Impact of Street Built Environment on Human Thermal Comfort in Summer

With the continuous intensification of the global greenhouse effect,thermal comfort has become a highly concerned issue in the living environment.The study explores the influencing factors and improvement strategies of urban street thermal comfort.The urban heat island effect,environmental parameters,building layout,and green planting all have a significant impact on the thermal comfort of streets.Improvement strategies include optimizing cultivating pattern of plants,adjusting street layout,and improving paving materials of road.The multi-layer vegetation structure provides green shade,reduces local temperature,and humidifies the surrounding environment.It should adjust the street orientation and aspect ratio to provide sunlight and ventilation,and reduce ambient temperature.Paving materials with low reflectivity and light color and permeable underlying surface should be chosen to reduce heat absorption,increase shading and greenery,and improve thermal comfort.

Searching Ways of Accelerating the Necessary Changes in the Production Process of the Built Environment for a Sustainable Future

This paper has the goal of presenting the main characteristics and challenges of the process of developing and disseminating solutions which aim to minimize the environmental impacts and improve the environmental performance of the CIPC(Construction Industry Productive Chain)in the mid-west region of Brazil.Over the past eight years many applied research projects have shown that the bottleneck slowing or preventing the evolution of CIPC in Brazil is the lack of political will,be it at the municipality,state or federal level and a desintegrated agenda.Exacerbated political interests added to a lack of capacity for integrated and efficient management of available resources and programs implementation curtail the continued and integrated technological development and as consequence it has delayed the effective evolution towards sustainable technological paradigms.With no political will,the steps toward change are slow,inefficient and dispersed,as demonstrated by an analysis of the development,implementation and diffusion of four projects which focus on the sustainability of processes and products of the built environment.

Impact of the Built Environment on the Spatial Heterogeneity of Regional Innovation Productivity:Evidence from the Pearl River Delta,China

With the global economy increasingly dependent on innovation,urban discourse has shifted to consider what kinds of spatial designs may best nurture innovation.We examined the relationship between the built environment and the spatial heterogeneity of regional innovation productivity(RIP)using the example of China's Pearl River Delta(PRD).Based on a spatial database of 522546 patent data from 2017,this study proposed an innovation-based built environment framework with the following five aspects:healthy en-vironment,daily interaction,mixed land use,commuting convenience,and technology atmosphere.Combining negative binomial regression and Geodetector to examine the impact of the built environment on RIP,the results show that the spatial distribution of innovation productivity in the PRD region is extremely uneven.The negative binomial regression results show that the built environment has a significant impact on the spatial differentiation of RIP,and,specifically,that healthy environment,mixed land use,commuting convenience,and technology atmosphere all demonstrate significant positive impacts.Meanwhile,the Geodetector results show that the built environment factor impacts the spatial heterogeneity of RIP to varying degrees,with technology atmosphere demonstrating the greatest impact intensity.We conclude that as regional development discourse shifts focus to the knowledge and innovation economy,the innovation-oriented design and updating of built environments will become extremely important to policymakers.

Developing a Subjective Evaluation Scale for Assessing the Built Environments of China’s Hygienic City Initiative

Objective To develop a preliminary subjective evaluation scale for assessing the built environments of China’s Hygienic City Initiative and to evaluate its reliability and validity.Methods The initial items of the scale were determined based on a review of policy documents and consultations with experts. The final items of the scale were confirmed through individual interviews with residents combined with the discretetrend method, critical ratio method, correlation coefficient method, and factor analysis method. Then, the dimensions of the scale were determined using exploratory factor analysis(EFA). The Cronbach’s α coefficient, split-half reliability coefficient, and confirmatory factor analysis(CFA) were used to assess the reliability and validity of the scale.Results A scale containing five dimensions with 22 items was established, including urban lifestyle,governance, basic functions, environmental sanitation, and amenities. The Cronbach’s α coefficient of the scale was 0.876, and the split-half reliability coefficient was 0.796. The CFA results indicate that each inspection level was within the standard limit.Conclusion The preliminarily subjective evaluation scale for assessing the built environments of China’s Hygienic City Initiative demonstrates a high level of reliability and validity. Additional empirical studies should be carried out to further verify the value of the scale in terms of practical application.

