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Many cities are undergoing a transition towards sustainable smart cities (SSCs) that are built on advanced information technology infrastructure and support social justice. To achieve a smooth and effective transition to SSC, policies and delivery mechanisms should be put in place, and the readiness of both the government and the society should be assessed. This study focuses on digital participatory planning (DPP) as a precondition for social sustainability in SSC and aims to summarise and assess the current relevant local policies and endeavours in Oman; and to develop a generic framework to evaluate the readiness for DPP. In doing so, selective key literature, policies and initiatives were critically reviewed covering the SSC concept, establishing the link between the SSC and DPP, and eliciting a list of comprehensive DPP readiness factors. The results indicated that the Omani government has a clear will to move towards SSC and the country has already witnessed few initiatives supporting this direction. However, there is a lack of a clear action plan regarding DPP. Therefore, more work is required to systemise efforts. The study provides a generic framework to assess the readiness of the government and society for DPP and concludes with recommendations for policymakers.

Expansion of cities is an international phenomenon that occurs mainly due to population growth. With the expansion of the new cities, the accessibility to the old cities might be affected. The focus of this research is on the governorate of Muscat in Oman and its old city, Greater Mutrah. Our aim is to investigate how the expansion of Muscat had affected the accessibility to the old city. This city was selected because of its inherent value in history, economy, and tourism in the country and the region. In order to understanding how the accessibility is affected in terms of vehicle movement, space syntax theory and its associated methodology -i.e. Axial Maps- is used. Using DepthMapX software, Integration radius 3 was calculated for the old city before and after the expansion of Muscat, and the data were analyzed statistically. The results showed that the expansion has positively affected the accessibility to the old city while altering the spatial structure within it. This paper contributes to interpret the spatial characteristics of the street networks and how these characteristics affect accessibility, and subsequently tourism attraction, to old cities.

In service oriented enterprises, functionalities are provided as selfdescribing and platform independent services. A service combined with another service, to deliver a larger functionality, is termed as business process. Services undergo changes to adapt themselves to the growing market trends and technologies. This paper presents a literature survey of the existing research being carried out with respect to service evolution in service oriented applications. We classify this research work in five areas: Change patterns in services, Change proneness in services, Change in SOA artifacts, Change in data in SOA and Service Composition Languages extensibilities. We present a comprehensive study comprising of the change problems addressed, the corresponding approaches used to handle them and the future work which could be carried out in each category. This paper is an effort to survey those research areas which are narrowly explored. Hence, this study provides the areas for future work for those who have interest in service evolution.

This study examines the quality of open spaces in the most deprived areas in Edinburgh from the perspective of end-users; and the influence of the physical and spatial qualities on how open spaces in such areas are used. The study was informed by an extensive review of the literature and a critical analysis of the relevant Scottish policies and guidance. A case study of Clovenstone Gardens in the Wester Hailes district of Edinburgh, was chosen for this study. A four-fold methodological approach was used for data collection and analysis including semi-structured interviews, attitudinal questionnaire, observation study and space syntax analysis. The study showed that both the physical and the spatial qualities of the open space under study did not meet the user's needs and expectations. This includes aspects of cleanliness, maintenance, safety and the open space layout design and quality. On the other hand, accessibility has shown to achieve a satisfactory level.

Health and well-being are vitally important aspects of people centric building design and are the roots of productivity. Sick building syndrome (SBS) is a collection of factors that can negatively affect physical health in several ways. Besides physical health is also related to psychological well-being because the human body is one interactive biological system. This paper focuses on reviewing the current state of knowledge on building sickness syndrome which has been prevalent as a building illness since the 1970s especially in offices and schools. While the concepts of intelligent, smart and sustainable buildings have gained considerable attention during recent decades, there is now increasing attention being given to designing healthy buildings. This study provides a review about SBS symptoms. Several negative effects of SBS are identified and potential solutions are advocated. Finally, the study stresses the role of built environment and concludes that ongoing research towards tackling SBS and developing healthy indoor environments should not be limited to a single formula as any health-related building design approach is dependent on several interacting factors.

Over the past few decades, Oman is experiencing a rapid economic growth associated with the flourishing and maturity of the oil production. The construction sector has seen to be the primary beneficiary with the blooming of many new infrastructure projects that serves the rapid urban development. In line with the booming awareness of the sustainable development of its neighboring countries, many proactive actions from the government and professional bodies attempts to introduce the sustainability concept to the industry. However, the lack of evidence on sustainability progress suggests that these values are not yet at the top of the construction industry agenda. This paper reviews the current application of sustainability in the construction industry in Oman. Informative challenges and opportunities have been identified through market surveys and a qualitative observational research method of current eco-house construction project conducted by Sultan Qaboos University within a competition initiated by the research council in Oman. The proposed recommendations of this study shall help promoting and improving the sustainability application in the Omani construction practices in the future.

