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A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Sustainable Urban and Rural Development".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (23 June 2024) | Viewed by 17314

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Special Issue Editor

Dr. Stanislav Shmelev

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Guest Editor

Environment Europe Foundation, Fluwelen Burgwal 58, the Hague Humanity Hub, 2511CJ, the Hague, The Netherlands
Interests: ecological economics; sustainable cities; ecosystems; evidence-based policy assessment; macroeconomic modeling; environmentally-extended input–output analysis; multi-criteria decision aid; ESG investment; new sustainable business models
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

(1) Cities and regions are emerging the subject of much contemporary research aiming to find leverage points to address the pressing sustainability crisis. Issues of climate change, biodiversity loss, the waste crisis, circular economy, and business sustainability are increasingly addressed through the prism of cities and regions. These complex systems are subject to multiple external and internal impacts, including, but not limited to, technological change, policy interventions, creativity, social entrepreneurship, ESG investment, conservation efforts, and civil society work. This Special Issue is devoted to examining how cities and regions around the world are responding to the sustainability challenge, new frameworks and models, case studies, success stories and groundbreaking research.

(2) The Aim of the Special Issue will be to reflect on the state of the art in how cities and regions are addressing top sustainability challenges: climatic change, biodiversity loss, the waste crisis, creating sustainable business, and building a circular economy. Groundbreaking studies using quantitative and qualitative tools, especially those focusing on the application of smart solutions, comparative research, as well as contributions from the developing world are particularly welcome.

(3) Suggest themes.

In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome. Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following:

- Sustainability assessment of cities and regions;
- Ecosystem contribution to human wellbeing in cities and regions;
- ESG investment in cities and regions;
- Circular economy in cities and regions;
- Sustainability policy assessment in cities and regions;
- Air pollution in cities and regions;
- Health and the environment in cities and regions;
- Sustainable transport systems in cities and regions;
- Smart solutions for sustainability in cities and regions.

I look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Stanislav Shmelev
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

smart cities
sustainable cities
sustainable urban
cities and regions

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Published Papers (9 papers)

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Research

28 pages, 6900 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A DPSIR-Driven Agent-Based Model for Residential Choices and Mobility in an Urban Setting

by Flann Chambers, Giovanna Di Marzo Serugendo and Christophe Cruz

Sustainability 2024, 16(18), 8181; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16188181 - 19 Sep 2024

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 877

Abstract

Sustainability in cities, and its accurate and exhaustive assessment, represent a major keystone of environmental sciences and policy making in urban planning. This study aims to provide methods for a reproducible, descriptive, predictive and prescriptive analysis of urban residential choices and mobility, which are key components of an urban system’s sustainability. Using the DPSIR framework for building agent evolution rules, we design an agent-based model of the canton of Geneva, Switzerland. The model leverages real geographical data for the canton of Geneva and its public transportation network. The resulting simulations show the dynamics of the relocation choices of commuters, in terms of the function of their travel time by public transportation to their workplace. Results show that areas around the city centre are generally preferred, but high rent prices and housing availability may prevent most residents from relocating to these areas. Other preferred housing locations are distributed around major tram and train lines and where rent prices are generally lower. The model and its associated tools are capable of spatialising aggregated statistical datasets, inferring spatial correlations, and providing qualitative and quantitative analysis of relocation dynamics. Such achievements are made possible thanks to the efficient visualisation of our results. The agent-based modelling methodology represents an adequate solution for understanding complex phenomena related to sustainability in urban systems, which can be used as guidance for policy making. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Smart and Sustainable Cities and Regions)

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26 pages, 4794 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Barriers to the Use of Cross-Laminated Timber for Mid-Rise Residential Buildings in the UAE

by Sabika Nasrim Pilathottathil and Abdul Rauf

Sustainability 2024, 16(16), 6837; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16166837 - 9 Aug 2024

