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This paper introduces a transformative "living" hypothesis in architecture and engineering, proposing a paradigm shift from conventional design to regenerative, ecologically interconnected resilient systems. At the heart of our hypothesis is the integration of earth-bound materials and bioreceptive surfaces through metabolic exchanges that can be directly monitored via bioelectricity using advanced computational models and cooperative governance structures. This innovative approach that links the living world with natural materials and digital computing, aims to foster sustainable urban development that dynamically and meaningfully responds to ecological shifts, thereby enhancing social sustainability and environmental resilience. Founded on an active relationship with Earth Based Materials (EBMs) our work operationalises the foundational link between organic life and inorganic matter, e.g., minerals, to establish a dynamic relationship between building materials, and ecological systems drawing on the foundational metabolisms of microbes. To enable this ambitious synthesis, our work builds upon and diverges from traditional foundations by operationalizing actor-network theory, new materialism, and regenerative design principles through the application of bioelectrical microbes to "living" materials and digital twins. We propose a novel resilience framework that not only advocates for a symbiotic relationship between human habitats and natural ecosystems but also outlines practical pathways for the creation of adaptive, self-organizing built environments that are informed by data collection and metabolic feedback loops. These environments are fundamentally regenerative, dynamic, and environmentally responsive in ways that can be understood and engaged by human engineers and designers, transcending current sustainability and resilience targets through a methodology rooted in interdisciplinary collaboration. We address challenges such as regulatory barriers, lack of standardization, and perceptions of inferiority compared to conventional materials, proposing a new standardization framework adaptable to the unique properties of these materials. Our vision is supported by advanced predictive digital modelling techniques and sensors, including the integration of biofilms that generate action potentials, enabling the development of Digital Twins that respond to metabolic signals to enhance sustainability, biodiversity, and ultimately generate environmentally positive socio-economic outcomes. This paper reviews existing methodologies to establish an overview of state-of-the-art developments and offers a clear, actionable plan and recommendations for the realization of regenerative and resilient systems in urban development. It contributes a unique perspective on sustainable urban development, emphasizing the need for a holistic approach, which integrates the foundational metabolism of microbes, assisted by big biological data and artificial intelligences that act in concert to respect both the environment and the intricate dynamics of living systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

How can we assess the ergonomic comfort of a sizeable spatial configuration such as the indoor space of a complex building or an urban landscape when we design, plan, and manage the space? Is there a fundamental difference between indoor [architectural] spatial configurations and outdoor [urban] spatial configurations with respect to ergonomics? Can we have a unified approach to the computational study of spatial ergonomics? This paper addresses these fundamental questions while providing a brief taxonomic review of the scholarly literature on these matters from a mathematical point of view, including a brief introduction to the modelling-based approaches to the computational ways of studying the fundamental effects of spatial configuration on human behaviours. Furthermore, the paper proposes a computational approach for ergonomic assessment of spatial configurations that explicitly allows for combined accessibility and visibility analyses in the built environment. The gist of this approach is the conceptualisation of spatial configurations as rasterised (voxelated) 2D manifold walkable terrains whose voxels have 3D vistas, unifying the simulations and analyses of accessibility and visibility. The paper elaborates on how such a representation of space can provide for conducting various sorts of computational queries, analyses, and simulation experiments for research in spatial ergonomics. The paper concludes with a mapping of the computational modelling approaches pertinent to the study and assessment of spatial ergonomics; and marks avenues of future research on various categories of exploratory, generative, and associative models for ex-ante and ex-post assessment of ergonomic matters at spatial scales. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article is an editorial that focuses on emerging researchers in the field of civil and structural engineering. It explores three key themes: vibration-based health monitoring and automation technology, novel techniques and model updating, and structural health assessment and material waste mitigation. The articles within each theme highlight the advancements and innovations in these areas, emphasizing the importance of technological integration, interdisciplinary collaboration, and sustainable practices in shaping the future of the built environment. The editorial concludes by emphasizing the need for continued research, innovation, and practical application in civil and structural engineering to create a resilient, sustainable, and technologically advanced built world. [Extracted from the article]

