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With the growing trend of urbanisation and the growing number of people migrating to cities, the demand for the development and construction of new buildings and infrastructure has risen, meaning that the construction industry must adapt to these trends. Growing demands with shorter deadlines for an industry already known for its high costs and late delivery means that productivity must be increased without increasing costs. The solution for this might lie in the application of the Lean philosophy to the construction industry. This paper analyses the application of the Lean philosophy in order to increase the productivity of construction work for an airport project. This paper highlights the potential for enhancing productivity in construction workplaces by concurrently fostering continuous improvement and sustainability through the implementation of the A3 methodology and Lean principles, resulting in waste reduction and increased value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cities are the core carriers and key positions to achieve the dual carbon goals. It is of great significance to explore whether promoting urbanization can improve carbon emission performance, which is of great significance to comprehensively promote the goal of carbon neutrality. Based on the panel data from 2006 to 2021, this paper analyzes the spatial autocorrelation of carbon emission performance per unit space and the impact mechanism of urbanization process on it. The fixed-effect model was further used to identify the influencing factors of spatial carbon emission performance. The results show that: 1) China's carbon emission performance per unit space is declining year by year. 2) There is a strong positive spatial correlation and stable path dependence on the performance of carbon emissions per unit space in each region. 3) To a certain extent, increasing the level of urbanization will reduce the carbon emission performance per unit space. 4) The urbanization process has a spatial spillover effect on the carbon emission performance per unit space of surrounding provinces, and the spatial spillover effect of industrial structure and energy consumption structure is more obvious than that of economic level, population density and urbanization rate. Based on the conclusions, this paper puts forward specific policy suggestions to reduce the carbon emission performance per unit space to help the low-carbon development of cities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the past 40 years of reform and opening-up, the implementation of an unbalanced enhancement strategy has led to severe resource misallocation, making the mitigation and rectification of this misallocation an urgent issue. This paper utilizes urban data from China between 2006 and 2020 to examine the impact of two-way foreign direct investment (FDI) on resource misallocation, as well as the pathways through which coordinated advancement of two-way FDI affects resource misallocation. After undergoing a series of robustness and endogeneity tests, the conclusion remains stable. Mechanism testing reveals that coordinated advancement of two-way FDI improves capital resource misallocation by enhancing the enhancement level of the financial industry, while exacerbating labor misallocation by increasing labor costs. This paper integrates the coordinated advancement of two-way FDI and resource misallocation into the same analytical framework, proposing policy recommendations to alleviate China's resource misallocation issue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Entrepreneurship plays a pivotal role in driving economic development and social progress. In contrast to existing literature that primarily focuses on the impact of zombie enterprises on innovation, resource distortion, and environmental pollution, this study aims to investigate the influence of zombie enterprises on entrepreneurship by utilizing data from prefecture cities in China. Additionally, we explore how banking competition moderates this relationship. Employing the system GMM estimator, our findings reveal that zombie enterprises significantly hampers urban entrepreneurship quantity and diminishes entrepreneurship quality. Furthermore, the inhibitory effect of zombie enterprises on entrepreneurship quality is greater than that of entrepreneurship quantity. In addition, we observe that state-owned zombie enterprises have a more pronounced negative impact compared to private zombie enterprises. Notably, banking competition exhibits a nonlinear moderating effect on the association between zombie firms and entrepreneurship; joint-stock banks and city commercial banks play prominent roles in shaping this effect. Threshold model regression analysis confirms these nonlinear effects. Overall, our conclusions offer important policy implications for accelerating the disposal of zombie firms as well as enhancing entrepreneurship quantity /quality to promote high-quality urban development. Plain language summary: Zombie firms, banking competition, and urban entrepreneurship Entrepreneurship plays an important role in economic development and social progress. Different from the existing literature that concerns the impact of zombie enterprises on innovation, resource distortion, and environmental pollution, this paper attempts to study the effect of zombie enterprises on entrepreneurial behavior from the dimensions of quantity and quality. Based on the data from prefecture cities in China, this paper examines the impact of zombie enterprises on entrepreneurial activity and quality and focuses on the moderating effect of banking competition on this relation. The study finds that the degree of zombification has a significant inhibitory effect on urban entrepreneurial activity and entrepreneurial quality, the inhibitory effect of zombification on entrepreneurial quality is stronger than that on entrepreneurial activity, and the inhibitory effect of state-owned zombie enterprises on entrepreneurial behavior is greater than that of private zombie enterprises. Banking competition has a nonlinear moderating role in the inhibitory effect of zombie enterprises on entrepreneurship, and this moderating effect is mainly produced by joint-stock banks and city commercial banks. The threshold model regression further confirms the existence of nonlinear moderating effects. The conclusions of this paper provide policy implications for accelerating the disposal of zombie enterprises, enhancing entrepreneurial activity and quality, and promoting high-quality urban development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The advent of the big data era has provided many types of transportation datasets, such as metro smart card data, for studying residents' mobility and understanding how their mobility has been shaped and is shaping the urban space. In this paper, we use metro smart card data from two Chinese metropolises, Shanghai and Shenzhen. Five metro mobility indicators are introduced, and association rules are established to explore the mobility patterns. The proportion of people entering and exiting the station is used to measure the jobs-housing balance. It is found that the average travel distance and duration of Shanghai passengers are higher than those of Shenzhen, and the proportion of metro commuters in Shanghai is higher than that of Shenzhen. The jobs-housing spatial relationship in Shenzhen based on metro travel is more balanced than that in Shanghai. The fundamental reason for the differences between the two cities is the difference in urban morphology. Compared with the monocentric structure of Shanghai, the polycentric structure of Shenzhen results in more scattered travel hotspots and more diverse travel routes, which helps Shenzhen to have a better jobs-housing balance. This paper fills a gap in comparative research among Chinese cities based on transportation big data analysis. The results provide support for planning metro routes, adjusting urban structure and land use to form a more reasonable metro network, and balancing the jobs-housing spatial relationship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the critical period of strengthening the construction of ecological civilization, the construction of forest cities has become an important measure to promote urban ecosystem restoration and achieve sustainable development. Based on the mechanism of forest city promoting green development, the construction of a national forest city is regarded as a "quasi-natural experiment". Using China's urban panel data from 2005 to 2019, the impact of national forest city construction on urban green total factor productivity was evaluated using Multistage asymptotic double difference. The results show that National Forest Cities with environmental regulation can significantly promote regional green total factor productivity, which is still valid after a series of Robustness tests. Mechanism analysis shows that forest city construction not only affects territorial spatial planning but also forms a linkage with green technology innovation, mutual promotion and mutual promotion to jointly promote the sustainable development goals. This paper argues that building a national forest city is an important measure to achieve China's sustainable development goals in the new era, but in the process of policy implementation, it is necessary to implement the national forest city selection system according to local conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The virtual water flow behind product trade provides researchers with ideas to alleviate water problems in China's coastal areas, with accompanying resource and economic implications. This paper adopts a multi-region input–output model to calculate virtual water flows in coastal areas and analyses resource benefits and economic benefits, by combining the water stress index and shadow price, to measure gains and losses of virtual water flow. This study shows that (1) China's coastal areas depends on external water supplies; (2) virtual water flows between coastal and inland areas generated 38.26 billion m3 of net scarce water savings and CNY 31,751 billion of net economic benefits, indicating