The ground source heat pump is not used, thus the VGHE-LTR could be comparable in cost to conventional e.g., horizontal GHE with heat pumps and high temperature (about 50°C) radiators. LTRs could be integrated into the inside metal that clads structural insulated panels and housing would be affordably constructed. Funding is sought for an experimental house in cool/cold climates with LTRs heated by a 23°-bottom temperature VGHE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many studies have examined the affordable housing sector from the welfare perspective, but no study has discussed the sector's investment perspective. Therefore, this study presents new evidence of the governance and downside protection relating to the affordable housing sector and contributes to the limited literature on the performance of socially responsible investments. First, we identified the specific risk management and corporate governance practices of the affordable housing sector in Australia by conducting focus-group discussions with industry experts. The sector's strong governance helps to attract responsible investors by reducing investment risk and guaranteeing environmental and social outcomes. Second, by analyzing the downside risk and risk-adjusted returns such as the Sortino ratio and excess return to value at risk, we show that investing in low-priced houses has more downside protection while still offering higher risk-adjusted returns, than high-priced houses and selected responsible investments in Australia. We also find that investing in low-priced houses can improve the portfolio performance of responsible investors. Therefore, we conclude that the affordable homeownership programs in Australia have the potential to attract responsible investments and so increase the supply of much-needed affordable houses. • This study aligns with the impact investing market map documented by PRI in collaboration with the UNEPFI and United Nations Global Compact. • This study adds to the socially responsible property investment literature. • We investigated the governance factor of the affordable housing sector in detail and the downside protection of low-priced houses. • We show that responsible investment is a potential source of funding for the affordable housing sector in Australia. • Our study reduces the information gap of responsible investors relating to the affordable housing market in Australia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three-dimensional numerical investigations on solitary wave interaction with an impervious house in the coastal community using a parallel incompressible CIP-based model are carried out. Simple and effective parallel computation will be realized based on algorithm of domain decomposition method and hybrid OpenMPI–OpenMP computational framework. The convection term is discretized by a constrained interpolation profile (CIP) method and an accurate interface capturing scheme, the Tangent of Hyperbola for Interface Capturing with Slope Weighting (THINC/SW), is applied to reconstruct the free surface. The reliability of the present model is validated by a series of benchmarks, including regular wave interaction with a single cylinder, regular wave reflection and diffraction on a vertical structure and interactions between a solitary wave and an impervious structure. The present results are in good agreement with the published results. The present model is applied to investigate the solitary wave reflection and diffraction on the house with different roof types. The variations of wave force, wave elevation and free surface are investigated, which considers the effect of natural disasters such as tsunamis on the safety of the house with different roof types in the coastal community. These results provide engineering references for the design of tsunami-resilient houses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Substantial studies have revealed that exposure to green spaces (GSs) yields a variety of health benefits. However, daily GS exposure scenarios are multidimensional, and relevant analyses require a comprehensive framework that assesses GS exposure from overhead- to eye-level perspectives, focusing on GS attributes from quantity and proximity to quality. Moreover, GSs are often unevenly distributed across cities, resulting in green distribution injustice. To this end, this study aimed to systematically evaluate multiple GS exposures considering two-dimensional (2D) spatial exposures (i.e., quantity-based availability, distance-based accessibility, and quality-based attractiveness) and three-dimensional (3D) visual exposures (quantity-based street GS visibility and quality-based street GS perceivability). It then examined the inequalities in GS exposure among socioeconomically disadvantaged groups. Housing prices were employed as proxies for socioeconomic status. Local indicators of spatial association(LISA) were employed to examine the existence of bivariate statistically significant spatial clusters of housing prices and multiple GS exposure. Furthermore, the spatial lag regression model was used to determine inequities in GS exposure among urban residents living in communities with different housing prices. The Nanjing metropolitan area, one of the most densely populated cities in China, was selected as the study case. Residential exposure to GS was comprehensively assessed using a 15-min walkable zone lens. The results suggest that: 1) the spatial cluster of 'low GS exposure – low housing price' occupied the largest proportion; 2) all five types of GS exposure were positively associated with housing prices, indicating that the affluent groups are more likely to have access to various GSs; and 3) GS exposure inequalities are more pronounced in measurements of quality(and proximity) than quantity in both spatial and visual exposure metrics. These findings can inform the development of environmental planning and policy strategies for more effective, efficient, and equitable GS provisions that address health issues and green injustice in rapidly urbanizing cities. • A 15-min walkable zone was defined based on the isochronous circle of a real-time map. • Multiple exposure metrics were used to indicate various human-nature contact scenarios. • Housing price was employed as a proxy for household income. • Affluent communities were more likely to have contact with greenspaces. • Greenspace exposure inequities were more evident in quality and proximity than quantity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The storage of electric energy is considered to be a crucial element for grids with a high share of renewable energy generation. Carnot Batteries are a promising technology regarding sector coupling or peak shaving applications. In the domestic sector, current research focuses on an application of Carnot Battery systems in single houses with solar power to improve their self-sufficiency and reduce expenditures. However, due to the non-cellular structure (in contrast to li-ion) economies of scale contribute significantly to the viability of the technology. This is why a joint analysis of entire housing communities is necessary, as focusing only on one house neglects possibilities that arise with larger Carnot Battery systems. The Carnot Battery system is modelled after a pilot plant as a reversible heat pump (20 kW)/organic Rankine cycle (7–13 kW) system coupled with a sensible hot water storage. Operation data from a local energy supplier is used to validate the heat storage component