The notion of smart cities needs to be broadened beyond the fascination with technology to incorporate an approach that invests in the growth of human, social, and environmental capitals to generate ‘smart sustainable cities’. One of the most recent debates in this context is digital citizen participation. This study aimed to identify the potential role of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) in citizen participation as a major contributor towards ‘smart sustainable cities’. A systematic and exhaustive literature review, coupled with critical content analysis, was conducted. The focus was on a central research question: What kind of relationship is fostered in the literature between sustainability and digital citizen participation, and how can ICT contribute to social sustainability through digital citizen participation (DCP)? The results suggested a connection between smart sustainable cities and DCP. This article is concluded by emphasizing the role of ICT in citizen participation processes and its significant contribution to social sustainability and the creation of more-than-human smart cities.

This paper examines the potential of energy saving in electrical consumption if the concept of energy-efficient house is implemented in Oman. Energy consumption in the residential sector in Oman was critically analysed and forecasted based on its growth rate and its historical consumption. Then, a base-case validated simulation model for a typical residential dwelling in different cities was generated using a dynamic building simulation software, covering a wide variation of climate conditions in Oman. A variety of modified design cases that met the minimum requirements for code compliance in residential buildings for four Gulf Cooperation Council countries were developed and subsequently simulated. Then, an economic analysis was performed. The results showed that due to the high annual growth rate of the residential sector (28.5%), a considerable amount of energy (13.2% in warm tropical climate to 48% in hot dry climate) could be saved if proper building codes are put in place. Thus, this paper calls for immediate action to start a large scale programme to promote and subsequently, to enforce the use of the principles of energy-efficient house in Oman.

It is widely accepted that land-use distribution has a direct impact on urban sustainability. This study examines the relationship between land-use distribution and the spatial structure of street networks in newly developed neighborhoods as a contribution to urban sustainability. Two new neighborhoods in Muscat, Oman, were examined using Space Syntax theory. The land use maps were developed through exhaustive site visits, while the spatial analysis was generated using DepthMapX software. The following four spatial attributes were included: Integration, Control, Choice, and Normalized Least Angle Choice (NACH). The land use variables were Retail, Residential and Mix-use. The statistical analysis showed that the distribution of the Residential land use is significantly influenced by the spatial attributes in highly “intelligible” spatial configurations, with NACH being the best predictor followed by Integration. In addition, the degree to which an area has a formal grid structure was found to have no effect on the relationship between the variables. Thus, this paper contributes to urban sustainability, Space Syntax, and land-use distribution studies by providing evidence on how spatial arrangements influence land-use distribution, and consequently, energy use, demand for services, and patterns of urban traffic. The study concludes with recommendations to the planning authorities.

The process of elicitation and synthesis of the collective understanding of a cultural domain held by a group of stakeholders is challenging. This problem typifies the pre-project activity from which a coherent understanding of the benefits sought from infrastructure investment must emerge to inform the business case rationale. The anthropological freelisting method is evaluated as a solution by determining its ability to be operationalized in a practical form for project application. Using data from the stakeholders of a large NHS Scotland building project, the use of multidimensional scaling for data analysis is compared with participatory pilesorting to determine which freelisting protocol balances insight with practicality. Neither approach is found to offer an ideal method of characterizing sought benefits. The social construction of pilesorting promotes reliability while the analytical rigour of multidimensional scaling remains attractive to auditors. Their distinct insights suggest that both approa...

Many studies have supported the proposition that natural environments contribute positively to psychological restoration. Less attention has been given to the relative importance of the physical environmental components that contribute to the restorative potential of such environments. The aim of the current study was to investigate the relative importance of environmental components, in small urban parks, for people looking for somewhere to sit down and rest. To address this aim, we used choice-based conjoint analysis, coupled with hierarchical Bayes estimation, to assess the utilities assigned to grass, bushes, trees, flower beds, water features, and the number of other people in the park. Via a web-based questionnaire, adult residents of Oslo, Norway (N=154) were presented with text describing successive pairs of park alternatives. Each alternative was comprised of a set of environmental components at different levels. The respondents were to choose the preferred alternative in each pair, given that they were fatigued and looking for a place to rest for a little while. The amounts of grass, trees and other people had the most influence on their choices among park alternatives. Responses across groups defined by age, gender and earlier experience with parks and nature were relatively homogenous. From a planning perspective, the findings indicate the importance of focusing on structural components such as grass and trees rather than decorative components such as flowers and water features.

