Bingyin Chen , Weiwen Wang , Shuqing Chen , Wanxue Zhu , Ming Chang , Xuemei Wang
{"title":"Influence of rooftop coupled mitigation strategies on the thermal environment and air quality in the Pearl River Delta Region","authors":"Bingyin Chen , Weiwen Wang , Shuqing Chen , Wanxue Zhu , Ming Chang , Xuemei Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.scs.2025.106273","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.scs.2025.106273","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Rooftop Mitigation Strategies (RMSs) are effective methods for urban climate adaptation, yet Rooftop Coupled Mitigation Strategies (RCMSs), which integrate multiple rooftops technologies, remain underexplored, with limited modeling frameworks and systematic evaluations of their impacts on urban climate and air quality. To address these gaps, this study develops parameterization schemes for RCMSs within the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model, incorporating key characterization parameters from observational experiments. The RCMSs examined included Composite Green Roofs (CGRs), Bifacial Photovoltaic Panels (BPVPs) combined with Cool Roofs (CRs) and BPVPs combined with CGRs. Results indicated that RCMSs significantly altered urban boundary layer dynamics in the Pearl River Delta Region (PRD), China, reducing temperatures by up to 0.36 °C, wind speed by 0.6 m/s, and boundary layer height by 200–600 m due to weakened vertical and horizontal turbulence. These meteorological changes affected pollutant dispersion, increasing concentrations of CO (0.4–1.6 mg/m<sup>3</sup>), PM<sub>2.5</sub> (5–30 μg/m<sup>3</sup>), and O<sub>3</sub> (5–10 ppb) in the urban core areas, although the over pollutant levels observed at air quality monitoring stations across the PRD did not show significant increase. These findings highlight RCMSs as a promising solution for mitigating urban overheating and enhancing resilience to climate change.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48659,"journal":{"name":"Sustainable Cities and Society","volume":"122 ","pages":"Article 106273"},"PeriodicalIF":10.5,"publicationDate":"2025-03-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143580387","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":"COVID-19 and urban vitality: The association between built environment elements and changes in local points of interest using social media data in South Korea","authors":"Yein Ha , Heechul Kim","doi":"10.1016/j.scs.2025.106271","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.scs.2025.106271","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The COVID-19 pandemic has disturbed urban life, requiring an evaluation of public space use and resilience. Social media-based POIs are used to measure urban vitality in Seoul's major commercial areas during the pandemic. DBSCAN clustering found seven significant commercial areas with distinct characteristics. A temporal change of POIs in seven areas showed gradual decline, decline followed by recovery, and stable or growing activity. Non-parametric Kruskal–Wallis tests and negative binomial regression analysis focused on density, land use, street connectivity, and public transportation variables to examine built environment elements affecting these patterns. The findings show that building coverage area, commercial facility, land use mix, and building entrance encourage urban vitality. In contrast, road density and office-dominated areas dismiss urban activity. Morphological diversity and accessible design were more important than population density in determining POI levels. These findings suggest that resilient urban planning should emphasize morphological density, pedestrian-friendly connectivity, and mixed land uses. This study extends previous work on epidemics, urban form, and resilience, highlighting the complex interplay between the built environment and discretionary activities and the strategies needed for sustainable, epidemic-resilient cities. This study's cross-sectional design and social media data may exclude specific demographic groups and limit causal findings.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48659,"journal":{"name":"Sustainable Cities and Society","volume":"123 ","pages":"Article 106271"},"PeriodicalIF":10.5,"publicationDate":"2025-03-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143620837","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}
Chao Wu , Yongxiang Liang , Minwei Zhao , Mingda Teng , Han Yue , Yu Ye
{"title":"Perceiving the fine-scale urban poverty using street view images through a vision-language model","authors":"Chao Wu , Yongxiang Liang , Minwei Zhao , Mingda Teng , Han Yue , Yu Ye","doi":"10.1016/j.scs.2025.106267","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.scs.2025.106267","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Urban poverty, as a complex socio-economic phenomenon, has been accorded significant priority in recent decades. However, most studies on measuring urban poverty primarily rely on statistical survey data that is challenging to collect and lacks spatial details. Furthermore, these existing measurements tend to overlook subjective perceptions. As a response, we propose a framework integrates street view images (SVIs) with a large vision-language model, termed CLIP, to accurately measure fine-grained urban poverty. Subsequently, multi-source data poverty index (MDPI) is calculated and used to assess the reliability of poverty perceptions. Finally, the nonlinear effects of street scenes on poverty perceptions are analyzed. This newly-proposed method not only demonstrates a consistent distribution with MDPI but also exhibits better spatial resolution and efficiency than existed ones. This study introduces a CLIP into urban studies, showing potentials for measuring urban poverty, particularly in emerging market countries where there is an abundance of Internet open data but limited statistical records. By providing a comprehensive assessment of urban poverty, this study can serve as a scientific basis for governments to formulate poverty alleviation policies and achieve precise urban management, thereby contributing to the achievement of SDGs.