Public sentiment can effectively evaluate the public's feelings of well-being in the urban environment and reflect the quality of the spatial environment to a certain extent. Previous studies on the relationship between public sentiment and urban built environmental factors have yielded meaningful results. However, few studies have focused on the effect of micro-built environment on public sentiment at the street level, which directly shapes people's perceptions. In addition, the nonlinear relationship and synergistic effect among urban built environmental factors have been commonly disregarded in previous studies, resulting in an incomplete understanding of the impact of urban built environment on public emotions. Therefore, this paper takes San Francisco as a study case to explore the complex relationship between urban built environmental factors and public emotions. Specifically, this paper measures the polarity of public emotions through sentiment analysis on Twitter data, establishes a comprehensive built environment index system from both macro- and micro- perspectives, and subsequently explores the complex relationship between the urban built environment and public sentiment through the OLS model and Shapley Additive Explanation algorithm. Results show that: (1) micro-built environmental factors have a significant influence on public emotion, although they have been frequently ignored. (2) Public sentiment tends to be more positive in areas with recreation facilities, mixed land use, rich street view visual environment, suitable thermal and acoustic environment, balanced income, and a suitable degree of high population density. (3) A nonlinear relationship and threshold effect exist between the built environmental variables and the semantic orientations of public emotion. Environment improvement strategies based on the synergic effect between variables can effectively promote the generation of positive emotions. Our empirical findings can offer valuable insights to promote feelings of well-being and foster an urban development approach through strategic interventions within the urban built environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: This paper systematically reviews how spatial analysis has been used to measure relationships between access to the built environment and Allostatic Load (AL) or biomarkers relevant to the stress pathway. Geographic Information Systems (GIS) facilitate objective measurement of built environment access that may explain unequal health outcomes linked to living in stressful environments. Methods: Systematic review, search date 13 July 2022 with methods published a priori. Included studies that quantitatively assessed associations between GIS measures of neighborhood attributes and biomarkers of stress. Results: 23 studies from 14 countries were included having used GIS measures to assess relationships between access to the built environment and biomarkers relevant to AL, with 17 being cross-sectional and 6 longitudinal. Just 2 studies explicitly assessed associations between GIS measures and AL, but 21 explored biomarkers relevant to the stress pathway. GIS was used to calculate density (how much of x within y) and proximity (how far from a to b) measures. Conclusion: GIS measures of greenspace, the food environment, area-level demographics, and land-use measures were found to influence biomarkers relevant to the stress pathway, highlighting the utility of this approach. GIS use is extremely limited when measuring the built environment and its influence on AL but has been widely used to consider effects on individual biomarkers of stress. Systematic Review Registration: [https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?RecordID=348355], identifier [CRD42022348355]. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It of great importance in assessing built thermal environment level and evaluating corresponding indoor air conditioning demand for energy conservation in construction sectors. Nevertheless, because of the unique meteorological features in plateau area, classical building performance simulation approach contributes to thermal performance evaluation errors since most design codes or standards relies on low attitude regions. In this paper, a modified and improved dynamic thermal design model is put forward for built environment and energy consumption estimation for passive buildings for plateau buildings. Moreover, the simplified experiment is set up to monitor dynamic thermal responses for modelling building. The testing validation illustrate that the onsite measurement accuracy level is quite acceptable for engineering applications with less than 30% relative change range coefficient. Besides, the experiment data demonstrates that window-to-wall ratios, architectural orientation, thermal insulation coefficients, have substantial impacts for solar heat gains in plateau buildings. The study renders building design guidance for energy conservation in high altitude plateau areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on advancing methods for evaluating, managing, and implementing technologies aimed at creating sustainable cities. Topics include the use of econometric models to assess sustainability, strategies for integrating global costs and benefits into urban governance decisions, and the effects of land use changes on urban resilience and health.

