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Editor’s Choice Articles

Editor’s Choice articles are based on recommendations by the scientific editors of MDPI journals from around the world. Editors select a small number of articles recently published in the journal that they believe will be particularly interesting to readers, or important in the respective research area. The aim is to provide a snapshot of some of the most exciting work published in the various research areas of the journal.

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13 pages, 1231 KiB  
Article
Pedestrians and E-Scooters: An Initial Look at E-Scooter Parking and Perceptions by Riders and Non-Riders
by Owain James, J I Swiderski, John Hicks, Denis Teoman and Ralph Buehler
Sustainability 2019, 11(20), 5591; https://doi.org/10.3390/su11205591 - 11 Oct 2019
Cited by 141 | Viewed by 13793
Abstract
Since 2018, pedestrians in many U.S. cities have been sharing sidewalk space with dockless shared e-scooters. The introduction of e-scooters has received pushback from pedestrians. Complaints reported in the media include e-scooters blocking walkways and sidewalks when parked illegally as well as safety [...] Read more.
Since 2018, pedestrians in many U.S. cities have been sharing sidewalk space with dockless shared e-scooters. The introduction of e-scooters has received pushback from pedestrians. Complaints reported in the media include e-scooters blocking walkways and sidewalks when parked illegally as well as safety concerns from pedestrians who do not feel safe around moving e-scooters. However, little is known beyond a few initial studies on e-scooter parking and anecdotes about pedestrian perceptions of e-scooter safety. Our case study from Rosslyn, Virginia, helps shed light on these two issues. First, we conducted a survey of 181 e-scooter riders and non-riders asking about their perceived safety around riders of e-scooters and experiences of sidewalks blocked by e-scooters. We found highly divergent responses about safety and sidewalk blocking perceptions from riders and non-riders. Second, we conducted an observational study of 606 parked e-scooters along three mixed-use corridors in Rosslyn to investigate the relationship between the built environment and e-scooter parking. We found that 16% of 606 observed e-scooters were not parked properly and 6% (36 e-scooters) were blocking pedestrian right-of-way. Moreover, our survey showed that e-scooter trips in Rosslyn replaced trips otherwise taken by Uber, Lyft, or a taxi (39%), foot (33%), bicycle (12%), bus (7%), or car (7%). Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Pedestrian Safety and Sustainable Transportation)
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26 pages, 7397 KiB  
Article
The Impacts of Landscape Changes on Annual Mean Land Surface Temperature in the Tropical Mountain City of Sri Lanka: A Case Study of Nuwara Eliya (1996–2017)
by Manjula Ranagalage, Yuji Murayama, DMSLB Dissanayake and Matamyo Simwanda
Sustainability 2019, 11(19), 5517; https://doi.org/10.3390/su11195517 - 6 Oct 2019
Cited by 42 | Viewed by 5303
Abstract
Although urbanization has contributed to improving living conditions, it has had negative impacts on the natural environment in urbanized areas. Urbanization has changed the urban landscape and resulted in increasing land surface temperature (LST). Thus, studies related to LST in various urban environments [...] Read more.
Although urbanization has contributed to improving living conditions, it has had negative impacts on the natural environment in urbanized areas. Urbanization has changed the urban landscape and resulted in increasing land surface temperature (LST). Thus, studies related to LST in various urban environments have become popular. However, there are few LST studies focusing on mountain landscapes (i.e., hill stations). Therefore, this study investigated the changes in the landscape and their impacts on LST intensity (LSTI) in the tropical mountain city of Nuwara Eliya, Sri Lanka. The study utilized annual median temperatures extracted from Landsat data collected from 1996 to 2017 based on the Google Earth Engine (GEE) interface. The fractions of built-up (BL), forested (FL) and agricultural (AL) land, were calculated using land use and cover maps based on urban–rural zone (URZ) analysis. The urban–rural margin was demarcated based on the fractions of BL (<10%), and LSTI that were measured using the mean LST difference in the urban–rural zone. Besides, the mixture of land-use types was calculated using the AL/FL and BL/FL fraction ratios, and grid-based density analysis. The results revealed that the BL in all URZs rapidly developed, while AL decreased during the period 1996 to 2017. There was a minimal change in the forest area of the Nuwara Eliya owing to the government’s forest preservation policies. The mean temperature of the study area increased by 2.1 °C from 1996 to 2017. The magnitude of mean LST between urban–rural zones also increased from 1.0 °C (1996) to 3.5 °C (2017). The results also showed that mean LST was positively correlated with the increase and decrease of the BL/FL and AL/FL fraction ratios, respectively. The grid-based analysis showed an increasing, positive relationship between mean LST and density of BL. This indicated that BL density had been a crucial element in increasing LST in the study area. The results of this study will be a useful indicator to introduce improved landscape and urban planning in the future to minimize the negative impact of LST on urban sustainability. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Spatio-Temporal Analysis of Urbanization Using GIS and Remote Sensing in Developing Countries)
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18 pages, 1549 KiB  
Article
Obligation or Innovation: Can the EU Floods Directive Be Seen as a Tipping Point Towards More Resilient Flood Risk Management? A Case Study from Vorarlberg, Austria
by Magdalena Rauter, Thomas Thaler, Marie-Sophie Attems and Sven Fuchs
Sustainability 2019, 11(19), 5505; https://doi.org/10.3390/su11195505 - 4 Oct 2019
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 4116
Abstract
Environmental change is subject to discussion among scientists, practitioners, and policymakers. As increasing threats to both environment and society are on the agenda, alternative management approaches are gaining importance. This paper focuses on the influence of policy changes on flood risk management. There [...] Read more.
Environmental change is subject to discussion among scientists, practitioners, and policymakers. As increasing threats to both environment and society are on the agenda, alternative management approaches are gaining importance. This paper focuses on the influence of policy changes on flood risk management. There is evidence that shifts in settlement patterns and population growth might influence the dynamics of flood damage and loss. There is increased pressure to intensify land use, but also to keep free spaces for hazard mitigation and adaptation. In this paper, we focus on new regulative and management approaches associated with the implementation of the European (EU) Floods Directive in Austria. The concept of tipping points, which are defined as turning points for system change, has been applied. Based on semi-structured interviews we evaluate whether or not the implementation of the EU Floods Directive has triggered a system change in flood risk management. Our results show that triggers for change are past flood events and a general need for action rather than the implementation of the directive itself. Changes related to the EU Floods Directive are likely to happen in the long-term; however, these cannot yet be determined. The main challenges are associated with transparency and communication between policymakers and the affected society. So far, the requirements of the first policy cycle of the directive have been fulfilled. The second policy cycle will show further outcomes and potential needs. Full article
(This article belongs to the Section Sustainability in Geographic Science)
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10 pages, 1216 KiB  
Article
Self-Powered Bioelectrochemical Nutrient Recovery for Fertilizer Generation from Human Urine
by Stefano Freguia, Maddalena E. Logrieco, Juliette Monetti, Pablo Ledezma, Bernardino Virdis and Seiya Tsujimura
Sustainability 2019, 11(19), 5490; https://doi.org/10.3390/su11195490 - 3 Oct 2019
Cited by 40 | Viewed by 5879
Abstract
Nutrient recovery from source-separated human urine has been identified by many as a viable avenue towards the circular economy of nutrients. Moreover, untreated (and partially treated) urine is the main anthropogenic route of environmental discharge of nutrients, most concerning for nitrogen, whose release [...] Read more.
Nutrient recovery from source-separated human urine has been identified by many as a viable avenue towards the circular economy of nutrients. Moreover, untreated (and partially treated) urine is the main anthropogenic route of environmental discharge of nutrients, most concerning for nitrogen, whose release has exceeded the planet’s own self-healing capacity. Urine contains all key macronutrients (N, P, and K) and micronutrients (S, Ca, Mg, and trace metals) needed for plant growth and is, therefore, an excellent fertilizer. However, direct reuse is not recommended in modern society due to the presence of active organic molecules and heavy metals in urine. Many systems have been proposed and tested for nutrient recovery from urine, but none so far has reached technological maturity due to usually high power or chemical requirements or the need for advanced process controls. This work is the proof of concept for the world’s first nutrient recovery system that powers itself and does not require any chemicals or process controls. This is a variation of the previously proposed microbial electrochemical Ugold process, where a novel air cathode catalyst active in urine conditions (pH 9, high ammonia) enables in situ generation of electricity in a microbial fuel cell setup, and the simultaneous harvesting of such electricity for the electrodialytic concentration of ionic nutrients into a product stream, which is free of heavy metals. The system was able to sustain electrical current densities around 3 A m–2 for over two months while simultaneously upconcentrating N and K by a factor of 1.5–1.7. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Water-Energy Sustainable Urban Development)
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30 pages, 15882 KiB  
Article
The Effect of Plant-Derived Biostimulants on White Head Cabbage Seedlings Grown under Controlled Conditions
by Katarzyna Godlewska, Anita Biesiada, Izabela Michalak and Paweł Pacyga
Sustainability 2019, 11(19), 5317; https://doi.org/10.3390/su11195317 - 26 Sep 2019
Cited by 24 | Viewed by 3326
Abstract
The aim of this study was to investigate the potential of using natural raw materials that have not been used for the production of biostimulants of plant growth. These products can effectively contribute to overcome the challenge posed by the increasing demand for [...] Read more.
The aim of this study was to investigate the potential of using natural raw materials that have not been used for the production of biostimulants of plant growth. These products can effectively contribute to overcome the challenge posed by the increasing demand for food. Ultrasound assisted extraction (UAE) was chosen to prepare innovative biostimulants. The expected outcome of this research was to generate products that show beneficial effects on white head cabbage growth, development, and nutritional quality. The results proved that higher plants (mugwort, calendula, purple coneflower, chamomile, basil, giant goldenrod, comfrey, dandelion, and valerian) can be successfully used for the production of biostimulants. For example, products based on common dandelion showed the highest biostimulating activity. In a group treated with 2.5% flower extract, cabbage shoots were 37% longer, whereas in a group treated with 0.5% leaves extract, roots were longer by 76% as compared with a control group treated with water. Biostimulants based on common mugwort (at a dose of 0.5%) and common dandelion (root) (at a dose of 1.0%) increased the mass of cabbage shoots and roots by 106% and 246%, respectively. The majority of biostimulants increased the content of photosynthetic pigments (chlorophyll and carotenoids) and decreased the content of polyphenols. Botanical extracts also showed varied impact on the antioxidant activity of cabbage. Taking into account the benefits for a wide scope of applications, it is expected that the utilization of these types of products should increase in the future. These products can play a key role in sustainable agriculture. Full article
(This article belongs to the Section Sustainable Agriculture)
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23 pages, 422 KiB  
Article
Transport Corridors for Wider Socio–Economic Development
by A S M Abdul Quium
Sustainability 2019, 11(19), 5248; https://doi.org/10.3390/su11195248 - 25 Sep 2019
Cited by 25 | Viewed by 6867
Abstract
There can be two broad objectives of transport corridor development: to improve efficiency in the transport and logistics processes in the corridor, and to generate economic development in the corridor region, capitalizing on improved connectivity and transport networks. This paper focuses on the [...] Read more.
