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Sustainable Urban Development: Green Infrastructure, Built Environment and Construction Activities

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A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Sustainable Urban and Rural Development".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 January 2024) | Viewed by 9783

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Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Eziyi Offia Ibem

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Guest Editor

Department of Architecture, Faculty of Environmental Studies, University of Nigeria, Enugu Campus, Enugu 410001, Enugu State, Nigeria
Interests: sustainable human settlements; urban green infrastructure; sustainable construction procurement practices
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Olumuyiwa Adegun

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Guest Editor

Department of Architecture, Federal University of Technology, Akure, Nigeria
Interests: sustainable housing; urban green infrastructure; slum upgrading
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Obuks Ejohwomu

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Guest Editor

Department of Mechanical, Aerospace & Civil Engineering (MACE), Infrastructure and Resilience, Thomas Ashton Institute, and Manchester Environmental Research Institute (MERI), The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
Interests: built environment sustainability; digital; health and safety; productivity; project management; procurement; carbon neutrality in buildings
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

1) Introduction, including scientific background and highlighting the importance of this research area.

Amid rapid urbanization, biodiversity loss, and the increasing adverse impact of climate change on urban ecosystems, health, well-being, and livelihood, green infrastructure offers new dimensions in policies, practices, and strategies for sustainable urban development. Urban green infrastructure and green construction activities are receiving increased attention for their potency in simultaneously addressing several urban ecological, social and economic issues. This is why knowledge development and dissemination on current policy directions, strategies, and techniques for protecting and preserving urban ecosystems and improving the liveability of urban settlements through the incorporation of green elements into the design and planning of layouts and municipal engineering services, and reduction of carbon emissions in the lifecycle of buildings and physical infrastructure projects have taken the center stage in the global discourse on sustainable urban development. This area of research is considered very important as it leverages multidisciplinary knowledge and methodologies to identify and evaluate current and future pathways to the attainment of sustainable development goals.

2) Aim of the Special issue and how the subject relates to the journal scope.

This special issue seeks to bring together articles showing the trajectory and current state of knowledge in policy, practice, and technology associated with all aspects of green infrastructure planning and management and sustainable construction activities. These fall within the scope of Sustainability’s focus on socio-economic, scientific and integrated approaches to sustainable urban development, education and awareness of sustainability, sustainable utilization of resources, and lifecycle assessment.

3) Suggest themes

In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome. Research areas may include (but not are limited to) the following:

Green infrastructure design, planning and management
Governance and policy framework for urban green infrastructure
Cost-benefit analysis and affordability of green construction
Vertical greening in dense urban environments
Adaptation to future climate scenarios through green infrastructure
Artificial intelligence, 4^th industrial revolution and green construction
Zero carbon construction and lifecycle assessment
Gender, equity, and inclusion in urban greening and green construction
Education and awareness of green infrastructure and green construction initiatives
Digital

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

You may choose our Joint Special Issue in Urban Science.

Prof. Dr. Eziyi Offia Ibem
Dr. Olumuyiwa Bayode Adegun
Dr. Obuks Ejohwomu
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

climate adaptation
ecological urbanism
green housing
sustainable built environment
green construction
sustainable urbanization
digital
urban green infrastructure

Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

15 pages, 2168 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Arid Urban Green Areas Reimagined: Transforming Landscapes with Native Plants for a Sustainable Future in Aksu, Northwest China

by Xiaocao Liu, Chengzhi Li, Xiaobing Zhao and Tianyu Zhu

Sustainability 2024, 16(4), 1546; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16041546 - 12 Feb 2024

