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Government infrastructure provision is much more important than its conception in mainstream economic theory as a response to 'market failure'. In practice, it draws on the state's capacity to fUnd [...]

Summary: Due to geographical factors, it is impossible to build large‐scale communication network infrastructure in remote areas, which leads to poor network communication quality in these areas and a series of delay‐sensitive tasks cannot be timely processed and responded. Aiming at the problem of limited coverage in remote areas, the space‐air‐ground integrated networks (SAGIN) combined with mobile edge computing (MEC) can provide low latency and high reliability transmission for offloading delay‐sensitive tasks for users in remote areas. Considering the strong limitation of satellite resources in the space‐ground integrated network and insufficient energy of local user equipment, firstly, a satellite‐UAV cluster‐ground three‐layer edge computing network architecture is proposed in this paper. Under the condition that the delay requirements of various ground tasks are met, the task offloading problem is transformed into a Stackelberg game between ground user equipment and edge servers. In addition, it is proved that the existence of Nash equilibrium in non‐cooperative game between ground user equipment by using potential game. Finally, a Nash equilibrium iterative offloading algorithm based on Stackelberg game (NEIO‐SG) is proposed to find the optimal offloading strategy for tasks to minimize the system offloading cost and the optimal forwarding percentage strategy for offloading tasks to maximize the utility function of the edge server. Simulation results show that compared to other baseline algorithms, NEIO‐SG reduces the total system latency during task offloading by about 13%$$ \% $$ and the energy consumption of the edge server by about 35%$$ \% $$. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Some critical civil infrastructure projects, such as government offices, command buildings, airport stations, and transportation routes, are highly susceptible to missile attacks during conflicts. To investigate the influence of impact velocity ( v 0) and impact location on the dynamic responses of RC slabs and projectiles, finite element models were established to simulate the perforation of the 300 mm-diameter projectile into the 100 mm-thick RC slab. The results indicate that both v 0 and impact location have effects on the relative relationship between kinetic energy and internal energy of the RC slab. Stresses exceeding 48 MPa ( f c) and maximum displacement of the RC slab are primarily concentrated around the bullet hole, extending to a distance of approximately 450 mm (1.5 d) from the impact center. After perforation, the relationship between velocity loss ratio and v 0 , as well as the relationship between kinetic energy loss ratio and v 0 , conforms to the power function distribution. Considering the damage to the RC slab, the Chen model, Peng model, and Konyaew model of the residual velocity prove more suitable for this working condition, especially the Chen model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores how platform-mediated gig work is entangled in the migration process across transnational, national and local scales. Drawing on the concepts of simultaneity and migration infrastructure from critical transnational migration studies as well as qualitative interviews with migrants, the analysis focuses on the figures of three migrant gig workers from both EU and non-EU countries to elucidate two matters. First, we analyse how different forms of citizenship produce different ways of responding to the migration infrastructure that results in frictions and/or smoothness across different times and spaces in the migration process. Second, we analyse how migrants who perform platform-mediated gig work on a local scale in Copenhagen, Denmark, establish particular transnational lives. Thus, this article contributes a timely transnational perspective on the relationship between the growing gig economy and migration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Museums and archives rely on databases and similar technologies to manage their collections, but even when tailor-made for memory institutions, databases require considerable adaptation to remain usable over long periods of time. To better understand how collection staff maintain and migrate databases over multiple years and decades, we talked to archivists from the US-based Archon User Collaborative and collection managers from the University of Michigan Research Museums. We found that the collection staff uses terms taken from quilting for database curation: they "tie" and "weave" a "patchwork of data systems" together. We extend their quilting metaphor as an analytical lens and show what can be gained through a shift in framing database work as a craft. We describe database curation as a process of creating a quilted infrastructure: a long-lived knowledge system that is sustained by the use of multiple "digital surfaces," a reliance on a community of practice, intergenerational transfer of "quilts," and by leveraging invisibility to conduct work. We argue that this nonnormative mode of computing needs better support from both software developers and administrators. We also show that although the invisibility of craft practices offers practitioners independence, it also can increase their precarity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study proposes a novel self‐training framework for unsupervised domain adaptation in the segmentation of concrete wall cracks using accumulated crack data. The proposed method incorporates Bayesian neural networks for uncertainty estimation of pseudo‐labels, and spatial priors of cracks for screening noisy labels. Experiments demonstrate that the proposed approach achieves significant improvements in F1 