Elaborating Spatiotemporal Associations Between the Built Environment and Urban Vibrancy:A Case of Guangzhou City,China

This study applies multi-source datasets(i.e.,Baidu Heat Map data,points of interest(POIs)data,and floor area and land use data)and geographically and temporally weighted regression(GTWR)models to elaborate the spatiotemporal relationships between the built environment and urban vibrancy on both weekdays and weekends,using Guangzhou City as a case.First,we verified the spatially and temporally nonstationary nature of the built environment correlates,which have been largely ignored in previous studies based on local regression techniques.The spatially and temporally heterogeneous effects of the built environment on urban vibrancy are then presented and visualized,based on the GTWR results.We found that the elasticity of location(i.e.,distance),land use mix(i.e.,diversity),building intensity and numbers of POIs with various functions(i.e.,density)are different across time(2-h intervals within a day)and space(grids),due to people’s everyday lifestyle,time-space constraints,and geographical context(e.g.,spatial structure).The findings highlight the importance of a better understanding of the local geography on the spatiotemporal relationships for urban planners and local governments so as to put forward decision-making support for fostering and maintaining urban vibrancy.

Influence of Built Environment in Hygienic City in China on Self-rated Health of Residents

Objective To assess the subjective perception of residents on the built environment in hygienic cities and its relation to the self-rated health(SRH)status of residents,providing a basis for a better promotion on construction of health-supportive environments.Methods The online survey was adopted with the respondents recruited from residents living in Chaoyang District of Beijing in January 2021.With SRH level as the dependent variable,two-category logistic regression analysis was conducted to analyze the impact of the built environment in hygienic cities on the SRH status of residents.Results A total of 1,357 respondents were enrolled in this study.After controlling confounding factors,four aspects in the built environment in hygienic cities were detected remarkable influences on the SRH level of residents,including enough green space in the living area[odds ratio(OR)=1.395,95%confidence interval(95%CI):1.055–1.845],clean and hygienic living environment(OR=1.472,95%CI:1.107–1.956),residents’confidence in drinking water safety in the living area(OR=1.856,95%CI:1.354–2.544)and residents’confidence in food safety in the living area(OR=1.405,95%CI:1.027–1.921).Conclusion Regarding city construction,the government should focus more on the subjective perception of residents on built environments to build a supportive environment benefiting the health of residents.

A spatial regression modeling framework for examining relationships between the built environment and pedestrian crash occurrences at macroscopic level:A study in a developing country context

Researchers have been trying to identify the contributory factors behind pedestrian crash occurrences through studies at both microscopic and macroscopic levels.However,built environment-related factors have primarily been examined in developed countries,resulting in a limited understanding of the phenomenon in the context of developing countries.Methodologically,these studies mostly used global regression models,which failed to incorporate spatial autocorrelation and spatial heterogeneity.Additionally,some of these studies applied spatial regression models randomly without following a comprehensive logical framework behind their selections.Our study aimed to develop a comprehensive spatial regression modeling framework to examine the relationships between pedestrian crash occurrences and the built environment at the macroscopic level in a megacity,Dhaka,the capital of a developing country:Bangladesh.Using secondary pedestrian crash data,the study applied one global non-spatial model,two global spatial regression models,and two local spatial regression models following a comprehensive spatial regression modeling framework.The factors which significantly contributed to pedestrian crash occurrences in Dhaka were employed person density,mixed and recreational land use density,primary road density,major intersection density,and share of non-motorized modes.Except for the last factor,all the other ones were positively related to pedestrian crash density.Among the five models used in this study,the multiscale geographically weighted regression(MGWR)performed the best as it calibrated each local relationship with a distant spatial scale parameter.The findings and recommendations presented in this study would be useful for reducing pedestrian crashes and choosing the appropriate modeling technique for crash analysis.

Students’Feedback on Integrating Engineering Practice Cases into Lecture Task in Course of Built Environment

The improvement of students’abilities is of great significance to discover the relevant scientific problems in daily life,to analyze and solve practical problems,to trigger scientific inspiration,and to encourage innovation and entrepreneurship.Taken the course entitled Built Environment(BE)as an example,this study introduces five lecture cases combining with engineering practices,and examines the evaluation of teaching and learning effect on student outcomes.The cases consider various problems to be solved urgently in an actual project,and evaluate the student outcomes by statistically analyzing the questionnaires.Most of the students actively participate in five cases and cheerfully share their achievements.More than 85%of students are satisfied with the engineering practice and the learning proposal,and convey a little or even significantly change in their understanding of the employment prospects.

