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Sustainability in 2023

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 March 2023) | Viewed by 17562

Special Issue Editors

School of Architecture and Built Environment, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia
Interests: smart technologies, communities, cities and urbanism; knowledge-based development of cities and innovation districts; sustainable and resilient cities; communities and urban ecosystems
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Urban and Regional Innovation Research (URENIO) Faculty of Engineering, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece
Interests: smart cities; intelligent cities; innovation systems; innovation strategy; urban and regional planning
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Department of Geography, Hunter College, 695 Park Ave, New York, NY 10065, USA
Interests: urbanization; environmental change; Asia Pacific region

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

We are pleased to announce this Special Issue, entitled “Sustainability in 2023”, which is part of the MDPI New Year Special Issue Series. This Special Issue will be a collection of high-quality reviews and original articles from Advisory Board Members, Editorial Board Members, Guest Editors, Topical Advisory Panel Members and Reviewer Board Members, in addition to excellent editorials from EiCs and Section EiCs. Submissions on all aspects of sustainability are welcome.

Prof. Dr. Tan Yigitcanlar
Prof. Dr. Giuseppe Ioppolo
Prof. Dr. Nicos Komninos
Prof. Dr. Peter J. Marcotullio
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.

New Year Special Issue Series

This Special Issue is a part of Sustainability’s New Year Special Issue Series. The series reflects on the achievements, scientific progress, and “hot topics” of the previous year in the journal. Submissions of articles whose lead authors are our Editorial Board Members are highly encouraged. However, we welcome articles from all authors.

Published Papers (4 papers)

