Sustainable Cities and Society最新文献

{"title":"Interactive scheduling for climate-neutral sustainable cities via carbon capture-enabled virtual energy communities considering digital-social welfare and joint certificate trading","authors":"Peyman Zare ,&nbsp;Hossein Shayeghi ,&nbsp;SeyedJalal SeyedShenava ,&nbsp;Babak Mohamadi","doi":"10.1016/j.scs.2026.107208","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.scs.2026.107208","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In pursuit of co-creating future climate-neutral and sustainable cities, this study proposes a welfare-aware, interactive, and synergistic framework for scheduling and economic energy dispatch optimization in renewables-rich virtual energy communities, enhanced by carbon capture, utilization, and storage technologies. The model integrates carbon capture systems and x-to-x technologies into a near-zero carbon footprint-conscious operational structure, while dynamically participating in dual eco-friendly market mechanisms: carbon emission trading and green certificate trading. A six-layer architecture is developed to systematically integrate technical, economic, environmental, and welfare dimensions. The optimization is formulated as a dual-objective problem, maximizing profit and minimizing CO₂ emissions, and transformed into a single-objective formulation using an entropy-based weighting approach. Four scenario-based case studies evaluate performance under diverse carbon policies. Results demonstrate an over 29% reduction in CO₂ emissions and a &gt;9% profit improvement under optimized dispatch, confirming robustness across fluctuating market conditions and parameter uncertainties. Moreover, a digital-social welfare assessment layer is incorporated to enhance energy equity, digital inclusion, and citizen engagement. The proposed framework provides a practical, multidimensional decision-support tool for sustainable energy planning, aligning with the long-term visions of climate-neutral and socially inclusive sustainable cities as envisioned by society stakeholders.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48659,"journal":{"name":"Sustainable Cities and Society","volume":"139 ","pages":"Article 107208"},"PeriodicalIF":12.0,"publicationDate":"2026-03-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146192882","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Rising heat, rising sirens: Spatiotemporal disparities and socio-spatial drivers of heat-related illness exposure risk in Japan","authors":"Jie Chen ,&nbsp;Zhenglun Yang ,&nbsp;Yuxiao Jiang ,&nbsp;Haosen Yang ,&nbsp;Linchuan Yang","doi":"10.1016/j.scs.2026.107210","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.scs.2026.107210","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>With the intensification of climate change, heat-related health risks have emerged as a critical challenge to sustainable urban development. This study investigates the spatiotemporal dynamics and correlates of heat-related illness exposure risk across Japan over the period 2003–2020. Municipality-level heat-related illness risk was estimated using heat-related ambulance transport records alongside multi-source environmental and socio-demographic datasets, with spatial mapping subsequently applied to identify temporal trends and the spatial shift of high-risk zones. Machine learning models were then employed to evaluate the nonlinear and interactive effects of urbanization and social vulnerability on long-term risk trajectories. The key findings are as follows: (1) High-risk areas and exposed populations have expanded outward from major metropolitan regions; (2) Approximately one-quarter of municipalities experienced a significant increase in heat-related illness exposure risk; (3) Marked regional and urban inequalities are evident in both risk levels and temporal trends; and (4) Pronounced nonlinear relationships and interactive effects exist between urbanization, social vulnerability, and temporal trends in exposure risk. This study advances our understanding of the dynamic evolutionary characteristics underpinning heat-related health risks and elucidates their coupling mechanisms with urbanization and demographic attributes, thereby providing empirical support for the formulation of targeted, precise, and sustainable urban planning and heat adaptation strategies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48659,"journal":{"name":"Sustainable Cities and Society","volume":"139 ","pages":"Article 107210"},"PeriodicalIF":12.0,"publicationDate":"2026-03-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146192921","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Evolutionary trends of urban three-dimension expansion: A case study in 36 Chinese metropolitan areas","authors":"Yukan Jin ,&nbsp;Tingting He ,&nbsp;Zhaopeng Lu ,&nbsp;Fashuai Li ,&nbsp;Yuwei Chen","doi":"10.1016/j.scs.2026.107207","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.scs.2026.107207","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>As urban spatial growth continues to shift from outward expansion to vertical expansion, traditional research on two-dimensional urban expansion is insufficient to describe the actual growth process of urban space. Studying urban three-dimensional spatial expansion is essential for understanding the laws of urban development and supporting urban sustainable development.This study uses building volume, population grid, night-time light, and land use data to characterize the evolutionary characteristics of three-dimensional spatial expansion in China's 36 metropolitan areas from the research