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This research aims to explore the potential of renewable energy sources in urban planning, focusing on microgeneration technologies, through a structured literature review. A systematic review was conducted using the PRISMA method, encompassing the identification, selection, eligibility, and analysis of studies related to renewable energy microgeneration in urban environments. The findings emphasize key areas such as policy development, energy security, and future scenario projections, with a particular focus on solar energy generation. The review highlights the importance of robust regulatory frameworks and monitoring systems for effectively managing prosumers and ensuring equitable energy distribution. Key challenges identified include the intermittency of renewable energy sources, regulatory complexities, monitoring systems, prosumer management, energy sizing risks, and the lifecycle of microgeneration technologies. The research accentuates the need for outstanding collaboration between academia, industry, and urban planners to accelerate the adoption and implementation of renewable energy solutions. The main conclusion is that such collaboration is essential for addressing challenges, driving innovation, and contributing to the development of sustainable urban energy systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the context of planning and construction of the new capital city of Indonesia, referred to as Ibu Kota Negara (IKN), this article addresses the spatial risks and opportunities of rainwater resources in the area where IKN is planned. The article relies on an inventory of various physical data, which were used to derive a flood susceptibility map, as well as rainfall data derived from public and open sources. The geospatial study drew on geospatial software (ArcGIS Pro, 2.1.) and the Google Earth Engine platform (GEE). After this analysis, we followed a management design, which took IPCC climate change scenarios into account. The results demonstrated that the southern coast has higher precipitation than the northern coast in the IKN area. To enhance the efficacy of rainwater management planning, a grid is proposed to mitigate the flood risk and to harvest rainwater. Although rainwater varies throughout the IKN area, and may vary even more with different climate change predictions, it is possible to capture rainwater and create a system to reduce reliance on traditional water sources, alleviate stormwater runoff and mitigate the impact of urban flooding. While IKN will be developed by both regulated planning and other population-driven developments, monitoring and reflecting on existing plans will still be necessary to make IKN sufficiently resilient and sustainable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates rural mobility in the Global South using a participatory GIS approach to address the lack of mobility data that hampers sustainable planning to support rural development and resilience. Limited rural mobility due to poor infrastructure and financial constraints hinders social and economic activities, impeding development. The study aims to explore the socio-economic impacts of limited mobility, identify software needs for data-scarce environments, and map daily mobility patterns. Fieldwork was conducted in Kenya (2022) and Nepal (2023), collecting geographic data related to mobility. The methodology included community engagement and digital mapping using the QField app for precise data collection. The study highlights the use of participatory GIS to fill data gaps, enabling more accurate mobility assessments. Community engagement revealed gender-specific mobility patterns, with women facing particular challenges in daily activities. The study emphasizes the need for adaptable data models to reflect community-specific mobility needs and the integration of qualitative insights to propose effective and sustainable mobility solutions. This research contributes to understanding rural mobility in the Global South and demonstrates the effectiveness of participatory GIS in overcoming data scarcity and enhancing mobility analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Migration-induced land degradation is a challenging environmental issue in Sub-Saharan Africa. The need for expansion due to urban development has raised the question of effective sustainable measures. Understanding migration and land degradation links is paramount for sustainable urban development and resource use. This is particularly true in Nigeria, where elevated migration levels frequently result in accelerated land degradation due to urban expansion. Given the need to understand the impact of migration on land degradation in the Savannah Region of Nigeria (SRN), this study introduces a novel approach by integrating remote sensing data (NDVI, NDBI) with local community perceptions (mixed-methods approach) to assess the impact of migration on land degradation in four migration destination communities located in two local government areas (LGAs) (Sabon Gari East and Sabon Gari West of Fagge LGA; Zuba and Tungamaje of Gwagwalada LGA). We conducted focus group discussions and a semi-structured survey with 360 household heads to obtain a comprehensive view of perceptions. Our findings revealed that 41.1% and 29.5% of the respondents agreed and strongly agreed that migration significantly contributes to land degradation. We analysed the spatiotemporal patterns of the Normalised Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and the Normalised Difference Built-Up Index (NDBI) acquired from Landsat 8 datasets for 2014 to 2023. While increasing NDBI values were observed in all communities, a slight decrease in NDVI was noted in Sabon Gari East and Tungamaje. Our analyses highlighted activities leading to land degradation such as land pressure due to built-up expansion at Sabon Gari East, Sabon Gari West, and Tungamaje, and deforestation at Zuba. Based on the varying challenges of migration-induced land degradation, we recommend adequate community participation in suggesting targeted interventions and policies to foster various adaptive capacities and sustainable environments within SRN communities and Sub-Saharan Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Place-making is recognized for its significant role in enhancing community cohesion, preserving cultural heritage, and promoting environmental sustainability. In recent years, place-making has garnered increasing attention as a multidisciplinary research topic from scholars in various fields. However, despite the increasing amount of research, systematic reviews and analyses of existing studies remain relatively scarce. Therefore, this study aims to provide a comprehensive bibliometric overview of the field of place-making through bibliometric and visualization analyses. We used CiteSpace for data analysis and visualization, focusing on the most influential articles, journals, countries, research categories, keywords, and themes in this field. The results indicate a significant increase in publications on placemaking since 2013. Major research institutions are concentrated in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Research hotspots are centered