From Transitions to Transformation: A Brief Review of the Potential Impacts of COVID-19 on Boosting Digitization, Digitalization, and Systems Thinking in the Built Environment

In a short time, during the early phases of the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak, we managed to shift rapidly to use digital technologies and replace some of our daily operations with virtual modes. This shift happened so instantly and widely that it enables us to argue that the COVID-19 became a valid reason to boost some of the gradual and ongoing transitions towards faster transformations. In this study, we use gray literature to delve into arguments around the boost for digitization, digitalization, and systems thinking in the development of the built environment. This is mostly discussed from the influence of COVID-19 on some of the existing practices or the business-as-usual of the built environment sector. From technological advancement to technology use, these arguments are put forward to discuss what is likely to be the major driver of technological adoption and the shifting paradigms that are yet to be revealed. The study concludes that the current push towards new directions and development pathways are likely to be widely accepted in a shorter time. The findings of this brief study feed into existing arguments on transformative pathways due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Understanding the Traditional Saudi Built Environment: The Phenomenon of Dynamic Core Concept and Forms

This study examines the traditional Saudi built environment and culture to uncover its rich architecture and to propose a new way of thinking about how to comprehend and value the past while also rebalancing the Kingdom’s future architectural identity. In that sense, the primary objective of this study is to examine the Core Concepts and Forms of traditional architecture, as well as their cultural connotations, in three regions of Saudi Arabia: the central, eastern, and western regions. Non-participant observation, ethnographic, and descriptive approaches were used in the study, which was based on a multi-dimensional comparative observational model. It was determined that the traditional Saudi built environment relied on forty Core Concepts and Forms that were divided into four categories: constant, semi-constant, semi-flexible, and flexible core forms to regulate the production process and maintain its continuity over centuries.

Smart contract applications in the built environment: How prepared are Nigerian construction stakeholders?

Studies have demonstrated that advanced technology,such as smart contract applications,can enhance both pre-and post-contract administration within the built environment sector.Smart contract technology,exemplifying blockchain technologies,has the potential to improve transparency,trust,and the security of data transactions within this sector.However,there is a dearth of academic literature concerning smart contract applications within the construction industries of developing countries,with a specific focus on Nigeria.Consequently,this study seeks to explore the relevance of smart contract technology and address the challenges impeding its adoption,offering strategies to mitigate the obstacles faced by smart contract applications.To investigate the stakeholders,this research conducted 14 virtual interview sessions to achieve data saturation.The interviewees encompassed project management practitioners,senior management personnel from construction companies,experts in construction dispute resolution,professionals in construction software,and representatives from government construction agencies.The data obtained from these interviews underwent thorough analysis employing a thematic approach.The study duly recognizes the significance of smart contract applications within the sector.Among the 12 identified barriers,issues such as identity theft and data leakage,communication and synchronization challenges,high computational expenses,lack of driving impetus,excessive electricity consumption,intricate implementation processes,absence of a universally applicable legal framework,and the lack of a localized legal framework were recurrent impediments affecting the adoption of smart contract applications within the sector.The study also delves into comprehensive measures to mitigate these barriers.In conclusion,this study critically evaluates the relevance of smart contract applications within the built environment,with a specific focus on promoting their usage.It may serve as a pioneering effort,especially within the context of Nigeria.

Investigating the impacts of urban built environments on users of multiple services in elderly care facilities

t This paper aims to characterize the varied urban settings community-based elderly care facilities are located,and examine whether characteristics of urban built environments influence the number of older people attending care facilities for multiple services.The dataset incorporates 108 cases of community-based elderly care facilities and usage records from over 17000 users collected in the Chinese city of Nanjing.A network-based approach was employed to comprehensively describe urban built environments surrounding care facilities with a series of metrics on street morphology and land-uses.It was found that urban built environments significantly influenced the number of users attending care facilities.Facilities having more users tended to locate in places with more shops and stores,on major arterial streets of the city,or inside large housing estates in the outer city.Moreover,urban factors performed differently in affecting users of different services as services accepting spontaneous users were more likely to be influenced by street morphology.This study revealed specific urban factors facilitating older people’s usage of care resources.It also generated practical implications regarding the strategies for the planning of spatial locations and service provision to improve the utilization of community-based elderly care.