score. Comparing the F1 scores, Bayesian DeepLabv3+ and Bayesian U‐Net showed performance improvements of 0.0588 and 0.1501, respectively, after domain adaptation. Furthermore, the integration of Stable Diffusion for few‐shot image generation enhances domain adaptation performance by 0.0332. The proposed framework enables high‐precision crack segmentation with as few as 100 target images, which can be easily obtained at the site, reducing the cost of model deployment in infrastructure maintenance. The study also investigates the optimal number of iterations for domain adaptation based on the uncertainty score, providing insights for practical implementation. The proposed method contributes to the development of efficient and automated structural health monitoring using AI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Digital storytelling combines traditional storytelling with digital technologies. Although recognised as a powerful creative method across many domains, its application in the context of widening participation remains underexplored. This study from Australia sought to investigate teachers' perceptions of the benefits and limitations of using digital storytelling in a widening participation programme. Five partner schools engaged in a programme that involved creating a digital narrative about students' post-school futures. A total of 36 teachers delivering the 10-week programme to students of 13–14 years of age participated in focus groups, with 12 completing post-delivery surveys. Data were analysed qualitatively. The analysis suggested that, according to the teacher participants, digital narrative can be an effective tool for maximising student engagement in widening participation activities. However, emphasis was placed on the impact of the digital divide, which disproportionately affects students from low socioeconomic backgrounds in under-resourced school environments. The study highlights the potential of using digital storytelling in a widening participation context. It also underscores how support for developing teacher and student digital literacies, as well as reliable access to technology and infrastructure, needs to be in place if the digital narrative is to be strongly embedded into future widening participation outreach activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coordinating the development of the economy and environment has always been a tough challenge. The digital village construction in China offers unprecedented historical opportunities for rural areas to propel coordinated development and catch up with their urban counterparts. This paper used a coupling coordination degree model, exploratory spatial data analysis, and an obstacle degree model to investigate the coupling coordination of digital village construction, economic growth, and the environmental protection system (DEES) in rural China from 2015 to 2021. The results indicate: (1) The coupling coordination degree of DEES increases annually, yet a significant spatial imbalance among regions persists. (2) There is a positive spatial correlation in the coupling coordination of DEES, with the clustering trend gradually strengthening and subsequently weakening. (3) The most consistent obstacles are economic growth and per capita income, while obstacle factors vary among provinces. The results suggest that governments should increase investment in rural digital infrastructure, promote the synergistic efforts of the digital economy and green development, and drive the digitization of rural areas. Meanwhile, each province should use its own resources effectively, to make up for any shortcomings, thereby promoting coupling coordinated development in rural areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines transport and mobility in rural and remote communities, focusing on trade‐offs between development and environmental protection in the Anthropocene. In Sarawak, a state of Malaysia, unpaved logging roads provide basic mobility for remote communities while contributing to the unsustainable and inequitable extraction of natural resources. I argue that the conditions under which transport infrastructure is provided prevent the possibility for sustainable development and pitch local people against a landscape that is the source of livelihoods and identities. The paper is interested in the life and agency of infrastructure and the environment, new materialism and critical approaches to development within human geography. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we introduce the concept of 'domestic colonisation' as a contribution to the literature on critical geographies of home. This provides a lens to focus on the ways in which domestic spaces might be exploited and/or dominated though familiar relationships. With reference to two research projects in North East England, we explore everyday occupations and sieges of home‐spaces by neighbours as a means of reinforcing positions of relative social advantage. We show how these experiences become overwhelming through the intrusion of home‐spaces and (with it) the life worlds of already structurally vulnerable(ised) communities. Domestic colonisation allows us to think through both the damage done through/to the home and connections beyond those spaces. To do this we focus on 'home takeovers' (or 'cuckooing') and 'hate relationships'. Our work on cuckooing shows how the occupation and control of the home by those who re‐produce and seize upon structurally vulnerable(ised) people, is a process which re‐configures the home as an exploitable resource. Understandings of home and intimate social relationships as 'private', combined with complexities regarding culpability, conceal the damage done in contexts of diminished social infrastructure. With reference to our work on hate relationships, we outline how homes are a means of identifying and targeting those who become subjected to a range of hateful acts. This produces everyday spaces of