around "city", "politics", and "place-making", among others. Current research is primarily categorized into four core themes: Urban Design and Public Space, Social Participation and Cultural Identity, Economic Development and Environmental Sustainability, and Governance, Policy, and Community Development. The research trajectory in this field shows trends of diversification and integration. Future research should emphasize interdisciplinary integration, combining urban planning, digital technology, and sociology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the influence of specific time series attributes on the efficacy of fuel demand forecasting. By utilising autoregressive models and Markov chains, the research aims to determine the impact of these attributes on the effectiveness of specific models. The study also proposes modifications to these models to enhance their performance in the context of the fuel industry's unique fuel distribution. The research involves a comprehensive analysis, including identifying the impact of volatility, seasonality, trends, and sudden shocks within time series data on the suitability and accuracy of forecasting methods. The paper utilises ARIMA, SARIMA, and Markov chain models to assess their ability to integrate diverse time series features, improve forecast precision, and facilitate strategic logistical planning. The findings suggest that recognising and leveraging these time series characteristics can significantly enhance the management of fuel supplies, leading to reduced operational costs and environmental impacts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Today's cities need more than ever methodological devices that ensure a specific urbanism, in keeping with the complexity of relationships that occur in the urban space. Networks or systems of a diverse nature must be activated to achieve a certain success of the city, even more so in its fragile central fabric. This study is focused on the historic neighborhoods of the city of Jaén (Spain), which have a high vulnerability index. The aim is to establish a strategy to revitalize their urban and social capital and improve their articulation with the rest of the urban and territorial structure. A methodological proposal for the analysis of vulnerability factors and an urban and cartographic analysis of the public space is addressed through an interweaving of a triple network: environmental, social, and urban. For this purpose, the configuration of this overlapping network of analysis and the formulation of criteria is presented, which considers the urban multiplicity and promotes new dynamics for the integrated urban regeneration of the area and for the activation of public and collective urban spaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the influence of religiosity on environmental concern and intentions to reduce food waste in Islam and Christianity. The study involves 575 adult participants, predominantly Muslims and Christians, utilizing the Duke University Religion Index (DUREL) religiosity scale, environmental concern scale, and food waste reduction intention scale. The investigation was conducted in Romania, Italy, and Turkey. Utilizing structural equation modeling (SEM) via AMOS software, the research reveals that religiosity significantly affects environmental concern in both religious groups. Furthermore, environmental concern acts as a mediator between religiosity and both Muslim and Christian participants. Notably, the impact of religiosity on the intention to reduce food waste is significant among Muslims, but is not observed among Christians. The study underscores the importance of integrating religiosity into consumer behavior research, especially concerning food waste reduction. It suggests that religiosity and environmental concern are crucial for successful campaigns targeting food waste reduction among Muslim and Christian consumers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The construction of sustainable road and highway networks in the world, despite numerous feasibility, pre-feasibility and execution studies, are always confronted with the demands and vagaries of foreseeable and unforeseeable natural disasters. Studying cyclones, earthquakes, fracturing and landslide zones along roads is therefore a challenge for the sustainability of these infrastructures. In many countries around the world, the methods generally used for these studies are not only expensive and time-consuming, but also the results obtained are not always efficient. This work examines whether Landsat 8 (with a high cloud level) and SRTM data can be used in both equatorial and coastal Central Africa zones to produce relevant mapping, locating fracture and landslide zones, in order to contribute not only to a better road layout at lower cost and in a relatively short time, but also to a better prevention of geological disasters that may occur on its network. To this end, a map of the main road network was produced and validated with field data, as well as the maps of the main unstable slopes, faults and fractures zones intersecting the road or highway network. These approaches are useful for sustainable planning, management, monitoring and extension of roads worldwide, especially in Central Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Responsible and rational urban planning is reflected in an integral and multidimensional approach to city development. Contemporary theories of sustainable and resilient urban planning support a clear vision and strategy for city development, emphasizing its identity, specifics, and values. Through its vision and action plans, the city of Banja Luka protects its default identity as a green city while recognizing the current development trend toward a compact city. The paper deals with two theories: green and compact cities, both motivated by ecological and energy planning. The paper aims to show the importance of the green dimension of a compact city and the adoption of the principles of compactness in the green city in order to examine its contribution through synergistic action. Through the comparative analysis of the green structure change toward a compact urban area and temperature rise in the last fifty years and on different scales, it is possible to question the set green goals and effects of environmental urban (non) planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The concepts of green infrastructures, nature-based solutions and ecosystem services are today considered an integral part of the broader theme of the urban bioregion, with an intrinsic character of complexity. It is certainly difficult to structure bioregional processes in a balanced and sustainable way, able to keep local energy production and consumption cycles closed. It is a complex issue of knowledge bases, and problems are increased by the participatory dimension of environmental planning. In fact, when rational planning models have failed in the face of prominent individual needs and environmental complexity, a path has emerged towards the inclusion of multiple citizens' and stakeholders' knowledge. The cognitive structure of the plans has thus changed from systems of exclusively expert, formal knowledge to systems of