Like the hard surfaces of streets and sidewalks in an urban environment, the vertical and horizontal surface area on the outside of urban buildings contributes to the constant heating of large cities around the world....Like the hard surfaces of streets and sidewalks in an urban environment, the vertical and horizontal surface area on the outside of urban buildings contributes to the constant heating of large cities around the world. However, little is done to design this surface to benefit the public sphere. Instead, the facade of a building performs either as a component that focuses only on the quality of comfort for interior occupants, while ignoring effects on the exterior of the building, or as an identifiable aesthetic for the building＇s owners, This essay proposes the rethinking of the building facade as a steward of outdoor pedestrian welfare, and the conception of public health as an added function of the building envelope- a concept that may fall into the jurisdiction of public works. If the huge total surface area of a city＇s buildings is thought of as part of the city＇s infrastructure, then its public contribution may not only make outdoor areas comfortable, clean, and enjoyable, but also help to alleviate the bigger problem of rising temperatures in cities.展开更多
Increasing the use of social sustainability in the decision-making process for build-ing and infrastructure projects requires that it be defined such that it can be evaluated objectively.One potential indicator of soc...Increasing the use of social sustainability in the decision-making process for build-ing and infrastructure projects requires that it be defined such that it can be evaluated objectively.One potential indicator of social sustainability in infrastruc-ture projects is public opinion,which can provide a means to evaluate the level of social sustainability on a project based on personal values.Public opinion includes both support and opposition for a project.In this study,the causes or triggers for public opposition to a construction project are identified and then compared to principles of social sustainability to determine if they are related.Eight case study projects were used to identify common triggers of public opposition.The results suggest that common triggers of public opposition are related to land acquisition,escalating construction costs and the presence of endangered species on the project site.Eight of the twelve principles of social sustainability that were identified were determined to be related to public opposition.The results of this study suggest that public opposition could be used as a measure for some elements of social sus-tainability but that further research into other measures for social sustainability is necessary.展开更多
文摘Like the hard surfaces of streets and sidewalks in an urban environment, the vertical and horizontal surface area on the outside of urban buildings contributes to the constant heating of large cities around the world. However, little is done to design this surface to benefit the public sphere. Instead, the facade of a building performs either as a component that focuses only on the quality of comfort for interior occupants, while ignoring effects on the exterior of the building, or as an identifiable aesthetic for the building＇s owners, This essay proposes the rethinking of the building facade as a steward of outdoor pedestrian welfare, and the conception of public health as an added function of the building envelope- a concept that may fall into the jurisdiction of public works. If the huge total surface area of a city＇s buildings is thought of as part of the city＇s infrastructure, then its public contribution may not only make outdoor areas comfortable, clean, and enjoyable, but also help to alleviate the bigger problem of rising temperatures in cities.
文摘Increasing the use of social sustainability in the decision-making process for build-ing and infrastructure projects requires that it be defined such that it can be evaluated objectively.One potential indicator of social sustainability in infrastruc-ture projects is public opinion,which can provide a means to evaluate the level of social sustainability on a project based on personal values.Public opinion includes both support and opposition for a project.In this study,the causes or triggers for public opposition to a construction project are identified and then compared to principles of social sustainability to determine if they are related.Eight case study projects were used to identify common triggers of public opposition.The results suggest that common triggers of public opposition are related to land acquisition,escalating construction costs and the presence of endangered species on the project site.Eight of the twelve principles of social sustainability that were identified were determined to be related to public opposition.The results of this study suggest that public opposition could be used as a measure for some elements of social sus-tainability but that further research into other measures for social sustainability is necessary.