There can be two broad objectives of transport corridor development: to improve efficiency in the transport and logistics processes in the corridor, and to generate economic development in the corridor region, capitalizing on improved connectivity and transport networks. This paper focuses on the second objective of corridor development. A transport corridor can become a tool for spatially balanced and more sustainable economic development and human well-being in the corridor region. Considering the promise of this approach, this paper undertakes a critical review of transport infrastructure development studies undertaken in Sub-Saharan and South Asian countries to find evidence of infrastructure development impacts. Evidence gathered from the review suggests that transport infrastructure development can have significant positive impacts on economic growth, income, poverty, employment, equity, and inclusion. However, there can be important trade-offs between economy and welfare and environmental quality, and the distribution of impacts can be uneven. The paper also considers how some of the transport corridor development issues are addressed and complementary interventions that may be required, and, finally, discusses lessons learned from the review and their policy implications which can be useful for future corridor designs, and provides suggestions of research studies to fill the current knowledge gaps. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable High Volume Road and Rail Transport in Low Income Countries)
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15 pages, 1491 KiB  
Article
An Improved Method for Obtaining Solar Irradiation Data at Temporal High-Resolution
by Leocadio Hontoria, Catalina Rus-Casas, Juan Domingo Aguilar and Jesús C. Hernandez
Sustainability 2019, 11(19), 5233; https://doi.org/10.3390/su11195233 - 24 Sep 2019
Cited by 13 | Viewed by 2960
Abstract
Solar irradiation that is received on a terrestrial surface at minor scale of an hour does not have many records, since the current solar irradiation databases generally only have data recorded on a daily (most) and hourly (some less) scale. For places where [...] Read more.
Solar irradiation that is received on a terrestrial surface at minor scale of an hour does not have many records, since the current solar irradiation databases generally only have data recorded on a daily (most) and hourly (some less) scale. For places where there are no records of solar irradiation, there are a lot of methods that are used to synthetically or artificially generate these data, and again they are usually methods that generate data on a daily or hourly scale. Currently, for all types of applications, especially in the field of photovoltaic solar energy, irradiation data are needed at minor scale of an hour. In this case, there are very few methods to generate such data. For this purpose, a new methodology to generate series of solar irradiation at temporal high-resolution. In this paper, it is presented on a 10-min basis. A comparative study with real data has been done and the conclusion, as it will be explained is that the proposed methodology provides very good results. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Photovoltaic Power)
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16 pages, 4238 KiB  
Article
Hydrologic Alteration at the Upper and Middle Part of the Yangtze River, China: Towards Sustainable Water Resource Management Under Increasing Water Exploitation
by Rawshan Ali, Alban Kuriqi, Shadan Abubaker and Ozgur Kisi
Sustainability 2019, 11(19), 5176; https://doi.org/10.3390/su11195176 - 20 Sep 2019
Cited by 108 | Viewed by 6079
Abstract
The human influence on the river ecosystem has increased in recent years to feed the growing demand for water to communities by constructing different water structures. It is essential to understand the potential impacts of water structures on river hydrologic regimes. Thus, this [...] Read more.
The human influence on the river ecosystem has increased in recent years to feed the growing demand for water to communities by constructing different water structures. It is essential to understand the potential impacts of water structures on river hydrologic regimes. Thus, this study investigates the influence of the cascade dams located upstream of the Three Gorges Dam on the Yangtze River on the river ecosystem. The study was carried out for the period 2003–2015 for both Cuntan and Miaohe stations. The analysis was conducted considering two periods, pre-impact; before the dam construction and post-impact; after the dam construction. The assessment was carried out using “Indicators of Hydrologic Alteration.” The results of this study revealed that the cascade dams built upstream of Three Gorges Dam has both positive and negative impacts at both stations. Flows were found to have positive impacts in July while low in October for both stations. The 1-day minimum flows were found to decrease by 7% over Miaohe Station while the 1-day maximum was decreased up to 2% in Cuntan. Overall, the results of the study indicate that there are undesirable impacts which should be adjusted to maintain the river ecosystem at an acceptable level compared to its natural state. It is expected that the findings of the study can guide water managers to adjust the hydropower operation sustainably. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Uncertainty of Climate Change Impacts on Hydrology, Water Quality and Ecology)
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27 pages, 2507 KiB  
Review
Agricultural Sustainability: A Review of Concepts and Methods
by Maria G. Lampridi, Claus G. Sørensen and Dionysis Bochtis
Sustainability 2019, 11(18), 5120; https://doi.org/10.3390/su11185120 - 19 Sep 2019
Cited by 103 | Viewed by 16011
Abstract
This paper presents a methodological framework for the systematic literature review of agricultural sustainability studies. The framework synthesizes all the available literature review criteria and introduces a two-level analysis facilitating systematization, data mining, and methodology analysis. The framework was implemented for the systematic [...] Read more.
This paper presents a methodological framework for the systematic literature review of agricultural sustainability studies. The framework synthesizes all the available literature review criteria and introduces a two-level analysis facilitating systematization, data mining, and methodology analysis. The framework was implemented for the systematic literature review of 38 crop agricultural sustainability assessment studies at farm-level for the last decade. The investigation of the methodologies used is of particular importance since there are no standards or norms for the sustainability assessment of farming practices. The chronological analysis revealed that the scientific community’s interest in agricultural sustainability is increasing in the last three years. The most used methods include indicator-based tools, frameworks, and indexes, followed by multicriteria methods. In the reviewed studies, stakeholder participation is proved crucial in the determination of the level of sustainability. It should also be mentioned that combinational use of methodologies is often observed, thus a clear distinction of methodologies is not always possible. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Green, Closed Loop, Circular Bio-Economy)
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17 pages, 5153 KiB  
Article
Crop Mapping Based on Historical Samples and New Training Samples Generation in Heilongjiang Province, China
by Lin Zhang, Zhe Liu, Diyou Liu, Quan Xiong, Ning Yang, Tianwei Ren, Chao Zhang, Xiaodong Zhang and Shaoming Li
Sustainability 2019, 11(18), 5052; https://doi.org/10.3390/su11185052 - 16 Sep 2019
Cited by 28 | Viewed by 2879
Abstract
Accurate, year-by-year crop distribution information is a key element in agricultural production regulation and global change governance. However, due to the high sampling costs and insufficient use of historical samples, a supervised classifying method for sampling every year is unsustainable for mapping crop [...] Read more.
Accurate, year-by-year crop distribution information is a key element in agricultural production regulation and global change governance. However, due to the high sampling costs and insufficient use of historical samples, a supervised classifying method for sampling every year is unsustainable for mapping crop types over time. Therefore, this paper proposes a method for the generation and screening of new samples for 2018 based on historical crop samples, and then it builds a crop mapping model for that current season. Pixels with the same crop type in the historical year (2013–2017) were extracted as potential samples, and their spectral features and spatial information in the current year (2018) were used to generate new samples based on clustering screening. The research result shows that when the clustering number is different, the number and structure of new generated sample also changes. The sample structure generated in Luobei County was not balanced, with the ‘other crop’ representing less than 3.97%, but the structure of southwest Hulin City was more balanced. Based on the newly generated samples and the ground reference data of classified year, the classification models were constructed. The average classification accuracies of Luobei County in 2018 based on new generated samples and field samples were 69.35% and 77.59%, respectively, while those of southwest Hulin City were 80.44% and 82.94%, respectively. Combined with historical samples and the spectral information of the current year, this study proposes a method to generate new samples. It can overcome the problem of crop samples only being collected in the field due to the difficulty of visual interpretation, effectively improve the use of historical data, and also provide a new idea for sustainable crop mapping in many regions lacking seasonal field samples. Full article
(This article belongs to the Section Sustainable Agriculture)
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20 pages, 3076 KiB  
Article
Seeing Sustainability from Space: Using Earth Observation Data to Populate the UN Sustainable Development Goal Indicators
by Ana Andries, Stephen Morse, Richard J. Murphy, Jim Lynch and Emma R. Woolliams
Sustainability 2019, 11(18), 5062; https://doi.org/10.3390/su11185062 - 16 Sep 2019
Cited by 29 | Viewed by 6077
Abstract
In 2015, member countries of the United Nations adopted the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at the Sustainable Development Summit in New York. These global goals have 169 targets and 232 indicators based on the three pillars of sustainable development: economic, social, and [...] Read more.
In 2015, member countries of the United Nations adopted the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at the Sustainable Development Summit in New York. These global goals have 169 targets and 232 indicators based on the three pillars of sustainable development: economic, social, and environmental. However, substantial challenges remain in obtaining data of the required quality and quantity to populate these indicators efficiently. One promising and innovative way of addressing this issue is to use Earth observation (EO). The research reported here updates our original work to develop a Maturity Matrix Framework (MMF) for assessing the suitability of EO-derived data for populating the SDG indicators, with a special focus on those indicators covering the more social and economic dimensions of sustainable development, as these have been under-explored in terms of the contribution that can be made by EO. The advanced MMF 2.0 framework set out in this paper is based on a wide consultation with EO and indicator experts (semi-structured interviews with 38 respondents). This paper provides detail of the evolved structure of MMF 2.0 and illustrates its use for one of the SDG indicators (Indicator 11.1.1). The revised MMF is then applied to published work covering the full suite of SDG indicators and demonstrates that EO can make an important contribution to providing data relevant to a substantial number of the SDG indicators. Full article
(This article belongs to the Section Environmental Sustainability and Applications)
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14 pages, 2012 KiB  
Article
Improving the Sustainability of Dairy Slurry by A Commercial Additive Treatment
by Federica Borgonovo, Cecilia Conti, Daniela Lovarelli, Valentina Ferrante and Marcella Guarino
Sustainability 2019, 11(18), 4998; https://doi.org/10.3390/su11184998 - 12 Sep 2019
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 7424
Abstract
Ammonia (NH3), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from livestock farms contribute to negative environmental impacts such as acidification and climate change. A significant part of these emissions is produced from [...] Read more.
Ammonia (NH3), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from livestock farms contribute to negative environmental impacts such as acidification and climate change. A significant part of these emissions is produced from the decomposition of slurry in livestock facilities, during storage and treatment phases. This research aimed at evaluating the effectiveness of the additive “SOP LAGOON” (made of agricultural gypsum processed with proprietary technology) on (i) NH3 and Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions, (ii) slurry properties and N loss. Moreover, the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) method was applied to assess the potential environmental impact associated with stored slurry treated with the additive. Six barrels were filled with 65 L of cattle slurry, of which three were used as a control while the additive was used in the other three. The results indicated that the use of the additive led to a reduction of total nitrogen, nitrates, and GHG emissions. LCA confirmed the higher environmental sustainability of the scenario with the additive for some environmental impact categories among which climate change. In conclusion, the additive has beneficial effects on both emissions and the environment, and the nitrogen present in the treated slurry could partially displace a mineral fertilizer, which can be considered an environmental credit. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Economic and Environmental Impact Assessment of Renewable Energy from Biomass)
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19 pages, 2837 KiB  
Article
Analysis of Space-Time Variation of Passenger Flow and Commuting Characteristics of Residents Using Smart Card Data of Nanjing Metro
by Wei Yu, Hua Bai, Jun Chen and Xingchen Yan
Sustainability 2019, 11(18), 4989; https://doi.org/10.3390/su11184989 - 12 Sep 2019
Cited by 21 | Viewed by 3501
Abstract
The rapid development of cities has brought new challenges and opportunities to traditional traffic management. The usage of smart cards promotes the upgrading of intelligent transportation systems, and also produces considerable big data. As an important part of the urban comprehensive transportation system, [...] Read more.