that coastal areas benefited from virtual water flows from both resource and economic perspectives; (3) virtual water flows among coastal provinces and cities caused 11.10 billion m3 of net scarce water losses, but generated CNY 9784 billion of net economic gains, indicating that a further intensification of water stress in coastal areas, but such a virtual water flow pattern was beneficial from an economic perspective. This paper reveals the resource and economic impacts of virtual water flow at the national scale and among coastal provinces and cities and further proposes suggestions for promoting the beneficial flow of virtual water in coastal areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban identity is gaining increasing attention across different research disciplines. However, there is no consensus as to how this concept can be integrated into planning theory, because every discipline has diverse concepts of urban identity, which are often included in planning theory without clarity. For example, environmental psychology literature and the social sciences have defined urban identity as human or social identity, while architecture and urban design characterize it as the urban/city or architectural identity. Therefore, this paper provides a conceptual framework for applying urban identity in planning theory and practice. This paper used the literature review method by synthesizing several relevant and reliable sources, particularly in planning, architecture, environmental psychology, social science, and geography. The result is an explanation of three concepts of urban identity, which are the 'identity of urban,' 'identity in urban,' and 'identity for urban'. The identity of urban helps planners to design functional and characteristic cities. Meanwhile, identity in urban helps planners to achieve the humanist aspect of a city and social justice; and identity for urban helps planners to advance a city's economy and attract investors and tourists. These concepts are interrelated and can be integrated to support the sustainability of cities and their citizens, by achieving harmony between the population's need for orientation and identification, the function and aesthetics of the city, and the city's attractiveness to visitors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The growing population and rapid urbanization are significant challenges for Indian cities. Pune City generates nearly 2,258 tonnes of waste per day. Pune's informal waste sector has demonstrated remarkable efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and self-sustainability. Moreover, it contributes to favorable economic and social outcomes for the city. With the support of the self-help group SWaCH Seva Sahakari Sanstha Maryadit, Pune, the municipal solid waste management model has successfully achieved a remarkable 95 percent segregation rate. Implementing the Pune municipal solid waste management model showcases the active and efficient engagement of informal waste workers in the collection and resource utilization process. This underscores the possibility of favorable economic, social, and environmental results stemming from collaborations between municipalities and waste pickers. This paper looks at the role of SWaCH in line with Pune Municipal Corporation towards the present waste management system. Primarily reliant on labor, this model accomplishes recycling tasks at a notably lower cost compared to conventional mechanized and centralized waste management approaches. It can also accomplish high recycling levels and relatively considerable plastic waste segregation. Promoting the retrieval of valuable materials, especially plastics, for local and global recycling enterprises actively contributes to the advancement of a circular urban waste management approach. The objective of this research is to explore and provide a realistic understanding of Pune's current status of waste generation, collection, transportation, and disposal. Apart from the SwaCH-PMC model, the paper also focuses on plastic waste recycling, the Red Dot Campaign towards sanitary waste, and household e-waste management in Pune. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Buildings are significant components of digital cities, and their precise extraction is essential for the three-dimensional modeling of cities. However, it is difficult to accurately extract building features effectively in complex scenes, especially where trees and buildings are tightly adhered. This paper proposes a highly accurate building point cloud extraction method based solely on the geometric information of points in two stages. The coarsely extracted building point cloud in the first stage is iteratively refined with the help of mask polygons and the region growing algorithm in the second stage. To enhance accuracy, this paper combines the Alpha Shape algorithm with the neighborhood expansion method to generate mask polygons, which help fill in missing boundary points caused by the region growing algorithm. In addition, this paper performs mask extraction on the original points rather than non-ground points to solve the problem of incorrect identification of facade points near the ground using the cloth simulation filtering algorithm. The proposed method has shown excellent extraction accuracy on the Urban-LiDAR and Vaihingen datasets. Specifically, the proposed method outperforms the PointNet network by 20.73% in precision for roof extraction of the Vaihingen dataset and achieves comparable performance with the state-of-the-art HDL-JME-GGO network. Additionally, the proposed method demonstrated high accuracy in extracting building points, even in scenes where buildings were closely adjacent to trees. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The deployment of intelligent transportation is still in its early stages and there are many challenges that need to be addressed before it can be widely adopted. Autonomous vehicles are a class of intelligent transportation that is rapidly developing, and they are being deployed in selected cities. A combination of advanced sensors, machine learning algorithms, and artificial intelligence are being used in these vehicles to perceive their environment, navigate, and make the right decisions. These vehicles leverage extensive data sourced from various sensors and computers integrated into the vehicle. Hence, massive computational power is required to process the information from various built-in sensors in milliseconds to make the right decision. The power required by the sensors and the use of additional computational power increases the energy consumption, and, hence, could reduce the range of the autonomous electric vehicle relative to a standard electric car and lead to additional emissions. A number of review papers have highlighted the environmental benefits of autonomous vehicles, focusing on aspects like optimized driving, improved route selection, fewer stops, and platooning. However, these reviews often overlook the significant energy demands of the hardware systems—such as sensors, computers, and cameras—necessary for full autonomy, which can decrease the driving range of electric autonomous vehicles. Additionally, previous studies have not thoroughly examined the data processing requirements in these vehicles. This paper provides a more detailed review of the volume of data and energy usage by various sensors and computers integral to autonomous features in electric vehicles. It also discusses the effects of these factors on vehicle range and emissions. Furthermore, the paper explores advanced technologies currently being developed by various industries to enhance processing speeds and reduce energy consumption in autonomous vehicles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many companies prefer to use third party logistics firms to deliver their goods and as such planning the return of the vehicles to the depot is not required. This is called open vehicle routing problem (OVRP). In literature, the OVRP is handled with minimum distance as objective function like vehicle routing problem. But in the real world, the objective function achieves minimum many costs like standard routing cost, stopping by cost and the deviation cost. The standard routes are previously defined under free market conditions by third party logistic firms. The deviation from the standard route is required to arrive cities which are not on the standard route. The stop by cost occurs on the delivery points. In this paper mentioned three costs are considered in the objective function while many papers consider only distance related costs in the literature. This paper proposes a new mathematical model for the OVRP. In the constraints, the last points of the routes are researched in detail. The standard route costs are determined by considering the last point of the route. Because of the NP-hard structure of the OVRP, the proposed mathematical model is solved with a hybrid metaheuristic called Civilized Genetic Algorithm (CGA). CGA is developed by hybridizing a modified genetic algorithm and a local search algorithm. The application of this study is implemented for the delivery routing of a combi boiler producer in Turkey. The third party logistic firms may use this proposed model and the solution approach for the real life applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China is currently focusing on the cooperative control of air pollution and CO2 emissions, as well as the mitigation of economic policy uncertainty (EPU). By using panel data from 282 cities spanning from 2003 to 2017 and a newly constructed city-level EPU index, a spatial Durbin, two-way fixed-effects model is employed, with the aim of estimating the impact of EPU on the synergistic emissions intensity (SEI) of air pollutants and CO2. Additionally, this paper investigates the potential channels through which EPU influences SEI. It also explores how pressures related to environmental protection and economic development affect the impact of EPU on SEI. The results indicate that a unit increase in EPU will result in a rise in the SEI of local cities, adjacent cities, and total cities by 930.9%, 69,162.7%, and 70,093.6%, respectively. Moreover, the