of the simulation model, while the thermal machines are based on simulated and experimental data of the pilot plant. An extensive and comprehensive parameter variation is done to find possible application scenarios of the pilot plant and evaluate its financial viability in a community of varying number of houses. Major findings are, that the possible savings the pilot plant Carnot Battery can achieve in such a community depends on the market conditions considered and that it is not financial under current German market conditions. Varying the feed-in tariff and heat costs showcases the limits of a financial application. Based on current projections for the feed-in tariff, an application for a community of 10–30 houses becomes financial in the near future and saves more than 100 € on electricity costs per house per year, with an amortization period of 14 years depending on interest rates. • Application of Carnot Batteries technically feasible for a community of houses. • Community size of 30–40 houses shows best results for pilot plant application. • Economic potential differs greatly depending on the market conditions. • Further reducing the investment costs significantly improves economic benefit. • For Germany, savings greater than 200 €/a per house achievable in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A concern that living in concentrated public housing could worsen outcomes for public housing tenants has underpinned policy for decades in New Zealand; most recently, in decision-making around how much public housing to provide in new, mixed-tenure communities. Our research examines the degree to which public housing is concentrated in New Zealand, and analyses the association between the proportion of public housing where public housing tenants live in 2013, and their health outcomes five years later. Most public housing tenants are living in areas with low numbers of public housing tenants. As the proportion of public housing tenants in the local population increases, their hospitalisation rate decreases, as does the chance they would utilise mental health outpatient services and the number of prescriptions they receive, although in most cases this reversed for very high densities of public housing tenants. Our study indicates that higher densities of public housing than often assumed may be beneficial to public housing tenants. • 70% of public housing tenants lived in a meshblock where 50% or less of the population lived in public housing. • 85% of public housing tenants live in a census area unit where less than 50% of the population lived in public housing. • Living in places with a greater proportion of public housing tenants resulted in health benefitsfor tenants five years later. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Empirical assessments of the experiences and perceptions of urban green space (UGS) in a social housing context are scant. Studying UGS perception in these contexts is important to understand how people experience and derive benefits from UGS in disadvantaged communities. This short communication provides interdisciplinary and methodological guidance on how to conduct empirical assessment of UGS experience and perception in social housing neighborhoods. For conducting these types of studies, we suggest researchers go beyond simply calculating UGS abundance around communities and consider assessing UGS experiences and perceptions. We suggest designing studies that account for the mixed nature of many social housing communities and that develop useful UGS perception measures that can be associated with wellbeing and community indicators. Finally, we also recommend: (1) designing studies at the local scale and developing strong relationsihps with the social housing communities before and while conducting these studies; (2) considering safety as a key component of UGS perception measures; (3) considering the association between UGS perception measures and wellbeing and community experience indicators to strengthen existing models of UGS benefit provision. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Individuals with severe mental illness frequently have difficulties in obtaining and maintaining adequate accommodation. If they are not willing or able to adapt to requirements of traditional supported housing institutions they may live in sheltered and emergency accommodation. Adequate mental health services are rarely available in these facilities. The aim of the present study was to evaluate mental health, functional and social status of individuals living in community sheltered housing facilities. A cross-sectional survey of n =338 individuals in sheltered housing compared to a sample of patients at intake in acute inpatient psychiatry ( n =619) concerning clinical and social variables was carried out in the catchment area of Zurich. Matched subsamples of individuals with schizophrenia ( n =168) were compared concerning functioning and impairments on the Health of the Nation Outcome Scales (HoNOS). Individuals with schizophrenia in sheltered housing (25% of the residents) have significantly more problems concerning substance use, physical illness, psychopathological symptoms other than psychosis and depression, and relationships, daily activities and occupation than patients with schizophrenia at intake on an acute psychiatric ward. Community sheltered accommodation although conceptualized to prevent homelessness in the general population de facto serve as housing facilities for individuals with schizophrenia and other severe mental illness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Community land trusts (CLTs) are a unique model of shared equity homeownership that promote equitable development and empower homebuyers in historically exclusive real estate markets. As a timely study about the potential future governance around affordable housing, the multiple case studies here identify places that have both a CLT and land bank, and where nascent initiatives by local governments focused on creating permanent affordable housing are facilitating collaborations between local CLTs and land banks. By exploring the themes and dynamics of these emerging collaborations with qualitative methods, the authors evaluate how CLTs can leverage collaborations with land banks as a tool to scale up permanent affordable housing and community control. Understanding how CLTs may benefit from collaborations with land banks is timely considering the current affordable housing crisis and an increasingly widespread recognition of systemic inequitable access to property ownership. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a growing body of literature examining the multifaceted benefits of community gardens for environmental and social wellbeing. While there are studies examining the increase of grassroots urban gardening initiatives in low income and vulnerable communities, there remains a need for research that explores the lived experiences of individuals in social housing communities with urban nature and community gardens. Individuals living in urban social housing may experience inequalities in access to green infrastructure both within their housing estates as well as the surrounding community. For the past two decades, the Community Greening program at the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney, Australia, has implemented outreach initiatives to support the development and maintenance of community gardens in social housing communities in New South Wales. This article presents the findings from a study conducted with participants at six new community gardens built in social housing communities, focusing specifically on focus group interviews with residents and staff questionnaires to examine the perceived impact of the Community Greening program. The participants' narratives highlight program outcomes across the key themes of community gardens as sites for knowledge generation and connection to nature, sense of community, and improving residents' sense of pride and public perceptions of public housing. The findings suggest that community gardens enhance green infrastructure in social housing estates and their broader urban locales by improving access to green space and promoting place-making in social housing contexts. We conclude with a discussion of the recommendations and lessons learned that may help to inform future policies and practices when setting priorities that promote social and environmental sustainability in social housing. • Community gardening in social housing fosters a stronger sense of community. • Community gardens enhance the provision of green space in social housing communities. • Community gardens strengthen a place-making approach in social housing communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a growing trend in academic research in Saudi Arabia on the topics related to sustainable housing and the relative health of the occupants. This article deals with the evaluation of the innovative teaching strategies implemented while completing the planning of a healthy sustainable housing project in an intensive design studio workshop of 3rd year students at the Department of Urban and Regional Planning in Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam. The students were supervised by the respective department faculty members as well as the experts from the industry invited for the sessional and final jury exams. The studio workshop resulted in a comprehensive master plan of a healthy sustainable neighborhood that was designed based on the main objective of the health of the occupants. The designed master plan took into account the national and international planning standards, local housing policies, and regulations. Students showed substantial advances in their skills and understanding of the project. The output of the design studio was measured by comparing the average student score and online feedback surveys for the last five years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lead poisoning remains a major environmental health threat and a persistent source of health disparities in the United States, particularly in large cities such as Chicago. However, little research has considered the rapidly changing urban environment, due to processes like gentrification, when examining risk factors for pediatric lead poisoning. In this retrospective study, spatio-temporal analysis and spatial regression models have been applied to examine the distribution of elevated blood lead levels (EBLL) in children in 77 Chicago community areas annually from 1999 to 2013. Sociodemographic and built environment variables are calculated for each year of the study to account for changing urban community characteristics. Results show that while the overall rate of children with EBLL decreased greatly from 1999 to 2013, inequality between areas still persists. Hotspots of EBLL persist over time in communities in the South and Southwest Side. Spatial regression results indicate that, over the duration of the study period, higher rates of EBLL are frequently associated with higher minority populations, older house age in the community area and greater amounts of renter occupied houses. However, our closer examination on several representative communities indicate that different community development trajectories and renovation histories are associated with varying EBLL declines. Taking a dynamic perspective when understanding EBLL over time can highlight places where improvements in EBLL are the result of population displacement versus places where improvements in EBLL are related to changing housing stock, as well as areas of a city where lead poisoning prevention efforts can have the greatest impact. • Pediatric lead poisoning in Chicago community areas decreased from 1999 to 2013. • Clusters of high pediatric lead poisoning rates persist over time and space. • Sociodemographic and built environments are associated with pediatric lead poisoning. • Changes in urban geography are associated with changes in pediatric lead poisoning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the 2010s, the return of the state in land expropriation and urban (re)development processes has resulted in a new type of neighborhood in urban China, namely, displaced villagers' resettlement community (DVRC). The government aimed to promote the social integration of land-lost peasants into urban society by placing DVRCs in areas with good accessibility and mixed land-use development. However, some studies found that the territorial stigmatization of DVRCs as poor and uncivilized neighborhoods has caused the depreciation of houses in DVRCs. Does this disamenity effect spill over to nearby houses? If yes, does this disamenity effect vary across space? This research uses Chengdu, the largest city in Western China, as the case study. A big data approach is used to analyze the list price of 53,969 houses and their housing attributes. An ordinary least squares hedonic model is used to determine the effect of the proximity to DVRC on house price at an overall statistical level. Then, a mixed geographically weighted regression model is used to examine the spatial heterogeneity of this disamenity effect. The empirical results support the account that DVRCs depreciate nearby houses. In these underdeveloped suburban areas, the proximity to DVRCs is positively associated with housing prices because of its function as a proxy for the prospective proximity to urban service facilities. These findings indicate that the government trial of social integration promotion is not that successful and help identify areas that require interventions the most to mitigate socio-spatial segregation. • This return of the state in land acquisition and urban (re)development has resulted in DVRC in China. • DVRC are examined to depreciate nearby housing price by 10,440 CNY. • The disamenity effects of DVRC on housing price is heterogeneous across space. • Two typical areas where the proximity to DVRC appreciates housing price are identified. • The trial of promoting the social integration of land-lost peasants through mixed-use developments was unsuccessful. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Objective measures collectively explain more price variances. • Subjective measures individually show stronger magnitude. • Less ambiguous perceptions exhibit more accurate prediction and larger variance. • Less ubiquitous elements like person had stronger associations to housing prices. • Prior studies using sky, tree and building views might result in biased estimation. Houses with better street design are found to relate to a price premium. Prior studies mainly present the street quality using objective indicators like tree counts and distance to parks with land use data, or most recently using the greenery view index extracted from street view imagery (SVI). We argue that objective indicators cannot completely describe people's sense of a place, as perception is a highly subjective process. We hypothesize that subjective measures using visual surveys could capture more subtle human perceptions, thus providing stronger predictive power to housing prices. However, the role of subjectively measured street design qualities is less known due to the lack of large-scale perception data. To test our hypothesis, we first collected designers' perceptions on five urban design qualities from pairwise SVIs rankings in Shanghai with an online visual survey. Unlike the mainstream of using generic image features, we followed urban design theory and used rule-based features, i.e., about thirty streetscape elements extracted from SVIs to train machine learning (ML) models to predict subjective perceptions. The predictive power of five qualities versus ten selected individual streetscapes on housing price were compared using the hedonic price model. Besides the standard ordinary least squares (OLS), spatial regression and geographical weighted regression (GWR) were also developed to account for the spatial dependence and heterogeneity effects. We found both subjectively measured design qualities and objective indicators outperformed housing structural attributes in explaining housing price. While the objective view indexes collectively explained more price variances, the five perceptions individually exhibited stronger strength. Third, less-studied perceptions like "human scale" showed stronger strength than commonly studied "safety" and "enclosure". Fourth, less-studied view indexes like "person" and "fence" outperformed ubiquitous features like trees and buildings. Lastly, prior studies might have resulted in biased estimations due to ignoring the multicollinear issues between the sky, tree and building views. Our study addressed the effectiveness of incorporating subjective perceptions at a micro level to infer housing prices. Correlations between subjective perceptions were strong while that of objective indicators were negligible, therefore subjective perceptions can complement the objective indicators. The findings provide important reference to decision makers when selecting street quality indicators to infer urban design, city planning and community and housing development plans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The transition from community dwelling to a nursing home is a common, though idiosyncratic, experience in the United States. This study employed an interpretive phenomenological approach to uncover how eight older adults in nursing homes in the Midwestern U.S. constructed the meaning of home shortly following the relocation and again approximately two months later. The degree to which the individual had been involved in the decision making process was also explored as it related to the meaning of home within the nursing home setting. The majority of individuals did not consider the facility to be “home,” but actively changed their attitudes toward the facility and themselves to better adjust to the setting. The findings demonstrate the importance of autonomy in older adults' definitions of home. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Community housing in Australia provides a range of rental options to low-to-moderate income tenants ranging from short-term crisis accommodation to long-term housing. Most community housing providers rely on rental income as their major source of recurrent funding and the rents are often set to a low percentage of the tenants’ income. Therefore, these not-for-profit organizations have to operate within very stringent budgets. Tenants in community housing may also have special needs. Their energy consumption are relatively high, as they spend long hours in their homes. They are therefore particularly vulnerable to increasing energy prices, and in need of the most assistance in reducing these living costs. This paper researches the status of energy use and the needs of the community housing to reduce the energy and water consumption. There appear to be ample opportunities for water and energy efficiency improvement in community housing, e.g. insulation, more energy efficient hot water systems, etc. However, the organizations lack of time, knowledge, fund and expertise to improve energy efficiency makes it hard and thus create a room for the Government to take initiates to reduce carbon from this sector. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper presents the results of a techno-economic study into the feasibility of a number of biomass-fuelled CHP (BCHP) systems when operated in a community housing/mixed use context. Six systems comprising differing technologies have been analysed, with the assumption that the systems operate within an ESCO (energy services company) supply scenario. Actual demand data was obtained for a representative community housing scheme, along with technical performance and cost data on the various biomass CHP systems. Subsequently, an economic modelling tool was developed and a number of operational scenarios were analysed to determine the viability of specific systems and the sensitivity of the results to a range of technical and economic parameters. The impact of thermal storage was also considered in order to optimise heat usage as far as possible. The results indicate that within specific realistic ESCO operating scenarios, biomass CHP can demonstrate positive net present values without the need for capital subsidies. Optimal system design and implementation is critical for profitable operation and it is found that the best economic performance occurs for high load factors when the maximum quantity of both electricity and heat sold on-site is maximised. The results are also found to be very sensitive to a number of the model inputs. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Independent living is a basic human right that enables individuals with disabilities to determine where they live, who they live with and what kind of support that they receive. Limited research exists regarding the challenges that adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) may face when attempting to live independently. Given the importance of independent living for adults with ASD, this study aimed to examine the perspectives of stakeholders about independent living among adults with ASD.Methods: We recruited a total of 19 stakeholders including adults with ASD and parents of adults with ASD from Canadian provinces. In-depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted to identify factors affecting independent living among adults with ASD. Interviews were transcribed and analyzed using thematic analysis to identify overarching themes.Results: Three themes emerged in our findings, including: a) Psychophysical stability and daily living; b) Financial management and planning; and c) Integrated community living and independence.Conclusion: The findings from this study suggest that adults with ASD face several challenges related to independent living. Factors related to psychophysical stability and daily living, financial management, and integrated community living and housing were all found to influence the ability of adults with ASD to live independently. By exploring stakeholders' perspectives of independent living for adults with ASD, this study provides some insight that can help inform the development of programs and services to facilitate independent living for adults with ASD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This article describes the planning of a multi-agency and multi-stakeholder evaluation of the implementation of supportive housing. The Ottawa HousingPlus Collaborative Communities project is a collaboration between university-based evaluators and members of a local network of supportive housing providers. The objectives of the initiative are (1) to develop tools and methods for evaluating the implementation of supportive housing by network members, (2) to evaluate program implementation, and (3) to use evaluation findings to assist network members to collaborate in finding solutions to shared implementation challenges. This article examines the early planning of the project. It describes the process used to engage stakeholders in the conception and planning of the project, the challenges and successes in the early planning efforts, and the issues that will need to be addressed over the course of the 3-year project term. These challenges and successes of engaging stakeholders are discussed in the context of adapting educational concepts to the evaluation of social services and in engaging multiple agencies, at multiple levels, in a collaborative evaluation. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