The rapid development of cities has brought new challenges and opportunities to traditional traffic management. The usage of smart cards promotes the upgrading of intelligent transportation systems, and also produces considerable big data. As an important part of the urban comprehensive transportation system, Nanjing metro has more than 1 million inbound and outbound records of traffic smart cards used by residents every day. How to process these traffic data and present them visually is an urgent problem in modern traffic management. In this study, five working days with normal weather conditions in Nanjing were selected, and the swiping records of the smart cards were extracted, and the space–time characteristics were analyzed. In terms of time analysis, this research analyzed the 24-h fluctuation of daily average passenger flow, peak hour coefficient of passenger flow, 24-h fluctuation of passenger flow on different metro lines, passenger flow intensity on different metro lines and passenger flow comparison at different stations. In spatial analysis, this study uses thermodynamic charts to represent the inflow and outflow of passengers at different stations during early and evening peak periods. The analysis results and visualized images directly reflect the area where Nanjing metro congestion is located, and also shows the commuting characteristics of residents. It can solve the problem of urban congestion, carry out the rational layout of urban functional areas, and promote the sustainable development of people and cities. Full article
(This article belongs to the Section Sustainable Transportation)
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48 pages, 5274 KiB  
Review
Urban Stream and Wetland Restoration in the Global South—A DPSIR Analysis
by Karl M. Wantzen, Carlos Bernardo Mascarenhas Alves, Sidia Diaouma Badiane, Raita Bala, Martín Blettler, Marcos Callisto, Yixin Cao, Melanie Kolb, G. Mathias Kondolf, Marina Fernandes Leite, Diego Rodrigues Macedo, Obaidullah Mahdi, Moana Neves, M. Elfritzson Peralta, Vincent Rotgé, Guillermo Rueda-Delgado, Andres Scharager, Anna Serra-Llobet, Jean-Louis Yengué and Aude Zingraff-Hamed
Sustainability 2019, 11(18), 4975; https://doi.org/10.3390/su11184975 - 11 Sep 2019
Cited by 58 | Viewed by 11054
Abstract
In many countries of the Global South, aquatic ecosystems such as streams, rivers, lakes, and wetlands are severely impacted by several simultaneous environmental stressors, associated with accelerated urban development, and extreme climate. However, this problem receives little attention. Applying a DPSIR approach (Drivers, [...] Read more.
In many countries of the Global South, aquatic ecosystems such as streams, rivers, lakes, and wetlands are severely impacted by several simultaneous environmental stressors, associated with accelerated urban development, and extreme climate. However, this problem receives little attention. Applying a DPSIR approach (Drivers, Pressures, State, Impacts, Responses), we analyzed the environmental impacts and their effects on urban hydrosystems (including stagnant waters), and suggest possible solutions from a series of case studies worldwide. We find that rivers in the Global South, with their distinctive geographical and socio-political setting, display significant differences from the Urban Stream Syndrome described so far in temperate zones. We introduce the term of ‘Southern Urban Hydrosystem Syndrome’ for the biophysical problems as well as the social interactions, including the perception of water bodies by the urbanites, the interactions of actors (e.g., top-down, bottom-up), and the motivations that drive urban hydrosystem restoration projects of the Global South. Supported by a synthesis of case studies (with a focus on Brazilian restoration projects), this paper summarizes the state of the art, highlights the currently existing lacunae for research, and delivers examples of practical solutions that may inform UNESCO’s North–South–South dialogue to solve these urgent problems. Two elements appear to be specifically important for the success of restoration projects in the Global South, namely the broad acceptance and commitment of local populations beyond merely ‘ecological’ justifications, e.g., healthy living environments and ecosystems with cultural linkages (‘River Culture’). To make it possible implementable/practical solutions must be extended to (often poor) people having settled along river banks and wetlands. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Human–River Interactions in Cities)
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16 pages, 2258 KiB  
Article
A Framework for Assessing Modeling Performance and Effects of Rainfall-Catchment-Drainage Characteristics on Nutrient Urban Runoff in Poorly Gauged Watersheds
by Angela Gorgoglione, Andrea Gioia and Vito Iacobellis
Sustainability 2019, 11(18), 4933; https://doi.org/10.3390/su11184933 - 10 Sep 2019
Cited by 32 | Viewed by 2935
Abstract
Protection of surface water quality plays a crucial role for sustainable urban watershed management since the wash-off from impervious contaminated surfaces generates transport phenomena from a range of pollutants (like nutrients, such as total nitrogen (Ntot) and total phosphorus (Ptot [...] Read more.
Protection of surface water quality plays a crucial role for sustainable urban watershed management since the wash-off from impervious contaminated surfaces generates transport phenomena from a range of pollutants (like nutrients, such as total nitrogen (Ntot) and total phosphorus (Ptot)). This leads to the consequent reduction of water quality, and to phenomena, such as eutrophication and the presence of algae blooms. For this reason, a comprehensive understanding of nutrient build-up and wash-off is essential for efficient stormwater treatment design. However, data scarcity could represent one of the main limitations in this context. This manuscript presents a methodological framework able to tackle such limitations by an in-depth investigation of the main factors that influence the build-up and wash-off from impervious surfaces, including rainfall, watershed, and drainage-network characteristics. The outcomes highlight the key role played by the antecedent dry period, among the rainfall characteristics, and the width of the overland flow path, among the catchment/drainage characteristics. It is also confirmed as appropriate to use suspended solids as a surrogate for the investigation of the behavior of other pollutant species. Additionally, the capability of this approach in assessing modeling performance was successfully tested. The results of the present study are expected to contribute valuable knowledge for defining effective management strategies to minimize stream pollution and protect the health of aquatic ecosystems in urban watersheds characterized by data scarcity. Full article
(This article belongs to the Section Environmental Sustainability and Applications)
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15 pages, 1271 KiB  
Article
Impact of the Electric Mobility Implementation on the Greenhouse Gases Production in Central European Countries
by Tomáš Skrúcaný, Martin Kendra, Ondrej Stopka, Saša Milojević, Tomasz Figlus and Csaba Csiszár
Sustainability 2019, 11(18), 4948; https://doi.org/10.3390/su11184948 - 10 Sep 2019
Cited by 89 | Viewed by 5625
Abstract
The preference and the development of electromobility are included among the priorities of transport policies in many European countries. This article deals with the issue of electric vehicle operation from the point of view of the environmental impact of electric power production, specifically [...] Read more.
The preference and the development of electromobility are included among the priorities of transport policies in many European countries. This article deals with the issue of electric vehicle operation from the point of view of the environmental impact of electric power production, specifically the energy effectiveness of its production by utilizing primary power production sources. Differences in the effectiveness of the conversion of mixed forms of energy into electricity and their share in the process directly affect the final level of greenhouse gases (GHG) production, and thus the ecological footprint of electric vehicle operations. The specification of energy consumption and GHG production is based on the principles of the EN 16 258: 2012 standard, which considers legislative-regulated power plant effectiveness values, statistical values of GHG emissions from electricity production, and real energy consumption values of an electric vehicle fleet. The calculation takes into account the share of primary sources and the efficiency of electricity production and effectiveness of electricity distribution in each of the evaluated countries. The specific research study is performed by comparing measured parameters for individual countries chosen from the Central Europe region. The results of the study show that the quantification of the positive environmental consequences of increasing electromobility varies greatly in different countries, which means full-scale deployment of electromobility does necessarily deliver the sustainability of transport that was expected from it. Full article
(This article belongs to the Section Sustainable Transportation)
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20 pages, 3170 KiB  
Article
Circular Area Design or Circular Area Functioning? A Discourse-Institutional Analysis of Circular Area Developments in Amsterdam and Utrecht, The Netherlands
by Karel Van den Berghe and Martijn Vos
Sustainability 2019, 11(18), 4875; https://doi.org/10.3390/su11184875 - 6 Sep 2019
Cited by 29 | Viewed by 4719
Abstract
The hypothesis of this paper is that the circular economy (CE) has the potential to (re)balance the conflict within urban spatial planning between ‘place as a location’ and the ‘organization of space’. The former dominates the latter following a shift from a Fordist [...] Read more.
The hypothesis of this paper is that the circular economy (CE) has the potential to (re)balance the conflict within urban spatial planning between ‘place as a location’ and the ‘organization of space’. The former dominates the latter following a shift from a Fordist towards a finance and real-estate driven regime. A consequence is that existing manufacturing areas are increasingly transformed into residential and commercial areas. However, this conflicts with the rationale of CE, namely that to end the linear economy, externalized activities, such as the (re)manufacturing of waste, should be internalized again, especially within urban regions. Emphasized by the EU, The Netherlands have the ambition to become fully circular in 2050. To test our hypothesis, we focus on two ongoing circular area developments in Amsterdam and Utrecht. By performing a discourse-institutional analysis, we detect in both case studies a change in discourse towards CE. Our results show that in contrast to our hypothesis, the concept of circularity is not emphasizing the ‘organization of space’, but even accelerating ‘space as a location’, increasingly transforming urban industrial areas into circular built residential and commercial areas. We conclude with spatial policy recommendations regarding the ambitions of a future CE. Full article
(This article belongs to the Section Sustainable Urban and Rural Development)
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22 pages, 10618 KiB  
Article
Passive Design Strategies for Residential Buildings in Different Spanish Climate Zones
by Maria-Mar Fernandez-Antolin, José Manuel del Río, Vincenzo Costanzo, Francesco Nocera and Roberto-Alonso Gonzalez-Lezcano
Sustainability 2019, 11(18), 4816; https://doi.org/10.3390/su11184816 - 4 Sep 2019
Cited by 44 | Viewed by 8279
Abstract
The Passive House (PH) concept is considered an efficient strategy to reduce energy consumption in the building sector, where most of the energy is used for heating and cooling applications. For this reason, energy efficiency measures are increasingly implemented in the residential sector, [...] Read more.
The Passive House (PH) concept is considered an efficient strategy to reduce energy consumption in the building sector, where most of the energy is used for heating and cooling applications. For this reason, energy efficiency measures are increasingly implemented in the residential sector, which is the main responsible for such a consumption. The need for professionals dealing with energy issues, and particularly for architects during the early stages of their architectural design, is crucial when considering energy efficient buildings. Therefore, architects involved in the design and construction stages have key roles in the process of enhancing energy efficiency in buildings. This research work explores the energy efficiency and optimized architectural design for residential buildings located in different climate zones in Spain, with an emphasis on Building Performance Simulation (BPS) as the key tool for architects and other professionals. According to a parametric analysis performed using Design Builder, the following optimal configurations are found for typical residential building projects: North-to-South orientation in all the five climate zones, a maximum shape factor of 0.48, external walls complying with the maximum U-value prescribed by Spanish Building Technical Code (0.35 Wm−2K−1) and a Window-to-Wall Ratio of no more than 20%. In terms of solar reflectance, it is found that the use of light colors is better in hotter climate zones A4, B4, and C4, whereas the best option is using darker colors in the colder climate zones D3 and E1. These measures help reaching the energy demand thresholds set by the Passivhaus Standard in all climate zones except for those located in climates C4, D3 and E1, for which further passive design measures are needed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Assessing the Performance of Passive Houses in Mediterranean Climate Regions)
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18 pages, 262 KiB  
Article
Straw Stocks as a Source of Renewable Energy. A Case Study of a District in Poland
by Renata Marks-Bielska, Stanisław Bielski, Anastasija Novikova and Kęstutis Romaneckas
Sustainability 2019, 11(17), 4714; https://doi.org/10.3390/su11174714 - 29 Aug 2019
Cited by 42 | Viewed by 3535
Abstract
Biomass is playing an increasingly important role as a source of renewable energy. The aim of this study has been to identify the potential applicability of straw from agricultural crops to generate energy within the district of Braniewo, in the province Warmia and [...] Read more.