channel analysis suggests that EPU exacerbates SEI by undermining the upgrading of the industrial structure, augmenting industrial structure distortion, and escalating labor market distortion. Furthermore, the effect of EPU on SEI may be lessened by an increase in environmental protection pressure, while an increase in economic development pressure may exert a positive influence. Finally, this paper concludes by recommending that policymakers should prioritize the maintenance and stability of economic policies, facilitate the advancement of the industrial structure, enhance the efficiency of labor resource allocation, and underscore the significance of managing urban air pollution and CO2 emissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This vision paper addresses the challenges and explores the avenue of solutions regarding the use of Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) for transporting parcels in urban areas. We have already witnessed companies' delivering parcels using UAS in rural areas, but the challenge of utilizing them for an urban environment is eminent. Nevertheless, the increasing research on the various aspects of UAS, including their battery life, resistance to harsh weather conditions and sensing its environment foresee their common usage in the logistics industry, especially in an urban environment. In addition, the increasing trend on 3D city modelling offer new directions regarding realistic as well as light 3D city models that are easy to modify and distribute. Utilizing UAS for transporting parcels in an urban environment would be a disruptive technological achievement as our roads will be less congested which would lead to less air pollution as well as wasted money and time. In addition, parcels could potentially be delivered much faster. This paper argues, with the support of the state-of-the-art research, that UASs will be used for transporting parcels in an urban environment in the coming decades. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the increasing uncertainty of urban security, urban resilience construction with risk awareness and bottom-line thinking has become essential for promoting sustainable urban development. This paper measures China's urban resilience development index (CRDI) based on 284 cities in China (except Tibet) using the entropy method from four dimensions: economic, social, environmental, and infrastructure, and analyzes it by combining coupling coordination degree and barrier factor analysis. We find that: (1) At the national level, CRDI and its sub-dimensions show an increasing trend in time, a decreasing spatial layout from coastal to inland, and a "high-high-low-low" clustering feature in space. (2) At the regional level, the CRDI is from high to low in the east, middle, and west order. The sub-dimensions are from high to low in the order of east, middle, and west for economic, social, and infrastructure resilience and from high to low in the order of east, west, and middle for environmental resilience. (3) To coupling coordination degree, the CRDI index coupling coordination is increasing in time trend but is still on the verge of dissonance. (4) Social resilience is the main obstacle factor. In the indicator layer, human resources, innovation, education, security, living, and environmental protection are the areas where CRDI coordinated development is the key to improvement. Based on the above empirical evidence, this paper proposes countermeasures to optimize urban resilience construction from four perspectives: economic, social, environmental, and infrastructure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Identifying influential spreaders in complex networks is a crucial issue that can help control the propagation process in complex networks. An aviation network is a typical complex network, and accurately identifying the key city nodes in the aviation network can help us better prevent network attacks and control the spread of diseases. In this paper, a method for identifying key nodes in undirected weighted networks, called weighted Laplacian energy centrality, was proposed and applied to an aviation network constructed from real flight data. Based on the analysis of the topological structure of the network, the paper recognized critical cities in this network, then simulation experiments were conducted on key city nodes from the perspectives of network dynamics and robustness. The results indicated that, compared with other methods, weighted Laplacian energy centrality can identify the city nodes with the most spreading influence in the network. From the perspective of network robustness, the identified key nodes also have the characteristics of accurately and quickly destroying network robustness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drug checking services (DCS) enable individuals to voluntarily submit a small amount of a substance for analysis, providing information about the content of the substance along with tailored harm reduction support and advice. There is some evidence suggesting that DCS may lead to behaviour and system change, with impacts for people who use drugs, staff and services, and public health structures. The evidence base is still relatively nascent, however, and several evidence gaps persist. This paper reports on qualitative interviews with forty-three participants across three Scottish cities where the implementation of community-based DCS is being planned. Participants were drawn from three groups: professional participants; people with experience of drug use; and affected family members. Findings focus on perceived harm reduction impacts of DCS delivery in Scotland, with participants highlighting the potential for drug checking to impact a number of key groups including: individual service users; harm reduction services and staff; drug market monitoring structures and networks; and wider groups of people who use and sell drugs, in shaping their interactions with the drug market. Whilst continued evaluation of individual health behaviour outcomes is crucial to building the evidence base for DCS, the findings highlight the importance of extending evaluation beyond these outcomes. This would include evaluation of processes such as: information sharing across a range of parties; engagement with harm reduction and treatment services; knowledge building; and increased drug literacy. These broader dynamics may be particularly important for evaluations of community-based DCS serving individuals at higher-risk, given the complex relationship between information provision and health behaviour change which may be mediated by mental and physical health, stigma, criminalisation and the risk environment. This paper is of international relevance and adds to existing literature on the potential impact of DCS on individuals, organisations, and public health structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the impact of Internet infrastructure construction on enterprise transformation and upgrading and the underlying mechanisms using a progressive double difference model based on a quasi-natural experiment of the Chinese government's "broadband China" policy by matching A-share listed companies and city panel data from 2008–2019 in Shanghai and Shenzhen. The conclusions show that the "broadband China" policy can significantly promote the transformation and upgrading of enterprises in pilot cities. However, its effect shows a diminishing marginal contribution, and the policy is more effective for traditional manufacturing industries during the implementation period. Enhancing human capital and reducing internal transaction costs are two important channels for Internet infrastructure construction to help enterprises transform and upgrade. Combined with the life cycle theory, we find that the "broadband China" policy has the most significant impact on changing and upgrading enterprises in the growth and maturity stages, especially those in the manufacturing industry, but not those in the maturity and decline stages of the service industry. Finally, a series of robustness tests using Monte Carlo simulation, entropy balance method, and instrumental variables method, excluding other factors, show that the findings are still robust. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the panel data of 285 cities in China from 2000 to 2019, this paper searches the number of patent applications related to urban artificial intelligence from five dimensions: algorithm, data, computing power, application scenario and related technology. Combining the two perspectives of industrial upgrading and rationalization, we analyze the internal influence theory of the research topic from the theoretical and empirical perspectives. The results show that artificial intelligence is not only conducive to industrial upgrading, but also significantly inhibit the deviation of industrial structure from equilibrium, which is conducive to industrial rationalization. In addition, the conclusion of this paper is still valid after a series of robustness tests, such as eliminating the samples of central cities, winsorize treatment and instrumental variables method. Through the heterogeneity test, it is found that the promoting effect of artificial intelligence on industrial upgrading is more obvious in big cities and cities with high level of industrial upgrading. The internal mechanism test results show that artificial intelligence promotes industrial upgrading by promoting technological innovation. In cities with a high degree of marketization and Internet development, the role of artificial intelligence in promoting industrial upgrading can be strengthened. The research conclusions of this paper will be conducive to accelerating the development of artificial intelligence to promote industrial upgrading, and provide a useful reference for realizing high-quality development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The risk of dying or being injured as a result of traffic collisions is higher for medical emergency responders than for other professional drivers. This systematic review synthesizes the literature regarding the collisions of ambulances, focusing on the prevalence and characteristics surrounding