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48659,"journal":{"name":"Sustainable Cities and Society","volume":"123 ","pages":"Article 106267"},"PeriodicalIF":10.5,"publicationDate":"2025-03-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143594176","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}
Wei Chen , Jianjun Zhang , Chenyan Huang , Shu Fu , Sen Liang , Ke Wang
{"title":"Measuring heat transfer index (HTI): A new method to quantify the spatial influence of land surface temperature between adjacent urban spaces","authors":"Wei Chen , Jianjun Zhang , Chenyan Huang , Shu Fu , Sen Liang , Ke Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.scs.2025.106268","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.scs.2025.106268","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Research on the impact of landscape characteristics on land surface temperature (LST) at the block scale remains relatively limited, especially in terms of thermal effects between patches. Therefore, this study proposed an index of heat transfer index (HTI) that characterizes the thermal propose between patches, and used this index to analyze the spatial influence of LST between adjacent urban spaces in Beijing, China. The analysis results showed that HTI had a significant positive linear correlation with LST, and exhibited a stronger explanatory power (<em>R</em> = 0.343) on the LST of neighboring urban spaces, compared to other 10 indices representing patch size, shape, spatial distribution, and three-dimensional characteristics. The LST changes of different landscape characteristics scenarios based on computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation had verified the accuracy of spatial impact of HTI on LST. The linear regression results showed that for every 1 increase in HTI, the LST of the urban spaces would increase by 0.188 °C. Moreover, this study constructed a functional model using the HTI and landscape features, which effectively explained the trend of real LST changes. The findings provide a reference for urban planners to effectively mitigate urban thermal environment in urban design.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48659,"journal":{"name":"Sustainable Cities and Society","volume":"122 ","pages":"Article 106268"},"PeriodicalIF":10.5,"publicationDate":"2025-03-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143563772","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}
Brian van Laar, Angela Greco, Hilde Remøy, Vincent Gruis, Mohammad B. Hamida
{"title":"Towards desirable futures for the circular adaptive reuse of buildings: A participatory approach","authors":"Brian van Laar, Angela Greco, Hilde Remøy, Vincent Gruis, Mohammad B. Hamida","doi":"10.1016/j.scs.2025.106259","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.scs.2025.106259","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Adaptive reuse of buildings offers a sustainable strategy for reducing global CO2 emissions by repurposing existing structures, conserving resources, reducing the need to extract new materials, and minimizing waste. However, the decision-making process in adaptive reuse projects is often complex, involving conflicting criteria and diverse stakeholders. Current approaches tend to polarize alternatives, focusing either on broad functional use or specific design options, which can limit decision effectiveness and quality. This study addresses these challenges by developing a participatory mixed-methods approach that integrates Cross-Impact Balance (CIB) analysis with creative scenario-building techniques, including generative AI and participatory workshops. This approach balances the extremes of current decision-making processes, offering a more comprehensive overview of desirable futures for decision-makers. The methodology was applied to create 15 “big picture” circular adaptive reuse scenarios, each incorporating circular building adaptability (CBA) strategies, and enriched with AI generated narratives and visualizations. These scenarios provide stakeholders with a nuanced understanding of potential future pathways, enhancing decision-making processes. This mixed-method approach demonstrates the potential of participatory CIB scenario development in advancing circularity, offering a valuable tool for navigating the complexities of adaptive reuse decision-making.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48659,"journal":{"name":"Sustainable Cities and Society","volume":"122 ","pages":"Article 106259"},"PeriodicalIF":10.5,"publicationDate":"2025-03-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143580388","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Xin Yuan , Shuang Zhou , Xiaoqing Li , Jinlang Lyu , Lizi Lin , Yuelong Ji , Hui Wang , Jue Liu , Qin Li , Hai-Jun Wang