Viewed by 588

Abstract

The exponential growth of the economy and society has resulted in a substantial need for superior urban green spaces, consequently fostering a significant surge in urban landscape construction. The integration of plant landscapes in urban landscape construction is crucial. The rational use of plant landscape resources to create high-quality urban green spaces is of great significance for promoting urban sustainable development. Hence, the primary aim of this study was to investigate the landscape and ecological functions of indigenous plants in the context of urban landscape implementation and then provide utilization strategies of indigenous plants for urban landscape construction. This research focuses on the utilization of native plants in Aksu’s urban green spaces (a city in northwest China). Through a contrastive analysis of the dust retention, windbreak and sand fixation, and landscaping capabilities of these native plants, certain indigenous species are identified as suitable candidates. Specifically, Styphnolobium japonicum and Ulmus densa exhibit a dust adhering per plant of 656.50 and 388.46 g·m⁻², respectively. Consequently, augmenting their planting proportion can effectively augment the overall dust adhering within the garden. The windbreak distances of Populus bolleana, Populus euphratica, and Styphnolobium japonicum were found to exceed 60 m, indicating their effectiveness in mitigating wind and sand erosion. Therefore, strategically planting these species can contribute to the establishment of a robust urban windbreak forest. Additionally, optimizing the arrangement of Rosa multiflora, Hippophae rhamnoides, Berberis thunbergii, and Salix matsudana can enhance the aesthetic appeal of urban gardens. The utilization of native plants holds promise in enhancing the ecological and landscape functions of urban gardens in Aksu. The effective enhancement of the ecological function and the landscape effect of urban gardens can be achieved through the appropriate reconstruction with native plants. The findings of this study hold significant reference value for the urban landscape architecture in arid urban areas. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Urban Development: Green Infrastructure, Built Environment and Construction Activities)

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19 pages, 7214 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Evaluating Construction Projects’ Alternatives Using Lean Construction and Sustainability Principles in an Information Model Framework

by Pedro Saieg Faria, Elisa Dominguez Sotelino, Cristiano Saad Travassos do Carmo and Daniel Luiz Mattos Nascimento

Sustainability 2023, 15(23), 16517; https://doi.org/10.3390/su152316517 - 3 Dec 2023

Viewed by 830

Abstract

This study evaluates and validates how BIM functionalities can foster the consideration of lean construction and sustainability principles in building design. To this end, a plugin was developed and implemented in a BIM-enabled visualization environment. This system aims to help a user decide the best design between alternatives, while considering the user’s perspective on what generates value in the project. To illustrate and validate the usability and importance of the system, the design of a warehouse with specific requirements was considered. Four design alternatives were modeled considering different types of superstructures, building envelopes, and materials. The system imported an external database and calculated the general costs, CO₂ emissions, and thermal comfort indicators for each model. It also incorporated user-defined weights for each indicator and graphically displayed the results indicating the best options through a multiple attribute decision method. From the obtained results, it was concluded that it is possible to integrate BIM and lean principles to support sustainable development in the construction industry. Through an experiment with warehouse alternatives, the proposed approach revealed that the best project could save nearly 50% of CO₂ emissions when compared to the worst project and that the second-best project had the best performance in terms of thermal heat flow (1.80 Megawatts). The results also indicate that the system can be a great asset in supporting the decision-making process of selecting the best design alternative and understanding the impact of design changes on cost and on the environment. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Urban Development: Green Infrastructure, Built Environment and Construction Activities)

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25 pages, 16433 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Reinventing the Urban Neighborhood Green Index in the Context of Urban Ecology as a Conceptual Framework in Northern Nicosia, Cyprus

by Mine K. Bolkaner and Buket Asilsoy

Sustainability 2023, 15(18), 13880; https://doi.org/10.3390/su151813880 - 18 Sep 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 980