such events. Keywords including paramedics and traffic collisions were searched in papers available in PubMed from January 1990 to July 2021. Two independent reviewers screened the abstracts of 2494 papers and ended up with 93 full-text articles to assess for eligibility, of which 26 papers were finally kept for this review. There was a total of 18 studies conducted in the United States, followed by 3 in Turkey, 2 in Taiwan, 1 in both the United States and Canada, 1 in France, and 1 in Poland. There is a high record of injury and fatal collisions for ambulances compared to other commercial or similarly sized vehicles. Drivers less than 35 years old with low experience and a history of citations are more likely to be involved in such collisions. Ambulance collisions are more likely to happen in urban areas and intersections are the riskiest locations. Most collisions occur when the ambulance is responding to an emergency call (i.e., going to the patient or the hospital) and using lights and sirens. Tailored preventive policies and programs for improving paramedics' safety should be sought to reduce the burden of these occupational collisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the impact of the digital economy on urban environmental pollution by analyzing panel data from 283 prefecture-level cities in China from 2011 to 2019 and using the digital technology comprehensive pilot zone of China as a natural experiment. The results demonstrate that digital technology has a significant effect in reducing pollutant emissions and empowering urban environmental governance. The findings are proven to be robust based on various tests, including parallel trend, PSM-DID, and placebo tests. Our analysis further shows that digital technology is particularly effective in controlling pollution in old industrial areas, high digital areas, and low energy efficiency areas. We also find that the national digital technology integrated pilot zone can mitigate environmental pollution in prefecture-level cities by increasing public environmental awareness and encouraging green technology innovation. Moreover, our research indicates that digital technology-enabled urban pollution control can contribute to the formation of a new urbanization pattern in China. These findings provide valuable insights for promoting the digital economy and achieving the goal of carbon reduction in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Against the backdrop of digitization and global warming, fintech plays a crucial role in accelerating the growth of green finance, driving innovation in the financial industry, and catalyzing the low-carbon transformation of economic activities. This paper utilizes city panel data from 2007 to 2019 to examine the direct impact of fintech on carbon emission efficiency (CEE), the transmission channels of green technological innovation and green finance, and the spatial spillover effects, using dynamic panel models, mediation effect models, and dynamic spatial Durbin models (SDM). The study finds that: (i) Fintech significantly improves CEE, and this conclusion remains robust after accounting for potential endogeneity issues and conducting robustness tests. (ii) Mechanism analysis reveals that green finance and green technological innovation are the primary channels through which fintech influences CEE. (iii) Results from the dynamic SDM model indicate that fintech has a significant positive spatial spillover effect on CEE, with the long-term spillover effect being smaller than the short-term spillover effect. (iv) Heterogeneity analysis reveals that fintech's improvement effect on CEE is mainly evident in eastern regions, emerging first-tier and first-tier cities, and non-resource-based cities. Our research provides new insights for policymakers on achieving China's dual-carbon goals through the promotion of fintech development, green finance, and green technological innovation. It also aids in the coordinated development of fintech among cities and the formulation of differentiated policies, providing a theoretical foundation and empirical support for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increase in traffic caused by new development affects the change in traffic conditions on the surrounding roads, and shopping centres are significant traffic generators. The development of local travel generation rates and their characteristics for individual land uses from the aspect of traffic demand is a reliable way to plan traffic in order to come up with preventive solutions to traffic problems, that is, prevention of possible negative consequences on traffic conditions in the street network occurring due to the construction of shopping centres. One of the main aims of this paper is to develop a model for objective assessment of the generated traffic demand for significant changes in land use, such as the construction of shopping centres in medium-sized towns. All these would be steps in the right direction for the promotion of reliable traffic planning and adoption of TIA for every new development before a decision regarding the change in land purpose has been made. This kind of process still has not been established systematically in either Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Republic of Serbia, or in surrounding countries. This paper focuses on the formulation of a model for determining the volume of traffic generated by shopping centres in medium-sized towns in two countries of the Southeast Europe region. The survey was conducted in eight different locations (cities) where there are shopping centres with common facilities. The analysis showed that the number of visitors and vehicles attracted by the shopping centre zone can be determined by a model based on a linear regression analysis. The analysis included exploring several different factors of trip generation in shopping centres, including the relationship between trip generation and combinations of several independent variables. The verification of the model was conducted in real conditions of the traffic flow generated by a shopping centre which was not the analysis subject when forming the forecasting model. In this way, the validity of the proposed model is credibly assessed. The developed model can be applied in the procedures of planning the construction of shopping centres in medium-sized cities in the Republic of Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, and wider, in the region of Southeast Europe, in order to estimate the volume of generated traffic demand, that is, its impact on the conditions of traffic on the surrounding traffic network. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human mobility, encompassing the movement of individuals and/or groups across space and time, significantly impacts various aspects of society, with intra-urban mobility being a major research focus of scholars in diverse disciplines. Bike-sharing systems have become an alternatives in cities for achieving more sustainable transportation. Hence, bike-sharing-related data are considered an important data source to study intra-urban human mobility. To better understand human mobility in cities, it is essential to characterize the typical patterns involved in intra-urban human mobility. This paper mainly focuses on characterizing the temporal patterns of intra-urban human mobility on bike-sharing based on the trip information of the acquired bike-sharing data. To achieve this, on the one hand, we adopted an exploratory data analysis (EDA) method to describe the temporal patterns by performing exploratory analyses of bike-sharing trips. On the other hand, we used the continuous triangular model (CTM) to conduct multi-temporal-scale analysis of bike-sharing trips for further explorations of the temporal patterns where necessary. The data of bike-sharing trips in Shanghai, China, were adopted as the dataset for the case study. Generally, the study was conducted at two different levels: the trip level and the bike level. Specifically, at each level, the explorations were conducted from varying perspectives. According to the analyses, numerous meaningful temporal patterns were discovered, and several distinctive findings were acquired. The results of this study show the effectiveness of the EDA and CTM methods in characterizing temporal patterns of intra-urban human mobility, based on which potentially insightful information and suggestions can be provided to assist related actions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Population growth and environmental burden have turned the efforts of cities globally toward smarter and greener mobility. Cooperative and Connected Automated Mobility (CCAM) serves as a concept with the power and potential to help achieve these goals building on technological fields like Internet of Things, computer vision, and distributed computing. However, its implementation is hindered by various challenges covering technical parameters such as performance and reliability in tandem with other issues, such as safety, accountability, and trust. To overcome these issues, new distributed and decentralized approaches like blockchain and smart contracts are needed. This paper identifies a comprehensive inventory of CCAM challenges including technical, social, and ethical challenges. It then describes the most prominent methodologies using blockchain and smart contracts to address them. A comparative analysis of the findings follows, to draw useful conclusions and discuss future directions in CCAM and relevant blockchain applications. The paper contributes to intelligent transportation systems' research by offering an integrated view of the difficulties in substantiating CCAM and providing insights on the most popular blockchain and smart contract technologies that tackle them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the impact of the earthquakes that occurred in the first half of the 3rd millennium BCE on Western Anatolian settlements, aiming to determine the dates of the earthquakes that happened during the prehistoric period using the earthquake layers of the settlements and associated C14 data. The focus of the paper is the investigation of the effects of two earthquakes that occurred in