Biomass is playing an increasingly important role as a source of renewable energy. The aim of this study has been to identify the potential applicability of straw from agricultural crops to generate energy within the district of Braniewo, in the province Warmia and Mazury, Poland. The study covered the years 2015 to 2017. Based on statistical data, and using appropriate equations and norms, the structure of crop production and the number of livestock in the mentioned district were analysed; the potential production volume of straw was estimated, from which the amount needed for animal production (feed and bedding) was deducted, while the organic substance balance in soil was calculated. An annual average amount of straw remaining to be used for energy purposes in the district of Braniewo is about 41,531 t of straw, equivalent to about 60,222 GJ of energy (24,088 t of coal). In addition to the above analyses, a survey was conducted among local farmers, which showed their opinions about barriers to and opportunities for growing crops for energy purposes and using renewable energy resources. The survey results justify the claim that there is certain potential among farmers in the district of Braniewo to grow crops for energy purposes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Section Energy Sustainability)
12 pages, 6855 KiB  
Article
Urban Expansion and the Loss of Prairie and Agricultural Lands: A Satellite Remote-Sensing-Based Analysis at a Sub-Watershed Scale
by Opeyemi A. Zubair, Wei Ji and Olusola Festus
Sustainability 2019, 11(17), 4673; https://doi.org/10.3390/su11174673 - 28 Aug 2019
Cited by 13 | Viewed by 2787
Abstract
Prairies or grasslands together with areas designated as agricultural lands are one of the largest types of land cover and land use that exist today. While prairies provide habitat to a wide variety of animals and organisms, and agricultural lands support human populations, [...] Read more.
Prairies or grasslands together with areas designated as agricultural lands are one of the largest types of land cover and land use that exist today. While prairies provide habitat to a wide variety of animals and organisms, and agricultural lands support human populations, these lands, especially those in the immediate vicinities of large urban areas, are giving way to urbanization at alarming rates. In particular, prairies are often viewed as wastelands because their benefit to the effective functioning of the urban ecosystem is often not fully understood. On the other hand, many agricultural lands are being converted for several urban uses because of the high economic returns from their sale. In this study, we classified SPOT (Satellite Pour l’Observation de la Terre) satellite data of the study area using the supervised maximum likelihood classification approach in order to investigate the loss of prairies and agricultural lands due to urban expansion in six sub-watersheds in the Kansas City metropolitan area of the States of Kansas and Missouri in the U.S. Based on the classified maps, we computed the magnitude and rate of urban expansion, and the proportion of loss in prairies and agricultural lands that was a result of urban expansion. Results from the 22-year study revealed that in all six sub-watersheds, agricultural lands and grassland were depleted at alarming rates with no sustainable effort to conserve them. These results provide baseline information that can support a data-driven and sustainable path for urban expansion in the examined sub-watersheds. Full article
(This article belongs to the Section Sustainable Urban and Rural Development)
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15 pages, 1736 KiB  
Article
Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans: How Do They Work?
by Maja Kiba-Janiak and Jarosław Witkowski
Sustainability 2019, 11(17), 4605; https://doi.org/10.3390/su11174605 - 24 Aug 2019
Cited by 50 | Viewed by 6007
Abstract
The growing demand for passenger and freight transport in cities, resulting from the population growth in urbanized areas, has led to increasing problems with congestion, environmental pollution and, as a consequence, to a decrease in quality of life. This problem was noticed by [...] Read more.
The growing demand for passenger and freight transport in cities, resulting from the population growth in urbanized areas, has led to increasing problems with congestion, environmental pollution and, as a consequence, to a decrease in quality of life. This problem was noticed by the European Commission, which began to promote the concept of sustainable urban mobility plans (SUMPs). The efficient implementation of SUMPs requires tools for its evaluation. However, in the literature, most proposed assessment tools relate mainly to passenger transport, omitting the freight transport. The purpose of this paper is to utilize a multiple criteria analysis with the use of the Promethee method in order to assess the level of advancement of selected European Union (EU) capital cities in the field of sustainable urban mobility plan formulation and implementation. This method has been applied on the basis of a survey conducted among representatives of 15 EU capital cities and analyses of transportation plans. This research shows that cities that have a comprehensive transport plan consistently collaborate with different stakeholder groups, have implemented the greatest number of measures in the field of sustainable urban transport, and have achieved the best results in terms of safety and NO2 (nitrogen oxides) and PM (particulate matter) emissions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue City Logistics)
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11 pages, 628 KiB  
Article
Evaluation of Water Use Efficiency of 31 Provinces and Municipalities in China Using Multi-Level Entropy Weight Method Synthesized Indexes and Data Envelopment Analysis
by Boyang Sun, Xiaohua Yang, Yipeng Zhang and Xiaojuan Chen
Sustainability 2019, 11(17), 4556; https://doi.org/10.3390/su11174556 - 22 Aug 2019
Cited by 29 | Viewed by 2459
Abstract
China’s water shortage problem is becoming increasingly severe. Improving water use efficiency is crucial to alleviating China’s water crisis. This paper evaluates the water use efficiency of 31 provinces and municipalities in China by using the data envelopment analysis (DEA) method. When the [...] Read more.
China’s water shortage problem is becoming increasingly severe. Improving water use efficiency is crucial to alleviating China’s water crisis. This paper evaluates the water use efficiency of 31 provinces and municipalities in China by using the data envelopment analysis (DEA) method. When the usual DEA model has too many indexes selected, it will cause the majority of the decision making units (DMUs) efficiency values be one, which leads to invalid evaluation results. Therefore, by using the entropy weight method, a new synthetic set of indexes is constructed based on the original indexes. The new synthetic set of indexes retains the full information of the original indexes, and the goal of simplifying the number of indexes is achieved. Simultaneously, by empowering the original indexes, the evaluation using synthetic indexes can also avoid the impact of industrial structure and labor division on water use efficiency. The results show that in China’s northeastern grain producing areas, water use efficiency is higher due to the high level of agricultural modernization. The provinces in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River have the lowest water use efficiency due to water pollution and water waste. In general, China’s overall water use efficiency is low, and there is still much room for improvement. Full article
(This article belongs to the Section Environmental Sustainability and Applications)
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19 pages, 22012 KiB  
Article
Sustainability Assessment of Smallholder Farmland Systems: Healthy Farmland System Assessment Framework
by Yahui Lv, Chao Zhang, Jiani Ma, Wenju Yun, Lulu Gao and Pengshan Li
Sustainability 2019, 11(17), 4525; https://doi.org/10.3390/su11174525 - 21 Aug 2019
Cited by 14 | Viewed by 2815
Abstract
Agriculture sustainability assessment is conducive to promoting sustainable agriculture construction and sustainable development. Modern agriculture and modern small-peasant production have different requirements for agriculture sustainability. Related studies provided assessment frameworks for many parts of the world. However, existing frameworks have distinct limitations and [...] Read more.
Agriculture sustainability assessment is conducive to promoting sustainable agriculture construction and sustainable development. Modern agriculture and modern small-peasant production have different requirements for agriculture sustainability. Related studies provided assessment frameworks for many parts of the world. However, existing frameworks have distinct limitations and are not applicable to modern small-peasant economy (MSE) areas, such as China. The purpose of this study is regarding China as an example to construct a healthy farmland system assessment framework (HFSAF), to assess smallholder farmland systems’ sustainability. HFSAF’s theoretical basis, indicator system, data preparation methods, multi-level aggregation rule and results description method are presented in this paper. HFSAF is a multi-level indicator system with adjustable parameters, covering environment, economy and society aspects, including three dimensions, nine visions, 15 themes and 40 basic indicators. Taking Da’an City, Jilin Province, China as the study area to implement HFSAF. The assessment results prove HFSAF can be used to assess agricultural sustainability in MSE areas with limited agro-resource supplies, to assist the sustainable decision-making and regional agriculture remold. Full article
(This article belongs to the Section Sustainable Agriculture)
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19 pages, 1832 KiB  
Review
Lane-Level Road Network Generation Techniques for Lane-Level Maps of Autonomous Vehicles: A Survey
by Ling Zheng, Bijun Li, Bo Yang, Huashan Song and Zhi Lu
Sustainability 2019, 11(16), 4511; https://doi.org/10.3390/su11164511 - 20 Aug 2019
Cited by 29 | Viewed by 5830
Abstract
Autonomous driving is experiencing rapid development. A lane-level map is essential for autonomous driving, and a lane-level road network is a fundamental part of a lane-level map. A large amount of research has been performed on lane-level road network generation based on various [...] Read more.
Autonomous driving is experiencing rapid development. A lane-level map is essential for autonomous driving, and a lane-level road network is a fundamental part of a lane-level map. A large amount of research has been performed on lane-level road network generation based on various on-board systems. However, there is a lack of analysis and summaries with regards to previous work. This paper presents an overview of lane-level road network generation techniques for the lane-level maps of autonomous vehicles with on-board systems, including the representation and generation of lane-level road networks. First, sensors for lane-level road network data collection are discussed. Then, an overview of the lane-level road geometry extraction methods and mathematical modeling of a lane-level road network is presented. The methodologies, advantages, limitations, and summaries of the two parts are analyzed individually. Next, the classic logic formats of a lane-level road network are discussed. Finally, the survey summarizes the results of the review. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable and Intelligent Transportation Systems)
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15 pages, 5009 KiB  
Article
A New Topology of a Fast Proactive Hybrid DC Circuit Breaker for MT-HVDC Grids
by Fazel Mohammadi, Gholam-Abbas Nazri and Mehrdad Saif
Sustainability 2019, 11(16), 4493; https://doi.org/10.3390/su11164493 - 19 Aug 2019
Cited by 22 | Viewed by 3948
Abstract
One of the major challenges toward the reliable and safe operation of the Multi-Terminal HVDC (MT-HVDC) grids arises from the need for a very fast DC-side protection system to detect, identify, and interrupt the DC faults. Utilizing DC Circuit Breakers (CBs) to isolate [...] Read more.