{"title":"The association of apparent temperature with fetal growth: A birth cohort study in Beijing, China","authors":"Xin Yuan , Shuang Zhou , Xiaoqing Li , Jinlang Lyu , Lizi Lin , Yuelong Ji , Hui Wang , Jue Liu , Qin Li , Hai-Jun Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.scs.2025.106266","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.scs.2025.106266","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The physiological characteristics of pregnant women and fetuses make them more susceptible to unfavorable temperature conditions. This cohort study in Beijing, China, involved 23,182 singleton pregnant women. Apparent temperature (AT; a composite index of temperature and relative humidity) matched to the participants' residential addresses. Fetal growth was assessed using ultrasound parameters, transformed into gestational-age- and gender-adjusted standard score (Z-score). Association between AT and fetal growth analysed by mixed linear models showed that both high and low AT exposures significantly negatively affected fetal head, abdominal and femur length development and significantly decreased fetal weight in utero. For instance, at ≤23 weeks, both lower and higher AT were associated with a decrease in abdominal circumference (AC) Z-scores by 0.16 (95 % confidence interval (95 % CI):0.20, -0.11). At 24–31 weeks, lower and higher AT decreased AC Z-scores by 0.13 (95 % CI:0.17, -0.09) and 0.09 (95 % CI:0.13, -0.05), respectively. At 32–40 weeks, lower and higher AT decreased AC Z-scores by 0.03 (95 % CI:0.06, 0.01) and 0.06 (95 % CI:0.09, -0.02), respectively. This study contributes to a deeper understanding of the vulnerabilities of pregnant women and fetuses to urban heat exposure, to safeguard public health and promote sustainable development.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48659,"journal":{"name":"Sustainable Cities and Society","volume":"123 ","pages":"Article 106266"},"PeriodicalIF":10.5,"publicationDate":"2025-03-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143594175","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":"Leveraging causal AI to uncover the dynamics in sustainable urban transport: A bike sharing time-series study","authors":"Tamas Fekete, Girum Mengistu, Hendro Wicaksono","doi":"10.1016/j.scs.2025.106240","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.scs.2025.106240","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The importance of developing sustainable urban transportation systems to protect the environment is increasingly recognized worldwide, particularly within the European Union. In the era of digitalization, data-driven approaches are crucial for informed decision-making. This study introduces a methodology leveraging causal artificial intelligence (causal AI) to uncover cause-and-effect relationships in urban transport data. Unlike traditional methods relying on correlations, causal AI identifies the true drivers of transport dynamics. A case study using MOL Bubi bike-sharing data from Budapest demonstrates how the PCMCI (Peter and Clark Momentary Conditional Independence) algorithm revealed complex temporal dependencies within the data, with temperature emerging as the strongest causal factor positively influencing bike usage. Additionally, the reopening of the Chain Bridge led to a 10.7% increase in bike trips, as quantified by Causal Impact analysis. This case study can be extended to more complex scenarios with unpredictable outcomes. The insights gained provide policymakers with a deeper understanding, enabling them to design policies fostering sustainable urban mobility. These results showcase the potential of causal AI to guide policies that enhance sustainable urban mobility.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48659,"journal":{"name":"Sustainable Cities and Society","volume":"122 ","pages":"Article 106240"},"PeriodicalIF":10.5,"publicationDate":"2025-03-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143548618","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Does the integration of the digital economy and the real economy enhance urban green emission reduction efficiency? Evidence from China","authors":"Guoguang Pang, Lin Li, Dong Guo","doi":"10.1016/j.scs.2025.106269","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.scs.2025.106269","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>As a new engine driving high-quality economic development, the integration of the digital economy (DE) and the real economy (RE) (IDERE) may become crucial in enhancing the efficiency of green emission reduction (EGER). Based on panel data from 279 cities in China spanning from 2011 to 2021, this study explores the impact of IDERE on EGER. The results indicate: (1) IDERE can significantly enhance EGER. (2) Heterogeneity analysis shows that IDERE has a more substantial promoting effect on EGER in eastern regions, intelligent city pilots, cities with strong intellectual property protection, and cities with high industrial agglomeration levels. Mechanism analysis reveals that IDERE primarily boosts EGER by fostering green technological innovation (GTI), promoting industrial structure upgrading (ISU), and reducing energy consumption intensity (ECI). (3) IDERE exhibits a positive spatial spillover effect on improving EGER, facilitating collaborative emission reduction among cities. These findings provide new insights into promoting IDERE development and enhancing EGER, as well as offering fresh perspectives for achieving dual carbon targets.