perspective of \"scale-pattern-rationality-source\". The results show that: (1)The three-dimensional space of cities in China's metropolitan areas has been continuously expanding, but the growth has shown a slowing trend, and the differences between metropolitan areas have been narrowing. In terms of expansion speed (FES), it has been decreasing from the coastal areas to the inland regions; in terms of expansion intensity (FEI), high values are distributed in the western region, the Middle Yangtze River Delta, and the Yangtze River Delta. (2) Edge expansion dominates Chinese metropolitan areas, accounting for 59.29 % of the growth in floor area. Infilling expansion accounts for a relatively higher proportion of growth in the eastern region. (3) The three-dimensional spatial expansion of cities in China's metropolitan areas is generally faster than population growth but lags behind economic development. (4) Cultivated land has borne the main part of the three-dimensional spatial expansion of cities in China's metropolitan areas, followed by bare land.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48659,"journal":{"name":"Sustainable Cities and Society","volume":"139 ","pages":"Article 107207"},"PeriodicalIF":12.0,"publicationDate":"2026-03-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146192985","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Revealing the impact of multi-scale innovation networks on urban carbon emission intensity: Evidence from Chinese cities","authors":"Qixuan Wang ,&nbsp;Haoran Li ,&nbsp;Hangying Su ,&nbsp;Luqiao Yang ,&nbsp;Mi Diao","doi":"10.1016/j.scs.2026.107223","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.scs.2026.107223","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Understanding how intercity innovation networks foster low-carbon urban development is critical for effective climate policy design. This study examines the effects of multi-scale innovation networks (MSIN), at the national, provincial and local levels, on urban carbon emission intensity (UCEI) across 284 Chinese cities from 2008 to 2022. By combining LightGBM–SHAP interpretation with double machine learning (DML), this study provides both explanatory and causal insights. The LightGBM–SHAP analysis indicates that, after accounting for natural environmental, socioeconomic, and policy-related covariates, MSIN collectively explain 10.75 % of the modeled variation in UCEI, with innovation linkages to top-tier cities at the national scale emerging as the most influential factor and exhibiting diminishing marginal returns. Heterogeneity analysis further indicates that MSIN play a more prominent role in urban cluster cities, economically developed cities, and non-resource-based cities, compared to their counterparts. The DML models assess the causal effect of intercity innovation connection across all network scales on UCEI. The results reveal significant emission-reduction effects of MSIN, with the strongest impact observed for national-level connections. Specifically, a 10 % increase in national-level connection is estimated to marginally reduce UCEI by approximately 2.2 kg of CO2 per 10,000 RMB of real GDP, underscoring its substantial contribution to low-carbon urban transition. Mechanism analysis further identifies two significant mediating channels: enhanced green innovation output and increased enterprise innovation vitality, through which national- and provincial-level innovation connections reduce UCEI. This study contributes by integrating ML-based causal inference with multi-scale spatial network framework, highlighting the importance of strengthening top-tier innovation linkages at the national level and adopting differentiated, network-oriented policy strategies to support urban decarbonization and green development.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48659,"journal":{"name":"Sustainable Cities and Society","volume":"139 ","pages":"Article 107223"},"PeriodicalIF":12.0,"publicationDate":"2026-03-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146192886","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Context-sensitive analysis of disaster resilience and equity through geospatial explainable machine learning","authors":"Yirong Ding ,&nbsp;Lu Zhang ,&nbsp;Yang Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.scs.2026.107203","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.scs.2026.107203","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Recurrent hurricanes pose significant challenges for disaster resilience and equitable recovery, yet there is limited research focusing on examining equity’s role in resilience across multiple, temporally distinct disasters. To address this gap, our study analyzes Florida communities impacted sequentially by Hurricanes Irma (2017) and Ian (2022), using FEMA Individual Assistance declarations to delineate the overlapping disaster zones. Leveraging geo-information embedded explainable machine learning, which integrates spatially explicit relationships into machine learning frameworks, we explored the interplay between disaster equity and disaster resilience. Specifically, we examined how (1) place-based equity, measured by building code standards, hazard exposure, and building conditions, and (2) capacity-based equity, measured by socioeconomic and demographic factors, influence three critical dimensions of resilience: disaster impact containment, resource mobilization, and recovery capability. Additionally, we assessed how these relationships and the relative influence of equity determinants change between the two hurricane events. This research contributes to the body of knowledge on community resilience by providing new insights into the dynamics of resilience-equity interactions across communities experiencing recurrent disasters. The findings offer actionable guidance for designing context-sensitive disaster management strategies for disaster-prone communities.