the region during the first half of the 3rd millennium BCE on the settlements of the region. The first earthquake occurred around 2800 BCE and damaged settlements in the area of İzmir. Evidence of this damage is provided by traces of fire and destruction in the archaeological layers. In addition to the building materials and techniques of the period, the common use of side walls of buildings 25 m in length and their construction in blocks increased the destructive effects of earthquakes. In the wake of earthquakes, some structural changes were made, and the masons of the period tried to take measures against earthquakes by using new construction techniques. The earthquakes of the first quarter of the 3rd millennium BCE may have caused political turmoil in Western Anatolia, as they had the potential to create social unrest. The earthquakes that hit the İzmir region in the first half of the 3rd millennium BCE led to the abandonment of settlements, a reduction in the sizes of settlements, or changes in social organisation. In this paper, the earthquake layers of Bakla Tepe and Liman Tepe, which contain the oldest archaeological earthquake remains found to date in Western Anatolia, are analysed in detail for the first time. Highlighting the importance of archaeological data, this paper also offers new perspectives for understanding the profound and permanent impacts that natural disasters had on ancient societies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Urban contraction brings about certain impacts on the advancement of urbanization. Methods: This paper explores the coupling coordination (CCD) and geographical distribution of land urbanization (LU) and population urbanization (PU) in Jiangsu Province through a CCD model and a spatial autocorrelation model from the perspective of shrinking cities. The Panel Vector Autoregression (PVAR) model is constructed to deeply investigate the complex interaction between the PU-LU in 13 cities, 2007-2020. Results: The study found that the PU-LU CCD in each of the above-mentioned cities shows a synergistic incremental evolution during the study period in terms of time series. In addition, in terms of spatial characteristics, the CCD of PU and LU shows significant positive global spatial autocorrelation, and the CCD of cities with high population size growth is much larger than that of cities with continuous population size. Last, there is an interactive response relationship between PU and LU. PU influences LU, however, PU itself is influenced by its own system's internal structure. The impact of PU on LU shows a positive cumulative effect of the "inverted U shape." Discussion: Furthermore, this paper proposes that policies be created to ensure the coordinated growth of PU-LU based on the differences in resource endowments of cities with 3 types of urban shrinkage. The link between floating population and construction land for cities should be established through enhancing the extent of intensive land use and reforming household registration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nature-based solutions are approaches that draw inspiration from and are supported by nature, offering environmental, social, and economic benefits for enhancing urban resilience and sustainability. One of the greatest land use changes affecting the urban landscape is agricultural land conversion which affects the food security. Urban agriculture will not only generate livelihood opportunity for the urban poor but be the urban lung and heat sink, allow solid and water waste disposal and facilitate eco-cultural community bonding. A vast majority of the global urban dwellers live in the small and medium sized cities. However very little study has been done on urban agriculture in these areas although agricultural loss is more pronounced here. The objective of this paper is to examine through remote sensing data, in a time series between 2011 to 2023, the loss in agricultural land in one such smaller city- Bhubaneswar, which lies on a very fertile agricultural belt. This paper examines the decline of agricultural land in comparison to the rise in built up area within the specified timeframe and goes on to suggest a nature-based solution which makes the city self-sufficient in terms of food security. The research methodology involves mapping the spatial distribution of both the supply and demand for ecosystem services and quantifying the impact of Agriculture land use conversion on agriculture production. It concludes by deriving a framework which will identify the policy and governance interventions required so that the SDG goals 2 and 11.3 are realized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the face of global climate change challenges, China's implementation of the carbon emission trading (CET) pilot policy has provided new empirical research opportunities. Based on a dataset covering 281 Chinese cities from 2005 to 2021, this paper employs econometric models to conduct an in-depth analysis of the policy's impact on urban green innovation (UGI). The findings indicate that the CET pilot policy has significantly promoted green innovation activities in affected cities, with positive effects observed both directly in pilot cities and indirectly in non-pilot cities through spatial spillover effects. In addition, the policy has been found to encourage technological investment and enhance public environmental awareness (PEA), further advancing green innovation. The paper also unveils comprehensive policy effects, indicating that the Big Data Comprehensive Test Zone policy and the New Energy Demonstration City policy work synergistically with the CET pilot policy in advancing green innovation. These findings provide valuable experiences and insights for designing environmental policy tools at the national level, promoting green development, and constructing climate change response strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Olympic Games have been associated with many urban transformation projects throughout their history, often focusing on city expansion. Recent sustainability concerns, however, constitute a pressing challenge, with the regeneration of central areas fulfilling a key role in existing urban agendas. In this paper, the legacy of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at two proposed centralities was analysed, namely, the Olympic Park, intended as a future neighbourhood to the west of the city, and Porto Maravilha (PM), an urban project aimed at revitalizing a central, historical area of the city. By comparing the Olympic Park and the first provided areas in PM, in terms of selecting urban design criteria through qualitative in loco assessments, this paper focused on analysing the impacts of urban forms and heritage on the consolidation of these two centralities, as well as encouraging social interaction and integration into the city. The analysis results indicated that urban design attributes such as human-scaled, mixed-use, context-based urban spaces could interfere with social interaction and the usability of spaces. Moreover, the repurposing of heritage buildings contributed to urban cohesion for legacy transformation. Hence, novel insights into urban design and heritage could become important for future editions of the Olympics so that host cities may fulfil their sustainability agendas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A single-phase grounding fault often occurs in 10 kV distribution networks, seriously affecting the safety of equipment and personnel. With the popularization of urban cables, the low-resistance grounding system gradually replaced arc suppression coils in some large cities. Compared to arc suppression coils, the low-resistance grounding system features simplicity and reliability. However, when a high-resistance grounding fault occurs, a lower amount of fault characteristics cannot trigger the zero-sequence protection action, so this type of fault will exist for a long time, which poses a threat to the power grid. To address this kind of problem, in this paper, a hybrid grounding system combining the low-resistance protection device and fully controlled power module is proposed. During a low-resistance grounding fault, the fault isolation is achieved through the zero-sequence current protection with the low-resistance grounding system itself, while, during a high-resistance grounding fault, the reliable arc extinction is achieved by regulating the neutral-point voltage with a fully controlled power module. Firstly, this paper introduces the principles, topology, and coordination control of the hybrid grounding system for active voltage arc extinction. Subsequently, a dual-loop-based control method is proposed to suppress the fault phase voltage. Furthermore, a faulty feeder selection method based on the Kepler optimization algorithm and convolutional neural network is proposed for the timely removal of permanent faults. Lastly, the simulation and HIL-based emulated results verify the rationality and effectiveness of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we have provided more insights on the relationship between under five morbidity in Nigeria and some background characteristics using a Poisson regression model and the most recent 2018 NDHS data on Acute Respiratory Infection (ARI), diarrhoea and fever. Some of our results are that children 36–47 months old have the highest risk of ARI [OR = 1.45; CI (1.31,1.60)] while children less than 6 months old have the lowest risk of ARI [OR = 0.14; CI (0.11,0.17)]. The prevalence of diarrhoea is generally high among children under 48-59 months old but highest among children 6–11 months old [OR = 4.34; CI (3.69,5.09)]. Compared to children 48–59 months old, children in all other age categories except 24–34 months old have a high risk of fever [OR = 0.95; CI (0.73,1.24)]. ARI is more prevalent among female children [OR = 8.88; CI (8.02,9.82)] while diarrhoea [OR = 21.75; (19.10,24.76)] and fever [OR = 4.78; CI (4.31,5.32)] are more prevalent among male children. Children in urban areas are more likely to suffer ARI [OR = 9.49; CI (8.31,10.85)] while children in rural areas are more likely to suffer both diarrhoea [OR = 21.75; CI (19.10,24.76)] and fever [OR = 4.90; CI (4.26,5.63)]. Children in the South-South have the highest risk of ARI [OR = 4.03; CI (3.65,4.454)] while children in the North Central have the lowest risk of ARI [OR = 1.55; CI (1.38,1.74)] and highest risk of diarrhoea [OR = 3.34; CI (2.30,5.11)]. Children in the Northeast have the highest risk of fever [OR = 1.30; CI (1.14,1.48)]. In the Northcentral region, Kogi state has the highest prevalence of fever [OR = 2.27; CI (1.62,3.17)], while Benue state has the lowest [OR = 0.35; CI (0.20,0.60)]. Children in Abuja state face similar risks of fever and diarrhoea [OR = 0.84; CI (0.55,1.27)], with the risk of diarrhoea in Abuja being comparable to that in Plateau state [OR = 1.57; CI (0.92,2.70)]. Nasarawa state records the highest incidence of diarrhoea in the Northcentral [OR = 5.12; CI (3.03,8.65)], whereas Kogi state reports the lowest [OR = 0.29; CI (0.16,0.53)]. In the Northeast, Borno state has the highest rate of fever [OR = 3.28; CI (2.80,3.84)], and Bauchi state the lowest [OR = 0.38; CI (0.29,0.50)]. In Adamawa state, the risks of fever and diarrhoea are nearly equivalent [OR = 1.17; CI (0.97,1.41)], and the risk of fever there is similar to that in Taraba state [OR = 0.92; CI (0.75,1.12)]. Diarrhoea is most prevalent in Yobe state [OR = 3.17; CI (2.37,4.23)] and least prevalent in Borno state [OR = 0.26; CI (0.20,0.33)]. In the Northwest, the risk of fever is similarly high in Zamfara and Kebbi states [OR = 1.04; CI (0.93,1.17)], with Kastina state showing the lowest risk [OR = 0.39; CI (0.34,0.46)]. Children in Zamfara state experience notably different risks of fever and diarrhoea [OR = 0.07; CI (0.05,0.10)]. Kaduna state reports the highest incidence of diarrhoea [OR = 21.88; CI (15.54,30.82)], while Kano state has the lowest [OR = 2.50; CI (1.73,3.63)]. In the Southeast, Imo state leads in fever incidence [OR = 8.20; CI (5.61,11.98)], while Anambra state has the lowest [OR = 0.40; CI (0.21,0.78)]. In Abia state, the risk of fever is comparable to that in Enugu state [OR = 1.03; CI (0.63,1.71)], but the risks of fever and diarrhoea in Abia differ significantly [OR = 2.67; CI (1.75,4.06)]. Abia state also has the highest diarrhoea rate in the Southeast [OR = 2.67; CI (1.75,4.06)], with Ebonyi state having the lowest [OR = 0.05; CI (0.03,0.09)]. In the South-South region, Bayelsa and Edo states have similar risks of fever [OR = 1.28; CI (0.84,1.95)], with Akwa Ibom state reporting the highest fever rate [OR = 4.62; CI (3.27,6.52)] and Delta state the lowest [OR = 0.08; CI (0.02,0.25)]. Children in Bayelsa state face distinctly different risks of fever and diarrhoea [OR = 0.56; CI (0.34,0.95)]. Rivers state shows the highest incidence of diarrhoea in the South-South [OR = 10.50; CI (4.78,23.06)], while Akwa Ibom state has the lowest [OR = 0.30; CI (0.15,0.57)]. In the Southwest, Lagos and Osun states have similar risks of fever [OR = 1.00; CI (0.59,1.69)], with Ogun state experiencing the highest incidence [OR = 3.47; CI (2.28,5.28)] and Oyo state the lowest [OR = 0.18; CI (0.07,0.46)]. In Lagos state, the risks of fever and diarrhoea are comparable [OR = 0.96; CI (0.57,1.64)], and the risk of diarrhoea is similar to those in Ekiti, Ogun, and Ondo states. Oyo state has the highest diarrhoea rate in the Southwest [OR = 10.99; CI (3.81,31.67)], with Ogun state reporting the lowest [OR = 0.77; CI (0.42,1.42)]. Children of mothers with more than secondary education are significantly less likely to suffer ARI [OR = 0.35; CI (0.29,0.42)], whereas children of mothers without any education run a higher risk of diarrhoea [OR = 2.12; CI (1.89,2.38)] and fever [OR = 2.61; CI (2.34,2.91)]. Our analysis also indicated that household wealth quintile is a significant determinant of morbidity. The results in this paper could help the government and non-governmental agencies to focus and target intervention programs for ARI, diarrhoea and fever on the most vulnerable and risky under five groups and populations in Nigeria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The reduction of greenhouse gas emissions is a shared challenge encountered by nations worldwide. As China is on its way toward a green economy, it is worth studying whether producer services agglomeration, a key driver of economic transition, can promote low-carbon urban development. Using panel data of 257 cities across China from 2006 to 2019, this paper examines the influence of producer services agglomeration on urban carbon emissions with spatial econometric models. The findings reveal a positive spatial correlation in regional carbon emissions. The agglomeration of producer services notably decreases the intensity of local carbon emissions, yet it appears to have minimal influence on the emissions from adjacent regions. Enhancing energy efficiency and adjusting the industrial structure are two critical mechanisms by which producer services agglomeration reduces urban carbon emissions. This beneficial effect varies with city type, the abatement effect of producer services agglomeration is more pronounced in non-resource-based cities. When considering city size, the carbon reduction potential of producer services agglomeration is not apparent in smaller cities. As city size increases, the emission reduction effect becomes more apparent. However, in mega-cities, this impact is somewhat diminished. Accordingly, this paper proposes exploring methods of coordinated air pollution management across cities, promoting producer services agglomeration in line with market mechanisms, and driving low-carbon urban development in a manner tailored to local conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon emission reduction is crucial for mitigating global climate change, and green fiscal policies, through providing economic incentives and reallocating resources, are key means to achieve carbon reduction targets. This paper uses data covering 248 cities from 2003 to 2019 and applies a multi-period difference-in-differences model (DID) to thoroughly assess the impact of energy conservation and emission reduction (ECER) fiscal policies on enhancing carbon emission (CE1) reduction and carbon efficiency (CE2). It further analyzes the mediating role of Green Innovation (GI), exploring how it strengthens the impact of ECER policies. We find that: (1) ECER policies significantly promote the improvement of carbon reduction and CE2, a conclusion that remains robust after excluding the impacts of concurrent policy influences, sample selection biases, outliers, and other random factors. (2) ECER policies enhance CE1 reduction and CE2 in pilot cities by promoting green innovation, and this conclusion is confirmed by Sobel Z tests. (3) The effects of ECER policies on CE1 reduction and the improvement of CE2 are more pronounced in higher-level cities, the eastern regions and non-resource cities. This research provides policy makers with suggestions, highlighting that incentivizing green innovation through green fiscal policies is an effective path to achieving carbon reduction goals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tourism has emerged as a pivotal element of China's economic development, particularly within its coastal cities. This paper presents a comprehensive analysis of China's coastal city tourism economic development, focusing on 53 coastal cities. Through a meticulous combination of literature analysis and data crawling, a robust database is constructed, encompassing tourism resources and revenues. This study delineates the spatial–temporal evolution pattern of China's coastal city tourism development and employs geo-detector methods to quantitatively analyze the impact factors driving this evolution. Key findings reveal distinct trends in the coastal tourism economy of China from 2009 to 2019, characterized by spatial stability, similar trends in adjacent spatial units, and localized spatial structures. Notably, factors such as actual foreign investment, the presence of star-rated guesthouses, tourism industry employment, airport activity, and import–export trade volume exert significant influence on the domestic tourism economy. Similarly, tourism employment, airport activity, availability of star-rated hotels, import–export trade, and utilization of foreign capital emerge as influential factors shaping inbound tourism. Policy recommendations emphasize the need for government intervention to optimize tourism development strategies for coastal cities. This entails balancing resource exploitation with environmental protection and enhancing the quality of tourism services, fostering sustainable growth and long-term prosperity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Optimizing urban land use is of significant practical importance for promoting economic development, enhancing the standard of living for individuals residing in metropolitan areas, enhancing urban infrastructure and public services, driving urban transformation and upgrading, and attaining synchronized progress of the economy, society, and environment. This paper uses the super-efficiency SBM model to measure the urban land use efficiency (ULUE) of 13 cities in the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei (BTH) urban agglomeration from 2005 to 2020 and explores the spatiotemporal evolution characteristics and influencing factors of ULUE in this urban agglomeration using analysis of spatial data and application of geographic detector methods. The results show that (1) from 2005 to 2020, the ULUE of the BTH urban agglomeration had an initial rise followed by a decline; however, the overall efficiency score is above 1, suggesting an overall effective state; (2) a distribution pattern with Beijing as its core was established, exhibiting greater ULUE in the northern region and poorer efficiency in the southern region, with significant correlation characteristics in efficiency values between adjacent cities; and (3) capital input, labor input, social welfare, and ecological environment are all influencing factors that promote the improvement in ULUE in the BTH region, and the interaction of any two factors explains the ULUE in this region better than a single factor. The empirical research results can provide useful references for improving the