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48659,"journal":{"name":"Sustainable Cities and Society","volume":"122 ","pages":"Article 106269"},"PeriodicalIF":10.5,"publicationDate":"2025-03-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143563769","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":"Mitigating particulate matter dispersion from urban earthen sites: A case study of city walls in Zhengzhou, China","authors":"Yueming Wen , Yu Miao , Renjing Zhao , Yaowen Shi , Jiangxing Miao , Chang Lv , Guang Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.scs.2025.106265","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.scs.2025.106265","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Historic sites are valuable urban development and renewal assets, contributing to cultural identity, historical research, built environment, and tourism economy. A study conducted near the Zhengzhou Shang Dynasty Site in China collected complaints from tourists and residents regarding surrounding air environments, negatively affecting attitudes toward site conservation. This study measured wind environments and air qualities in an outdoor parkway and indoor bedrooms adjacent to the exposed city wall. Computational fluid dynamics simulations were conducted using the particle transport and plant canopy models in Cradle scSTREAM to analyse the dispersion process and spatial distribution of particulate matter (PM). The results show: 1) Desiccating earthen sites increased PM<sub>10</sub> concentrations after rainfall. 2) PM<sub>10</sub> concentrations were primarily influenced by vehicle emissions during peak periods and by earthen city walls at other times. 3) Steady north-south canyon winds generated shear ventilation along residential facades but did not facilitate effective indoor-outdoor air exchange. 4) Site winds and spatial forms were key factors influencing the PM<sub>10</sub> dispersion pathway and spatial concentrations. The study summarises multi-scale mitigation measures and simulated three implementable measures: land use and block form, tree placement in the canyon, and street canyon permeability. These measures complement source control in the existing studies from the dispersion control. This study contributes to the sustainable renewal of historic districts and improves the social image of urban sites.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48659,"journal":{"name":"Sustainable Cities and Society","volume":"122 ","pages":"Article 106265"},"PeriodicalIF":10.5,"publicationDate":"2025-03-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143563771","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}
Qiqi Tao, Alexis Tantet, Jordi Badosa, Sylvain Cros, Philippe Drobinski
{"title":"Multiple-scale distributed PV potential penetration in a densely populated city: A case study of Grand Paris metropolis","authors":"Qiqi Tao, Alexis Tantet, Jordi Badosa, Sylvain Cros, Philippe Drobinski","doi":"10.1016/j.scs.2025.106232","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.scs.2025.106232","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Urban sustainability is a critical challenge for climate action, and increased photovoltaic (PV) production is expected to help meet this challenge. However, due to the variable nature of PV, its integration adds complexity to grid management, requiring careful consideration of the energy balance. This study addresses the challenges of energy transition and urban sustainability in densely populated cities through a case study of rooftop photovoltaic (PV) integration in the Grand Paris metropolis. Focusing on energy balance metrics such as self-consumption rate (SCR) and self-sufficiency rate (SSR), the research explores the benefits of distributed PV installations across residential and commercial sectors. Using hourly electricity consumption profiles and PV generation data, the analysis evaluates the impact of energy-sharing schemes within and across urban subregions (city center and semi-urban periphery) and between sectors. The results show that, over an extended scope, cross-sector energy sharing can improve SCR and SSR by up to 6.5% across sectors and 10% across geographical subregions. 3.19 TWh of regional residential consumption and 0.44 TWh of commercial consumption could be covered by PV, accounting for 22.4% of the total for both sectors. The periphery benefits significantly from increased SSR, linked to lower building density and higher PV capacity. Economically, rooftop PV reduces energy costs most in peripheral regions, with expanded energy-sharing perimeters enabling additional savings for central areas. These findings suggest that broader energy-sharing frameworks in metropolitan areas can optimize PV utilization, enhance grid stability, and contribute to resilient, sustainable urban energy systems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48659,"journal":{"name":"Sustainable Cities and Society","volume":"122 ","pages":"Article 106232"},"PeriodicalIF":10.5,"publicationDate":"2025-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143563770","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}