As most studies of segregation rely on the evenness dimension, this current study proposes a graph embedding approach to explore the usefulness of employing the isolation-exposure dimension to evaluate income segregation. While most segregation studies analyzed the static distribution of population subgroups, current study attempts to classify neighborhoods based on house value as a proxy of income, residents' exposure to people of different income levels as constrained by their mobility patterns, and amenities available in the neighborhood. This study exploits the graph embedding method to classify neighborhoods by combining their various attributes, static population distribution and mobility data provided by smart cards to analyze income segregation in Shenzhen, China. Results identify four types of communities with different economic statuses, mobility patterns, and amenity characteristics. They provide rich descriptions about the connections between income segregation patterns, population dynamics, and neighborhood characteristics. The study found that the more segregated communities, which are composed of the poorest and richest groups, are mostly in the peripheral regions of the city while the inner city has lower levels of segregation, mainly due to differentials in transit accessibility. The study demonstrates the great potential of the proposed method to incorporate multiple aspects to evaluate segregation. • Exposure between residents in communities of different house values reflects income segregation. • Use graph embedding data mining method to incorporate mobility and neighborhood characteristics. • Use smart card, house value and amenity data of Shenzhen, China to derive four community types. • Less segregated communities near city center and more segregated communities in city periphery. • Demonstrated a method with potential to combine multiple aspects in evaluating segregation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban parks improve the quality of urban ecological environment and residents' physical and mental health. Existing studies have measured their spatial distribution in terms of accessibility or quality, however, this is not effective. Here, this study developed a spatial distribution assessment framework for urban parks, which included four dimensions: convenient degree (D 1), crowded degree (D 2), diversity of choices (D 3), and service quality (D 4). Taking Beijing as an example, we analyzed the difference in park distribution and found that park distribution is relatively equitable except for convenient degree. However, there are significant differences from the city center to the periphery. The inner-city area has better convenience, while the middle areas have more choices, and the outer ring performs better in terms of D 2 and D 4. There are significant gaps among communities with different housing prices. We found a gentrification trend within the Low, Middle-Low, and High price groups when analyzing the intra-group differences. This study can help urban planners and policymakers to better identify the gaps in park distribution and provide directions for optimizing the layout. • A more comprehensive evaluation framework for urban park distribution is constructed. • This framework includes four different dimensions. • The vulnerable areas of park provision can be identified. • There is relationship between park distribution and attributes of communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the 2010s, China witnessed a return of the state in land acquisition and urban (re)development processes. This return of the state has resulted in a new type of neighborhood, namely displaced villagers' resettlement community (DVRC), which is well built by the government and located close to middle-income communities' amenities. The displaced villagers are entitled to full ownership and sale right of their resettlement houses. However, these houses in DVRCs are depreciated in the housing market. This study examines and explains the housing depreciation in DVRCs with a combination of quantitative hedonic models and qualitative field investigations. We explain the housing depreciation in DVRCs through the lens of territorial stigmatization theory. Based on the findings, we argue that the housing depreciation DVRCs is caused by the entrenched prejudice towards the peasantry in Chinese society. This prejudice has mutated into territorial stigmatization of DVRCs as uncivilized and poor neighborhoods. This paper innovatively bridges territorial stigmatization thesis and housing price research to provide a new method to reveal territorial stigmatization in the context of rising market approach to social housing. It contributes to the debate on whether social mix development can avoid the stigmatization of social housing communities. • China witnessed a return of the state in land acquisition and urban (re)development processes. • This return of the state has resulted in a new type of urban neighbourhood, namely displaced villagers' resettlement community (DVRC). • This study examines and explains the housing depreciation in DVRCs. • The depreciation phenomenon in DVRCs is caused by the entrenched prejudice towards the peasantry in Chinese society. • This prejudice has mutated into territorial stigmatisation of DVRCs as 'uncivilised and poor neighbourhoods' [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Social vulnerability to flood is conceptualized and assessed from three dimensions of exposure, sensitivity and adaptability. • Individual-level survey data were collected to explore the influencing factors of social vulnerability. • Affordable housing communities far from the city center are more likely to have a low level of flood vulnerability. • Results suggest a variety of approaches that can be adopted to reduce the social vulnerability to flood. In the context of climate change and rapid urbanization, urban floods disasters occur frequently across the globe, and social vulnerability has become an important theoretical perspective for understanding the occurrence and response of flooding disasters. This paper takes Nanjing as an example to investigate flooding disasters and social vulnerability in development countries. It develops an analysis framework and evaluation index system of social vulnerability from three dimensions of exposure, sensitivity and adaptability. Ten typical affordable