This article, published in Frontiers in Energy Research, focuses on the topic of energy-efficient and energy-flexible buildings towards net-zero carbon emissions. It presents five research papers that explore innovative strategies and technologies for advancing energy efficiency and flexibility in buildings. The papers cover a range of topics, including predictive models for carbon emissions in the Chinese construction sector, multi-objective energy-saving optimization methods for residential buildings, climate mitigation options post-Paris Agreement, the impact of rural logistics on consumption in China, and the potential of digital twin technology in the built environment. The article emphasizes the importance of technological innovation, interdisciplinary research, and policy integration in achieving sustainable built environments. [Extracted from the article]

The built environment faces significant challenges in managing energy demands amidst rising temperatures and increasing concerns linked to climate change. Meeting carbon emissions targets and resource management goals necessitates urgent innovation in more energy-efficient cooling solutions. Nature offers a large database of adaptive and efficient thermal solutions that can be harnessed through biomimetic methods in building design and systems. Emerging biomimetic and computational approaches hold promise in facilitating practical application efforts. This paper investigates the translation of morphological features from elephant skin to building facades, optimizing their inherent cooling capabilities through computational design using evolutionary algorithms. Through this exploration, we propose a set of generalized evolutionary principles, offering a foundational framework for the development of textured facade tiles with the aim of mitigating heat gain from solar radiation. This study provides an in-depth analysis of how assembly, texture depth, and orientation impact thermal performance, enabling the design of more effective passive cooling systems through an understanding of the relationship between morphological variations in textured surfaces and environmental performance. Future research may involve studying natural convection dynamics, optimizing capillary networks, evaluating materials for water adhesion and cleaning, assessing impacts on biological growth, and exploring biodiversity integration within textured facade panels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: In performance-based approaches and quality assessment protocols used both in the technological design of architecture and the environmental design of the built habitat, the concept of psycho-physical wellbeing is usually defined in purely quantitative human-techno-centric or eco-techno-centric terms. However, in socio-technical-environmental realities in continuous transition, wellbeing extends to areas that cannot be confined within the notions of comfort or healthiness because it involves material and immaterial, cultural and technical, aesthetic and performative, real and virtual aspects. Method: The aim of this article emerges from studies being conducted as part of Ex-Mind research. The working hypothesis is to broaden performance-based approaches in a technological-environmental sense to avoid reducing the goal of psycho-physical wellbeing just to the compliance with technical-constructive aspects. It could be possible combining the material and quantifiable dimensions with other aspects that extend the project to sensorial, perceptive, and emotional interactions. Important theoretical-scientific evidence is already emerging on this dichotomy to be overcome from areas of project evaluation responsive to the new paradigms of sustainability such as resilience, inclusive placemaking, and wellbeing according to the flourish model. Characteristics such as dimensions, proportions, shapes, colors, scents and immaterial aspects of spaces, for example, should be evaluated with respect to the complex physical and mental comfort conditions that they can produce. Results: In the technological-environmental vision of the human habitat project, the objective of psycho-physical wellbeing should be a function of the dynamic balance between the constantly evolving users'/inhabitants' needs and the variability of context factors and agents. The concept of wellbeing therefore takes on a scalar and expanded declination. Considering the technological-environmental approach, a possible element of originality emerges in the integrated and balanced human-environmental centered vision aimed at broadening the framework of the qualitative-quantitative references of the project of the human habitat. This could be an alternative bio-psycho-socio-technological methodological vision starting from the determinants of wellbeing in a broad sense, including natural, cultural and socioeconomic environmental factors, social and collective networks of relationships and participation, individual behavioral, physical, and functional factors of people. Added to these determinants are the different technological-environmental interface systems with which the project is able to define, in a bio-psycho-socio-technological sense, multiple and variable regulatory conditions of wellbeing, at a building, urban, and territorial level. Discussion: The possible outcomes of this alternative and integrated hypothesis are related to the reconnection with the production and regeneration processes of the built material, to the reorganization and reinvention of spatial and perceptual relationships between individuals, communities, technologies, environment, and to the integration of non-directly quantifiable subjective variables into the design of the built environment. The proposed integrated bio-psycho-socio-technological vision may open for developments concerning the expansion of the determinants of psycho-physical wellbeing through new performative descriptors and the definition of agile tools, procedures, and metrics to integrate wellbeing assessments, including consensus-based approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Eastern Cape Department of Education (ECDoE) in South Africa faces significant infrastructure challenges in rural schools, including inadequate funding, poor