siege and entrapment that control, immobilise and are difficult to escape. Formal interventions are unable to adequately support those victimised through lack of recognition, misrecognition as atomised disputes and a tendency to (re)move those victimised. We end by questioning how we might better address the needs of those subjected to such harms, with an emphasis on the relational production of the home. In this paper we introduce the concept of 'domestic colonisation' as a contribution to the literature on critical geographies of home. This provides a lens to focus on the ways in which domestic spaces might be exploited and/or dominated though familiar relationships. With reference to two research projects in North East England, we explore everyday occupations and sieges of home‐spaces by neighbours as a means of reinforcing positions of relative social advantage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper argues that the spatial restrictions and social distancing measures which older adults experienced during COVID‐19 can be interpreted as a spatial breach in their webs of care, impacting their ability to connect socially with others through formal and informal social infrastructures. Drawing on a qualitative study of 50 older adults in Singapore (which is part of a wider mixed‐methods project consisting of 1199 participants), the paper shows how spatial breaches manifest as tension points in the older adults' webs of care. The paper highlights the paradoxical and ageist impacts of vulnerability tropes that emphasise the alleged universal vulnerability of older adults to the coronavirus. It provides further insights on why some tension points in the older adults' webs of care become resolved through adjustments while others remain unresolved. This analysis furthers our understanding of how older adults cope with the social disconnection that may happen during spatial breaches, especially when it is due to the choices of others to withdraw socially. Conceptually, the paper demonstrates how care assemblages and social infrastructures work in tandem to modulate the older adults' webs of care dynamically. The paper situates social infrastructures as key resource components in the webs of care of older adults, functioning as formal or informal platforms through which they access material, financial or emotional resources. Importantly, the paper shows how particular social infrastructures may become prominent or recede in one's webs of care as the person's care assemblages dynamically adjust to personal circumstances and relationships. In doing so, the paper bridges hitherto distinct literatures on how social infrastructures and assemblages are used to understand social life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research examines the use of Shared Autonomous Electric Vehicles (SAEVs) in 374 U.S. small and medium-sized urban areas, focusing on fleet and infrastructure needs through agent-based simulations. It assesses metrics such as fleet size, trips per vehicle, and charging station requirements, considering two charger types: Level 2 and Level 3. The findings show significant spatial differences in SAEV operations and infrastructure across these cities. Statistical analysis links these variations to regional road networks and travel patterns. The study finds Level 3 chargers more efficient, requiring fewer stations and enabling more trips per vehicle compared to Level 2 chargers. Furthermore, Level 3 chargers exhibit a greater number of trips per SAEV and a higher ratio of vehicles to charging stations. These findings highlight the significance of considering charging infrastructure characteristics to optimize SAEV fleet performance and promote sustainable transportation systems in urban areas. This study significantly contributes by identifying the spatial variation and correlates of the SAEVs' operational and charging infrastructural performance. Policymakers, urban planners, and transportation service providers can leverage these insights to design and implement effective charging infrastructure for SAEV fleets, thereby advancing the transition to cleaner and more efficient mobility solutions. • This study investigates the potential of Shared Autonomous Electric Vehicles (SAEVs). • Agent-based simulations examined critical metrics such as fleet size and charging station needs. • The analysis includes two types of charging stations, Level 2 and Level 3. • Notable spatial variations in SAEV fleet and charging infrastructure performance are identified. • Regional road network characteristics and travel demand patterns contribute to spatial variations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The expansion of the high speed railway (HSR) network has made vital contributions in improving intercity travel around the globe. Despite being promoted by governments across the globe, multiplicity of barriers has prevented the penetration of HSR services in developing economies apart from China. Many studies have emphasized on the advantages of HSR services but have failed to highlight the challenges in developing an efficient HSR network. This study aims to identify and develop interrelationships between the major inhibitors in the growth of HSR in a developing economy such as India considering the perspective of multiple stakeholders. The stakeholders considered for the present study are academic researchers, Indian railway officials and ancillary companies involved in the construction of HSR. Thirteen major inhibitors are identified after consulting all the stakeholders and a blended methodology consisting of Fuzzy theory as well as decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory method (Fuzzy-DEMATEL) is used to develop the inter-relationships. All stakeholders highlighted some common inhibitors such as financial viability of the HSR project, financial health of Indian Railways and the existing infrastructure as the major challenges in growth of HSR in