One of the major challenges toward the reliable and safe operation of the Multi-Terminal HVDC (MT-HVDC) grids arises from the need for a very fast DC-side protection system to detect, identify, and interrupt the DC faults. Utilizing DC Circuit Breakers (CBs) to isolate the faulty line and using a converter topology to interrupt the DC fault current are the two practical ways to clear the DC fault without causing a large loss of power infeed. This paper presents a new topology of a fast proactive Hybrid DC Circuit Breaker (HDCCB) to isolate the DC faults in MT-HVDC grids in case of fault current interruption, along with lowering the conduction losses and lowering the interruption time. The proposed topology is based on the inverse current injection technique using a diode and a capacitor to enforce the fault current to zero. Also, in case of bidirectional fault current interruption, the diode and capacitor prevent changing their polarities after identifying the direction of fault current, and this can be used to reduce the interruption time accordingly. Different modes of operation of the proposed topology are presented in detail and tested in a simulation-based system. Compared to the conventional DC CB, the proposed topology has increased the breaking current capability, and reduced the interruption time, as well as lowering the on-state switching power losses. To check and verify the performance and efficiency of the proposed topology, a DC-link representing a DC-pole of an MT-HVDC system is simulated and analyzed in the PSCAD/EMTDC environment. The simulation results verify the robustness and effectiveness of the proposed HDCCB in improving the overall performance of MT-HVDC systems and increasing the reliability of the DC grids. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Integration of AC/DC Microgrids into Power Grids)
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20 pages, 3188 KiB  
Article
The Hydrosocial Cycle in Coastal Tourist Destinations in Alicante, Spain: Increasing Resilience to Drought
by Carlos J. Baños, María Hernández, Antonio M. Rico and Jorge Olcina
Sustainability 2019, 11(16), 4494; https://doi.org/10.3390/su11164494 - 19 Aug 2019
Cited by 17 | Viewed by 4558
Abstract
Tourism, and particularly residential tourism, has led to a change in the urban and demographic model of towns along the European Mediterranean coastline. Water as a resource limited and limiting for the growth of tourism is a popular topic in the scientific literature. [...] Read more.
Tourism, and particularly residential tourism, has led to a change in the urban and demographic model of towns along the European Mediterranean coastline. Water as a resource limited and limiting for the growth of tourism is a popular topic in the scientific literature. However, the incorporation of non-conventional resources (desalination) has meant, in theory, that this limitation has been overcome. The aims of this paper are: (a) to identify the different tourism models existing in coastal towns in Alicante province and characterize them according to their water consumption from 2002–2017; and (b) analyse the hydrosocial cycle, highlighting the measures aimed at satisfying water demand and identifying the limitations related to these hydrosocial systems. To this end, different types of information have been processed, and various basic indicators have been analysed. The results revealed the increase in the resilience of this region to natural aridity and drought events. This was possible because the demand management and the use of desalinated water. However, this has generated other problems associated (energetics, environmental) due to maintenance of a non-sustainable territorial model based on an accelerated real estate development. Full article
(This article belongs to the Section Sustainability in Geographic Science)
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16 pages, 1040 KiB  
Review
Pulp and Paper Mill Fly Ash: A Review
by Chinchu Cherian and Sumi Siddiqua
Sustainability 2019, 11(16), 4394; https://doi.org/10.3390/su11164394 - 14 Aug 2019
Cited by 43 | Viewed by 8933
Abstract
The continual growth of pulp and paper industry has led to the generation of tremendous volumes of fly ash as byproducts of biomass combustion processes. Commonly, a major part of it is landfilled; however, updated environmental regulations have tended to restrict the landfilling [...] Read more.
The continual growth of pulp and paper industry has led to the generation of tremendous volumes of fly ash as byproducts of biomass combustion processes. Commonly, a major part of it is landfilled; however, updated environmental regulations have tended to restrict the landfilling of fly ash due to rising disposal costs and the scarcity of suitable land. The pulp and paper industries are therefore urgently seeking energy-efficient mechanisms and management for the beneficial use of fly ash in an ecological and economical manner. This paper offers a comprehensive review of existing knowledge on the major physicochemical and toxicological properties of pulp and paper mill fly ash to assess its suitability for various bound and unbound applications. The current state of various methods used for the valorization of pulp and paper mill fly ash into more sustainable geomaterials is briefly discussed. This paper also presents promising and innovative applications for pulp and paper mill fly ash, with particular reference to agriculture and forestry, the construction and geotechnical industries, and the immobilization of contaminants. It was identified from a literature review that modified pulp and paper mill fly ash can be environmentally and economically advantageous over commercial coal-based fly ash in various sustainable applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue 21st Century Challenges in Construction: Functional Materials and Waste Recycle)
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19 pages, 4354 KiB  
Article
Evaluation of Empirical Reference Evapotranspiration Models Using Compromise Programming: A Case Study of Peninsular Malaysia
by Mohd Khairul Idlan Muhammad, Mohamed Salem Nashwan, Shamsuddin Shahid, Tarmizi bin Ismail, Young Hoon Song and Eun-Sung Chung
Sustainability 2019, 11(16), 4267; https://doi.org/10.3390/su11164267 - 7 Aug 2019
Cited by 84 | Viewed by 5225
Abstract
Selection of appropriate empirical reference evapotranspiration (ETo) estimation models is very important for the management of agriculture, water resources, and environment. Statistical metrics generally used for performance assessment of empirical ETo models, on a station level, often give contradictory results, [...] Read more.
Selection of appropriate empirical reference evapotranspiration (ETo) estimation models is very important for the management of agriculture, water resources, and environment. Statistical metrics generally used for performance assessment of empirical ETo models, on a station level, often give contradictory results, which make the ranking of methods a challenging task. Besides, the ranking of ETo estimation methods for a given study area based on the rank at different stations is also a difficult task. Compromise programming and group decision-making methods have been proposed in this study for the ranking of 31 empirical ETo models for Peninsular Malaysia based on four standard statistical metrics. The result revealed the Penman-Monteith as the most suitable method of estimation of ETo, followed by radiation-based Priestley and Taylor and the mass transfer-based Dalton and Meyer methods. Among the temperature-based methods, Ivanov was found the best. The methodology suggested in this study can be adopted in any other region for an easy but robust evaluation of empirical ETo models. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Uncertainty of Climate Change Impacts on Hydrology, Water Quality and Ecology)
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29 pages, 10367 KiB  
Article
Housing Indicators for Sustainable Cities in Middle-Income Countries through the Residential Urban Environment Recognized Using Single-Family Housing Rating Systems
by Héctor Saldaña-Márquez, Diana C. Gámez-García, José M. Gómez-Soberón, Susana P. Arredondo-Rea, Ramón Corral-Higuera and María C. Gómez-Soberón
Sustainability 2019, 11(16), 4276; https://doi.org/10.3390/su11164276 - 7 Aug 2019
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 5363
Abstract
This study presents a comparative analysis of the housing indicators used by the single-family housing rating systems (SHRSs), in which the residential urban environment (RUE) influences buildings’ certification scores, emphasizing the relationships of six systems developed by middle-income countries (MICs)—BEST, CASA, GBI, BERDE, [...] Read more.
This study presents a comparative analysis of the housing indicators used by the single-family housing rating systems (SHRSs), in which the residential urban environment (RUE) influences buildings’ certification scores, emphasizing the relationships of six systems developed by middle-income countries (MICs)—BEST, CASA, GBI, BERDE, Green Homes, and LOTUS—and the two most-recognized rating systems, BREEAM and LEED. The aim is to provide new housing indicators that are capable of bringing the concept of sustainability into the cities of MICs. The results reveal that the percentage of influence that single-family housing (SFH) can achieve in the metric established by each system is relatively low. However, considering all of the identified indicators, this influence could increase to 53.16% of the total score in multi-criteria evaluations. Furthermore, a significant lack of indicators for mandatory criteria evaluations was found, with CASA being the only system that considers their inclusion. This paper identifies 37 indicators for multi-criteria assessments and two for mandatory-criteria assessments, providing new perspectives on several topics. Furthermore, the methodology established to obtain the indicators could be useful for other researchers in the identification of new sustainable indicators. Full article
(This article belongs to the Collection Indicators, Assessment Tools, and Rating Systems for Mainstreaming Sustainability in Urban Planning and Development)
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24 pages, 5278 KiB  
Article
Impact of Low-E Window Films on Energy Consumption and CO2 Emissions of an Existing UK Hotel Building
by Shiva Amirkhani, Ali Bahadori-Jahromi, Anastasia Mylona, Paulina Godfrey and Darren Cook
Sustainability 2019, 11(16), 4265; https://doi.org/10.3390/su11164265 - 7 Aug 2019
Cited by 27 | Viewed by 8434
Abstract
In order to fulfil the UK government’s ambitious goal of 80% reductions in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 compared to the levels of 1990s, unprecedented measures for improving the energy efficiency of buildings are needed. This study investigates the impact of a specific [...] Read more.
In order to fulfil the UK government’s ambitious goal of 80% reductions in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 compared to the levels of 1990s, unprecedented measures for improving the energy efficiency of buildings are needed. This study investigates the impact of a specific type of Low-emissivity (Low-E) window film—Thinsulate Climate Control 75—on the holistic energy consumption of an existing United Kingdom (UK) hotel building. Building modelling and energy simulation software EDSL TAS is used to conduct the study. The result of the simulations demonstrates that by applying Thinsulate films, savings in heating, cooling, and total energy consumptions are achieved by 3%, 20%, and 2.7%, respectively. Also 4.1% and 5.1% savings are achieved in annual CO2 emissions and total energy costs, respectively, while the initial costs may be an issue. This study found that application of Low-E window films results in slightly better energy performance of the hotel regarding its heating-dominant climate. The study also recommends using average annual actual energy consumption data for a time range, instead of picking a single year’s data for validating purposes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nearly Zero Energy Buildings and their Viability under current and Future Climate Conditions)
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21 pages, 2023 KiB  
Article
Biowaste Management in Italy: Challenges and Perspectives
by Francesca Demichelis, Francesco Piovano and Silvia Fiore
Sustainability 2019, 11(15), 4213; https://doi.org/10.3390/su11154213 - 4 Aug 2019
Cited by 38 | Viewed by 5331
Abstract
The aim of this work is the development of a methodology for the technical and environmental assessment of biowaste valorization in 2G biorefineries. Italy was chosen as case study, considering years 2016–2017. Approach: the Italian context was evaluated through the following key [...] Read more.