maintenance, and a shortage of essential facilities. These challenges hinder quality education provision and violate the Minimum Uniform Norms and Standards for Public School Infrastructure (MUNS-PSI) regulations. This study investigates these infrastructure challenges and proposes strategies to improve adherence to MUNS-PSI regulations. An interpretivist philosophy and inductive approach were adopted, focusing on a case study strategy. The study employed a mono-method qualitative approach, collecting data through semi-structured interviews with ten school managers and senior managers within the Chris Hani East District infrastructure delivery section. Purposive sampling was used to select participants, and thematic analysis was applied to the data. The findings revealed that the ECDoE lacks credible plans, sound systems, and effective leadership, resulting in poor governance and non-service delivery. Key challenges identified include the absence of a retention plan and a shortage of technological expertise. The study suggests forming a cross-functional group led by the head of the Department of Education to manage school infrastructure effectively. Training officials on technical skills related to the built environment and implementing the Infrastructure Delivery Management System are recommended. These strategies aim to enhance adherence to MUNS-PSI regulations, thereby improving the educational infrastructure and quality of education in the Eastern Cape. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: This study aims to: 1) Explore the mobility experiences of seniors with slow walking speeds (SSWS) in urban neighborhoods; and 2) Investigate their environmental barriers and supports. Methods: Go-along interviews were conducted with 36 SSWS residing in urban neighborhoods of Chongqing City, China. The mobility patterns and built environment factors influencing their mobility were revealed through cartographic analysis and thematic analysis. Results: SSWS primarily focused their activities within a 400-meter radius of their homes. Built environment themes included topography, neighborhood services, sidewalks, seating, traffic safety, weather, greenery, and lighting. Significant mobility barriers included long stairs, steep slopes, fast-moving objects on sidewalks, road crossings, and fast traffic. Available handrails, nearby food-service places, ample seating, and greenery were identified as supportive factors for their mobility. Conclusion: This study stands out as the first to specifically examine the mobility of SSWS within the built environment. We suggest that SSWS should be taken into account when establishing a benchmark for general design frameworks. These improvements not only contribute to the mobility of slow walkers but also have positive impacts on the broader population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Geologic fractures such as joints, faults, and slip surfaces govern the stability and performance of many subsurface systems in the built environment. As such, a variety of approaches have been developed for computational modeling of geologic fractures. Yet none of them lends itself to a straightforward utilization with the classical finite element method widely used in practice. Over the past decade, phase-field modeling has become a popular approach for simulating fracture, because it can be implemented simply with the standard finite element method without any surface-tracking algorithms. However, the standard phase-field formulations do not incorporate several critical features of geologic fractures, including frictional contact, pressure-dependence, quasibrittleness, mode-mixity, and their combined impacts on cracking. This article provides a brief report of a novel phase-field model that incorporates these features of geologic fractures in a well-verified and validated manner. Remarkably, the phase-field model allows one to simulate the combination of cohesive tensile fracture and frictional shear fracture without any algorithms for surface tracking and contact constraints. It is also demonstrated how phase-field modeling enables us to gain insights into geologic fractures that are challenging to investigate experimentally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study discusses the essential need of re-naturalizing the built environment, focusing on schools. Leveraging research on the impact of nature on health, children's development, and learning, we analyze case studies from America, Asia, and Europe with distinct trajectories of interplay between architecture and pedagogy. Using a theoretical framework on plant-architecture relationship, we identify effective re-naturalization solutions in some applications of biophilic design in rural and urban contexts, cautioning against superficial nature incorporations in schools. Our study asserts that technological sustainability is needed but insufficient, emphasizing the necessity of concurrent efforts in architecture and education to create meaningful student-nature connections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There has been growing interest among scholars regarding the role of the built environment on occupant wellbeing. Across five studies conducted online from January 2018 to July 2021, we investigate the impact of design interventions (materials, light, and decor representing diverse identities) on several constructs indicative of wellbeing (sense of belonging, self-efficacy, and environmental efficacy), using self-reported metrics. We hypothesize that natural materials, natural light and diverse representations lead to higher self-reported scores compared to artificial materials, no natural light and non-diverse representations. We find that, while our results vary across individual experiments, the synthesized effects of materials and light on all three dependent measures hold consistent across studies, supporting our hypothesized outcomes. We also examine the influence of seasonality, survey platform and design, and independent variables' dosage on survey results. We conclude with a discussion on the challenges associated with researching the psychological as well as behavioral impacts of design interventions in indoor spaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The