Abstract

Today, one in two people live in urban environments, and this number is expected to rise. Urban ecology is among the main concepts of the ecological urban planning agenda for cities where the consequences of global warming and climate change are increasing day by day. Urban open green spaces provide a variety of ecosystem services for city dwellers. It is important that green spaces are accessible, efficient, walkable and properly planned in the city. Within this framework, via the relevant theoretical evaluation, a conceptual framework was constructed to redefine the urban neighborhood green index. Regarding the existing definitions within the related literature, this developed index includes quantitative, qualitative and perceptual parameters and has been newly introduced to measure and analyze green spaces in a more comprehensive layout. There is also a need to establish an ecological approach to urban planning to increase the quantity and quality of urban green spaces in Cyprus, including in Northern Nicosia. Therefore, Northern Nicosia, with its three selected neighborhoods, was chosen as the study area. As the main methodology of the study, a thorough assessment of the quantitative component of the developed index with its four parameters of per-capita green space, proximity to green space, area percentages and type of green spaces is made. Maps from the Town Planning Department and satellite images from the Nicosia Turkish Municipality and GIS were used for this quantitative measurement. Based on the findings, it can be argued that the urban green spaces are not sufficient when assessed based on most of the parameters evaluated within the study to construct a comprehensive green space index. It was found that the green spaces in the city are accessible, being within 337 m, which is reasonable. However, there are very few active and accessible open green areas in these neighborhoods within the 300 and 500 m buffers, as a remarkable number of the green spaces, which are shown on the map, are in an abandoned condition. In addition, the amount of active green space per capita is 3.35 m², which is well below the 9 m² predicted by WHO. The area percentages of the neighborhoods are also below the required standards. Therefore, the findings show that Northern Nicosia can benefit by addressing these deficiencies to achieve a higher urban neighborhood green index. Furthermore, the theoretical model is efficient for the assessment of urban spaces at the neighborhood scale and can be used in other cities worldwide, especially in cities with a relatively low density. In sum, this study, which considered not only the quantitative parameters but also the qualitative and perceptual features, has the potential to expand scientific knowledge on measuring and analyzing urban neighborhood green spaces. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Urban Development: Green Infrastructure, Built Environment and Construction Activities)

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21 pages, 6192 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Influence of Spatial Accessibility and Environmental Quality on Youths’ Visit to Green Open Spaces (GOS) in Akure, Nigeria

by Obinna Justice Ubani, Micheal Oloyede Alabi, Emmanuel Ndukwe Chiemelu, Andrew Okosun and Chinwe Sam-Amobi

Sustainability 2023, 15(17), 13223; https://doi.org/10.3390/su151713223 - 4 Sep 2023

Viewed by 1119

Abstract

Although a regular visit to green open spaces has been recommended in curbing some sedentary lifestyle-associated health challenges, not much has been performed to uncover the factors that promote visits to such spaces in urban areas in sub-Saharan Africa. This research investigated the spatial accessibility and environmental quality factors that influence visits to green open spaces (GOS) by youths in the core area of Akure, Southwest Nigeria. The data were derived from a survey of 400 respondents aged between 18 and 35 years, ArcGIS software, v. Pro 20, and geographic information system (GIS) and analyzed using descriptive statistics and binary logistic regression analysis. The results revealed that the spatial accessibility predictors of visits to GOS among the youths were their age, street integration, social integration, and proximity of GOS to their homes, while the environmental quality predictors were the presence of a gymnasium in GOS and public facilities around such spaces. These findings are instructive in noting that to ensure social justice in access to GOS and the associated social and ecosystem services they offer, the planning, design, and management of green spaces should take cognizance of these predictors in meeting the needs of the youths who constitute a larger percentage of the urban population and thus encouraging them to regularly visit GOS in the study area and beyond. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Urban Development: Green Infrastructure, Built Environment and Construction Activities)

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17 pages, 2793 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Sustainable Ready-Mixed Concrete (RMC) Production: A Case Study of Five RMC Plants in Nigeria

by Oluseye Olugboyega, Obuks Ejohwomu, Emmanuel Dele Omopariola and Alohan Omoregie

Sustainability 2023, 15(10), 8169; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15108169 - 17 May 2023

Viewed by 2112

Abstract

This study aims to examine whether ready-mixed concrete (RMC) production in Nigeria is sustainable. This study proposes that RMC production will be sustainable, assuming the RMC plant, RMC products, plant management, RMC supply, RMC quality, and demand for RMC are sustainable. Based on a constructivist worldview, the proposition of RMC production’s sustainability was assessed by conducting a contextual analysis of five RMC plants in Lagos State, Nigeria. It was observed that the RMC plants required sustainability in power supply, plant output, and plant capacity. The plants have a sustainable supply of raw materials. The management methods and product control strategies were found to be unsustainable. Fair supply time, supply methods, and quality control systems were established in the findings. Challenges, such as administrative issues, economic problems, poor technology, and the absence of an innovative business model, influenced the sustainable demand for RMC products. This study concludes that alternative power supplies and methods such as just-in-time (JIT) purchasing systems and learning frameworks ought to be considered for RMC plants. Likewise, improving the ease of doing business would significantly help the sustainability of RMC production. This study presumes that RMC production is, as of now, not sustainable in Nigeria. Still, the sustainability of RMC production could be ensured through measures such as the reuse of waste, the adoption of innovative RMC production and delivery, and technological development. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Urban Development: Green Infrastructure, Built Environment and Construction Activities)