diffused, multi-agent knowledge. This has involved richness but also significant problems in understanding and managing knowledge bases. In this complexity, there are some common peculiarities when it comes to socio-environmental systems. A common feature of the reference domains of ecosystem services, nature-based solutions and green infrastructures is the water resource. A management model of hydrological data, which are structurally relevant and cross-sectoral in environmental planning actions, could represent a flagship initiative. The used approach could be conveyed to more complex and extensive areas of the environmental domain in a perspective of sustainable planning. The present paper is part of a research work oriented toward handling complex environmental subjects, such as green infrastructures, nature-based solutions or ecosystem services, with a knowledge modelling approach. This approach is based on semantic extensions, elaborated form the concept of semantic web, to allow shared interpretations of knowledge coming from different languages and scientific domains. It is also based on using applied ontologies, elaborated from the concept of ontology-based classification, to support a structured organization of knowledge contents. The main research objective is therefore to investigate about a knowledge management system with semantic extensions, populated with hydrological knowledge contents, as well as to propose a preliminary functional architecture. A simple ontology of data is extracted, aiming at clarifying and improving inter-domain communication, so as to enhance a common semantic understanding in a complex environmental system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper deals with the results of the "SavingScapes" research project, where Girona (SP) and Genoa (IT) areas were chosen as case studies to assess the role and relevance of civil society in landscape alteration and conservation. These contexts share many features which led to similar transformative pressures and consequent deeply rooted place attachment clashing in the form of social mobilizations. Nevertheless, the civil society approach and actions proved profoundly different. Hence, there is a need to define a shared methodology to make them comparable. The authors define seven categories, ranging from defeat to prefigurative politics, to assess local mobilization in terms of territorial impacts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, a recovery assessment of the permanent housing and living conditions in the aftermath of the 2004 Tsunami in Phang-nga Province, Thailand, was conducted using geoinformatics technologies, field observations, and living-related parameters from basic minimum need (BMN) data retrieved from the Ministry of Interior. In the results, 29 permanent housing projects were mapped, classified into five sizes (very small, small, medium, large, and very large), and overlaid with the tsunami-inundated zone visually interpreted from satellite images. Thirteen out of twenty-nine projects were reconstructed in the inundation zone (in situ), while the rest were relocated to higher ground. Permanent houses were rebuilt in 18 communities in three patterns: single-story or one-story houses (511 houses), single-story and raised-basement houses (58 houses), and two-story houses (712 houses). The selected BMN's living-related parameters, such as sufficient water for household consumption (dimension: dwelling), employment of people between 15 and 60 years old (dimension: economy), and participation in communities' activities (dimension: participation), which covered 2002–2015 at the community-based level, were compared annually to its criterion and indicated as passing or not passing the standard. The reconstructed communities recovered (passing the requirements) within four years of transferring to the reconstructed houses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Uncontrolled and unsustainable urban sprawl are altering the Earth's surface at unprecedented rates. This research explores the potential of active remote sensors for mapping urban areas, for monitoring urban expansion processes and for depicting landscape pattern dynamics in a metropolis of South America. Based on multi-temporal urban cover maps of Cordoba, Argentina, purposely derived from COSMO-SkyMed SAR data by urban extraction algorithms, we quantified urban surface increase and described urbanization processes that occurred during 2010–2021 in sectors with different degrees of soil sealing. We extracted urban extent in four time-steps using an Urban EXTent extraction (UEXT) algorithm and quantified urban expansion, identifying newly built areas on 2.5 ha cells. For these cells, we computed urban cover and a set of landscape pattern indices (PIs), and by projecting them in a composition vs. configuration Cartesian space we performed a trajectory analysis. SAR-based urban extraction and cover change proved to be very accurate. Overall accuracy and Cohen's Kappa statistic evidenced very high values, always above 91.58% and 0.82, respectively, for urban extraction, and also above 90.50% and 0.72 concerning the accuracy of urban expansion. Cordoba's urban surface significantly increased (≈900 ha in 10 years) following three main spatial processes in different city sectors (e.g., edge-expansion and outlying on peri-urban areas, and infill inside the ring road), which may have contrasting effects on the sustainability of the metropolitan area. Trajectory analysis highlighted non-linear relations between the urban cover and the PIs. Areas with very low and low urban intensity underwent a steep rise of both urban cover and PI values (e.g., urban patch dimension, complexity and number), depicting urban edge-expansion and outlying processes. In the areas with medium and high urban intensity the increase in patch dimension, along with the decrease in patch number and complexity, evidence the coalescence of urban areas that incorporate in the urban fabric the remnants of non-built up zones and fill the few residual green spaces. The proposed SAR mapping procedure coupled with landscape analysis proved to be useful to detect and depict different moments of urban expansion and, pending more tests on other cities and geographical conditions, it could be postulated among the RS indicators to monitor the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals established by the United Nations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban transitions and urban-scape have been heavily impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and will likely be affected by the current Ukrainian-Russian conflict. These two major events have affected European urban regions and especially marginal regions. Indeed, these regions are mostly struggling with inequality, lack of optionality, interoperability, and resilience due to their energy dependency and digital asymmetries. The continuous demand for a green and digital transition to strengthen social and economic resilience sought and targeted by the European Community has driven the policy of recent years to new European Guidelines. Nevertheless, the digital transition will require sustainability targets in the urban context, changing economic, social, and