Viewed by 1258

Abstract

Buildings account for approximately 40% of global energy consumption annually, with substantial energy use occurring during both the construction and operation phases. The energy required for the production of construction materials contributes significantly to the overall energy intensity of the building sector. This underscores the critical need for materials with low embodied energy to mitigate the environmental impact associated with building construction and operation. Cross-laminated timber, massive timber product with excellent load-bearing capabilities, is becoming popular in mid-rise buildings worldwide. CLT’s environmental, economic, and social benefits surpass traditional materials, and its use is widespread in Europe, America, Canada, and Australia. However, no mid-rise CLT buildings have been constructed in the UAE yet. This study aims to investigate and identify the barriers to adopting CLT as a building material and construction system for mid-rise buildings in the UAE. A qualitative approach is used to study stakeholders’ behavior towards CLT construction. A comprehensive questionnaire survey and conversational interviews are conducted, with the responses analyzed to identify patterns and themes. The results identify the existing barriers within the construction industry impeding the adoption of cross-laminated timber (CLT). Additionally, the study discusses strategies necessary to facilitate the widespread adoption of CLT. These findings will inform future research aimed at addressing the obstacles to constructing mid-rise buildings using CLT in the UAE. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Smart and Sustainable Cities and Regions)

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22 pages, 57835 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Green Spaces in Urban Environments: Network Planning of Plant Species Composition

by Sergey Mityagin, Nikita Kopyt, Irina A. Shmeleva, Sofia Malysheva, Ekaterina Malysheva, Aleksandr Antonov, Aleksey Sokol, Nikita Zakharenko, Tatiana Churiakova, Semen A. Budennyy and Alexander V. Boukhanovsky

Sustainability 2023, 15(20), 14905; https://doi.org/10.3390/su152014905 - 16 Oct 2023

Viewed by 1668

Abstract

The article deals with the problem of automation and decision-making support in forming sustainable assortments of plant species for landscaped areas of cities, taking into account environmental factors, conditions of growing, properties of plant species, and landscaping practices adopted in the region. The automation of plant species and composition planning for planted territories requires formation of a knowledge base and output algorithms, as well as consideration of specific landscaping practices and techniques adopted in the region. It also requires the application of new modeling methods in combination with methods of spatial analysis, which together with the database of available regional plant species forms a recommendation system and provides decision support in the tasks of landscaping for city planners. The feature of the proposed method based on network analysis is the combination and composition of plant species, as well as the properties of invasive species, which require the use of graph models to form a knowledge base. The proposed method can be useful for forming sustainable assortments of plant species for landscaping squares, boulevards, small courtyards in the city, technical areas and other cases that do not involve the creation of individual complex landscape design. As part of the testing of the proposed method, the authors have formed a unique information base of species. The use of such a database, together with the method of selecting the species composition based on their resistances and interspecies compatibility will ensure the expansion of the diversity of species in the created ecosystem, which will make green areas more resistant to external anthropogenic factors and diseases, as well as preventing the spread of species invasive to the region. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Smart and Sustainable Cities and Regions)

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28 pages, 4582 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Interdisciplinary Linkages among Sustainability Dimensions in the Context of European Cities and Regions Research

by Stanislav E. Shmelev, Nathan Lefievre, Nadim Saadi and Irina A. Shmeleva

Sustainability 2023, 15(20), 14738; https://doi.org/10.3390/su152014738 - 11 Oct 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 958

Abstract

Many dimensions of urban sustainability are intricately intertwined; however, systematic assessment of those linkages is often missing. To explore the details of these interdisciplinary linkages, we employ an in-depth literature review technique coupled with a multidimensional assessment of sustainability for 1300+ cities and regions in Europe. The wealth of indicators affecting economic, smart, social and environmental dimensions are linked within a coherent framework illustrating systemic links in urban sustainability. The performance of cities is illustrated using the multidimensional framework highlighting the contributions of various factors. The spectacular performance of Stockholm, Paris, London, Gothenburg, Malmö, Munich and Hamburg are illustrated with examples. Policy recommendations are offered to make cities and regions around the world more sustainable. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Smart and Sustainable Cities and Regions)