input–output ratio of land units and further spatial planning and policy formulation in the BTH region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon compensation can guide human activities in reducing carbon emissions or increasing carbon sequestration and also represents an important approach for coordinating regional development. In this paper, Chongqing Municipality, whose internal development is varied, was selected as a case study. The annual carbon emissions, carbon sequestration, carbon deficits, and inter-regional carbon compensation costs from 2000 to 2021 were continuously estimated via local optimization methods, and a carbon compensation zoning scheme was proposed that integrates the present situation and trend analysis. The results show that (1) Chongqing's total carbon emissions were greater than the total carbon sequestration, and the carbon deficit was approximately 556.24 × 104 t~3621.58 × 104 t. (2) County-level carbon budgets have large regional differences; the counties that should always receive carbon compensation are from the southeast and northeast regions, and the counties that should always pay carbon compensation are from central urban areas and the surrounding new urban areas. (3) All the counties were zoned into key payment areas, basic payment areas, key recipient areas, and basic recipient areas. The key payment areas, which account for 39.47%, maintain and grow payment status and are the main sources of carbon compensation costs, while the key recipient areas, which account for 44.74%, maintained a negative compensation status and a continuous downward trend, meaning that they may receive increasing carbon compensation costs. This paper revealed inequities in carbon compensation and proposed a novel zoning solution, which can provide scientific reference and data support for further establishing inter-regional carbon compensation mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Warsaw is among European cities with the worst atmospheric air quality, mainly due to very high pollution emitted by the residential sector and road traffic. This results in high concentrations of particulate matter and nitrogen oxides, often exceeding WHO standards. The paper discusses the current and expected effects of actions taken by the Warsaw authorities, to significantly improve air quality in the city. The policy directly addresses one of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 11, Sustainable Cities and Communities). The analysis presented in the paper consists of two stages. The first, covering the years 2018–2029, deals with the ongoing Clean Air Program, which assumes primarily the reduction, and ultimately the complete elimination, of coal combustion in all heat sources of the residential sector. This sector is widely identified as the main source of urban air quality degradation, especially in Polish cities due to the dominant share of coal in the fuel mix. The second part of the corrective measures, covering the period 2024–2034, primarily concerns the reduction of nitrogen oxide pollution, mainly from traffic. The latter takes into account the expected effects of the introduction of a Low-emission Zone (LEZ) in the city center (launched in July 2024) and implemented in five two-year stages, in which car emission limits will be gradually tightened. According to the analysis results, the implementation of the Clean Air Program can result in about a 20% reduction in annual average PM2.5 concentrations by 2024, with a small (about 9%) reduction in NOx. At the same time, a significant reduction in NOx levels can be achieved by full implementation of the LEZ, especially within the zone boundaries (more than 50%). An important factor here is the size of the zone. The paper compares the effectiveness of two being considered versions, differing in size zones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flash floods can carry substantial sediment, posing significant sedimentation hazards in hilly cities. The sedimentation hazard map can reproduce the sediment thickness and extent of an extreme events scenario, playing an important role in sediment risk management. However, current research primarily focuses on modeling the inundation area and depth of floods, while studying sedimentation hazard caused by flash floods in urban areas remains insufficient. This paper aims to address this gap by utilizing a numerical model that simulates hyperconcentrated flow in hilly urban areas using the two‐dimensional hydro‐sediment‐morphological model to compile the cumulative sedimentation hazard map. The model, built upon the open‐source TELEMAC‐MASCARET framework, incorporates Zhang Hongwu's formula to simulate sediment‐carrying capacity, particularly suitable for hyper‐sediment concentration near the riverbed. This paper uses the data of extreme flash flood events in the Wuding River basin in 2017 to simulate and compile the cumulative sedimentation hazard map. The hazard map delineates the sedimentation hazard extent and level attributable to overbank floodplain sedimentation. Notably, the sediment thickness is highest in areas near the levees on both sides of the Dali River. Moreover, the map illustrates the extent of channel erosion resulting from hyperconcentrated floods, which could jeopardize bank stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China is in the stage of rapid development of new urbanization, cities are more vulnerable when facing various risks, and the construction of urban resilience (UR) makes cities more secure. At the same time, the allocation of digital factors has a vital impact on the construction of UR under energy constraints. Based on the panel data of cities in China from 2011 to 2020, this paper studies the influence and mechanism of digital factor allocation (DFA) on UR under energy constraints through panel fixed effect model (FE), mediation effect model, and panel threshold model. The main empirical results include: (1) The misallocation of digital factors has a negative impact on UR. In the case of differences in the division of urban agglomeration, the impact of digital factor misallocation (DFM) on UR will also be different. (2) The misallocation of digital factors has an impact on UR through the intermediary effects of capital allocation efficiency, green innovation and industrial structure upgrading. (3) There is a nonlinear relationship between the DFM and UR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exploring the regional differences and convergence of urban land green use efficiency (ULGUE) is of great significance for urban green development and the goal of carbon neutrality. Based on the panel data of 282 prefecture-level cities in China from 2006 to 2019, this paper uses the SBM-Undesirable model to calculate ULGUE in China, then uses Dagum Gini coefficient decomposition, coefficient of variation and panel data model to reveal the regional differences and convergence of ULGUE. The results show that ULGUE in China increased from 0.441 to 0.555 in 2006–2019. The number of cities in the medium–low efficiency range is dominant, accounting for more than 54%. There are differences in ULGUE among the three major regions, which shows the distribution pattern of west > east > central. ULGUE in China has significant spatial agglomeration characteristics, and its overall, intra-regional and inter-regional differences show a downward trend. Over-variable density is the main source of the overall difference, with an average contribution rate of 49.71%. ULGUE across the country and in the three regions of east, central and west in China exist significant σ convergence, absolute β and conditions β convergence. The research results are helpful to objectively evaluate ULGUE in China, and provide decision-making reference for promoting the green, low-carbon and sustainable use of urban land and achieving the goal of carbon neutrality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the symbiotic relationship between placemaking and the authenticity of traditional architecture in the realm of city branding, using Surakarta City in Indonesia as a pivotal case study. It posits that the conscious integration of placemaking initiatives with the preservation and celebration of traditional architectural authenticity can significantly amplify any city's brand identity, rendering it distinct and resonant on the global scale. Surakarta, with its rich cultural heritage and commitment to preserving Javanese architectural motifs, exemplifies how traditional elements can coalesce with contemporary urban development strategies to foster a sense of place and community identity. Through a qualitative analysis of Surakarta's urban planning and community engagement practices, this study underscores the transformative impact of authentic architectural preservation in placemaking processes. The findings suggest that such an approach not only enhances the aesthetic and cultural landscape of cities but also strengthens their branding, attracting tourism and investment by offering a unique narrative. The paper concludes with strategic recommendations for urban policymakers and planners, advocating for a balanced integration of cultural authenticity and innovative place-making to achieve sustainable and impactful city branding. This study contributes to the broader discourse on urban development, highlighting the indispensable role of architectural authenticity in crafting compelling city narratives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The densification of urban spaces globally has contributed to a need for design tools supporting the planning of more sustainable, efficient, and liveable cities. Urban Design Optimisation (UDO) responds to this challenge by providing a means to explore many design solutions for a district, evaluate multiple objectives, and make informed selections from many Pareto-efficient solutions. UDO distinguishes itself from other forms of design optimisation by addressing the challenges of incorporating a wide range of planning goals, managing the complex interactions among various urban datasets, and considering the social–technical aspects of urban planning involving multiple stakeholders. Previous reviews focusing on