ecological relationships and balances. In this context, faced with these new transitions, marginal urban regions must plan, design, build, and manage future urban planning choices in a new digital-hybrid space. Therefore, it is crucial to support these transitions with a multi-dimensional sustainability concept through economic, environmental, social, and digital measurements. Urban sustainability indicators (USIs) play an essential role in supporting urban choices and planning. The current study analyzes recent literature and European standards to verify if and how they have changed in embracing the European Policy Pillar under a new and different sustainability profile, which needs to include digital sustainability. As a matter of fact, even if the concept of digitization has been recognized as a pillar of ongoing transitions, the literature and even European indicators struggle to recognize it as a tangible and measurable indicator of sustainability. Seeking to bridge the gap between European requirements and urban practice, the aim of this study is to identify and suggest new key indicators of digitalization to enable the digital sustainability of urban planning to be measured. These indicators can be used to implement a new valuation tool capable of supporting marginal regions by promoting sustainable urban investments in this new hybrid space. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The following paper examines urban and territorial planning in Italy, where decision-making is entrusted almost exclusively to the almost 8000 small municipalities present in the country. Plans for and the transformation of built-up areas, infrastructure and social services of all types, and serving all purposes in a national territory of more than 300,000 square kilometers, are controlled by a multitude of Mayors, Boards and Municipal Councils that govern plots of land consisting of polygons of a few kilometers per side. This is generally achieved using urban planning tools developed without any general rule or protocol. Often, most of their content is even ignored as a result of national legislation that weakens them, making them largely irrelevant. This is a European example of urban mismanagement that should be brought to the wider attention of the European technical–scientific community because the debate developed so far on this topic—even by eminent and authoritative urban planners—has been almost entirely published in Italian only. Public and political attention around the issue is still extremely limited, although the serious effects of this "molecular planning" are beginning to be perceived: unjustified overurbanization and very disorganized, extremely energy-intensive and ecosystemically destructive urban layouts that are completely at odds with the public interests of environmental and urban quality. In the following paper, we make some comparisons with other European countries and outline some possible directions—certainly very difficult to follow—to rethink and remedy these negative effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The island of Porto Santo belongs to the Madeira Archipelago and is often described as an idyllic paradise for its warm waters and its iconic sandy beach, though it faces vulnerabilities such as insularity; a small economy; geographic remoteness; and scarce population, area, and available resources. Nevertheless, these disadvantages have a silver lining because small territories can act as laboratories to test and develop models that can subsequently be implemented at a larger scale. This work provides a case study of the role of ports in tourism development It presents an analysis of air and maritime transport used by tourists to visit the Island of Porto Santo, Madeira Islands, Portugal. The climate changes and strong winds during the year can reduce tourist demand for the inter-island sea travel in the Madeira Archipelago. Porto Santo is a strategic transfer point for tourism, and improving the shipping infrastructures will enable a faster and more diversified maritime transportation system. To capitalise on these developments, Porto Santo needs to improve its reputation as an exclusive beach destination. This will reduce tourism seasonality and improve sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As cities grow, their spatial configurations may undergo some changes over time. This study attempted to examine the impact of the changes that occurred to the spatial configuration of the historical district of Shiraz on perceived anti-social behavior (ASB). Space syntax techniques were used to assess whether they can explain the extent to which perceived levels of anti-social behavior were impacted by these changes. Historical and present maps of the city were obtained and spatially analyzed using DepthmapX. The perceived ASB was assessed using seven groups of factors identified from the existing literature. These factors were evaluated using questionnaires distributed to long-term residents living in the area; in total, 98 respondents responded to the questions using a five-point Likert scale. Findings demonstrated that the perceived ASB was concentrated along highly integrated street segments. The unplanned transformations also introduced a large number of fragmented street segments, making it a challenge to connect the inner streets to the rest of the city. The spatial metrics used in this study could provide a useful tool for planners, urban designers, and policymakers, who can thereby measure the impact of proposed city modifications on social behavior and the residents' quality of life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The implementation of the European Landscape Convention (ELC) at national and regional scales has brought with it the need to rethink landscape governance policies. In view of the disparity of possible methods for approaching landscape knowledge derived from the ELC, this article proposes the study of the three most ambitious landscape assessment methods developed in Spain at present. Specifically, those of Valencia, Galicia and Catalonia. Their study and comparative reading allow us to conclude that they have a similar structure imposed in part by the requirements of the Convention. Despite this, all three demonstrate a wide operational flexibility depending on the purpose of each one. As a derivative of the study, it is argued that a method seeking to fulfill both a sustainability and a public participation agenda would have to combine quantitative forms of socio-ecological assessment with a qualitative measurement of cultural appreciation of landscapes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Environmental deprivation is an issue influencing the urban wellbeing of a city. However, there are limitations to spatiotemporally monitoring the environmental deprivation. Thus, recent studies have introduced the concept of "Smart City" with the use of advanced technology for real-time environmental monitoring. In this regard, this study presents an improved Integrated Environmental Monitoring System (IIEMS) with the consideration on nine environmental parameters: temperature, relative humidity, PM2.5, PM10, CO, SO2, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), UV