scholarly journals Urban Sustainability Audits and Ratings of the Built Environment

Energies ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (22) ◽  
pp. 4243 ◽  
Author(s):  
Constantinos A. Balaras ◽  
Kalliopi G. Droutsa ◽  
Elena G. Dascalaki ◽  
Simon Kontoyiannidis ◽  
Andrea Moro ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Built Environment ◽  
Assessment Method ◽  
Assessment System ◽  
Urban Systems ◽  
Audit Process ◽  
Social Challenges ◽  
Current State ◽  
Development Goals ◽  
Neighbourhood Scale ◽  
Environment Service

Buildings and the built environment in cities are seen as both a source of, and solution to, today’s economic, environmental and social challenges. The audit process to collect data and rate their sustainability levels is a demanding process given the complexity of the issues involved. Stakeholders often lack advanced knowledge on the sustainability issues involved, access to practical tools that match the local priorities and the overall resources to diagnose and evaluate the current state, analyse, assess and rank different scenarios, and monitor implementation and progress towards meeting sustainable development goals and local priorities. A new multicriteria European built environment assessment method that is supported by practical tools was developed in a transnational collaborative effort to support the assessment, planning, monitoring and overall decision-making process for rating the sustainability at the building or neighbourhood scale. The assessment system addresses the main sustainability issues (e.g., site and infrastructure, urban systems, energy and natural resources, emissions and environment, service quality, social aspects, economy), which are described and quantified with an “exhaustive” list of ~180 sustainability criteria and indicators, and a manageable number of common mandatory key performance indicators. The assessment system can satisfy the public administrations’ needs for being easy to use, open access, flexible and adaptable tools in order to facilitate their efforts for developing effective sustainability plans.

scholarly journals Dynamic relationship between embodied and operational impacts of buildings

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 70-81 ◽  
Author(s):  
Saheed O. Ajayi ◽  
Lukumon O. Oyedele ◽  
Jamiu A. Dauda
Keyword(s):  
Built Environment ◽  
Environmental Impacts ◽  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Significant Proportion ◽  
Mineral Resources ◽  
Green Building ◽  
Assessment Method ◽  
Assessment System ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Dynamic Relationship

Purpose Buildings and their construction activities consume a significant proportion of mineral resources excavated from nature and contribute a large percentage of CO2 in the atmosphere. As a way of improving the sustainability of building construction and operation, various sustainable design appraisal standards have been developed across nations. Albeit criticism of the appraisal standards, evidence shows that increasing sustainability of the built environment has been engendered by such appraisal tools as Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM), Code for Sustainable Homes (CfSH), Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design and Comprehensive Assessment System for Built Environment Efficacy, among others. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the effectiveness of the appraisal standards in engendering whole lifecycle environmental sustainability of the built environment. Design/methodology/approach In order to evaluate the adequacy of sustainability scores assigned to various lifecycle stages of buildings in the appraisal standards, four case studies of a block of classroom were modelled. Using Revit as a modelling platform, stage by stage lifecycle environmental impacts of the building were simulated through Green Building Studio and ATHENA Impact estimator. The resulting environmental impacts were then compared against the assessment score associated with each stage of building lifecycle in BREAAM and CfSH. Findings Results show that albeit the consensus that the appraisal standards engender sustainability practices in the AEC industry, total scores assigned to impacts at each stage of building lifecycle is disproportionate to the simulated whole-life environmental impacts associated with the stages in some instances. Originality/value As the study reveals both strengths and weaknesses in the existing sustainability appraisal standards, measures through which they can be tailored to resource efficiency and lifecycle environmental sustainability of the built environment are suggested.

scholarly journals Application of Comprehensive Assessment System for Built Environment Efficiency (CASBEE) at City Level in Johor Bahru

