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Nature-based tourism is a type of tourism that is primarily concerned with the direct enjoyment of relatively undisturbed natural phenomena. Today, it is among the types of tourism which are characterised by significant growth rates at the global level. It has considerable growth potential and its development can concurrently ensure tourist satisfaction with the nature experience, profit for tourism providers, funds for environmental protection and an improvement in living standards in local communities. Nevertheless, it is also important to be aware of the potential negative implications of nature-based tourism development and to continuously manage all aspects of sustainability. This paper aims to determine the main study aspects of nature-based tourism, the most common methodological approaches and the most important characteristics of its contemporary development. For this purpose, an analysis of recent empirical research on nature-based tourism was conducted, and a total of 41 original scientific papers were included in the analysis. The four study aspects derived from this analysis contribute to determining the general characteristics of nature-based tourism's contemporary development, the prerequisite factors for this development, and the effects it has on a given area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Environmental sustainability is a feature of contemporary universities that play a pivotal role in leading their societies to achieve comprehensive sustainable development regionally and globally through education, learning, scientific research, community service, and environmental development. Hence, the current paper seeks to propose a framework of an environmental sustainability-oriented Egyptian university considering the experiences of Waterloo University (Canada), Griffith University (Australia) and Aswan University (Egypt) and the Egyptian cultural context that enables it to tackle environmental dangers. Accordingly, the paper relies on the Brian Holmes’ Problem Solving Approach employed in comparative educational studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pandemic, with its environmental and socio-economic crises, has highlighted the urgency of structural responses. Overcoming this polycrisis requires the reactivation of a community and identity dimension of places. Cultural institutions can play an important role in this process. This paper proposes a focus on the role of ecomuseums in the creation of resilient communities, able to renew themselves to respond to crises. The ecomuseum movement is strongly committed to the eco-social transition of communities and territories and offers good practices for the management of common goods, methods and tools for the recognition of local identities, joint decision-making, co-planning, the care of living cultural heritage, the integral development of the landscape and the monitoring of impacts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper presents the intermediate results of the design experimentation of a Public Housing development in which the Renewable Energy Community model is an opportunity for energy transition but also for the needs of social inclusion and collaboration, which characterise the complex conditions of contemporary housing. Demonstrating the transcalar and multifunctional effectiveness of RECs incentivises their implementation, especially when a complex demanding framework is confronted with limitedly available resources. Hence, through a systemic approach, simulative methods and impact indicators, the extent of the contribution offered by the REC model was verified not only in terms of decarbonisation and climate neutrality but as an opportunity for eco-social regeneration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the contemporary context of the polycrisis, ways and criteria for sustainable urban transformation are discussed that shift the needle of ecological transition from building to city, towards energy self-sufficiency and social self-determination. Alternative forms of management, containment and production of clean and accessible energy from renewable sources are explored that have feedback in terms of process, design and social innovation. The paper aims to highlight the active and adaptive dimensions of technological design in its ability to support and promote behaviour favouring sustainable environmental transition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to clarify the term CSR. In the aftermath of the events of 2020, the interest in analysing the concept pre- and post-pandemic is crucial. The first mentions of the concept date back to the 19th century. The most important development occurred in the second half of the 20th century. There is no generally accepted definition of CSR. They coincide in the concern for environmental, social and economic areas. And in attending to stakeholders. Companies are pursuing the SDGs and have opted to apply CSR in companies in the wake of the pandemic. Organisations have found their most supportive side in this health crisis situation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Public transportation is a fundamental societal service that directly affects spatial development. In order to ensure a high level of functionality and sustainability of the public transport system, as well as even spatial development, a good planning framework for its development is a necessity. This paper analyses the distribution and functional characteristics of the public transportation system in the northeastern part of the Zagreb Urban Agglomeration: the Sesvete district and the neighbouring municipalities of Gornja Stubica and Marija Bistrica in Krapina-Zagorje County. The goal of this paper has two parts: to analyse the public bus and train transportation systems in the study area, using relevant traffic, demographic, and functional data; and to create a typology of public transport quality of the settlements of the research area. Based on the results of the analysis, potential measures to aid the development of public transport in the study area, as well as their potential impact for the entire area of Zagreb, have been detailed in the discussion section. The results of the analysis indicate that public transport is more available and of better quality in the southern part of the study area and in Sesvete and the smaller settlements surrounding it, but it is less frequent and less available throughout the majority of settlements in Gornja Stubica and Marija Bistrica. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper approaches freight and passengers fleets, affected by naval gigantism, to investigate its energetic and environmental effects. Among the emerging trends, we encounter the increase of the installed power and, more relevantly, of the transport capacity of the ships. The result is a decrease of the specific power, particularly in the last 20 years. In the same period, an increase of the performances of ships in terms of environmental and energetic sustainability is ongoing. A further acceleration in this direction could come from the introduction of less pollutant fuels and renewable energies. It is a pillar for the development of future sustainable fleets, with relevant emerging investigation needs. In this context, the paper proposes a synthetic approach, combining dimensions and environmental performances of ships, tested on container and cruises fleets in operation in selected worldwide most frequented locations. The results could be useful to check effective policies, basing on emerging technologies and implementation of new rules and regulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the common practice and the regulatory requirements related to the urban planning of our cities continues to define environmental quality through compliance with urban planning codes, the inadequacy of this parameter is increasingly evident. For this reason, numerous urban regeneration programs, and above all urban sustainability assessment standards, evaluate the environmental sustainability levels and livability, as if they were a project indicator. The paper describes the most consolidated indicators and proposes the use of the livability indicator of the public space promoted by the Urban Ecology Agency of Barcelona with some modifications that make it more consistent with the Milanese and Italian context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

India is a significant contemporary design laboratory for collective housing models in terms of both the construction of housing that experiments with new building materials and technologies and the design of flexible housing in informal contexts. Starting with a historical review of housing models created by B.V. Doshi and Charles Correa in the mid-1900s, this paper compares recent collective housing projects designed by Anupama Kundoo and Bijoy Jain (Studio Mumbai) in Auroville and Mumbai. The chosen projects explore new prototypes for housing and demonstrate the ability to respond in an original way to the growing challenges linked to environmental and social sustainability, opening up to new typological and technological experimentation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the results of a critical analysis of the 15-Minute City concept, developed through a comparative analysis of three case studies: the ville du quart d’heure in Paris, the Superilla plan in Barcelona and the Piazze Aperte programme in Milan. This comparative analysis is addressed through the lens of the theoretical and design paradigm of civic design/capital web and aims to highlight the limits and potential of these models and inform future research directions to pursue the eco-social transition of urban systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyzes six vertical social housing developments built in Ciudad Juárez over three periods -1950s-1970s, 1980s and 1990s: FOVISSTE Burocrata (1956), FOVISSTE Sur (1975), FOVISSTE Chamizal (1980-1984), INFONAVIT Casas Grandes (1980s), INFONAVIT Eco2000 (1992-1993) and INFONAVIT Solidaridad (1990-1993.) This research conducts a physical-spatial analysis at two different scales: one, the urban-territorial dimension, which refers to the location of land suitable for urban densification within the urban sprawl, and; two, the urban-community dimension, which is associated with housing developments and the percentage of vacant dwellings. Geostatistical data are included to examine the extent to which these vertical developments favor habitability and sustainability both in location and design terms. This paper also offers a series of strategies intended to transform these dense developments into more balanced communities with the capacity to meet local needs. The final section provides conclusions on density criteria in favor of vertical housing and offers elements that may enable future developments to create inhabitable communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper seeks to contribute to the investigation of urban management models considering the sharing economy. Adding an integrative perspective that evaluates the real impact on the territory of regulated and unregulated accommodation in cities in order to guarantee the sustainability of the long-term destinations, the tourist experience and the quality of life of the residents. The data of the hotels and tourist apartments are analyzed together with those of Airbnb. The data of the distribution of holiday dwellings offered by Airbnb were mapped out as new indicators capable of reflecting the real situation that demand and housing supply are experiencing in Madrid and Barcelona. It is understood that thanks to these indicators, tourist destinations are able to direct exchanges between collaborative economy and smart economy toward achieving the purpose of the model: making destinations sustainable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dismissed architectures and urban voids are often considered revitalization chances for the cities. At the same time they are an urban problem, tied to structural crisis and social decay. The research take on the relationship between the safeguard of historical industrial buildings and new needs in terms of eco-compatibility, global cost and energy. Through the results of an application of life cycle design, the paper aims at demonstrating the importance of tools for the analysis supporting strategical evaluations for the sustainable planning of urban renewal through the reclamation of dismissed industrial sites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]