Virtual and augmented reality technologies for emergency management in the built environments: A state-of-the-art review

With the rapid technological advancements in recent decades,virtual reality(VR)and augmented reality(AR)technologies have been increasingly adopted to address various challenges in emergency management in the built environments.This paper presents a review of state-of-the-art applications in this rapidly evolving area.A total of 84 relevant articles are identified based on searching in the Web of Science Core Collection and snowballing.These papers are then organized based on a taxonomy developed in this study.Next,a range of VR/AR appli-cations presented in these papers that are aimed to enhance various processes associated with pre-emergency preparedness,responses during emergency and post-emergency recovery are reviewed in detail.The existing VR/AR applications are also described from a human-computer interaction perspective.Finally,current research trends,knowledge gaps and directions for future research are discussed.The findings presented in this paper are expected to provide a synthetic and critical review of state-of-the-art VR/AR applications for emergency management in the built environment and facilitate further advancements in both research and practice in this area.

Planning for a Healthy City: The Influence of Built Environment on Elderly's Body Mass Index

The influence of the built environment on human health has attracted increasing attention. Given that the elderly have been an integral part in China, the built environment not only influences their health, but also influences the life and work of their children, thus resulting in social problems. Based on questionnaire obtained data on the elderly people in Chongqing, an ordinal multi-categorical regression model is established to analyze the influence of built environment on the leisure and physical activities(especially walking) that the elderly participated in, and the influence on their Body Mass Index(BMI). The results show that, in addition to age and preference for high-calorie diet, whether there is convenient access to leisure and fitness places from where they live, and the corresponding distance in-between are significantly related to the BMI of the elderly. Particularly, the best distance range is less than 1,000 m, within which leisure and fitness places have significant impact on the BMI of the elderly and the influence shows distance decay. In the last section of this paper, according to the conclusion, proposals are put forward for the optimization of the built environment.

Understanding building-occupant-microbiome interactions toward healthy built environments:A review

Built environments,occupants,and microbiomes constitute a system of ecosystems with extensive interactions that impact one another.Understanding the interactions between these systems is essential to develop strategies for effective management of the built environment and its inhabitants to enhance public health and well-being.Numerous studies have been conducted to characterize the microbiomes of the built environment.This review summarizes current progress in understanding the interactions between attributes of built environments and occupant behaviors that shape the structure and dynamics of indoor microbial communities.In addition,this review also discusses the challenges and future research needs in the field of microbiomes of the built environment that necessitate research beyond the basic characterization of microbiomes in order to gain an understanding of the causal mechanisms between the built environment,occupants,and microbiomes,which will provide a knowledge base for the development of transformative intervention strategies toward healthy built environments.The pressing need to control the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in indoor environments highlights the urgency and significance of understanding the complex interactions between the built environment,occupants,and microbiomes,which is the focus of this review.

Integrating algae building technology in the built environment:A cost and benefit perspective

Energy consumption rates have been rising globally at an escalating pace since the last three decades.The exploration of new renewable and clean sources of energy globally is thus gaining prime importance.In Australia,coal is still the primary source of energy,which,during the process of energy production,generates greenhouse gases,subsequently resulting in environmental degradation.Within this context,the paper compares the economic and environmental benefits of utilizing two renewable energy production sources:algae building technology(ABT)and solar PV panels.A case study site for retrofitting a specified area on the front facade of a multi-storied building at the University of Technology Sydney,City Campus,Australia was thus chosen for the study.A cost and benefit analysis model using the following performance indicators;return on investment,payback period as well as net present value of the two systems,was thus initiated.Annual revenue generation of both systems which included tangible and intangible benefits of both systems were simultaneously calculated.The investment and operation and maintenance costs of both systems were calculated based on market research as well as quantitative data adapted from our literature review.Our conclusions show that closed tubular photobioreactor systems have more benefit than solar panel system from an environmental impact perspective considering Australia’s current struggle with water scarcity,drought,air pollution and carbon emission reduction goals.

A fine-grained evaluation of social vulnerability to COVID-19,healthcare access and built environmental disparities in Tokyo,Japan

Measuring vulnerability to COVID-19 and healthcare accessibility at the fine-grained level serves as the foundation for spatially explicit health planning and policy making in response to future public health crises.However,the evaluation of vulnerability and healthcare accessibility is insufficient in Japan-a nation with high population density and super-aging challenges.Drawing on the 2022 census data,transport network,medical and digital cadastral data,land use maps,and points of interest data,our study extends the concept of vulnerability in the context of COVID-19 and constructs the first fine-grained measure of vulnerability and healthcare accessibility in Tokyo Metropolis,Japan-the most populated metropolitan region in the world.We delineate the vulnerable neighbourhoods with low healthcare access and further evaluate the disparity in healthcare access and built environment of areas at different levels of vulnerability.Our outcome datasets and findings provide nuanced and timely evidence to government and health authorities to have a holistic and latest understanding of social vulnerability to COVID-19 and healthcare access at a fine-grained level.Our analytical framework can be employed in different geographic contexts,guiding through place-based health planning and policy making in the post-COVID era and beyond.