India. Furthermore, strategies have been identified to mitigate these inhibitors to help the policy makers. Strategies have been proposed and a relationship (inhibitor-strategy) matrix has been developed to understand the acceptability of these strategies. The major contribution of the present study is that no study has considered different stakeholder's perspectives in identifying the inhibitors. Furthermore, the policy makers can directly use the findings of this study for HSR growth in developing economies. • Inhibitors to the growth of high-speed railway (HSR) network using multi stakeholders' perspective are identified. • A Fuzzy- DEMATEL method is proposed to reveal the causal interactive mechanisms among barriers. • A relationship mapping between the inhibitors and the strategies are developed. • Financial viability of the HSR project and the existing infrastructure should be prioritized. • The findings could help policy making by providing a priority ranking and of effective strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Liquefaction is one of the natural hazards that occurs due to earthquakes and has a significant impact on the loss of human lives and various civil infrastructures. In this study, metaheuristic ANN with optimization techniques (i.e., ANN-GWO, ANN-GTO, ANN-GAO, ANN-HHO, ANN-SSA, and ANN-SMA), machine learning techniques are used to predict the probability of liquefaction ( P L ) from the SPT-based dataset. A dataset of 834 case histories, including seven geotechnical and seismic parameters, was used for training and testing different metaheuristic algorithms. The performance of the proposed machine learning algorithm used at every stage of analysis includes statistical parameters evaluation, score analysis, actual vs. predicted curve, error matrix, Taylor diagram, OBJ criteria, DDR criteria, and AIC criteria. The ANN-GTO model has been found to be the best model for the prediction of the probability of liquefaction potential of soil. However, all proposed models can successfully predict the liquefaction potential of soil with reasonably good accuracy. The proposed models can be used as a key tool in the prediction of the liquefaction susceptibility of any soil deposit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Covid-19 pandemic showed forcefully the fundamental importance broadband data communication and the internet has in our society. Optical communications forms the undisputable backbone of this critical infrastructure, and it is supported by an interdisciplinary research community striving to improve and develop it further. Since the first 'Roadmap of optical communications' was published in 2016, the field has seen significant progress in all areas, and time is ripe for an update of the research status. The optical communications area has become increasingly diverse, covering research in fundamental physics and materials science, high-speed electronics and photonics, signal processing and coding, and communication systems and networks. This roadmap describes state-of-the-art and future outlooks in the optical communications field. The article is divided into 20 sections on selected areas, each written by a leading expert in that area. The sections are thematically grouped into four parts with 4–6 sections each, covering, respectively, hardware, algorithms, networks and systems. Each section describes the current status, the future challenges, and development needed to meet said challenges in their area. As a whole, this roadmap provides a comprehensive and unprecedented overview of the contemporary optical communications research, and should be essential reading for researchers at any level active in this field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The warming climate in high-latitude permafrost regions is leading to permafrost degradation. Estimating seismic wave velocities in permafrost could help predict the geomechanical properties of permafrost and provide information to plan and design resilient civil infrastructure in cold regions. This paper evaluates the performance of seven models when predicting the seismic wave velocities of permafrost statistically; these models are the time-average, Zimmerman and King, Minshull et al., weighted equation, three-phase, Biot–Gassmann theory modified by Lee (BGTL), and Dou et al. models. The data used in the evaluation are from published laboratory and in situ data, which includes 369 data points for joint P and S wave velocities from nine publications and 943 unfrozen water content data points from 12 publications. The unfrozen water content that is used in these models is determined from a modified Dall'Amico's model that is proposed, which is evaluated against six existing unfrozen water content models based on soil temperature. This paper finds that saturated nonsaline permafrost generally shares similar linear trends between the P and S wave velocities, regardless of soil type, porosity, grain size, and temperature. Fitting all existing data, an empirical linear relationship is derived between the P and S wave velocities. Among the seven models evaluated, the Minshull et al. and BGTL models are the most accurate when predicting the seismic velocities of permafrost. Practical Applications: Unfrozen water content and seismic wave velocity models are valuable tools for quantitatively predicting permafrost dynamics and degradation, with practical applications in various engineering areas with permafrost environments. As permafrost thaws due to rising temperatures, these models could be used to guide the quantitative interpretation of geophysical changes in subsurface conditions, assess the potential for ground instability, and predict future permafrost degradation. Unfrozen water content models are used to predict the percentage of unfrozen water within permafrost, which links the changes with permafrost temperature. Unfrozen water content models of permafrost are essential when assessing