It is generally accepted that compositions in deconstructive architecture are irrational, fragmented, and do not follow proportional systems or principles of architecture, such as harmony, continuity, and unity. These compositions are understood as the result of compilations of random geometries that are often non-rectilinear, distorted, and displaced. In spite of this, deconstructive architecture is widely accepted and practiced in the last couple of decades. On the other hand, geometrical proportions have long been considered as a self-guided method of aesthetically proven designs. This paper examines the hypothesis that the golden rectangle as a proportional system is manifested, to a varying degree, in deconstructive architecture. Methodologically, the hypothesis was tested using two inter-related methods. First, Tension Points of three famous examples of deconstructivist architecture were identified using the Delphi method by a panel of experts. Second, a matrix of displaced golden rectangles was used to test the degree of correspondence between the tension points of the case studies and the golden rectangle. It was found that deconstructive architecture is not a type of “free-form” architecture; and that conventional proportional systems and aesthetics laws, such as the golden ratio, are partially manifested in its compositions and forms, thus confirming the hypothesis. This paper argues that since architects are trained to capture proportional systems and design according to certain organizational and proportional principles, this would inevitably be consciously or unconsciously reflected on their designs.

Parametric design has been perceived as a highly sophisticated set of procedures requiring complex specialized softwares, making its introduction as part of undergraduate architectural education difficult. The aim of this study is to explore the possibility of introducing parametric thinking to novice architectural design students, using a purpose-designed non-CAD method. After a detailed lecture, students were asked to use the method to perform a design task based on parametric design principles and inspired by elements from vernacular architecture. Students’ feedback was obtained in regard to three learning domains: Intellectual Skills, Cognitive Strategies, and Affective; and the effects of previous knowledge of CAD and gender were explored. The data was analysed statistically. Results showed that the method has managed to successfully address the three learning domains, with most of the students expressing a strong intention to learn more about Parametricism. Both genders were found to be equally prepared to receive and accept information about parametric design through our method. Students with previous CAD training showed better control over the method, whereas the other group showed better appreciation of the concept. It is concluded that when parametric thinking is seen as a pedagogic intention and not as a design tool, it can be effectively introduced to novice design students, in order to prepare them to meet the demand in practice for graduates who are aware of the recent trends in architectural design and form generation processes, and who are prepared to use the latest digital tools efficiently.

PurposeThe purpose of this article is to explore preference for privacy among people with different demographic and cultural backgrounds. In particular the study aims to investigate the effect of age, gender, previous experience of space and cultural background on people's chosen spatial location for privacy in multi‐bed wards.Design/methodology/approachA group of 79 subjects were asked to complete a questionnaire on privacy and to select preferred and disliked locations on plans of hospital wards. Spatial data were provided by space syntax analysis (VGA). Possible subgroups in the data were investigated by tests of difference and latent class analysis applied to those spatial attributes which appeared to be relevant to people's preferences on locations for privacy.FindingsThe results show that privacy regulation encompasses universal and specific aspects across cultures, age, gender and previous experience of space. Specifically, the results suggest a universal preference for spatial location of privacy across culture, age and gender and a specific significant difference for spatial location of privacy as a result of previous spatial experience. In addition, the VGA integration measure was found to be a highly significant discriminator between preferred and disliked locations for privacy.Research limitations/implicationsThere are two particular limitations requiring further study. First, the study investigated only one facet of privacy, i.e. spatial location. More investigation is required to explore the inter‐relationships between spatial location and other facets of privacy, primarily that of intervisibility. Second, only two broader cultures (European and Arabic) were considered.Practical limitationsIdeally it would have been of benefit if a greater number of the people sampled had had direct experience of hospital wards.Originality/valueAt a general level the study supports the notion that there are universal and specific aspects to privacy. At a specific level the research links physical aspects of spatial location (i.e. visibility graph analysis measures) into this discussion.

PurposeThe purpose of this article is to explore the relationship between measures of the plan configuration of buildings (in this case multi‐bed wards), and subjective judgements on spatial locations for privacy.Design/methodology/approachMeasures of plan configuration from six generic ward designs have been made using space syntax software (visibility graph analysis and depth map). Subjective judgements have been assessed by means of a questionnaire.FindingsParticipants' chosen locations for privacy have been shown to have a systematic relationship with spatial properties of the ward plans. At a ward level the designs with low integration and high control were chosen. At the bed location lower values of integration and control were selected.Research limitations/implicationsIn this study one facet of privacy (i.e. spatial location) has been investigated. These findings now need to be extended to studies involving environmental simulations, visibility and three‐dimensional awareness of spaces as experienced by hospital users. In addition further analysis will be carried out at an individual design level and the possibility of subgroups of people with different preferences will be explored.Practical implicationsSpace syntax has a complicated theoretical and methodological approach to spatial measures. Many designers or architects may not be prepared to try to understand the implications.Originality/valueAt a general level there is little in the literature on the implications of plan form for the subjective experiences of people in buildings. At a specific level about privacy in wards, no evidence could be found that these systematic findings have been reported before.