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26 pages, 8490 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Strategies for a Positive Anthropogenic Impact in Postwar Buildings

by Paolo Piantanida, Carlo Luigi Ostorero, Antonio Vottari, Valentino Manni, Luca Saverio Valzano, Roberto Farnetani and Marco Surra

Sustainability 2023, 15(10), 7809; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15107809 - 10 May 2023

Viewed by 1208

Abstract

A significant portion of postwar buildings, typically concentrated in suburban areas, are now difficult assets to manage due to their poor sustainability and limited replacement feasibilities. This paper focuses on strategies to improve their metabolism using energy-saving measures based on optimizing energy needs and integrating internal and external energy sources: a new organizational model for energy management should focus first on saving energy, and then on the possibility of integration into a local energy network. This positively affects the anthropogenic impact and becomes a role model for aggregating buildings not only into a district system, but also into a wider, large-scale energy network. The paper shows a significant case study of actual retrofitting intervention that is examined in order to confirm the theoretical guidelines proposed in the first part of the paper. Moreover, another significant case study, taken from common practice, is illustrated, in which different levels of retrofitting are tested. While taking into account the complexity and fragmentation of private property both in a single building and in the city, some strategies are finally described with the aim of reducing the anthropic impact of the postwar building stock. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Urban Development: Green Infrastructure, Built Environment and Construction Activities)

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23 pages, 4668 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Effect of Pristine Graphene on the Mechanical Properties of Geopolymer Mortar

by Oluwapelumi Abiodun, Charles Kabubo, Raphael Mutuku and Obuks Ejohwomu

Sustainability 2023, 15(2), 1706; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15021706 - 16 Jan 2023

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 1823

Abstract

The dire need for sustainable construction materials has resulted in emerging research to improve the properties and, subsequently, the structural performance of the geopolymer composite. One of these progressive moves is this study’s focus on enhancing the mechanical properties of geopolymer composite. This experiment employed a unique methodology in preparing pristine graphene-reinforced geopolymer mortar. Moreover, the study’s successful dispersion of a large-size (50 µm) industrially manufactured pristine graphene (PG) and its effect when incorporated in the geopolymer matrix was the first of its kind in research on geopolymer. The dosages of PG by weight of the precursor added to the geopolymer mix were 0.05%, 0.07%, 0.1%, and 0.3%. The results revealed that PG less than 5% by weight of the dispersing medium produced a good dispersion when sonicated in an aqueous solution and polycarboxylate ether superplasticiser as a surfactant. An ultraviolet-visible spectrophotometer was used to affirm that the PG aqueous solution subjected to ultrasonication was stable, well dispersed, and fit for incorporation in the geopolymer mortar. When the 0.07% dosage of the PG was incorporated in the geopolymer mortar, the compressive strength was highest, reaching 61.2 MPa and 63.5 MPa at 7 and 28 days, respectively. At 28 days after adding the 0.07% dosage of PG to the geopolymer mortar, the direct tensile strength was maximum at 2.5 MPa, while the flexural strength had a maximum of 10.4 MPa. An optimum PG dosage of 0.07% significantly improved the compressive, tensile, and flexural strengths by 14.4%, 25.96% and 17.35% at 28 days, respectively. Furthermore, the hypothesis tested acknowledged that the 0.05% and 0.07% PG dosages were responsible for significant improvement of the mechanical properties of the geopolymer mortar. This study affirms that large-size industrially produced PG could revolutionise the entrant of sustainable construction materials. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Urban Development: Green Infrastructure, Built Environment and Construction Activities)

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