index, and noise. This system was comprised of a mobile unit and a server-based platform with nine highly accurate micro-sensors in-coupling into the mobile unit for estimating these environmental exposures. A calibration test using existing monitoring station data was conducted in order to evaluate the systematic errors. Two applications with the use of the new system were also conducted under different scenarios: pre- and post-typhoon days and in areas with higher and lower vegetation coverage. Linear regressions were applied to predict the changes in environmental quality after a typhoon and to estimate the difference in environmental exposures between urban roads and green spaces. The results show that environmental exposures interact with each other, while some exposures are also controlled by location. PM2.5 had the highest change after a typhoon with an estimated 8.0 µg/m³ decrease that was controlled by other environmental factors and geographical location. Sound level and temperature were significantly higher on urban roads than in urban parks. This study demonstrates the potential to use IIEMS for environmental quality measurements under the greater framework of a Smart City and for sustainability research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this article is to analyse the social and political capacity of cities affected by cultural tourism. An investigation is carried out into the state of the situation in saturated destinations, the problems this poses to tourist sustainability and the positions of the various different interest groups. In Europe, many cultural cities-cum-tourist hotspots have reached such high levels of socio-political saturation that the resident population’s capacity for carrying tourism has become overstretched. This has led to a state of irritation among the local population. Social movements now include this on their agenda but the various different interest groups (residents, political groups, entrepreneurs, management bodies) all react differently. We present data relating to the case of Barcelona, with analyses of residents’ and tourists’ opinions, the actions of social mobilization carried out by pressure groups, media repercussion and the reactions of the business sector and political groups. We examine data collected from surveys and opinions carried in the media. The sustainability and management of interests indicate changes in both the number and the type of tourists, the occupation of public spaces, the distribution of profit among entrepreneurs, residents and the political and economic model of society in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The definition and the subsequent development of eco-industrial parks (EIPs) have been deeply based on the application of industrial ecology theory, which pays specific attention to metabolic exchanges within industrial processes to address a deep reduction of limited resource consumption and a minimization of waste production in the framework of a sustainable development approach. Despite the EIPs configurations being essentially based on the overall idea of sustainability, the problem of defining their proper location inside the territory and the consequent land use model, to minimize land consumption, have not always been central in the wide range of studies and practices concerning the EIPs. Nevertheless, the specific problem of a drastic reduction of land consumption at the EIP planning stage acquires a crucial role and, therefore, needs to be carefully assessed inside the perspective of sustainable urban development. In this framework, the paper firstly aims at facing the nontrivial relationship between the EIPs' theorizations and implementations and the reduction of land consumption by referencing specific studies and shared tools, where new developments have been favored despite the conversion and redevelopment of existing industrial parks; secondly, it focus on an Italian case study and its emblematic EIP planning processes, in order to deepen the contradictions between sustainable spatial planning and eco-industrial parks. Finally, some final conclusions will be presented, in order to integrate some main issues concerning the reduction of land consumption inside the more traditional EIP design processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The progressive use of renewable energy sources to ensure a continuous and abundant energy supply is the significant target towards a sustainable and secure energy system. Previously, the countries that had relied on fossil fuel as a dominating energy source are now endorsing energy system transition towards renewable energy sources. In this study, a comparative assessment of the energy problems of South Asian countries is summarized. Nevertheless, there are many similarities and differences in the electricity supply system of these countries. Long-term planning for renewable energy development is suggested for a diverse population and dispersed geographical location considering all the significant challenges. However, appropriate schemes are imperative for integrating significant renewable energy sources. This study introduces a foresight plan of the electricity model according to the demand and supply balance for extensive technical analysis. The EnergyPLAN modeling tool was employed to work out a more ambitious VRE integration scenario than the official plans. The reference model was validated according to legitimate and authentic data, and then, the technically most feasible renewable energy-based alternate scenario was built. The additional grid integration cost of variable renewable energy was quantitatively investigated for comprehensive power system modeling for a real-time economic analysis. The results may be adapted and support developing more sustainable power generation serving 1787 million in South Asian countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most sustainable planning frameworks assess natural and social–economic landscape systems as separate entities, and our understanding of the interrelationships between them is incomplete. Landscape classification in urbanizing environments requires an integrated spatial planning approach to better address the United Nation's sustainable development challenges. The objective of this research is to apply a multicriteria evaluation which ranked diverse ecosystem–service producing landscapes and synthesize the findings within a unique green infrastructure spatial planning framework. Local government stakeholder derived weighting and GIS classification were operated to map both the urban and natural landscapes of the Salt Lake City region of Utah, one of the most rapidly urbanizing areas in North America. Results were assimilated through five regional landscape typologies—Ecological, Hydrological, Recreational, Working Lands, and Community—and indicated those highest ranked landscape areas which provided multiple ecosystem services. These findings support collaborative decision making among diverse stakeholders with overlapping objectives and illustrates pathways to the development of ecosystem service criteria. This paper contributes to a better understanding of how to integrate data and visualize the strategic approaches required