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20 pages, 1259 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Exploring Citizens’ Adoption of Sustainable Innovations Implemented by Cities and Municipalities in Germany

by Cindy Schaefer, Aida Stelter, Marie Godefroid and Björn Niehaves

Sustainability 2023, 15(19), 14203; https://doi.org/10.3390/su151914203 - 26 Sep 2023

Viewed by 2778

Abstract

Sustainable innovations, such as sustainable products or services, are becoming increasingly relevant for society and thrive on societies’ knowledge and usage. But this is where many cities/municipalities are experiencing disharmony: citizens often do not know that these sustainable innovations exist and, therefore, do not use them. Our study starts at this point: To address this disharmony in Germany, the government has established the German Sustainability Award, which honors cities/municipalities with outstanding sustainable innovations. We qualitatively surveyed the citizens and administrations of these cities about their knowledge and use in their city/municipality (using eight categories) under the theoretical lens of Rogers’ (1960/2003) Diffusion of Innovation Theory (DOI). In 29 interviews in six cities/municipalities, we were able to match sustainable innovations based on DOI. In particular, we determined that few sustainable innovations were only found in specific categories (such as economy (EC)), while others existed in all (such as climate and environment (CE) or education (ED)), and, e.g., city/municipality’s size did not matter at all. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Smart and Sustainable Cities and Regions)

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25 pages, 4156 KiB

Open AccessArticle

SSUIT Smart Sustainable Urban Infrastructure Transitioning

by Heinrich Jacques Geldenhuys, Alan Colin Brent and Imke Hanlu De Kock

Sustainability 2023, 15(18), 13729; https://doi.org/10.3390/su151813729 - 14 Sep 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1413

Abstract

Transformation towards smart sustainable cities requires transitioning and modernising urban infrastructure systems. This study builds upon previous work and recommendations to address the need for a holistic and comprehensive framework to guide the planning, development, and management of smart sustainable infrastructure transitions. Existing approaches and methods regarding city and infrastructure transitioning were reviewed to draw up an understanding of, the requirements for, and guidelines useful to the design of a conceptual framework. The framework was established through synthesis of the knowledge and insight gathered from the literature. A collective case study analysis was used to verify the theoretical framework and make adaptations to successfully address any shortcomings. The framework was then also subjected to a validation process testing the appropriateness of the framework’s design using a Delphi technique and industry experts. After adapting the framework based on the feedback from experts, all of them were certain the framework would hold up in practice. The framework is intended as a generic guideline useful to municipal managers, city planners, and project portfolio managers appointed to plan, direct, and manage the transition of an existing city towards a smart sustainable city. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Smart and Sustainable Cities and Regions)

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19 pages, 1715 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Initial Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Regional Economies in Indonesia: Structural Changes and Regional Income Inequality

by Takahiro Akita and Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana

Sustainability 2023, 15(18), 13709; https://doi.org/10.3390/su151813709 - 14 Sep 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1433

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has exerted an enormous impact on the Indonesian economy. In 2020, the country’s economy contracted by 2.7%. However, the impact has been spatially heterogeneous. Based on provincial GDP across industrial sectors, this study examines how structural changes caused by the pandemic have affected the determinants of inter-provincial inequality in Indonesia by conducting a bi-dimensional inequality decomposition analysis. According to the bi-dimensional decomposition analysis, after the outbreak of COVID-19, the tourism sector reduced its contribution to inter-provincial inequality. On the other hand, the IC and financial services sectors were not affected by the pandemic and raised their contributions. When Indonesia recovers from the pandemic, it is likely that the tourism sector will regain its position as an important determinant of inter-provincial inequality. However, the most important sectors in determining inter-provincial inequality will be the IC, financial, and business services sectors, particularly in the Java–Bali region. With the rapid advancement of IC, financial, and e-business technologies, the roles of these high-inequality sectors are likely to increase unless policies that could facilitate spatial dispersion of these services and activities are implemented. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Smart and Sustainable Cities and Regions)