housing communities were selected and individual-level survey data were collected to explore the influencing factors of social vulnerability. The results show that social vulnerability is simultaneously affected by exposure, sensitivity and adaptability. Communities with new construction ages and good built environments usually have lower levels of risk exposure. Those with residents having higher levels of education and social capital have lower sensitivity. The government's emergency operations and residents' response capabilities can both significantly improve the adaptability of communities to floods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• social innovation promotes alternative practices for resource circularity in cities. • seven types of social innovation for resource circularity are identified in cities. • social housing communities can promote a circular economy through social innovation. • opportunities, benefits and obstacles derived from social innovation are identified. • ReSOLVE framework is expanded to support social innovation for a circular economy. This study explored how social housing communities can contribute to the transition to a circular economy (CE) in cities. The CE promotes ways for rethinking and reshaping current practices of producing and consuming to enhance resource efficiency while satisfying our needs to enable us to prosper sustainably. Resource efficiency in cities relies on production and consumption patterns that are connected to people behaviours. Up to now, the CE has mainly concentrated on different levels of technological system innovations with limited attention to social practices and behavioural change. On the other side, communities and groups of interest show playing a crucial role in the promotion of sustainable practices through initiatives of social innovation (SI). Through case study analysis and comparison, the project investigated contemporary SI initiatives implemented by urban communities and groups of interest aiming at promoting alternative production-consumption practices. Seven types of SI for resource circularity have been identified. Based on this typology, the study defined potential opportunities, benefits and challenges for social housing communities. These findings also highlighted a complementary role that SI can play in the CE implementation in cities. Therefore, the project suggested the introduction of emerging SI concepts into the current CE approach to support development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Limited scholarly work has assessed Google Fiber adoption or impact. • This study examines Google Fiber signup in disadvantaged communities. • A household survey shows community intervention as the most important contributor. • Internet use, network diversity, expectations, and children increased signing up too. • Implications include community interventions coordinating public and private efforts. A decade after Google Fiber promised faster, cheaper internet connections in selected American cities, few studies have investigated its adoption, let alone in disadvantaged urban communities. Drawing on a household survey of public housing communities in Austin, Texas, a major Google Fiber city, we examine how relational, technological and community factors affect Google Fiber signup. Results show that community intervention combining digital inclusion programs and promotional neighborhood events was the most important contributor that elevated the likelihood of signing up for Google Fiber. Internet use, network diversity, expectations about the outcomes of digital inclusion programs, and having young children living in the household also significantly increased the likelihood of Google Fiber signing up. The findings have policy implications, highlighting the importance of coordinated efforts of the public, private, and non-profit sectors to engage underprivileged urban residents in a digital future through targeted community interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this research is to explore how social housing associations can introduce circular strategies and integrate social elements, next to ecological elements, within these strategies. In order to investigate this aim, this paper first explores the circular strategy options that can be adopted by housing associations. Thereafter, the paper explores how social elements can be integrated within these strategies via the establishment of relationships with communities in the network of housing associations. By performing an in-depth case study, we identified potential circular strategies for housing associations and indicate how community relationships could be established within these strategies. The findings highlight that community relationships in the vision formulation and activities involved in the execution of circular strategies may assist in creating synergies between the ecological aims of circular strategies and the perspectives and needs of communities. On the other hand, the results indicate that not establishing relationships with communities or only establishing relationships in the strategy outcomes may be detrimental to both community needs and the ecological aims of circular strategies. • Circular strategies need to integrate both social and ecological elements. • The identified circular strategy options only limitedly included social elements. • Social elements could be integrated through relationships with communities. • The type of community relationships effected the integration of social elements. • The main challenge was to find synergies between social and ecological elements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Housing infrastructure is the basic need of living, and due to disaster, many houses got damaged. Therefore, assessing resilience for housing infrastructure against a flood hazard is an important task for any community as it gives the real scenario of the capability to resist and recover from the disaster after the occurrence of the hazard. The process of resilience quantification requires a different type of information from different sources, and due to which uncertainty and incomplete data may get involved. There is significantly limited literature available focusing on housing infrastructure resilience; however, the available literature has not incorporated such uncertainty and incomplete information. Therefore, in this work, a resilience assessment framework for housing infrastructure is proposed using a combination approach of Best Worst Method and a Hierarchical Evidential Reasoning based on the Dempster-Shafer theory against flood hazard. The proposed framework is then implemented in Barak valley North-East India to quantify that valley's resilience and evaluate the model. Initially, different resilience attributes are selected, and based on experts' opinion, the Best Worst Method rates the criteria to find the weightage. After finding the weightage, flood resilience is evaluated by using the Dempster-Shafer rule of combination. Lastly, sensitivity analysis is also performed to investigate the sensitivity of all the attributes of the proposed hierarchical housing infrastructure resilience model. The proposed flood resilience assessment model generates satisfactory results which indicate the condition state of resilience along with the unassigned degree of belief or uncertainty. • Integration of Best Worst Method and Dempster-Shafer theory to develop flood resilience model for housing infrastructure. • Assess the resilience index and to prioritize the housing infrastructures for maintenance/rehabilitation/replacement. • Estimate the reliability and recovery for the housing infrastructure in the community against flood hazard. • Applied to assess the housing infrastructure resilience of the Barak Valley, India against flood hazard. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Housing infrastructure is a basic human need and thus should be resilient against natural disasters. Therefore, an effective resilience-based framework for housing infrastructure is required to enhance the endurance capacity of housing and for effective recovery. Involving an expert opinion is also required for the representation of the nonlinear, complex relationship between the flood resilience parameters for housing infrastructure. In this work, initially, a hierarchical flood resilience model for housing infrastructure is developed using the decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL) and the interpretive structure modeling (ISM) methods. The relationships among various resilience parameters related to flood hazards are obtained using integrated DEMATEL and ISM following the data received from expert opinions. Next, a flood resilience-based decision-making framework is developed integrating DEMATEL, ISM, and Bayesian Network (BN) methods. A field survey collects all the postdisaster data to feed in the BN model, capturing the interrelationship among the resilience parameters. Finally, the developed framework is implemented for a community in northeast India for flood resilience assessment and risk-informed decision making. It has been observed from the result that the resilience of the housing infrastructure for most of the surveyed places are extremely low, which means houses of those areas should be immediately strengthened. The evaluated resilience values provide the vulnerable scenarios of housing infrastructure of that community against flood hazards, which help the public authority of that community. Additionally, the identification of the most sensitive parameter/s among all considered parameters helps in decision making for future hazards. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Setting aside small remnant patches of high biodiversity forest within managed forest landscapes is often used as conservation measure to provide a refuge and future source population of forest biodiversity, including wood-inhabiting fungal communities. Yet little is known about the long-term fungal community assembly, how these small, isolated patches change through time and how forest management in the surrounding landscape impacts traits and community functionality housed within. We applied a joint species distribution model to compare how fungal traits and communities changed over two survey periods undertaken ~20 years apart in boreal forest set-aside and natural patches. Natural patches in naturally fragmented landscapes were considered reference forests for small, remnant, near-natural forest patches in intensively managed forest landscapes. We found the majority of fungal traits converged over time between set-aside and natural patches, without changes in overall species richness. Red-listed species occurrence was initially lower in set-aside patches, but reached a comparable level of natural patches over time as a result of opposing changes in both patch types. Functional trait changes were larger in set-aside patches, but convergence was also related to opposing changes in natural patches. This is the first study to directly measure and test wood fungal community trait-environment relationships over time in small, high-conservation value forest patches. The long-term functional trait and red-listed species values of set-asides, coupled with their capacity for old-growth recovery, make them valuable focal areas for conservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores the experience of aging among older Canadian women with physical limitations who live by themselves. While aging in place has been a policy priority in rapidly greying Canada, a lack of complementary public supports poses challenges for many older adults and their family members. Employing a qualitative methodology, and drawing from the notion of aging in the right place , we collected personal narratives of 12 women (aged 65 to 92) in two geographic areas in Ontario, including residents of regular houses, apartments, condominiums, assisted living and community housing for seniors. Through thematic analysis, we identified four overarching themes: 1) striving to continue on "at home", 2) living as a "strong independent woman", 3) the help needed to support their "independence", and 4) social activities to maintain self. Our findings illustrate how, despite their mobility limitations, older women can change their residential environment and their behavior by deploying the coping strategies and resources they have developed over time. However, we also found that older women are largely silent about their needs, and that experiences varied depending on life histories, health conditions, and the availability of supports in their wider environment (home care, alternative housing options, accessible transportation, opportunities for social and physical activities). We hope these findings will incite further studies and discussion to help make aging in the right place a real choice for anyone who wishes to do so. • Enabling aging in the right place for older women with physical limitations. • Enabling/disabling factors for aging in the right place in a Canadian context. • Older women's silence about uneven supports for aging in the right place. • Women's personal narratives about aging in place – a life-course perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Perceived environmental governance (PEG) impacts individual waste sorting behavior. • PEG of the central government decreases individual engagement. • PEG of the local government motivates individual engagement. • Community type mediates the effect of PEG on individual participation in China. • People in danwei and affordable housing communities respond positively to the central government. Individual waste sorting is necessary for effective, efficient waste management. Despite active government interventions, waste sorting has achieved limited success in China. Previous research provides contradictory theories and mixed evidence of the relationship between perceived environmental governance and individual waste sorting behavior. Some researchers argue that perceived environmental governance enhances individual engagement by offering a supportive atmosphere, whereas the crowding out thesis suggests that it undermines intrinsic motivation and suppresses participation. This study suggests that the controversy is partially attributed to people's varying expectations for central and local governments. Multivariate analyses of nationally representative data in China show that a positive evaluation of local government motivates individuals' sorting behavior, whereas the perceived effective environmental governance of the central government decreases individual engagement, net of demographic and socioeconomic factors. Additionally, people in danwei and affordable housing communities who perceive the central government's environmental governance to be effective are more likely to sort waste. Institutional trust and the involvement of local actors may lead to differential outcomes. These findings suggest that waste