permafrost thaw, thermal performance, heat transfer processes in permafrost, and the effect of civil infrastructure on permafrost (Chen et al.,). The seismic wave velocity models could help engineers assess the subsurface conditions in permafrost areas; this assessment is crucial for environmental and seismic monitoring, land use planning, infrastructure design and construction, and natural resources exploration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, cold regions have seen dramatic changes to the once-stable permafrost layers as a result of global warming. Changes in mean annual temperature directly impact the interaction between frozen ground and infrastructure systems such as piles and pipelines. Adfreeze, the controlling mechanism in a frozen soil–structure interface, is temperature dependent and weakens with rising temperature, while its cohesive nature may eventually change to a frictional one as pore ice turns into water. This paper studies the effect of temperature change on the behavior of steel piles in ice-poor soils subjected to pullout loading, especially during the transient melting state. A series of pullout pile load tests were carried out on a model steel pipe pile embedded in frozen sand and exposed to varying temperatures between −10∘C and 0°C. Strain-controlled pile load tests were performed to observe the pullout load transfer and failure mechanism of the pile, while constant-load tests were carried out to study the creep behavior of the pile exposed to different temperatures. Interface behavior was monitored by strain gauges and thermocouples mounted on the pile surface. Pullout capacities were found to vary linearly with temperature until entering the transient state near pore ice's melting temperatures. Creep rates under constant loads increased with the rise in temperature which eventually resulted in accelerated tertiary creep in the near-melting temperatures. Stress profiles showed severe variation close to the soil surface while changing to an almost average constant value toward the tip of the pile. Investigating the behavioral change during the step-wise temperature rise revealed the characteristics of the transition from a frozen to unfrozen soil–structure interface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Offshore structures are deployed extensively to harvest marine resources. Due to the harsh marine environments and heavy-duty working conditions, the risks associated with failure due to scour are high, and the need for accurate prediction of these risks is increasing. Often, pipelines and cables are critical elements of subsea energy transportation and telecommunication, and they are highly susceptible to scour-induced failure. The scour around spheres is relevant to the offshore industry as a simplified three-dimensional representation of subsea structures. This paper presents a numerical study, using FLOW-3D HYDRO, of the scour around on-bottom cylinders and spheres. Whereas most published research investigated scour around stationary solid objects, this paper presents numerical results of a more challenging case of scour around sagging cylinders and spheres. The model was validated against published experimental and numerical results. The scour depth was found to increase with the decrease of the sagging velocity of the solid object. For sagging horizontal cylinders, the scour depth reaches a plateau of 1.1 times the cylinder diameter when the dimensionless sagging velocity is smaller than 0.094. For sagging spheres, the maximum scour depth reaches 0.37 times the sphere diameter when the dimensionless sagging velocity is reduced to 0.0103. The findings provide guidelines for future research on more complicated interactions between flow, solid objects, and the seabed, accounting for the deformation of infrastructure over time. Practical Applications: This paper concerns the flow, sediment transport, and scour around horizontal cylinders and spheres undergoing slow downward motion, which resembles the sagging of on-bottom infrastructure under the influence of gravity and bed erosion. Offshore structures are deployed extensively to harvest marine resources. Pipelines and cables are critical subsea infrastructures that are susceptible to scour-induced failure. Spherical objects are commonplace in the offshore industry, so a sphere can be deemed as an idealized three-dimensional body. This paper provides detailed FLOW-3D simulations and developed empirical relationships between the dimensionless scour depth and dimensionless sagging speed. Most previous research considered only the scour around fixed objects, so this paper provides a novel addition to the existing knowledge on the scour phenomenon. The computational methods established in this study are useful for simulating more-complicated scenarios. The findings provide guidelines for more-realistic predictions of scour and for the design of scour mitigation measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The utilization of a mechanically stabilized earth wall (MSE wall) is prevalent due to its stability and cost-effectiveness compared to conventional earthwork construction methods. In addition, the railway transportation infrastructure has played a vital role in connecting Thailand's numerous regions. The behavior of a 6-m-high MSE wall constructed on a hard ground foundation, which was reinforced with high-density polyethylene on one side and a metallic strip on the other side, was studied in this research. The purpose of this MSE wall is to support the railway structure under dynamic train loads at 100, 150, and 200 km/h. The three-dimensional finite-element method was used to simulate and investigate the behavior of the MSE wall in terms of lateral displacement, settlement, and strain of reinforcement materials. The findings of the study demonstrate that there is a positive correlation between train speed and both lateral displacement and settlement. This relationship is most pronounced at the top of the MSE wall, which is primarily attributable to the influence of surface waves. The MSE wall's behavior under the influence of dynamic train loads was most prominently displayed by the surface waves, which were a curved wavefront at 150 km/h and a Mach cone at 200 km/h. The settlement profile increased when the speed of dynamic train loads increased. The impact of velocity fluctuations on the strain of the reinforcement material was insignificant. Due to the hard ground foundation, the behavior of the MSE wall on both types of reinforcement materials exhibited similar tendencies. Moreover, it was observed that the maximum tension lines closely follow the bilinear coherent gravity method with a standard distance of 0.3H from the facing, where H represents the equivalent height of the MSE wall. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Project bundling is an innovative project-delivery approach that bundles and groups different infrastructure projects into a single contract. Project bundling provides numerous opportunities and benefits for agencies and states while maintaining, rehabilitating, and repairing their infrastructure assets. Although previous research provided insights on some aspects of project bundling, none have identified the success factors needed to enhance the performance of bundled projects after the project bundling decision has been made. This study aims to fill this gap through identifying, studying, and prioritizing the success factors needed to efficiently bundle several infrastructure projects together. First, a survey was developed and distributed to numerous experts to examine the likelihood of occurrence and relative impact of 25 success factors. Second, the reliability of the survey and its results were assessed and validated using internal and external reliability assessment measures. Third, various statistical analysis tests were performed to examine the alignment between the perspectives of different project stakeholders in relation to the various project-bundling success factors. Fourth, the criticality of the different project-bundling success factors was quantified. Fifth, the success factors were ranked and prioritized to identify the key and most critical factors. The results showed that the most critical project-bundling success factors are (1) having well-defined design features; (2) having a complete project design prior to construction; (3) requiring prior knowledge or experience with similar project size and scope (by the contractor and the design agency); (4) having clear design control requirements; and (5) maintaining constant coordination and communication between all project stakeholders. This study adds to the body of knowledge by quantifying and studying the criticality of different success factors needed to enhance the performance of bundled projects. This study also provides decision-makers with the required knowledge and guidance on the key success factors that influence project-bundling performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The concept of social infrastructure and its role in building disaster resilience has garnered significant attention in recent years. Defined as physical spaces that foster social connections and vibrant communities, social infrastructure has been recognized as a crucial element in providing support and resources during disasters. The coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic has further emphasized the importance of enhancing social infrastructure. However, divergent perspectives exist regarding the relationship between social infrastructure and socioeconomic factors in terms of distribution. Some studies suggest that the disproportionate distribution of social infrastructure may disadvantage certain racial and socioeconomic groups. Conversely, other research highlights instances where marginalized communities with robust social infrastructure exhibit resilience despite facing social and economic challenges. This discrepancy underscores the need for further investigation to reconcile these differing descriptions. Addressing this gap, this study aims to examine the relationship between social infrastructure, socioeconomic factors, and environmental justice. Specifically, the research question guiding this study is: Is the distribution of social infrastructure in a city related to specific racial or class factors from an environmental justice perspective? Utilizing the ordinary least squares regression, this study reveals that communities with a higher proportion of the non-White population have a greater number of social infrastructures, challenging expectations based on the environmental justice literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

From the perspective of transportation infrastructure upgrading, this paper discussed the motivation behind industrial firms' pollution transfer to provincial borders. Using a panel data set of 41 cities in China's Yangtze River Delta from 2005 to 2020, this paper empirically tested the impact of intracity and intercity transportation infrastructure upgrading on pollution transfer through a two-way fixed-effects model. The results revealed the following: First, intracity transportation infrastructure upgrading forces local industrial firms to transfer pollution outward. Second, intercity transportation infrastructure upgrading accelerates pollution transfer to provincial borders. Third, in the central region, intracity transportation infrastructure upgrading does not significantly impact local pollution transfer. Intercity transportation infrastructure upgrading can aggravate border pollution, whether in the eastern or central regions. Furthermore, border pollution is more serious in the central region. The results have important practical significance for improving China's regional development planning and environmental governance system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]