for sustainable planning and management, particularly in urban and urbanizing regions where complex socioecological landscapes predominate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban growth triggers massive changes in land use cover, exacerbating extreme natural and technological events. In order for land use planning to be efficient, it requires the integration of comprehensive risk and vulnerability assessment. This paper aims to create a bridge between the existing vulnerability theories and their implementation in land use planning policies and proposes an innovative approach to determine whether the changes in the territorial dynamics of cities draw considerable changes in communities' social vulnerability. The methodology identifies and selects three case studies from the Urban Atlas inventory, representative of the dynamics of large Romanian cities, taking into consideration the following hazards: earthquakes, floods, and technological hazards. Vulnerability was then assessed by assigning each land use class a specific vulnerability level. The methodology involved assessing the level of vulnerability specific to the situation in 2018 compared to 2006. The results showed that major changes in land use are related to the transition of areas with a low level of vulnerability to areas with a higher level of vulnerability as a result of the urban areas expansion to the detriment of natural and agricultural areas. This is generally translated into a higher degree of vulnerability due to an increased density of artificial elements and of population in the residential areas. The findings of the study of territorial dynamics in the proximity of large industrial operators did not reveal a tendency that differed from the general trend. Although many territorial changes have been observed in the period 2006–2018, it is necessary to extend the analysis, with the issue of the new versions of the Urban Atlas, to confirm the identified trends and to express the up-to-date situation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban quality, real estate values and property taxation are different factors that participate in defining how a city is governed. Real estate values are largely determined by the characteristics of urban environments in which properties are located and, thus, by quality of the location. Beginning with these considerations, this paper explores the theme of urban quality through a study of property values that seeks to define all physical (and thus measurable) characteristics that participate in defining urban quality. For this purpose, a multiple linear regression model was developed for reading the residential real estate market in the city of Pescara (Italy). In addition to the intrinsic characteristics of a property (floor area, period of construction/renovation, level, building typology and presence of a garage), input also included extrinsic data represented by the Urban Quality Index. Scientific literature on this theme tells us that many independent variables influence real estate prices, although all are linked to a set of intrinsic characteristics (property-specific) and to a set of extrinsic characteristics (specific to the urban context in which the property is located) and, thus, to the quality of urban environments. The index developed was produced by the analytical and simultaneous reading of four macrosystems with the greatest impact on urban quality: environment, infrastructure, settlement and services (each with its own subsystems). The results obtained made it possible to redefine proportional ratios between various parts of the city of Pescara, based on a specific Urban Quality Index, and to recalculate market property values used to calculate taxes in an attempt to resolve the inequality that persists in this field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Portugal and Spain share one of the greatest European borderland areas. This fact has direct impacts on a large territory and consequently on the communities' living in it. Still, even if the border areas represent an essential fraction of the territory, planning policies have not resulted in specific cooperation programs that could enable sharing general leisure and recreation assets and infrastructures and collaboration in critical domains—i.e., the case of the health sector. The present study aims to assess the territorial accessibility to the hemodynamic rooms by the potential population of the Spanish-Portuguese transition areas that may suffer an acute myocardial infarction. Contextually, this study employed a spatial interaction model based on the three-step floating catchment area method (method-3SFCA). By applying these methods, it was possible to develop a map of accessibility to health infrastructures equipped with hemodynamics rooms on both sides of the border that may answer the Spanish-Portuguese border populations' needs. Besides, while granting valuable information for decision-makers regarding the need to develop new infrastructures to guarantee that even considering cross border cooperation, everyone gets access to a hemodynamics room within the critical intervention period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Demand for continuous and reliable power supply has significantly increased, especially in this Industrial Revolution 4.0 era. In this regard, adequate planning of electrical power systems considering persistent load growth, increased integration of distributed generators (DGs), optimal system operation during N-1 contingencies, and compliance to the existing system constraints are paramount. However, these issues need to be parallelly addressed for optimum distribution system planning. Consequently, the planning optimization problem would become more complex due to the various technical and operational constraints as well as the enormous search space. To address these considerations, this paper proposes a strategy to obtain one optimal solution for the distribution system expansion planning by considering N-1 system contingencies for all branches and DG optimal sizing and placement as well as fluctuations in the load profiles. In this work, a hybrid firefly algorithm and particle swarm optimization (FA-PSO) was proposed to determine the optimal solution for the expansion planning problem. The validity of the proposed method was tested on IEEE 33- and 69-bus systems. The results show that incorporating DGs with optimal sizing and location minimizes the investment and power loss cost for the 33-bus system by 42.18% and 14.63%, respectively, and for the 69-system by 31.53% and 12%, respectively. In addition, comparative studies were done with a different model from the literature to verify the robustness of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The remarkable richness and singularity of the Azorean Region (located 38° North) and its landscapes require a sharp, well-defined, and comprehensive planning policy. Bearing in mind the significance of this issue in the enlightenment of sustainability, planning strategies should be based and supported by different studies and thematic domains to understand the problem thoroughly. Using GIS (Geographic Information Systems), the present article enables us to identify the dynamics and patterns of the evolution of the Land-Use Changes in the Azores Region from 1990 to 2018. In aggregate, the Azores islands showed growth in artificial surfaces and forest and seminatural land-uses by essentially decreasing agricultural areas—most resulting from the economic and social development strategy pursued by several Azorean governments. Moreover, this study permits us to reinforce that the Azores Archipelago's land-uses has undergone multiple changes—marked by increasing and decreasing periods. In fact, some of these reducing dynamics are disturbing. They require closer monitorization by regional government actors to give protection, preservation, and conservation to these incomparable ultra-peripheral landscapes, environments, ecosystems, and the region as a whole. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Islands as peripheral and ultra-peripheral are typically highlighted as ecologically sensitive areas to human activities due to the tremendous biological diversity of beings and the future possibility of habitat loss. In this regard, the comprehension of the land occupation dynamics and trends in the ultra-peripheral territories is crucial to attempt long-lasting regional sustainability, as is the island region's case. Therefore, the present article aims to analyze the trends and dynamics of the land-use changes on the European Archipelagos of the Macaronesia Region over the last three decades, using the CORINE (Coordination of Information on the Environment) data. Some of the obtained results show that about 3.4% of the Azores' surface is characterized mainly by discontinuous urban fabric, representing 67% of the total urban fabric of the Azores over the last thirty years. Additionally, in Madeira Archipelago, the land is mainly occupied by forest and semi-natural areas, representing almost three-thirds of the territory. A similar scenario is verified in the Canary Islands, where forests and semi-natural areas represent approximately three-quarters of the territory. Once more, this study shows the relevance of the island areas' unique character, which should be preserved and protected. Therefore, the priorities must be defined and established management strategies that are significant for the well-being of these highly valued areas. Moreover, the study showed that notable changes had occurred in the period 1990–2018 in this landscape. Hence there is a need for appropriate measures to mitigate these negative impacts on the environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Land–sea interaction dynamics are physiologically regulated by an exchange of matter (and energy) between the anthropic system and the natural environment. Therefore, the appropriate management of land–sea interaction (LSI)contexts should base on those planning approaches which can holistically support coastal development, such as Maritime Spatial Planning (MSP) and Climate Adaptation Planning (CAP). One of the main limiting factors for this integration is the fragmentation of existing databases and information sources, which compose the territorial knowledge framework. Investigations have sought to address the representation and assessment of "wicked" and interconnected coastal problems. The present research focuses on the production of the necessary information to fill sectorial knowledge gaps and to merge the available data into a single framework. The research methodology is based on remote sensing assessment techniques and is designed to be replicated in other coastal areas to integrate CAP and MSP. The output maps are a result of the empirical application of the integration of the assessment techniques and are meant to support local decision-making processes. The result aims at illustrating and highlighting the relationships between climate change impact vulnerabilities their spatial relation to marine resources and maritime activities. This can support effective actions aimed at environmental and urban protection, the organization of the uses of the sea and adaptation to climate impacts. The application of the assessment techniques is developed on a case study in the north Adriatic Basin. The Gulf of Trieste constitutes a representative case study for the Mediterranean Basin due to its transboundary nature. The relationship and the ongoing projects between Slovenia and Italy make the case study an interesting context in which to test and train the proposed integrated planning approach. Therefore, the study investigates local vulnerability to climate impacts, i.e., Urban Heat Island (UHI) and urban runoff, and the existing relationship between the urban fabrics and the marine environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban strategies and the way cities are planned have changed throughout history, adapting to the needs of the inhabitants, infrastructure requirements, and advances in technology. Uses and customs of people and cities are changing and can evolve much faster than in the past, with the result that urban planning is often too slow to adequately meet the current needs of society. In this context, the development of pop-up environments for temporary developments could be a solution to meet the needs of flexibility, adaptation, and resilience of a city. This allows the urban planner to consider systems from a short-term perspective, fulfilling current needs without compromising the development of potentially different activities in the future. The purpose of this research work is to outline the general requirements of pop-up environments in urban developments that allow for adequate integration into urban planning strategies. Based on an extensive evaluation of the existing literature and a series of case studies, the paper analyzes the key elements that define the framework conditions of urban planning strategies for temporary developments that generate a positive impact on the overall urban system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sustainable conservation aims to ensure the sustained conservation of landscape multi-functionality which in turn requires ensuring ecosystem service (ES) and habitat quality (HQ) sustainability with inclusive landscape-scale conservation planning. This study proposes a landscape conservation planning (LCP) framework for landscape-scale ES-HQ conservation and sustainability. Spatially explicit hotspots for five ESs and HQs are identified via InVEST and LISA software. Spatiotemporal changes in ES-HQ hotspots, in terms of stability and resilience, are delineated. The Zonation technique is applied to prioritize areas for conservation based on ES-HQ hotspot stability and resilience maps. High priority conservation areas are identified and are used as reserve area inputs for land use modeling with CLUE-S software to simulate future land use change under climate change scenarios. This study reports that varied rainfall and climate are major driving factors of ES-HQ sustainability disturbance in the study area. Furthermore, our proposed conservation Strategy 2 demonstrates that a larger extent of landscape multi-functionality can be sustained when the existing conservation area includes the total area of identified ES-HQ resilient hotspots. This study effectively identifies the stability