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44 pages, 5505 KiB  
Article
Autonomous and Sustainable Service Economies: Data-Driven Optimization of Design and Operations through Discovery of Multi-Perspective Parameters
by Nala Alahmari, Rashid Mehmood, Ahmed Alzahrani, Tan Yigitcanlar and Juan M. Corchado
Sustainability 2023, 15(22), 16003; https://doi.org/10.3390/su152216003 - 16 Nov 2023
Viewed by 1211
Abstract
The rise in the service economy has been fueled by breakthroughs in technology, globalization, and evolving consumer patterns. However, this sector faces various challenges, such as issues related to service quality, innovation, efficiency, and sustainability, as well as macro-level challenges such as globalization, [...] Read more.
The rise in the service economy has been fueled by breakthroughs in technology, globalization, and evolving consumer patterns. However, this sector faces various challenges, such as issues related to service quality, innovation, efficiency, and sustainability, as well as macro-level challenges such as globalization, geopolitical risks, failures of financial institutions, technological disruptions, climate change, demographic shifts, and regulatory changes. The impacts of these challenges on society and the economy can be both significant and unpredictable, potentially endangering sustainability. Therefore, it is crucial to comprehensively study services and service economies at both holistic and local levels. To this end, the objective of this study is to develop and validate an artificial-intelligence-based methodology to gain a comprehensive understanding of the service sector by identifying key parameters from the academic literature and public opinion. This methodology aims to provide in-depth insights into the creation of smarter, more sustainable services and economies, ultimately contributing to the development of sustainable future societies. A software tool is developed that employs a data-driven approach involving the use of word embeddings, dimensionality reduction, clustering, and word importance. A large dataset comprising 175 K research articles was created from the Scopus database, and after analysis, 29 distinct parameters related to the service sector were identified and grouped into 6 macro-parameters: smart society and infrastructure, digital transformation, service lifecycle management, and others. The analysis of over 112 K tweets collected from Saudi Arabia identified 11 parameters categorized into 2 macro-parameters: private sector services and government services. The software tool was used to generate a knowledge structure, taxonomy, and framework for the service sector, in addition to a detailed literature review based on over 300 research articles. The conclusions highlight the significant theoretical and practical implications of the presented study for autonomous capabilities in systems, which can contribute to the development of sustainable, responsible, and smarter economies and societies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability in 2023)
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41 pages, 1843 KiB  
Article
Smart Circular Cities: Governing the Relationality, Spatiality, and Digitality in the Promotion of Circular Economy in an Urban Region
by Ari-Veikko Anttiroiko
Sustainability 2023, 15(17), 12680; https://doi.org/10.3390/su151712680 - 22 Aug 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1594
Abstract
This article discusses the governance of a smart-green transition in an urban region. The focus is on how the modes of public governance relate to relationality, spatiality, and digitality, which are of vital importance in determining the success of the transition in question. [...] Read more.
This article discusses the governance of a smart-green transition in an urban region. The focus is on how the modes of public governance relate to relationality, spatiality, and digitality, which are of vital importance in determining the success of the transition in question. The empirical inquiry is based on observations of the case of the Tampere urban region in Finland, which exemplifies such governance efforts in the Nordic welfare society context. The discussion shows that the relationality in the given context is fragmentary, dominated by persuasive network governance and soft means of exerting pressure. Municipalities assume many roles in CE governance, which matches their urge to utilize different institutional logics from hierarchies to markets and networks. Rather than a genuine authority, municipalities emerge as facilitators and enablers. Spatiality is highlighted in the formation of designated areas that serve circularity and also provide brand benefits, as shown by the eco-industrial park in the city of Nokia. Digitalization is an underdeveloped area in the circular economy agenda vis-à-vis its assumed potential. Its relevance has been identified by institutional players in the urban-regional governance field, but its realization seems to require both nationally coordinated actions and local solutions that compensate for the lack of a critical mass of developers and users in the circular economy ecosystem. Lastly, regarding urban governance, the parallel utilization of different modes of governance forms a complex setting, in which increasingly sophisticated forms of hybrid governance are emerging. Most notably, in the case of the Tampere urban region, the promotion of a circular economy by intermediaries is supplemented by novel dynamic assemblages that utilize different institutional logics within loosely governed processes that aim at integrating a circular economy into business models and urban development. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability in 2023)
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15 pages, 1809 KiB  
Article
Decision-Making Approach in Sustainability Assessment in Steel Manufacturing Companies—Systematic Literature Review
by Radosław Depczyński, Jim Secka, Katarzyna Cheba, Carlotta D’Alessandro and Katarzyna Szopik-Depczyńska
Sustainability 2023, 15(15), 11614; https://doi.org/10.3390/su151511614 - 27 Jul 2023
Viewed by 1279
Abstract
Sustainability is understood as a balanced integration of economic, ecological, and social aspects. Sustainable manufacturing can be considered one of the most important issues to address in the pursuit of sustainable development. The main purpose of the paper is to identify the most [...] Read more.
Sustainability is understood as a balanced integration of economic, ecological, and social aspects. Sustainable manufacturing can be considered one of the most important issues to address in the pursuit of sustainable development. The main purpose of the paper is to identify the most important directions of research to date and to indicate new and emerging areas of research concerned with the usage of decision-making methods in sustainability assessment in steel manufacturing companies. A systematic review was based on the publications indexed in the Web of Science and Scopus databases. In the analysis, the correspondence analysis and log-linear model were applied. To sum up, this study examines decision-making modalities and sustainable performance in terms of approaches that influence sustainability in steel manufacturing. Firstly, the study determined key decision-making aspects, such as the appropriate material identification for the manufacturing process and material labeling for the manufacturing process, which is essential for sustainable metal products. Secondly, the identification of sustainability indicators is considered vital in the hierarchical process as their integration is essential for the decision-making process and its outcome. Furthermore, system efficiency and productivity, alongside increasing attention to environmental protection, have led to significant changes in all production systems. In addition, many factors play an important role in the selection of suppliers, such as increasing the importance of the environment, increasing the recycling rate of the products, and ensuring sustainability performance. However, companies in the steel manufacturing industry rely little on the application of decision-making to assess sustainability. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability in 2023)
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19 pages, 65695 KiB  
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Net Zero in the Maelstrom: Professional Practice for Net Zero in a Time of Turbulent Change
by Peter W. G. Newman
Sustainability 2023, 15(6), 4810; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15064810 - 08 Mar 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 11885
Abstract
The net zero transition is examined as a process of technical change that has rapidly accelerated and now faces social, economic and political transformations that can enable this rapid transition. The illustration of a maelstrom, with barrels that can enable survival, is used [...] Read more.
The net zero transition is examined as a process of technical change that has rapidly accelerated and now faces social, economic and political transformations that can enable this rapid transition. The illustration of a maelstrom, with barrels that can enable survival, is used to show that professional practice during the turbulent period of change needs new net zero standards reflected in new processes and regulations for business accounting, energy, urban and transport planning, as well as new approaches for the just transition and Indigenous/local engagement. Australian examples are provided to show the beginning of such a maelstrom process to illustrate the significance of this agenda in 2023. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability in 2023)
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