Measuring the built environment of green transit-oriented development:A factorcluster analysis of rail station areas in Singapore

Green transit-oriented development(TOD)is an evolution of the TOD theory,influenced by sustainable development and green urbanism.This advancement expands the environmental and ecological dimensions of conventional TOD.However,relevant research has only just started,particularly in combination with high-density cities in Asia.This study measures the built environment of Green TOD and identifies the key factors and characteristics of the Green TOD built environment.An evaluation method for the Green TOD built environment is developed on the basis of the 5D(density,diversity,design,destination,and distance)built environment framework and combined with green urbanism theories.Data from 23 rail station areas in Singapore were collected and analyzed using factor and cluster analysis.Five factors,namely,neighborhood spatial form factor,facility completeness factor,open space factor,high-density mixed land-use factor,and walking amenity factor,are extracted.Twentythree station areas are classified into five clusters.The characteristics and optimization strategies of each cluster are analyzed on the basis of the statistical and graphical analyses.This research displays the characteristics and typology of the Green TOD built environment in an empirical way and offers a foundation for further research in diverse urban contexts.

Measuring Pedestrian Stress Response (MPSR) Using Wearable Technologies

Walkability is an essential aspect of urban transportation systems. Properly designed walking paths can enhance transportation safety, encourage pedestrian activity, and improve community quality of life. This, in turn, can help achieve sustainable development goals in urban areas. This pilot study uses wearable technology data to present a new method for measuring pedestrian stress in urban environments and the results were presented as an interactive geographic information system map to support risk-informed decision-making. The approach involves analyzing data from wearable devices using heart rate variability (RMSSD and slope analysis) to identify high-stress locations. This data-driven approach can help urban planners and safety experts identify and address pedestrian stressors, ultimately creating safer, more walkable cities. The study addresses a significant challenge in pedestrian safety by providing insights into factors and locations that trigger stress in pedestrians. During the pilot study, high-stress pedestrian experiences were identified due to issues like pedestrian-scooter interaction on pedestrian paths, pedestrian behavior around high foot traffic areas, and poor visibility at pedestrian crossings due to inadequate lighting.

Environmental correlates of sedentary behaviors and physical activity in Chinese preschool children:A cross-sectional study

Objective:This cross-sectional study examined environmental correlates of sedentary behavior(SB) and physical activity(PA) in preschool children in the urban area of Tianjin,China.Methods:Data were collected from the Physical Activity and Health in Tianjin Chinese Children study,involving healthy children 3-6 years old and their families.In all children(n=980),leisure-time SB(LTSB) and leisure-time PA(LTPA) were reported in min/day by parents.In a subgroup(n=134),overall sedentary time,light PA,and moderate-to-vigorous PA(MVP A) were objectively measured using ActiGraph accelerometry(>3 days,>10 h/day).Environmental correlates were collected using a questionnaire that included home and neighborhood characteristics(e.g.,traffic safety,presence of physical activity facilities) and children’s behaviors.Potential correlates were identified using linear regression analysis.Results:Multiple linear regression analysis showed that "having grandparents as primary caregivers"(βs and 95% confidence intervals(95%CIs)for overall sedentary time:29.7(2.1-57.2);LTSB(In):0.19(0.11-0.28)) and "having a television(for LTSB(In):0.13(0.00-0.25)) or computer(for LTSB(ln):0.13(0.03-0.23) in the child’ s bedroom" were both associated with higher SB.Furthermore, "having grandparents as primary caregivers" was associated with less MVPA(β(95%CI):-7.6(-14.1 to-1.2)),and "active commuting to school by walking" correlated with more MVPA(β(95%CI):9.8(2.2-17.4)).The path model showed that "more neighborhood PA facilities close to home" was indirectly related to higher LTPA(In),which was partly mediated by "outdoor play"(path coefficients(95%CI):0.005(0.002-0.008)) and "going to these facilities more often"(path coefficients(95%CI):0.013(0.008-0.01 8)).Traffic safety was not a correlate.Conclusion:Family structure and media exposure in the home maybe important factors in shaping preschoolers’ PA patterns.Built environmental correlates could indirectly influence preschoolers’ LTPA through parental help with engaging in active behaviors.