and resiliency of ES-HQ hotspot areas affected by disturbances for high priority landscape conservation requirements to ensure ES-HQ sustainability and landscape multi-functionality in the study area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate variability has been documented as being key to influencing human wellbeing across cities as it is linked to mortality and illness due to changes in the perceived weather cycle. Many studies have investigated the impact of summer temperature on human health and have proposed mitigation strategies for summer heat waves. However, sub-tropical cities are still experiencing winter temperature variations. Increasing winter perceived temperature through the decades may soon affect city wellbeing, due to a larger temperature change between normal winter days and extreme cold events, which may cause higher health risk due to lack of adaptation and self-preparedness. Therefore, winter perceived temperature should also be considered and integrated in urban sustainable planning. This study has integrated the increasing winter perceived temperature as a factor for developing spatiotemporal protocols for mitigating the adverse impact of climate change. Land surface temperature (LST) derived from satellite images and building data extracted from aerial photographs were used to simulate the adjusted wind chill equivalent temperature (AWCET) particularly for sub-tropical scenarios between 1990 and 2010 of the Kowloon Peninsula, Hong Kong. Compared with perceived temperature based on the representative station located at the headquarters of the Hong Kong Observatory, the temperature of half the study area in the Kowloon Peninsula has raised by 1.5 °C. The areas with less green space and less public open space in 2010 show higher relative temperatures. Socioeconomically deprived areas (e.g., areas with lower median monthly income) may suffer more from this scenario, but not all types of socioeconomic disparities are associated with poor sustainable planning. Based on our results and the "no-one left behind" guideline from the United Nations, climate change mitigation should be conducted by targeting socioeconomic neighborhoods more than just aging communities.

The urban planning development process in urban territories has multiple consequences, not only in spatial structure but also in land valuation patterns. The economic value of land encompassed in municipal planning—which is associated with a certain urbanized use—increases as the planning processes evolve over these lands. For economic land valuation to comply with the required parameters of urban and territorial sustainable development, it is pivotal that in the determination of land value there are no expectations of difficult or impossible realizations, in order to eliminate any speculative element from the valuation. The land valuation model presented in the current study complies with this premise, proposing a sustainable land valuation model based on the evolution of urban planning development, achieving maximum value when it is fully urbanized. The main objective of the present work is to analyze how land value increases as municipal planning develops and to suggest a sustainable valuation model for land with urban use. Contextually, through a case study analysis, the development of municipal planning has been divided over time into four urban states: (i) land without detailed planning; (ii) land with detailed planning; (iii) land with re-parceling; and (iv) urbanized land. In this regard, the gradual evolution of land value which has reached different states over time has been determined, as has scenarios where the value has increased up to the value of urbanized land. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, cooperation among nations has become a critical issue towards sustainable development of neighbor cities in border areas. In this regard, sustainable common planning approaches and policies are an increasing reality, particularly in European territories. Considering the significant amount of cross-border cooperation (CBC) projects and strategies within Europe, it is crucial to promote research approaches that are able to identify the most positive approaches towards the establishment of alliances in border territories, serving as pivotal methodologies for achieving success. Contextually, the present study considered direct and indirect research methods and tools, literature reviews, data collection, computer-assisted telephone interviewing (CATI) and computer-assisted web interview (CAWI), all applied over two European border cities: Cieszyn (Poland) and Cesky Tesin (Czech Republic). These methods enabled the assembly of perspectives of local authorities, public and private institutions, non-governmental organizations, and entrepreneurs from the cities under study. Through the analysis of the collected data, five conditions have been identified for the success of strategic alliances in CBC projects: (i) well defining the alliance goals; (ii) ensuring participation in the alliance of various groups of stakeholders; (iii) involvement of both partners with extensive experience in CBC; (iv) ensuring the coherence of the key objective; and (v) guaranteeing the alliance benefits both sides. These conditions might effectively contribute to achieve more successful outputs in CBC projects, highlighting the relevance of previously developed strategies on the definition of future approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Implementation and integration of sustainable development within a management framework is the main problem of urban regeneration projects. Therefore, this paper aims to develop a sustainable heritage-led urban regeneration planning framework, which will act as an urban regeneration project life cycle model and aid sustainable planning and decision-making processes for project managers. First, a literature review is used to conceptualise the first version of the sustainable planning framework. Then, it is validated by conducting interviews with professionals in Northern Cyprus. Sustainable heritage-led urban regeneration planning problems exist in the case study region. Therefore, the data collected for this research is significant to the research problem. Results showed that there is a lack of knowledge towards heritage-led urban regeneration among the local community and it is the main source of sustainable planning problems. Therefore, a questionnaire survey is conducted to validate this problem. The results validated that there is a sustainability perception difference between the local community and professionals, and the knowledge level of the local community was not satisfactory. Finally, a knowledge management system is introduced in the final version of the framework in order to empower stakeholders, and the “eye of sustainable planning” is introduced. Perception differences between the local community and professionals and the lack of knowledge of the local community towards heritage-led urban regeneration is introduced by this research. This study is limited to heritage-led regeneration projects and future studies may extend the scope of this study to different countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]