urgent need to reduce carbon emissions in the construction sector has driven the exploration of circular economy practices in the built environment. Nevertheless, the implementation of circular economy principles in projects remains limited. This research contributes to bridging this gap by introducing a project proposal that establishes a typology of modular systems designed for easy assembly, disassembly, and reuse. Specifically, the proposal focuses on load-bearing wood furniture modules (FMs) as an intermediate solution between planar and volumetric modules. These FMs expand the structural wall's volume, facilitating the integration of services, storage, and appliances. This addresses scenarios where swift building deployment is required. The proposed modular dimension enhances transportation efficiency compared to volumetric solutions and simplifies construction by eliminating the need for temporary stabilization, as seen in planar systems. Standardization and "separability" of each component within the FM allows for easy integration and maintenance. Special attention is paid to the timber connection systems within and between FMs facilitating easy assembly, and disassembly for future reuse. The adaptability of the FM concept is demonstrated through versatile compositions and layouts, facilitating space reconfiguration. While the technical feasibility of the FM-based system is demonstrated, further research is needed to address regional and cultural variations and customize the system to different contexts. The study emphasizes the potential of FMs as a solution for buildings aligned with circular economy principles and highlights the importance of continued research and development in this field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The European Green Deal (EGD) represents the response of the European Union (EU) to the climate crisis and a strategy to mitigate against climate change and the associated environmental degradation. European Climate Law supports the EGD by setting the legally binding target of climate neutrality for the EU on a time horizon of 2050 and mandates that member states develop and implement their own Climate Action Plans (CAP), which are strategic roadmaps outlining steps to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and adapt to the impacts of climate change. Within the Irish context, the CAP focuses on six specific sectors, three of which, namely the energy grid, the built environment and transportation are considered in this research. This policy proposes the retrofitting of all residential buildings in the country to a B2 energy performance certificate (EPC), all public transport and 60% of private vehicles electrified and the full decarbonisation of the electrical grid by 2050. This study aims to implement the targets and goals outlined within CAP 2021 in an urban area of Ireland, specifically a historical city centre. The research leverages digital twin technology developed by IES to model the carbon emissions associated with the built environment, while also incorporating GHG emissions associated with transportation and the grid. Furthermore, CAP scenarios are applied systematically and strategically, prioritising building retrofits based on buildings with similar characteristics, typologies and performance. This study has assessed the performance of CAP about two future grid scenarios (1) business as usual and (2) a decarbonised grid. In both scenarios, CAP was not sufficient to achieve the targets set out, resulting in a shortfall of between 25 and 33%. Based on this outcome it may be concluded that any decarbonisation targets specified should be tested and validated before their implementation in policy. Moreover, current state-of-theart digital twin technologies can facilitate the rapid holistic appraisal of complex multi-sectoral policy at the urban scale, which, depending on data availability, could prove useful in future iterations of CAP at both national and international levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: This study aims to assess the efficacy of traditional virtual reality (VR) and Immersive Multi-sensory Environments (IME) in mitigating anxiety levels among university students. The study can address the following research questions: 1) What disparities exist in anxiety levels before and after exposure to traditional VR and IME? 2) How do anxiety levels compare between participants exposed to IME and those in a VR environment? Methods: The research adopted a twophase approach involving participants exhibiting moderate to high-stress levels. In the second phase, participants were randomly assigned to either a VR group (solely visual stimulation) or an IME group (comprising visual, auditory, and olfactory stimuli). The State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) were utilized to assess stress and anxiety levels before and after each experiment. Results: The findings suggest that participants' experiences in both VR and IME environments effectively contributed to reducing anxiety levels and fostering a tranquil atmosphere. Both experimental groups reported a significantly heightened sense of relaxation post-experiments. Although the disparity was not statistically significant, the IME group displayed a more pronounced reduction in stress levels compared to the VR group. Discussion: The research underscores the significance of considering the built environment and sensory design in addressing mental health challenges among college students. Further exploration and integration of such approaches into educational settings could significantly contribute to establishing more supportive and conducive environments for student success. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Hippocampal neurogenesis is critical for improving learning, memory, and spatial navigation. Inhabiting and navigating spatial complexity is key to stimulating adult hippocampal neurogenesis (AHN) in rodents because they share similar hippocampal neuroplasticity characteristics with humans. AHN in humans has recently been found to persist until the tenth decade of life, but it declines with aging and is influenced by environmental enrichment. This systematic review investigated the impact of spatial complexity on neurogenesis and hippocampal plasticity in rodents, and discussed the translatability of these findings to human interventions. Methods: Comprehensive searches were conducted on three databases in English: PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus. All literature published until December 2023 was screened and assessed for eligibility. A total of 32 studies with original data were included, and the process is reported in accordance with the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) statement and checklist. Results: The studies evaluated various models of spatial complexity in rodents, including environmental enrichment, changes to in-cage elements, complex layouts, and navigational mazes featuring novelty and intermittent complexity. A regression equation was formulated to synthesize key factors influencing neurogenesis, such as duration, physical activity, frequency of changes, diversity of complexity, age, living space size, and temperature. Conclusion: Findings underscore the cognitive benefits of spatial complexity interventions and inform future translational research from rodents to humans. Home-cage enrichment and models like the Hamlet complex maze and the Marlau cage offer insight into how architectural design and urban navigational complexity can impact neurogenesis in humans. In-space changing complexity, with and without physical activity, is effective for stimulating neurogenesis. While evidence on intermittent spatial complexity in humans is limited, data from the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns provide preliminary evidence. Existing equations relating rodent and human ages may allow for the translation of enrichment protocol durations from rodents to humans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Modern lifestyle greatly influences human well-being. Indeed, nowadays people are centered in the cities and this trend is growing with the everincreasing population. The main habitat for modern humans is defined as the built environment (BE). The modulation of life quality in the BE is primarily mediated by a biodiversity of microbes. They derive from different sources, such as soil, water, air, pets, and humans. Humans are the main source and vector of bacterial diversity in the BE leaving a characteristic microbial fingerprint on the surfaces and spaces. This review, focusing on articles published from the early 2000s, delves into bacterial populations present in indoor and outdoor urban environments, exploring the characteristics of primary bacterial niches in the BE and their native habitats. It elucidates bacterial interconnections within this context and among themselves, shedding light on pathways for adaptation and survival across diverse environmental conditions. Given the limitations of culture-based methods, emphasis is placed on culture-independent approaches, particularly high-throughput techniques to elucidate the genetic and -omic features of BE bacteria. By elucidating these microbiota profiles, the review aims to contribute to understanding the implications for human health and the assessment of urban environmental quality in modern cities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The built environment faces a growing number of challenges due to changing climates. A resilient built environment system (BES) can withstand disruptions and shocks, and resilient design allows communities to bounce back quickly. Considering present and future needs, BESs can be oriented to adapt to new uses or modified to handle changing climates. This study examines the resilience qualities (RQs) of built environment systems (BESs) in responding to and recovering from climate change disruptions effectively. A survey was designed to capture the views of various stakeholders about the different indicators to assess the four RQs: robustness (Rb), redundancy (Rd), inclusivity (/c), and integration (/t). Regulatory and engineering stakeholders participated in the survey, and the results were analyzed using statistical methods. Stakeholders generally agree on the need to enhance transformative capacity for addressing uncertainties and climate challenges. While stakeholders trust the role of BESs' robustness against climate impacts, some suggest improving standards for better resilience. There is consensus on the importance of regulatory measures mandating emergency resources in BESs. The study highlights the need to enhance adaptive capacities and tools within BESs. Incorporating reconfigurability and spare capacity in BESs is crucial to prevent disruptions. Participants tend to think promoting good practices at the community level is essential to address climate impacts effectively. The analysis highlights the importance of inclusive community consultation and involvement in fostering a shared responsibility for enhancing urban ecosystems against climate change impacts. This involves aligning processes across various city systems to support cohesive decision-making and strategic investments. The study suggests developing objective engineering techniques to establish a standardized approach for evaluating the RQs of BESs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The construction industry is fraught with hazards, chief among them being the risk of falls from elevated positions, which are a leading cause of both fatalities and injuries among workers. Despite the prevalence of traditional safety training methods, their effectiveness in reducing fall risks remains limited. To solve this issue, this study proposes the adoption of interactive VR technologies to provide construction workers with immersive training experiences in the critical domain of fall safety. This approach not only ensures adherence to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requirements but also leverages VR's immersive capabilities to create a comprehensive and effective learning tool. To evaluate the proposed system's efficacy, the researchers conducted an empirical assessment involving eighty-two construction workers from two small enterprises. Participants were divided into two groups: one receiving traditional training and the other undergoing VR-based instruction. Both groups underwent pre- and post-training evaluations comprising six targeted