specific topics within UDO do not sufficiently address these challenges. This PRISMA systematic literature review provides an overview of research on topics related to UDO from 2012 to 2022, with articles analysed across seven descriptive categories. This paper presents a discussion on the state-of-the-art and identified gaps present in each of the seven categories. Finally, this paper argues that additional research to improve the socio-technical understanding and usability of UDO would require: (i) methods of optimisation across multiple models, (ii) interfaces that address a multiplicity of stakeholders, (iii) exploration of frameworks for scenario building and backcasting, and (iv) advancing AI applications for UDO, including generalizable surrogates and user preference learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper introduces a methodology for characterizing the breadth of natural hazard types, hazard interrelationships, and risk scenarios in Global South urban areas, focusing on Nairobi, Kenya, and Istanbul, Türkiye. Our approach involves (a) a comprehensive characterization of multi‐hazards and their interrelationships in an urban setting, (b) collaborative development of relevant multi‐hazard scenarios with local disaster risk reduction (DRR) stakeholders, and (c) analysis of the potential for integrating these scenarios into urban DRR efforts. Using a critical review of 135 sources (academic and gray literature, databases, online, and social media), we identify 19 natural hazard types that might influence Nairobi and 23 in Istanbul. We further identified in Nairobi 88 and Istanbul 105 hazard interrelationship pairs (e.g., an earthquake triggering landslides) out of a possible 576 interrelationships. These findings are cataloged in an extensive database, which informs the creation of multi‐hazard risk scenario exemplars for each city. These exemplars are refined through stakeholder engagement, involving four workshops (47 participants) and nine semi‐structured interviews with local DRR stakeholders. Despite the identified benefits, this engagement reveals a significant gap in integrating multi‐hazards into current urban policy and practice. Governance challenges are highlighted as a key barrier, but opportunities for better integration are also identified, including evolving policies and growing awareness among urban actors. Our approach, particularly relevant in data‐scarce urban areas of low‐ and middle‐income countries, provides a framework for exploring multi‐hazard issues in various urban contexts. Plain Language Summary: Our study sought to understand the breadth of natural hazards an urban area in the Global South might face, how the hazards are interrelated (e.g., an earthquake can trigger landslides), and typical risk scenarios that matter to local experts. We applied our methodology to Nairobi and Istanbul to assess how considering multiple hazards could enhance disaster risk reduction (DRR) efforts. We systematically reviewed 135 information sources, including gray and peer‐reviewed literature and online and social media. We found 19 natural hazard types could influence Nairobi, while Istanbul faces 23. These hazards showed numerous interactions, with 88 in Nairobi and 105 in Istanbul. Subsequently, we held workshops and interviews with local DRR stakeholders in both cities to co‐designed multi‐hazard risk scenarios. Practitioner stakeholders in Nairobi and Istanbul emphasized that considering these interrelationships helped create comprehensive risk scenarios and improved planning for addressing multiple hazards concurrently, a crucial aspect of urban safety and preparedness. They noted that current city policies and practices often overlooked this approach, primarily due to risk management and governance issues; for example, siloed approaches to DRR resulting in disjointed implementation and planning, and a lack of coordination and communication among actors. Our research framework may assist other urban areas, particularly those in developing countries with limited data, in comprehending and preparing for the complex challenges posed by various natural hazards. Key Points: Using Nairobi and Istanbul, we introduce a framework for analyzing multi‐hazard interrelationships in low‐ and medium‐income citiesA systematic review of 135 sources finds 19 and 23 hazard types and 88 and 105 hazard interrelationships in Nairobi and Istanbul, respectivelyWorkshops and interviews identify risk scenarios, governance challenges, and opportunities for multi‐hazard integration in urban policies [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Under the goal of "achieving carbon peak by 2030 and carbon neutrality by 2060", how to select the type of fresh air system has become a key area of energy conservation. The method of outdoor design PM2.5 concentration is one of the important factors affecting the selection of fresh air filtration system. This paper first analyzed the PM2.5 concentration values of 31 cities in China from 2017 to 2020 based on mathematical induction, and next gave the recommended coefficient K under six urban economic regions methods in combination with the actual situation. Finally, the selection of air filters in five typical cities was taken as an example, the differences in recommended coefficient K and selection of outdoor design PM2.5 concentration under different recommended methods were compared and analyzed. The results showed that the recommended coefficient K under the six economic regions could meet the required K value needs of the region. The recommended coefficient K by the six economic regions methods based on per capita GDP is the best. Under that conditions, the recommended coefficient K of the five typical cities under strict and normal conditions differs from the average K values of the six methods by 0.06 and 0.04. This paper will provide a new method for the correct selection of outdoor design PM2.5 concentration in fresh air systems to achieve the dual carbon energy-saving goal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Current approaches to the provision of shelter, largely driven by national governments and/or the commercial private sector, continue to fall short of what is needed to reduce housing deficits. The number of people without access to adequate housing continues to grow, especially in cities of the Global South. Increasing attention is being paid to alternative models for organizing land and housing delivery, such as those led by, or at least including, civil society. In this paper, we consider two national land and housing programs—the 20,000 Plots Project in Tanzania, and Basic Services for the Urban Poor (BSUP) in India—alongside community-led housing initiatives from each country. We explore the extent to which community participation in housing delivery can have social and environmental advantages when compared to 'business as usual' methods and find that, given appropriate state support, community-based, and civil society actors (including organizations of the urban poor) have significant potential to contribute to acquiring land, building homes and improving the quality of life of vulnerable segments of the population. This paper echoes calls for community-led housing to become a recognized part of formal housing policy whilst emphasizing the need for theoretical refinement of the process so as to prevent it from being captured by prevailing market-led narratives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since entering the 21st century, many developing countries around the world have begun to enter a stage of rapid urbanization; large-scale "rural-urban" population migration has become a typical social phenomenon in these countries. Against this backdrop, this paper aims to elucidate the spatial migration characteristics of rural populations and to discuss future rural–urban development strategies. For this purpose, this paper takes China as a case and employs methods such as spatial autocorrelation analysis, hotspot analysis, and network analysis to construct an intercity migration network of rural migrants and analyze its spatial characteristics and internal structure. The results indicate that the migration pattern of the rural population exhibits notable spatial clustering features. Cities in the eastern and central regions are, respectively, hotspots for the inflow and outflow of rural populations, with internal migration dominating in western cities and relatively inactive rural population movements in northeastern cities. Municipalities directly under the central government, sub-provincial cities, and provincial capitals show a significant tendency to attract rural populations, while prefecture-level and county-level cities mainly radiate rural populations outward. Cities nationwide form seven major clusters in the migration network, and these clusters exhibit distinct structural characteristics. Rural population migration is influenced by various factors. In the future, considerations should focus on the county as the primary unit, attracting rural populations for local employment, and promoting rural revitalization and agriculture development. The findings of this paper are of reference significance not only to China but also to many developing countries with similar national conditions in the world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Charging infrastructure deployment has taken off in many cities with the rise of the number of electric vehicles on the road. Expansion of infrastructure is a matter of prioritisation of resources to optimise the infrastructure. This paper explores how to measure charging station performance, to address the challenges that policy makers face. These performance indicators are used in a regression model, based upon current utilisation of the network, to predict which charging stations perform best. The results show that a model based on available geographical data and performance metrics of the current network are best combined to predict infrastructure performance. The variability between public charging stations is however big, as frequent user characteristics do determine the performance to a large extent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]