The aim of this work is the development of a methodology for the technical and environmental assessment of biowaste valorization in 2G biorefineries. Italy was chosen as case study, considering years 2016–2017. Approach: the Italian context was evaluated through the following key parameters: Gross domestic power, climate, demography, and population density distribution described the Italian framework. The four most abundant biowaste categories were defined through their amounts and geo-localization: wastewater and sewage sludge (WSS, 4.06 Mt/y), organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW, 1.7 Mt/y), agricultural livestock waste (ALW, 5.7 Mt/y), and waste deriving from the food industry (FIW, 2.6 Mt/y). The geo-localization and quantitative evaluations of the available biowaste amounts were aimed at defining the dimension and localization of the biorefinery plant and at optimizing supply and transport chains, while the qualitative characteristic were aimed to evaluate the most promising process among thermo-valorization (TH) and anaerobic digestion (AD). Results: All considered biowastes were appropriate for biorefinery processes, since carbon content exceeds 40% and the carbon–nitrogen ratio was between 10 and 30. All biowaste categories were evaluated as feedstocks for two biorefinery processes: anaerobic digestion (AD) and thermo-valorization (TH) with energy recovery. Compared to TH, AD achieved in all cases the best performances in terms of produced energy and avoided CO2 emissions. The primary energy production of AD and TH for WSS, OFMSW, ALW, and FIW were respectively: 7.89 vs. 2.4 kWh/kg; 8.7 vs. 2.6 kWh/kg; 10.85 vs. 5.5 kWh/kg; and 12.5 vs. 7.8 kWh/kg. The main findings of this work were: the adoption of AD was technically more suitable than TH; AD increased the avoided CO2 emissions of 10%–89.9% depending on biowaste category. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Biorefining of Biowaste)
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17 pages, 5005 KiB  
Article
The Use of Artificial Intelligence as a Tool Supporting Sustainable Development Local Policy
by Maria Mrówczyńska, Małgorzata Sztubecka, Marta Skiba, Anna Bazan-Krzywoszańska and Przemysław Bejga
Sustainability 2019, 11(15), 4199; https://doi.org/10.3390/su11154199 - 3 Aug 2019
Cited by 30 | Viewed by 5198
Abstract
This paper addresses the problem of noise in spa protection areas. Its aim is to determine the delimitation of the areas that exceed a permissible noise level around the sanatorium on the example of a health resort in Inowrocław. The determination of the [...] Read more.
This paper addresses the problem of noise in spa protection areas. Its aim is to determine the delimitation of the areas that exceed a permissible noise level around the sanatorium on the example of a health resort in Inowrocław. The determination of the exceedance of permissible noise levels allows us to develop directly effective local policy tools to be included in planning documents. In order to reduce noise infiltration, it is important to define environmental priorities. Taking into account their impact on the health of users in the protection area, environmental priorities enable us to introduce additional elements to street architecture. In order to properly manage space, in accordance with the idea of sustainable development, zones of environmental sensitivity—and their socio-environmental vulnerability—have been designated for assessing damage (exceeding permissible noise in health facilities) and defining methods of building resilience (proper management). This has provided the basis for a natural balance optimized for the people living in these areas. To achieve the goal above, non-linear support vector machine (SVM) networks were used. This technique allows us to classify the linearly inseparable data and to determine the optimal separation margin. The boundaries of the areas which exceeded permissible noise levels (separation margin) were estimated on the basis of noise pollution maps, created by means of the SVM technique. Thus, the study results in establishing buffer zones where it is possible to use varied land utilization in terms of form and function, as described in the planning documents. Such an activity would limit the spread of noise. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Socio-Environmental Vulnerability Assessment for Sustainable Management)
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22 pages, 2160 KiB  
Article
Urban Shrinkage and Sustainability: Assessing the Nexus between Population Density, Urban Structures and Urban Sustainability
by Ondřej Slach, Vojtěch Bosák, Luděk Krtička, Alexandr Nováček and Petr Rumpel
Sustainability 2019, 11(15), 4142; https://doi.org/10.3390/su11154142 - 1 Aug 2019
Cited by 38 | Viewed by 6461
Abstract
Urban shrinkage has become a common pathway (not only) in post-socialist cities, which represents new challenges for traditionally growth-oriented spatial planning. Though in the post-socialist area, the situation is even worse due to prevailing weak planning culture and resulting uncoordinated development. The case [...] Read more.
Urban shrinkage has become a common pathway (not only) in post-socialist cities, which represents new challenges for traditionally growth-oriented spatial planning. Though in the post-socialist area, the situation is even worse due to prevailing weak planning culture and resulting uncoordinated development. The case of the city of Ostrava illustrates how the problem of (in)efficient infrastructure operation, and maintenance, in already fragmented urban structure is exacerbated by the growing size of urban area (through low-intensity land-use) in combination with declining size of population (due to high rate of outmigration). Shrinkage, however, is, on the intra-urban level, spatially differentiated. Population, paradoxically, most intensively declines in the least financially demanding land-uses and grows in the most expensive land-uses for public administration. As population and urban structure development prove to have strong inertia, this land-use development constitutes a great challenge for a city’s future sustainability. The main objective of the paper is to explore the nexus between change in population density patterns in relation to urban shrinkage, and sustainability of public finance. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Shrinking Cities—Testing Ground for Sustainability)
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15 pages, 1524 KiB  
Article
Public Support for Sustainable Welfare Compared: Links between Attitudes towards Climate and Welfare Policies
by Martin Fritz and Max Koch
Sustainability 2019, 11(15), 4146; https://doi.org/10.3390/su11154146 - 1 Aug 2019
Cited by 55 | Viewed by 7144
Abstract
The emerging concept of sustainable welfare attempts to integrate environmental sustainability and social welfare research. Oriented at a mid-term re-embedding of Western production and consumption norms into planetary limits, it suggests the development of “eco-social” policies in the rich countries. In this theoretical [...] Read more.
The emerging concept of sustainable welfare attempts to integrate environmental sustainability and social welfare research. Oriented at a mid-term re-embedding of Western production and consumption norms into planetary limits, it suggests the development of “eco-social” policies in the rich countries. In this theoretical context, this article empirically investigates the relationships between attitudes towards welfare and climate policy in 23 countries. Using 2016 data from the European Social Survey, we explored patterns of synergy between both kinds of policies as well as effects of crowding-out, where support for one kind of policy involves refusing the other. Since previous research addressed the role of welfare states and their institutional foundations in establishing environmentally sustainable societies, we studied how attitudes towards welfare and climate policies differ according to welfare regime affiliation. Additionally, we examined how a range of socio-demographic and political factors such as class, education, income, and political position shape people’s views on welfare and climate policy goals. The results of a multiple correspondence analysis indicate that the simultaneous support of welfare and climate policies follows welfare regime lines in that this support is the highest among social-democratic countries. However, also some conservative and Mediterranean countries score high in this regard. At the individual level, people with a higher education, employees in socio-cultural professions, and voters of moderate left and green parties display the highest mutual support for welfare and climate policies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Welfare beyond Growth)
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21 pages, 2826 KiB  
Article
Modelling Environmental Burdens of Indoor-Grown Vegetables and Herbs as Affected by Red and Blue LED Lighting
by Giuseppina Pennisi, Esther Sanyé-Mengual, Francesco Orsini, Andrea Crepaldi, Silvana Nicola, Jesús Ochoa, Juan A. Fernandez and Giorgio Gianquinto
Sustainability 2019, 11(15), 4063; https://doi.org/10.3390/su11154063 - 27 Jul 2019
Cited by 54 | Viewed by 7191
Abstract
Notwithstanding that indoor farming is claimed to reduce the environmental pressures of food systems, electricity needs are elevated and mainly associated with lighting. To date, however, no studies have quantified the environmental and economic profile of Light Emitting Diodes (LED) lighting in indoor [...] Read more.
Notwithstanding that indoor farming is claimed to reduce the environmental pressures of food systems, electricity needs are elevated and mainly associated with lighting. To date, however, no studies have quantified the environmental and economic profile of Light Emitting Diodes (LED) lighting in indoor farming systems. The goal of this study is to quantify the effect of varying the red (R) and blue (B) LED spectral components (RB ratios of 0.5, 1, 2, 3 and 4) on the eco-efficiency of indoor production of lettuce, chicory, rocket and sweet basil from a life cycle perspective. The functional unit of the assessment was 1 kg of harvested fresh plant edible product, and the International Reference Life Cycle Data System (ILCD) method was employed for impact assessment. Even though most of the materials of the LED lamp and electronic elements were imported from long distances (14,400 km), electricity consumption was the largest contributor to the environmental impacts (with the LED lamps being the main electricity consumers, approximately 70%), apart from the resources use indicator, where the materials of the lamps and the mineral nutrients were also relevant. RB0.5 was the most energy-efficient light treatment but had the lowest eco-efficiency scores due to the lower crop yields. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Urban Agriculture)
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21 pages, 3440 KiB  
Article
Eco-Efficiency Assessment of Japanese Municipalities Based on Environmental Impacts and Gross Regional Product
by Junya Yamasaki, Toshiharu Ikaga and Norihiro Itsubo
Sustainability 2019, 11(15), 4045; https://doi.org/10.3390/su11154045 - 26 Jul 2019
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 3999
Abstract
Governments at different levels need to appreciate the environmental impacts of socioeconomic activities within their boundaries. They also need to decide relevant environmental policies after carefully examining future pathways based on the relationship between the environment and the economy. This study focuses on [...] Read more.
Governments at different levels need to appreciate the environmental impacts of socioeconomic activities within their boundaries. They also need to decide relevant environmental policies after carefully examining future pathways based on the relationship between the environment and the economy. This study focuses on Japanese basic administrative divisions (i.e., municipalities) and attempts to quantify the annual environmental efficiency of processes and socioeconomic activities within each of these divisions using life-cycle impact assessment (LCIA) concepts. A key element of the LCIA is the integration of different environmental loads across various impact categories, such as global warming, air pollution, and land use, and their representation through a simple indicator. First, we conduct annual environmental impact assessments for all Japanese municipalities based on reliable, verifiable, and comparable statistical information. Next, we estimate the environmental efficiency of socioeconomic activities within each division by dividing the gross regional product (GRP) with the environmental damage amounts calculated through LIME2, an LCIA-based tool tailored for Japan. Assessment results for each municipality are visualized on maps of Japan in order to highlight the spatial distribution of the values for each indicator. The findings of this study can aid local, regional, and national governments in Japan to inform environmental policy design and decision-making at different spatial levels. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Local Government Responses to Catalyse Sustainable Urban Development)
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26 pages, 1848 KiB  
Article
Supporting Europe’s Energy Policy Towards a Decarbonised Energy System: A Comparative Assessment
by Aikaterini Papapostolou, Charikleia Karakosta, Kalliopi-Anastasia Kourti, Haris Doukas and John Psarras
Sustainability 2019, 11(15), 4010; https://doi.org/10.3390/su11154010 - 24 Jul 2019
Cited by 15 | Viewed by 3443
Abstract
The European Union (EU) aims to prepare its strategy and infrastructure for further decarbonisation of its energy system in the longer term towards 2050. Recent political discussions and research interest focus on ways to accelerate the development and deployment of low-carbon technologies with [...] Read more.
The European Union (EU) aims to prepare its strategy and infrastructure for further decarbonisation of its energy system in the longer term towards 2050. Recent political discussions and research interest focus on ways to accelerate the development and deployment of low-carbon technologies with respect to the targets set for 2030 and 2050. However, the diverse options available that are to be implemented, are policy sensitive and need careful comparative assessment. This paper presents a multi-criteria approach based on an extension of the Preference Ranking Organization METHod for Enrichment of Evaluations (PROMETHEE) method for group decision-making that incorporates fuzzy set theory in order to evaluate alternative transformation pathways for achieving a sustainable energy system in EU. This assessment aims at providing a direction towards a most preferable pathway concept that should be taken into account by a future model-based analysis of the necessary transformation of our energy sector. The results obtained could support policymakers in drawing effective recommendations based on the findings. The added value of this analysis to policymakers is its contribution to plan climate and energy strategies towards a low-carbon transition pathway by using the information of this approach and prioritizing uncertainties through an environmental and energy perspective. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability as a Multi-criteria Concept: New Developments and Applications)
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26 pages, 3251 KiB  
Review
Interactive Buildings: A Review
by Zahra Fallahi and Gregor P. Henze
Sustainability 2019, 11(14), 3988; https://doi.org/10.3390/su11143988 - 23 Jul 2019
Cited by 19 | Viewed by 4697
Abstract
Buildings are widely regarded as potential sources for demand flexibility. The flexibility of thermal and electric load in buildings is a result of their interactive nature and its impact on the building’s performance. In this paper, the interaction of a building with the [...] Read more.