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21 pages, 8167 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Community-Oriented Accessibility Index of Public Health Service Facilities: A Case Study of Wuchang District, Wuhan, China

by Hong Xu, Jin Zhao and Xincan Yu

Sustainability 2023, 15(14), 10870; https://doi.org/10.3390/su151410870 - 11 Jul 2023

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1926

Abstract

Public health service facilities are the fundamental component of urban medical and health services, and they are critical for realizing urban residents’ enjoyment of equitable and convenient medical services in sustainable smart cities. Spatial accessibility is an important indicator for evaluating the rationality of the layout of medical facilities from the perspective of sustainability. This study introduces a community-oriented accessibility (CA) index of public health service facilities, which considers a weighted average time model and the 15 min living circle standard for constraint, and even the service capacity of medical facilities. This study uses the proposed index to investigate the spatial accessibility of public health service facilities in the study area of Wuchang, Wuhan, China. Compared with the E2SFCA model, the proposed CA model joins the construction concept of an urban living circle, which is consistent with the domestic urban construction goals. The main findings include the following: (1) The community-oriented accessibility index of public health service facilities in the study area showed a gradual decline in the middle to sides under the walking mode and a high index in the north and low index in the south under the vehicle travel mode. (2) The calculated CA accessibility results are quite different between the walking and vehicular modes, and they are mainly affected by the allocation of the number of facilities and the distribution of the population. (3) Compared to the previous method, the calculated CA index results are more reflective of the actual situation and could be useful in guiding the spatial layout of the facilities more finely. This research explores the sustainable utilization of land resources in the planning of medical facilities and promotes the healthy and sustainable development of cities. In future studies, the population’s actual traffic conditions, weather, and holidays will be considered to further research on the accessibility of different groups and the specific impact of these factors on accessibility so as to promote people-friendly accessibility for sustainable smart cities. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Smart and Sustainable Cities and Regions)

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32 pages, 19617 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Multidimensional Ecosystem Mapping: Towards a More Comprehensive Spatial Assessment of Nature’s Contributions to People in France

by Stanislav E. Shmelev, Linus Agbleze and Joachim H. Spangenberg

Sustainability 2023, 15(9), 7557; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15097557 - 4 May 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 3390

Abstract

Ecosystems are experiencing significant pressure from human activities, with 1 million species at risk of extinction. This is threatening to undermine the resilience of ecosystems, which provide multiple benefits to support human existence and are essential for the support of life on Earth. A number of conceptual frameworks have been developed as a guide for the assessment of ecosystem services (ESs) and nature’s contributions to people (NCPs), including Millennium Ecosystems Assessment, The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity report, France’s National Ecosystems Assessment, the Common International Classification of Ecosystem Services, and the Global Assessment of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services. In this paper, we compare the existing conceptual frameworks for the assessment of ESs and NCPs and derive a unified structural framework. Several indicators for characterizing the ESs/NCPs provided are selected and integrated through normalization. On this basis, and enriched by a number of culture-specific indicators, we conduct a mapping exercise illustrating the ES/NCP provision for the whole of France in a spatially explicit form based on a 1 × 1 km scale. Finally, we generate integrated maps depicting distribution patterns of different services and contributions across the landscapes of France focusing on economic, social and ecological dimensions. The results indicate that a non-monetary assessment of the complexity and diversity of NCPs is feasible and presents tangible advantages as compared to monetary frameworks. The paper concludes that provisioning, regulating and cultural services and contributions are geographically unevenly distributed and further analysis is required to assess the degree of complementarity, feedback loops and tipping points among different services. Our pilot research clearly illustrated the feasibility of conducting a highly disaggregated multidimensional assessment of ESs/NCPs at the national scale to inform decision making. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Smart and Sustainable Cities and Regions)

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