sorting results from systematic evaluations of both individual preferences and institutional settings, and effective environmental governance requires more nuanced measures to evoke intrinsic motivation, preferably at the community level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neighborhood social capital and mental health are intrinsically interlinked. Nonetheless, there has been scant evidence on how neighborhood ties influence the mental health of residents in affordable housing in Chinese cities. The main objective of this paper is to examine the underlying pathway via which neighborhood tie affect mental health; specifically, to investigate effects of social ties between affordable housing residents and nearby commercial private housing residents; and secondly, those of the social ties within the same affordable housing community. We selected four typical affordable housing communities in Guangzhou City comprising a sample size of 400 participants and employed structural equation modeling (SEM) to systematically explore the different pathways through which these two types of social ties affect mental health at the neighborhood level. In particular, we focused on whether the current development trend for affordable housing surrounded by commodity housing would create issues of social comparison that could negatively impact the mental health of those residents in affordable housing. Our results report that both types of neighborhood tie have a positive effect upon mental health of the affordable housing residents. The reported evidence indicate that Guangzhou's mixed housing development approach did not adversely affect the mental health of residents due to social comparison issues, with the residents' community satisfaction being beneficially associated with mental health. Our study suggests that optimizing planning of neighborhood housing, in terms of type and diversity can be a preventive intervention to creating a healthy space that promote cross-class interactions between mixed community residents, thereby enhancing the mental health of affordable housing residents. • It examined whether neighborhood ties influence the mental health of residents in affordable housing. • It explored the different pathways through two types of social ties affect mental health at the neighborhood level. • Cross-class interactions between mixed community residents could enhance the mental health of affordable housing residents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Discovery of women's leadership roles as rescuers, decision makers and breadwinners. • Empowering women's leadership will reduce vulnerability and advance resiliency. • Supporting gender equality engagement for communities affected by disasters. • Examination of women's leadership at three post-disaster stages of their lifespans. Community engagement in disaster risk reduction activities assists women to discover and build their capacity for leadership before, during, and after disaster. In the study of the entire process after an extreme event, previous research has been scarce in the examination of women of different ages' capacities of engagement, leadership, and resilience. Developed during 10 years of ongoing research after the Wenchuan earthquake, this paper employs qualitative research methodology that scrutinizes women's leadership at different stages of their lifespans during all the post-disaster stages (emergency rescue, short-term reconstruction, and long-term recovery and mitigation) that took place after the Wenchuan earthquake, in the rural areas of Sichuan Province, China. This paper discovers that (1) during the emergency rescue stage, women became rescuers augmenting and supporting the urgent response; (2) during the short-term reconstruction stage, women served as decision makers guiding the reconstruction of housing and communities; and (3) during the long-term recovery and mitigation stage, many women took on the role of breadwinner, managing the family livelihood and long-term development. From the perspective of built environment, this paper argues that women's leadership in managing existing and obtaining new resources (internal and external), in parallel effort alongside the official missions, not only strengthened the men's dominant aftermath efforts, but also promoted gender equity engagement in post-disaster reconstruction and recovery as well as powerfully advanced resilience capacity at individual, family, and community levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A novel evaluation of Virtual Net Metering for Community housing is conducted. • Virtual Net Metering provides cost effective aggregations for energy pooling. • By pooling resources savings up to 18% could be offered for solar only schemes. • Battery prices need to decline by 30% for solar and batteries to achieve parity. In a climate of soaring energy prices in Australia not all consumers are able to afford the upfront investment costs in photovoltaics to manage their energy costs. Virtual Net Metering enables the sharing of generation and storage benefits against the load of decentralised customers including apartments. The aggregation of resources can reduce the cost for monitoring and managing distributed generation. This is possible by the use of innovative technology for monitoring, billing and settlement software. This paper provides a novel evaluation of virtual net metering to address social equity in the energy transition with regard to the Australian community housing sector. Modelling was conducted with Monte Carlo simulations of weather variables, demand and solar generation. Scenarios of solar only and solar combined with batteries are evaluated. Results showed that by pooling resources savings up to 18% of total energy costs could be offered to participants for solar only schemes whereas battery prices would have to decline by 30% for combined solar and battery schemes to achieve the same. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using the data from "China Migrants' Dynamic Survey" conducted by China's National Health and Family Planning Commission, we examine the impacts of affordable housing programs on migrants' social integration in Chinese cities. We measure social integration in terms of migrants' participation in local activities and sense of belonging. We find that, after controlling for individual characteristics, the social integration level of migrants living in affordable housing program communities is significantly higher than that of migrants living in other communities. Heterogeneous analyses show that the migrants living in the rental units in affordable housing program communities exhibit a much higher level of social integration than do similar migrants living in other rental units. However, owner-occupied affordable housing communities do not show a significant effect in improving social integration, compared to other owner-occupied housing communities. Further analysis suggests that the inclusiveness of the living environment and neighborhood helps explain the main difference. • We study the impacts of affordable housing program on migrants' social integration. • We use "China Migrants' Dynamic Survey" data for our empirical research. • Migrants living in affordable housing communities are more social integrated. • Tenants exhibit higher level of social integration than home owners. • The inclusiveness of the living environment and neighborhood are main factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]