Buildings are widely regarded as potential sources for demand flexibility. The flexibility of thermal and electric load in buildings is a result of their interactive nature and its impact on the building’s performance. In this paper, the interaction of a building with the three interaction counterparts of the physical environment, civil infrastructure networks and other buildings is investigated. The literature review presents a wide variety of pathways of interaction and their associated potential impacts on building performance metrics such as net energy use, emissions, occupant comfort and operational cost. It is demonstrated that all of these counterparts of interaction should be considered to harness the flexibility potential of the buildings while maintaining other buildings performance metrics at a desired level. Juxtaposed with the upside potential for providing demand flexibility, numerous implementation challenges are identified that are associated with the evaluation and financial valuation of the capacity for demand flexibility, the aggregated flexibility potential, as well as the control and communication to facilitate the interactions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Interactive Buildings)
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18 pages, 1200 KiB  
Article
Fashion Promotion on Instagram with Eye Tracking: Curvy Girl Influencers Versus Fashion Brands in Spain and Portugal
by Luis Mañas-Viniegra, Ana-Isabel Veloso and Ubaldo Cuesta
Sustainability 2019, 11(14), 3977; https://doi.org/10.3390/su11143977 - 23 Jul 2019
Cited by 22 | Viewed by 9682
Abstract
The rise of Instagram, as the fastest growing social network in Spain and Portugal, and its incorporation into the communication strategies of beauty and fashion brands have posed some risks for younger followers in relation to the development of identity and self-esteem. A [...] Read more.
The rise of Instagram, as the fastest growing social network in Spain and Portugal, and its incorporation into the communication strategies of beauty and fashion brands have posed some risks for younger followers in relation to the development of identity and self-esteem. A physical appearance acceptance movement has also begun, based on interaction with images, on which the social network is also based. The purpose of this research was to determine how attention is paid to fashion promotion and to the awareness of physical appearance acceptance by curvy influencers in comparison with communications by fashion brands on Instagram. The quantitative and qualitative methodology is based on the use of a biometric eye tracking technique applied to a sample of 120 participants from Spain and Portugal, matching the profile of the main users of Instagram: urban university women under 25 years old with an interest in fashion, and a self-perception as a curvy woman. The results point to more attention focused on the imperfections for which curvy influencers are raising awareness than on the fashion they promote when these awareness factors are more visible, as well as more attention focused on the fashion accessories worn by curvy brand models than those worn by the influencers, with specific and significant differences between Spanish and Portuguese audiences. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Social Media Influence on Consumer Behaviour)
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21 pages, 6426 KiB  
Article
Seismic and Energy Retrofit of Apartment Buildings through Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (AAC) Blocks Infill Walls
by Antonio Artino, Gianpiero Evola, Giuseppe Margani and Edoardo Michele Marino
Sustainability 2019, 11(14), 3939; https://doi.org/10.3390/su11143939 - 19 Jul 2019
Cited by 30 | Viewed by 4035
Abstract
All around the world, a huge amount of buildings have been built before the enforcement of specific codes for seismic resistance and energy efficiency. Particularly in Italy, over 74% of residential buildings were constructed before 1980, when only 25% of the territory was [...] Read more.
All around the world, a huge amount of buildings have been built before the enforcement of specific codes for seismic resistance and energy efficiency. Particularly in Italy, over 74% of residential buildings were constructed before 1980, when only 25% of the territory was classified as seismic, and nearly 86% were built before 1991, when the first restrictive regulation on energy efficiency was issued. This means that most buildings need both seismic and energy renovation actions to improve their sustainability level. The proposed combined retrofit strategy for reinforced concrete framed buildings is based on the replacement of the external layer of double-leaf infill walls, made of hollow bricks, with high-performing AAC blocks: this solution can be implemented by operating mainly from the outside of the building, thus reducing occupants’ disruption during retrofitting. The generally neglected structural contribution of masonry infill panels is here considered using a recently developed macro-element modeling approach. The results suggest that, from a structural viewpoint, the proposed intervention involves the highest improvement at the damage limitation limit state, while lower upgrades are recorded at life safety limit state and near-collapse limit state. In regards to the energy issues, the energy demand can be reduced by 10% and 4% for heating and cooling, respectively, just by replacing the outer layer of blocks; further savings can be achieved through the application of a supplementary insulation layer. Full article
(This article belongs to the Section Energy Sustainability)
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21 pages, 4653 KiB  
Article
A Comparative Study of En Route Refuelling Behaviours of Conventional and Electric Vehicles in Beijing, China
by Chengxiang Zhuge, Chunfu Shao and Xia Li
Sustainability 2019, 11(14), 3869; https://doi.org/10.3390/su11143869 - 16 Jul 2019
Cited by 17 | Viewed by 3658
Abstract
A comparative study is carried out to investigate the differences among conventional vehicles (CVs), battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) in the maximum acceptable time of diverting to a refuelling station, maximum acceptable time of queueing at a refuelling [...] Read more.
A comparative study is carried out to investigate the differences among conventional vehicles (CVs), battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) in the maximum acceptable time of diverting to a refuelling station, maximum acceptable time of queueing at a refuelling station, refuelling modes and desirable electric driving ranges, using Beijing, China, as a case study. Here, several multinomial logit (MNL) models are developed to relate the diverting and waiting times to individual attributes. The results suggest that, (1) the diverting time roughly follows a normal distribution for both CVs and electric vehicles (EVs), but the difference between them is slight; (2) EVs tend to bear longer waiting time above 10 min; (3) the MNL models indicate that income and the level of education tend to be more statistically significant to both the diverting and waiting times; (4) the most preferred driving ranges obtained for BEVs and PHEVs are both around 50 km, indicating that EV drivers may just prefer to charge for a specific time ranging from 8 to 10 min. Finally, ways to apply the empirical findings in planning refuelling and charging stations are discussed with specific examples. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Consumer Preferences for Alternative Fuels, Automation, and Shared Mobility in Transportation)
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10 pages, 888 KiB  
Review
Environmental Sustainability: A Review of Termite Mound Soil Material and Its Bacteria
by Ben Jesuorsemwen Enagbonma and Olubukola Oluranti Babalola
Sustainability 2019, 11(14), 3847; https://doi.org/10.3390/su11143847 - 15 Jul 2019
Cited by 33 | Viewed by 6070
Abstract
The high quantity of nutrients accumulated in termite mound soils have placed termite mound as a ‘gold mine’ for bacteria concentrations. However, over the years, not much attention has been given to the bacteria present in termite mound soil. This is because many [...] Read more.
The high quantity of nutrients accumulated in termite mound soils have placed termite mound as a ‘gold mine’ for bacteria concentrations. However, over the years, not much attention has been given to the bacteria present in termite mound soil. This is because many studies have focused on approaches to manage termites which they see as menace to agricultural crops and buildings. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate the potential application of termite mound soil material and its bacteria for biotechnological purposes. This review has been grouped into four key parts: The termite mound as hotspot for bacterial concentration, the degradation of lignocellulose for biofuel production, termite mound soil as a soil amendment, and the role of termite mound soil and its bacteria in bioremediation and bio-filtration. Therefore, the effective usage of the termite mound soil material and its bacteria in an ecofriendly manner could ensure environmental sustainability. Full article
(This article belongs to the Section Environmental Sustainability and Applications)
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17 pages, 1043 KiB  
Article
Recycling Agricultural Wastes and By-products in Organic Farming: Biofertilizer Production, Yield Performance and Carbon Footprint Analysis
by Mariangela Diacono, Alessandro Persiani, Elena Testani, Francesco Montemurro and Corrado Ciaccia
Sustainability 2019, 11(14), 3824; https://doi.org/10.3390/su11143824 - 12 Jul 2019
Cited by 110 | Viewed by 12114
Abstract
The Circular Economy concept implies the re-design of existing production systems in agriculture, by promoting agricultural waste recycling. In an organic zucchini—lettuce rotation, two different agroecological tools were considered: biofertilizer and presence or absence of green manure (GM+ and GM−). In particular, we [...] Read more.
The Circular Economy concept implies the re-design of existing production systems in agriculture, by promoting agricultural waste recycling. In an organic zucchini—lettuce rotation, two different agroecological tools were considered: biofertilizer and presence or absence of green manure (GM+ and GM−). In particular, we compared: (i) anaerobic digestate from cattle manure, co-composted with vegetable wastes, with the presence of GM (AD GM+); (ii) olive pomace compost, re-composted, with the presence of GM (OWC GM+); (iii) municipal waste compost with GM (MWC GM+); (iv) municipal waste compost without GM (MWC GM−). These materials were tested with a commercial organic fertilizer without GM (COF GM−) as a positive control. The objectives were: (i) assessing the environmental sustainability of biofertilizers through carbon footprint analysis by greenhouse gas—GHG—emissions; (ii) evaluating the agronomic performance on the vegetable rotation, by energy output assessment. The total carbon emissions of biofertilizers production was 63.9 and 67.0 kg of CO2 eq Mg−1 for AD and OWC, respectively. The co-composting and re-composting processes emitted 31.4 and 8.4 kg CO2 per Mg of compost, respectively. In AD the ventilation phase of composting accounted for 37.2% of total emissions. The total CO2 emission values for the two-crop cycles were the highest in COF GM− and the lowest in OWC GM+, due to different fertilizer sources. On the average of the treatments, the input that induced the highest CO2 emission was irrigation (37.9%). The energy output assessment for zucchini and lettuce highlighted similar performance for all the treatments. Our findings demonstrated the validity of the tested processes to recycle agro-industrial wastes, and the potential of agroecological practices (GM) to mitigate GHG emissions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recycling and Valorising Waste from the Agri-food Sector for Sustainability)
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20 pages, 8051 KiB  
Article
Design and Validation of a Computational Program for Analysing Mental Maps: Aram Mental Map Analyzer
by Farshid Aram, Ebrahim Solgi, Ester Higueras García, Danial Mohammadzadeh S., Amir Mosavi and Shahaboddin Shamshirband
Sustainability 2019, 11(14), 3790; https://doi.org/10.3390/su11143790 - 11 Jul 2019
Cited by 31 | Viewed by 5893
Abstract
Considering citizens’ perceptions of their living environment is very helpful in making the right decisions for city planners who intend to build a sustainable society. Mental map analyses are widely used in understanding the level of perception of individuals regarding the surrounding environment. [...] Read more.