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48659,"journal":{"name":"Sustainable Cities and Society","volume":"139 ","pages":"Article 107203"},"PeriodicalIF":12.0,"publicationDate":"2026-03-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146147116","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Sensor configuration optimization for source term estimation of time-varying emissions","authors":"Yiping Lin ,&nbsp;Hong Huang ,&nbsp;Jing Wang ,&nbsp;Xiaole Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.scs.2026.107186","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.scs.2026.107186","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>When a hazardous gas leakage accident occurs, accurate source term estimation is essential for timely emergency response. However, the release rate of source is usually time-varying, making the estimation extremely challenging. This paper employs a sensor configuration optimization method to improve the performance of source term estimation for time-varying sources. The method integrates an objective function based on the gradient of the adjoint concentration field with a Genetic Algorithm to identify the most sensitive sensor location combinations. The result shows that the proposed optimum configuration significantly improves the accuracy of source location estimation, compared with uniform configurations. Three release scenarios (constant/periodic/decaying) are analyzed, and the proposed optimum configuration significantly enhances the accuracy and stability of estimations on both the location and the strength of the source. Besides, the analysis reveals that accurate source strength estimation requires more sensors than source location estimation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48659,"journal":{"name":"Sustainable Cities and Society","volume":"139 ","pages":"Article 107186"},"PeriodicalIF":12.0,"publicationDate":"2026-03-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146147117","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Urban resilience through nature-based solutions in an era of environmental extremes: A global systematic analysis","authors":"Abdul Ghafoor Nizamani ,&nbsp;Dung Thi Vu ,&nbsp;Rafeeque Ahmed Nizamani ,&nbsp;Geir Torgersen","doi":"10.1016/j.scs.2026.107192","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.scs.2026.107192","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Urban areas face escalating climate extremes that disproportionately affect regions with systemic inequities. Traditional infrastructure is inadequate. Nature-based solutions (NbS) offer transformative pathways but risk maladaptive outcomes without justice-centred frameworks. This systematic review synthesises 144 recent studies on urban NbS, examining governance architectures and distributive justice using PRISMA guidelines. The analysis reveals three persistent imbalances: (1) Geographic bias: 69% of research concentrates in Global North contexts, overlooking high-risk Global South regions. (2) Governance: Polycentric models prove unstable; technocratic approaches entrench inequities; and grassroots initiatives face marginalisation. (3) Equity: 93% of studies fail to disaggregate outcomes, masking disproportionate benefits to affluent groups. Digital tools risk algorithmic exclusion without community data sovereignty. To realise NbS as climate justice instruments, three shifts are required: institutionalising mandatory equity metrics, reallocating funding to high-vulnerability regions, and democratising digital transitions through community data sovereignty. Ultimately, Governance reform, not technical innovation, proves paramount for equitable resilience.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48659,"journal":{"name":"Sustainable Cities and Society","volume":"139 ","pages":"Article 107192"},"PeriodicalIF":12.0,"publicationDate":"2026-03-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146147118","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Typological identification of surface rainwater utilization under a supply–Demand synergy framework: A case study of Tianjin, China","authors":"Yingzhi Lu,&nbsp;Yixuan Wang,&nbsp;Saiyi Chen,&nbsp;Tian Chen","doi":"10.1016/j.scs.2026.107212","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.scs.2026.107212","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Global climate change has intensified water security threats in rapidly urbanizing areas, highlighting the need to incorporate rainwater utilization (RU) strategies into urban development. Although conventional rainwater harvesting (RWH) has been widely validated in both urban and agricultural areas, the macro-scale relationship between surface characteristics and RU across areas with diverse land-use types remains insufficiently explored. Previous studies often adopt a one-sided perspective, focusing solely on either supply potential or demand regulation, and thus fail to capture the integrated potential of RU. To address this gap, this study introduces the concept of Rainwater Utilization Service (RUS) to classify surface-based RU types and establishes a coordinated assessment framework that integrates supply and demand. On the supply side, factors such as hydrological processes, spatial planning, and policy are considered to