questions designed to measure the impact of each training method on their understanding and awareness of fall safety practices. The comparative analysis revealed no significant differences in baseline knowledge between the two groups prior to the training interventions. However, post-training evaluations demonstrated a notable improvement in the VR group, with a significant decrease in the number of incorrect responses, in stark contrast to the group subjected to traditional training methods. Statistical analysis further confirmed the superiority of VR training in enhancing participants' knowledge. This was quantified by a p- value of 0.0016, indicating a high level of statistical significance well below the conventional threshold of 0.05. This study highlights the significant advantages of VR technology in construction safety training, demonstrating its superiority over traditional training methods in terms of knowledge retention and practical application. The results strongly support the wider adoption of VR in safety training, indicating its potential to enhance safety outcomes in the construction sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Around 16% of world's population lives with visible and invisible disabilities. People with disabilities' participation may be limited because of the environmental obstacles. Moreover, historic heritage places were built before the development of accessibility standards and the rights of people living with disabilities and the majority were not designed to be accessible. Access to historic heritage places is important for carrying out the activities in place but also to create and reinforce identity. The aim of this study was to explore the experiences of people with visible and invisible disabilities when visiting heritage sites considering accessibility issues. Methods: This study is a qualitative interpretive description. Participants were adults with visible (e.g., motor disability) or invisible (e.g., autism) disabilities. For data collection, go along interviews (also referred to in the literature as "walking interview" in two different locations in the Historic District of Old Quebec in Quebec City were conducted. Thematic analysis was done. Results: Twenty-one participants completed two go along interviews: one in the Séminaire de Québec (Seminary of Quebec City) and the other in Petit-Champlain and Place Royale areas of Quebec City. Three themes emerged: (1) Obstacles and impact on participation; (2) Disabling accessibility; and (3) Heritage meaning. Discussion: The barriers identified by participants are diverse and differ according to the person and the type of disability. However, social and leisure activities were particularly limited, despite the strategies developed by some participants. Participants in the study demonstrated an interest in accessing to heritage places, therefore it seems essential to consider the needs of people with disabilities when developing accessibility solutions, and to seek a balance between preserving heritage and promoting inclusive and equitable access for all. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The building and construction sector is responsible for a large share of carbon emissions resulting in the need to reduce them to mitigate climate change. Timber construction methods promise to lower emissions combined with biogenic carbon storage in the built environment. While there are several studies comparing the emissions of mineral-based and timber-based buildings, a consistent comparison of different timber-based building assemblies is still missing. This study compares carbon emissions from material production and carbon storage capabilities of four timber-based and two brick and reinforced concrete building assemblies. These assemblies were designed for a residential multi-storey building in Berlin, Germany. To compare and rank the carbon impacts of these assemblies we introduce a carbon storage- to-emission ratio. The calculations were performed using a Carbon Cycle Assessment Model implementation in Python. The results indicate an average reduction in carbon emissions of timber-based building assemblies by 32.6% to "Brick" and 40.4% to "Reinforced Concrete", respectively. Across the timber-based building assemblies, the carbon emissions range between 851 and 1151, leading to an average of 1051 per building. Pronounced differences were observed in carbon storage, with the "Dowel Laminated Timber" building assembly storing more than three times the amount of carbon compared to "Light Weight Timber" assembly. To further reduce emissions from buildings and the construction sector and potentially enhance urban carbon storage, "Glue Laminated Timber" and "Dowel Laminated Timber" building assemblies were identified as the most promising. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ObjectiveThis paper aims to examine the gendered differences in the subjective wellbeing of older adults and underlying determinant factors which contribute to these differences in China where the unique social and cultural systems, the consequent concept of filial piety and the perceptions towards different living arrangements in later life provide an excellent laboratory for studying the topic.MethodsHierarchical linear models are employed to analyze the impacts of household structure and built environment on the subjective wellbeing of older adults based on a survey conducted in Nanjing in 2021.ResultsThere are significant gender differences in the subjective wellbeing of older adults, with older women reporting higher levels of subjective wellbeing (4.95 vs.4.69). Gender differences also exist in how the built environment affects the subjective wellbeing of older adults, with a greater impact on older adult women (33.68% vs. 28.50%). Household structure impacts the subjective wellbeing of older adults through the division of housework and the company of family members.ConclusionThere are three major mechanisms through which gender affects the subjective wellbeing of older adults, including structural mechanisms, socio-cultural mechanisms, and physiological mechanisms. Targeted environmental interventions and urban planning policies are recommended to promote the subjective wellbeing of older adults.