Considering citizens’ perceptions of their living environment is very helpful in making the right decisions for city planners who intend to build a sustainable society. Mental map analyses are widely used in understanding the level of perception of individuals regarding the surrounding environment. The present study introduces Aram Mental Map Analyzer (AMMA), an open-source program, which allows researchers to use special features and new analytical methods to receive outputs in numerical data and analytical maps with greater accuracy and speed. AMMA performance is contingent upon two principles of accuracy and complexity, the accuracy of the program is measured by Accuracy Placed Landmarks (APL) and General Orientation (GO), which respectively analyses the landmark placement accuracy and the main route mapping accuracy. Also, the complexity section is examined through two analyses Cell Percentage (CP) and General Structure (GS), which calculates the complexity of citizens’ perception of space based on the criteria derived from previous studies. AMMA examines all the dimensions and features of the graphic maps and its outputs have a wide range of valid and differentiated information, which is tailored to the research and information subject matter that is required. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Smart Urban Planning and Land Management)
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20 pages, 1290 KiB  
Review
Ecological Urban Planning and Design: A Systematic Literature Review
by Angela Heymans, Jessica Breadsell, Gregory M. Morrison, Joshua J. Byrne and Christine Eon
Sustainability 2019, 11(13), 3723; https://doi.org/10.3390/su11133723 - 8 Jul 2019
Cited by 77 | Viewed by 18882
Abstract
Urbanization is a defining feature of the modern age, yet the current model of urban development profoundly alters the natural environment, often reducing biodiversity and ultimately threatening human wellbeing. An ecologically based urban planning and design paradigm should consider a more harmonious relationship. [...] Read more.
Urbanization is a defining feature of the modern age, yet the current model of urban development profoundly alters the natural environment, often reducing biodiversity and ultimately threatening human wellbeing. An ecologically based urban planning and design paradigm should consider a more harmonious relationship. Through a systematic literature review of 57 papers, this research identified relevant concepts and theories that could underpin this new paradigm. It revealed a noticeable increase in academic interest in this subject since 2013 and the development of concepts and theories that reflect a more holistic socio-ecological systems approach to urban planning and design based on a transdisciplinary integration and synthesis of research. Seven main themes underpin the academic literature: ecosystem services, socio-ecological systems, resilience, biodiversity, landscape, green infrastructure, as well as integrated and holistic approaches. Six of these can be organised into either a sustainability stream or a spatial stream, representing the foundations of a potential new ecological urban planning and design paradigm that applies sustainability-related concepts in a spatial setting. The final theme, integrated and holistic, includes concepts that reflect the fundamental characteristics of this new paradigm, which can be termed ‘urban consonance’. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Smart Urban Planning and Land Management)
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16 pages, 1553 KiB  
Article
Sustainable Development of Coastal Food Services
by Mariia Iamkovaia, Manuel Arcila, Filomena Cardoso Martins and Alfredo Izquierdo
Sustainability 2019, 11(13), 3728; https://doi.org/10.3390/su11133728 - 8 Jul 2019
Cited by 16 | Viewed by 6642
Abstract
Coastal food services are an important segment within ‘sea and sun’ tourism. They have a direct impact on the environment from liquid and solid waste generation, air contamination, and excessive energy and water consumption. Mass tourism and the contemporary threat of climate change [...] Read more.
Coastal food services are an important segment within ‘sea and sun’ tourism. They have a direct impact on the environment from liquid and solid waste generation, air contamination, and excessive energy and water consumption. Mass tourism and the contemporary threat of climate change enhance the anthropogenic intrusion, especially in vulnerable coastal zones. To prevent overexploitation of the coastal zones, the adaptation of the sustainable principles by coastal stakeholders is an urgent matter. Thus, this study aims to design a model of sustainable development for restaurants and to examine the level of its adoption by seaside restaurant owners in two touristic beach areas of Cadiz province, Spain. A questionnaire was performed during the high summer season in 2018. The obtained data was analysed by IBM SPSS software. The survey results showed that the model of sustainable development has been poorly adopted by restaurant managers. Foreign managers of international restaurants are less involved in the adoption of the sustainable model in comparison to Spanish restaurant owners. Moreover, restaurants that have been opened more than 10–20 years provide a more sustainable way of business operation in comparison with newly established food service organizations. Full article
(This article belongs to the Section Environmental Sustainability and Applications)
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20 pages, 8143 KiB  
Article
Rapid Intensification of Typhoon Hato (2017) over Shallow Water
by Iam-Fei Pun, Johnny C. L. Chan, I.-I. Lin, Kelvin T. F. Chan, James F. Price, Dong Shan Ko, Chun-Chi Lien, Yu-Lun Wu and Hsiao-Ching Huang
Sustainability 2019, 11(13), 3709; https://doi.org/10.3390/su11133709 - 6 Jul 2019
Cited by 27 | Viewed by 5293
Abstract
On 23 August, 2017, Typhoon Hato rapidly intensified by 10 kt within 3 h just prior to landfall in the city of Macau along the South China coast. Hato’s surface winds in excess of 50 m s−1 devastated the city, causing unprecedented [...] Read more.
On 23 August, 2017, Typhoon Hato rapidly intensified by 10 kt within 3 h just prior to landfall in the city of Macau along the South China coast. Hato’s surface winds in excess of 50 m s−1 devastated the city, causing unprecedented damage and social impact. This study reveals that anomalously warm ocean conditions in the nearshore shallow water (depth < 30 m) likely played a key role in Hato’s fast intensification. In particular, cooling of the sea surface temperature (SST) generated by Hato at the critical landfall point was estimated to be only 0.1–0.5 °C. The results from both a simple ocean mixing scheme and full dynamical ocean model indicate that SST cooling was minimized in the shallow coastal waters due to a lack of cool water at depth. Given the nearly invariant SST in the coastal waters, we estimate a large amount of heat flux, i.e., 1.9k W m−2, during the landfall period. Experiments indicate that in the absence of shallow bathymetry, and thus, if nominal cool water had been available for vertical mixing, the SST cooling would have been enhanced from 0.1 °C to 1.4 °C, and sea to air heat flux reduced by about a quarter. Numerical simulations with an atmospheric model suggest that the intensity of Hato was very sensitive to air-sea heat flux in the coastal region, indicating the critical importance of coastal ocean hydrography. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Impacts of Climate Change on the Ocean-Atmosphere System: Understanding, Adaptation and Sustainable Development)
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14 pages, 4507 KiB  
Article
Solar Photovoltaic Electricity Generation: A Lifeline for the European Coal Regions in Transition
by Katalin Bódis, Ioannis Kougias, Nigel Taylor and Arnulf Jäger-Waldau
Sustainability 2019, 11(13), 3703; https://doi.org/10.3390/su11133703 - 5 Jul 2019
Cited by 40 | Viewed by 19602
Abstract
The use of coal for electricity generation is the main emitter of Greenhous Gas Emissions worldwide. According to the International Energy Agency, these emissions have to be reduced by more than 70% by 2040 to stay on track for the 1.5–2 °C scenario [...] Read more.
The use of coal for electricity generation is the main emitter of Greenhous Gas Emissions worldwide. According to the International Energy Agency, these emissions have to be reduced by more than 70% by 2040 to stay on track for the 1.5–2 °C scenario suggested by the Paris Agreement. To ensure a socially fair transition towards the phase-out of coal, the European Commission introduced the Coal Regions in Transition initiative in late 2017. The present paper analyses to what extent the use of photovoltaic electricity generation systems can help with this transition in the coal regions of the European Union (EU). A spatially explicit methodology was developed to assess the solar photovoltaic (PV) potential in selected regions where open-cast coal mines are planned to cease operation in the near future. Different types of solar PV systems were considered including ground-mounted systems developed either on mining land or its surroundings. Furthermore, the installation of rooftop solar PV systems on the existing building stock was also analysed. The obtained results show that the available area in those regions is abundant and that solar PV systems could fully substitute the current electricity generation of coal-fired power plants in the analysed regions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Section Environmental Sustainability and Applications)
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17 pages, 577 KiB  
Article
Factors Influencing Construction Waste Generation in Building Construction: Thailand’s Perspective
by Chakkrit Luangcharoenrat, Singh Intrachooto, Vachara Peansupap and Wandee Sutthinarakorn
Sustainability 2019, 11(13), 3638; https://doi.org/10.3390/su11133638 - 2 Jul 2019
Cited by 122 | Viewed by 12478
Abstract
Rapid growth in construction activities as a result of a growing population and urbanization in many parts of the world generates a large amount of waste from construction. To reduce and manage these wastes, a comprehensive understanding of the construction waste generation factors [...] Read more.
Rapid growth in construction activities as a result of a growing population and urbanization in many parts of the world generates a large amount of waste from construction. To reduce and manage these wastes, a comprehensive understanding of the construction waste generation factors is needed. The purpose of this study is to identify the contributing factors of construction waste in Thailand’s construction industry. The causes of construction waste were identified through an extensive literature review. A total of 28 causes of construction waste were identified and grouped into the four categories: design and documentation, material and procurement, construction method and planning, and human resources. To determine the significant level of each factor, a structured questionnaire survey was carried out to gather information from contractors about causes of construction material waste. The results show that the categories contributing to construction waste ranks as design and documentation, human resources, construction methods and planning, and material and procurement, respectively. Meanwhile, factors from each category were also determined and ranked. Design change, inattentive working attitudes and behaviors, ineffective planning and scheduling, and material storage were among the highest impact factors on construction waste generation in each category. Identifying the significance levels of waste generation factors will help the industry’s stakeholders build suitable strategies to manage construction waste more effectively. Full article
(This article belongs to the Section Environmental Sustainability and Applications)
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18 pages, 4229 KiB  
Article
Simulation of Spatiotemporal Land Use Changes for Integrated Model of Socioeconomic and Ecological Processes in China
by Honglei Jiang, Xia Xu, Mengxi Guan, Lingfei Wang, Yongmei Huang and Yinghui Liu
Sustainability 2019, 11(13), 3627; https://doi.org/10.3390/su11133627 - 2 Jul 2019
Cited by 16 | Viewed by 3077
Abstract
Land use/land cover changes (LULCC) have been affected by ecological processes as well as socioeconomic and human activities, resulting in several environmental problems. The study of the human–environment system combined with land use/land cover dynamics has received considerable attention in recent decades. We [...] Read more.
Land use/land cover changes (LULCC) have been affected by ecological processes as well as socioeconomic and human activities, resulting in several environmental problems. The study of the human–environment system combined with land use/land cover dynamics has received considerable attention in recent decades. We aimed to provide an integrated model that couples land use, socioeconomic influences, and ecosystem processes to explore the future dynamics of land use under two scenarios in China. Under Scenario A, the yield of grain continues to increase, and under Scenario B, the yield of grain remains constant. This study created a LULCC model by integrating a simple global socioeconomic model, a Terrestrial ecosystem simulator (TESim), and a land use allocation model. The results were analyzed by comparing spatiotemporal differences under predicted land use conditions in the two alternative scenarios. The simulation results showed patterns that varied between the two scenarios. In Scenario A, grassland will expand in the future and a large reduction in cropland will be observed. In Scenario B, the augmented expansion of cropland and a drastic shrinkage of forest area will be the main land use conversion features. Scenario A is more promising because more land is preserved for ecological restoration and urbanization, which is in line with China’s Grain for Green Program. Economic development should be based on ecological protection. The results are expected to add insight to sustainable land use development and regional natural resource management in China. Full article
(This article belongs to the Section Environmental Sustainability and Applications)
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