assess RUS potential. On the demand side, the Soil Conservation Service-Curve Number (SCS-CN) method and MIKE System Hydrological European (MIKE SHE) model are employed to simulate surface runoff generation and convergence characteristics, respectively. Applying this framework to Tianjin, the study identifies eight RUS types, each with corresponding intervention priorities: 61.3% of the total area is deemed suitable for the implementation of RWH systems, while 38.7% is more appropriate for natural infiltration strategies. Furthermore, the study reveals that areas with high supply potential are primarily driven by hydrological foundations, followed by policy influences. In contrast, demand hotspots are concentrated in coastal zones, along river networks, and in areas with high surface moisture, with runoff convergence showing a zonal pattern of “high–low–moderate” intensity. As rainfall intensity increases to extreme levels, a threshold is reached beyond which natural and artificial surfaces exhibit similar responses. RUS, as developed in this study, provides a universal paradigm of supply–demand matching, which enables cities facing challenges such as flooding or water scarcity to adapt the framework to their local contexts.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48659,"journal":{"name":"Sustainable Cities and Society","volume":"139 ","pages":"Article 107212"},"PeriodicalIF":12.0,"publicationDate":"2026-03-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146192884","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A global insight into integration of metro and electric vehicle charging stations","authors":"Dingkang Teng ,&nbsp;Justin Hayse Chiwing G. Tang ,&nbsp;Ruichen Ma ,&nbsp;Xiong Yang ,&nbsp;Chengxiang Zhuge","doi":"10.1016/j.scs.2026.107217","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.scs.2026.107217","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study investigates the potential of park-charge-ride (PCR) worldwide in the era of transportation electrification, covering 153 urban study units across the United States, Europe and China. This research uses a set of spatial analysis methods to profile the proximity, density, and clustering patterns of electric vehicle charging stations (EVCS) and parking lots relative to metro stations. The results reveal several substantial regional disparities. The United States demonstrates strong yet uneven PCR implementation with remarkable EVCS aggregation; Europe reaches balanced improvement of PCR services; and China, though possessing the greater metro infrastructure, demonstrates limited EVCS integration metro stations nearby. Intriguingly, the study found no significant policy-driven prioritization of PCR deployment by several types of metro stations (i.e., normal, interchange, terminal). These findings stress the necessity for spatial planning to optimize the coverage of PCR, foster multimodal transport efficiency, and advance sustainable mobility objectives worldwide.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48659,"journal":{"name":"Sustainable Cities and Society","volume":"139 ","pages":"Article 107217"},"PeriodicalIF":12.0,"publicationDate":"2026-03-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146192983","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Citizen science coupled with machine learning to quantify green-blue infrastructure cooling potential in Maricopa County, Arizona","authors":"Alamin Molla ,&nbsp;Katia Lamer ,&nbsp;David J. Sailor","doi":"10.1016/j.scs.2026.107211","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.scs.2026.107211","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study investigates the spatiotemporal cooling performance of green and blue infrastructure (GBI) in the <em>Dobson Ranch</em> urban neighborhood in Phoenix, Arizona. We leveraged citizen science near-surface (2 m) air temperature (Tair) measurements to train a highly accurate Tair predicting LightGBM machine learning model (R²: 0.986, MAE: 0.251 °C, RMSE: 0.585 °C). On June 16, 2024, the park area exhibited approximately 1 °C cooling effect (relative to the neighborhood mean) during both day and night. In contrast, the nearby artificial lake exhibited a stronger cooling effect of 2.4 °C during the day but a slight warming of 0.3 °C at night. At 00:00, locations 50 m downwind of the park were 0.3 °C warmer than the park, while locations 50 m upwind were 0.8 °C warmer. At 11:00, we observed that the downwind area is 0.8 °C cooler and the upwind area is 0.6 °C warmer—at the same 50 m distances relative to the park. We also observed 1 °C cooler and warmer effects respectively at the same 50 m downwind and upwind locations at 19:00 on June 17, 2024. Our data-driven analysis highlights potential limitations of car-traverse measurements, showing that failure to account for temporal variations during the traverse can lead to overestimation of Tair at night and underestimation during the day. Our analysis also showed only a weak correlation (coefficient: 0.48) between Landsat-derived land surface temperature (LST) and model predicted Tair at the time of the local Landsat overpass (∼11.00). This highlights the potential error of relying solely on LST for human thermal exposure analysis—particularly within the heterogenous built-environment.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48659,"journal":{"name":"Sustainable Cities and Society","volume":"139 ","pages":"Article 107211"},"PeriodicalIF":12.0,"publicationDate":"2026-03-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146192986","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}