Introduction: The shifting living and working conditions have profound impacts on the residents' mental health. However, current research in this field has not remarkable investigated. Methods: This study used the China Labor-force Dynamic Survey (CLDS) dataset from 2018 and relied on a regression model to examine the effects of the built environment, work environment, and subjective perception on the mental health of Chinese citizens. It also considers the circumstances of both migrants and local residents. Results: This study revealed significant correlations between mental health and greening space rate, road network density, commuting time, work feelings, community trust, economic satisfaction, and other factors. Additionally, the mental health of local residents was shown to be significantly affected by community security, while it shows no significance in migrants. Furthermore, a significant spatial autocorrelation was found in terms of mental health within the central and eastern regions of China. Discussion: The findings of this study offer valuable insights that can be used to facilitate measures aimed at improving the mental health of residents and promoting the development of healthy cities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Digital twin technology is an emerging technology within the built environment. Yet, there are many unexplored opportunities to utilize digital twins for facilitating the transformation toward a climate-neutral building stock while also meeting the expectations from the building occupants. This article presents a case study of a digital twin, developed for an existing commercial building stock of campus areas in Sweden. The overarching purpose of the digital twin is to support both building occupants and building operators. This two-fold human-centric approach represents a novel approach for building digital twins. The digital twin is based on 3D scanning, and together with geospatial data, a real-like navigational indoor environment is created. Three innovative features are presented: the building analysis module, the digital twin mobile application, and the building operations module. The results show that the digital twin improves the building occupant's experience by supporting navigation and providing access to the room booking system via this dedicated interface. Building management is also benefited by the digital twin through easier access to building data aggregated into one platform and a state-of-the-art analysis tool for optimizing the use of indoor space. The digital twin holds future potential to achieve operational excellence by incorporating feedback mechanisms and utilizing artificial intelligence to enable intelligent fault detection and prevention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Rates of urbanization in Ethiopia are high and adolescent girls and young women are predominant among those who move from rural to urban areas. Young women frequently undertake rural-urban migration on their own or with a friend, and with little planning for their initial settlement in the city. They frequently rely on job placement brokers to place them into jobs upon arrival, with positions such as domestic work normally including accommodation. Methods: This is a qualitative study undertaken at the two largest bus stages in Addis Ababa, which are points of arrival for a large number of migrants from rural areas. Three categories of respondents were interviewed in-depth: migrant young women who had arrived within the last few days, job placement brokers who are located in and around the bus station, and market women/vendors at the bus stations who interact with both migrants and brokers. Results: Migrant girls' point of arrival was an inflection point of risk, especially among girls who were on their own, not accompanied or met at the bus terminal and lacking in plans or preparation of accommodation. Such girls were targeted by thieves at the bus station and by unscrupulous brokers, some of whom forced girls into sexual relations before placing them into paid work. In contrast, market women and some well-meaning brokers took steps to protect girls such as providing temporary accommodation. Conclusion: This research underscores the need for intensified support to ruralurban migrants to ensure safety and security at the time of arrival at their destination. This includes promotion of pre-migration education and planning; safety assets including sufficient money, cell phones and alternative contacts in the city; and arrangement for immediate, safe and secure accommodation. As a result of the study, a pilot program has been developed, using local resources to extend support for newly arriving migrant girls and young women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: There is substantial evidence that contact with nature is related to positive health and well-being outcomes, but extensions of this research to work-related outcomes is sparse. Some organizations are redesigning workspaces to incorporate nature and adopting nature-related policies, warranting a need for empirical studies that test the influence of nature on employee outcomes. Methods: The present mixed-methods study tests and extends the biophilic work design model to examine associations among the built and natural environment at work and home, experiences of time spent outside (i.e., amount of time outside, enjoyment of time outside, outdoor activities), and motivational work outcomes (i.e., job engagement and creativity). Objective geographic data were combined with quantitative and qualitative survey responses from working adults (N =803). Results: Our results broadly indicate that individuals who work and live in areas with greater natural amenities (i.e., access to water, topographic variation, temperate climates) spend more time outside and enjoy time outside to a greater degree, and these experiences are in turn associated with greater engagement and creativity at work. We did not find evidence that the surrounding built environment (i.e., urbanity) at work or home was associated with outdoor experiences or work-related outcomes. Additionally, six categories of outdoor activities were identified in the qualitative analyses - leisure activities, relaxation, physical activities, social interactions, tasks and errands, and travel. Discussion: The findings from this study provide evidence that the natural environment, particularly at home, can benefit work-related outcomes via greater time and enjoyment of time outside. This study has implications for employee time use and organizational effectiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: This paper systematically reviews how spatial analysis has been used to measure relationships between access to the built environment and Allostatic Load (AL) or biomarkers relevant to the stress pathway. Geographic Information Systems (GIS) facilitate objective measurement of built environment access that may explain unequal health outcomes linked to living in stressful environments.Methods: Systematic review, search date 13 July 2022 with methods published a priori. Included studies that quantitatively assessed associations between GIS measures of neighborhood attributes and biomarkers of stress.Results: 23 studies from 14 countries were included having used GIS measures to assess relationships between access to the built environment and biomarkers relevant to AL, with 17 being cross-sectional and 6 longitudinal. Just 2 studies explicitly assessed associations between GIS measures and AL, but 21 explored biomarkers relevant to the stress pathway. GIS was used to calculate density (how much of x within y) and proximity (how far from a to b) measures.Conclusion: GIS measures of greenspace, the food environment, area-level demographics, and land-use measures were found to influence biomarkers relevant to the stress pathway, highlighting the utility of this approach. GIS use is extremely limited when measuring the built environment and its influence on AL but has been widely used to consider effects on individual biomarkers of stress.Systematic Review Registration: [https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?RecordID=348355], identifier [CRD42022348355].