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Muhammad Akmal Hakim bin Hishammuddin ◽  
Gabriel Ling Hoh Teck ◽  
Loon Wai Chau ◽  
Chin Siong Ho
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Built Environment ◽  
Sustainable Development Goals ◽  
Assessment System ◽  
Data Availability ◽  
Focus Group Discussions ◽  
Group Discussions ◽  
Development Goals ◽  
Future Potential

CASBEE-City tool determines the city’s Built Environment Efficiency (BEE) by calculating the improvement of Quality of Life (Q) over human activities’ Environmental Load (L) within the city’s hypothetical boundary. A total of 58 variables (57 Q indicators and one variable for L) are used in the worldwide version of CASBEE-City which were grounded using ISO 37120:2014 Sustainable Development of Communities and 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by the United Nations (UN). This paper examines the application of CASBEE-City for Malaysian cities using the case of Johor Bahru City and identifies assessment indicators which are customised based on the data availability, reliability and suitability through focus group discussions (FGDs) which involved 36 respondents (researchers, urban planners and stakeholders). This paper reveals Johor Bahru with moderate score B+ in 2010 and 2025. Consensus were also achieved from the 36 FGD respondents for the practicability and future potential of CASBEE-City and BEE framework in Johor Bahru.

The Impact of Zoning and Built Environment Characteristics on Transit, Biking, and Walking

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 108-129
Author(s):  
Andrew G. Mueller ◽  
Daniel J. Trujillo
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Built Environment ◽  
Discrete Choice ◽  
Travel Behavior ◽  
Choice Model ◽  
Mode Choice ◽  
Land Use Regulation ◽  
Policy Action ◽  
Development Goals ◽  
The Impact

This study furthers existing research on the link between the built environment and travel behavior, particularly mode choice (auto, transit, biking, walking). While researchers have studied built environment characteristics and their impact on mode choice, none have attempted to measure the impact of zoning on travel behavior. By testing the impact of land use regulation in the form of zoning restrictions on travel behavior, this study expands the literature by incorporating an additional variable that can be changed through public policy action and may help cities promote sustainable real estate development goals. Using a unique, high-resolution travel survey dataset from Denver, Colorado, we develop a multinomial discrete choice model that addresses unobserved travel preferences by incorporating sociodemographic, built environment, and land use restriction variables. The results suggest that zoning can be tailored by cities to encourage reductions in auto usage, furthering sustainability goals in transportation.

scholarly journals SEM-PLS Approach to Green Building

Encyclopedia ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 472-481
Author(s):  
Nasim Aghili ◽  
Mehdi Amirkhani
Keyword(s):  
Structural Equation ◽  
Green Building ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The United States ◽  
Assessment Method ◽  
Assessment System ◽  
Renewable Materials ◽  
Sustainable Building ◽  
Building Operation ◽  
The Impact

Green buildings refer to buildings that decrease adverse environmental effects and maintain natural resources. They can diminish energy consumption, greenhouse gas emissions, the usage of non-renewable materials, water consumption, and waste generation while improving occupants’ health and well-being. As such, several rating tools and benchmarks have been developed worldwide to assess green building performance (GBP), including the Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM) in the United Kingdom, German Sustainable Building Council (DGNB), Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) in the United States and Canada, Comprehensive Assessment System for Built Environment Efficiency (CASBEE) in Japan, Green Star in Australia, Green Mark in Singapore, and Green Building Index in Malaysia. Energy management (EM) during building operation could also improve GBP. One of the best approaches to evaluating the impact of EM on GBP is by using structural equation modelling (SEM). SEM is a commanding statistical method to model testing. One of the most used SEM variance-based approaches is partial least squares (PLS), which can be implemented in the SmartPLS application. PLS-SEM uses path coefficients to determine the strength and significance of the hypothesised relationships between the latent constructs.

scholarly journals Multi-Risk Assessment and Management—A Comparative Study of the Current State of Affairs in Chile and Ecuador

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 1366
Author(s):  
Stefan Greiving ◽  
Leonie Schödl ◽  
Karl-Heinz Gaudry ◽  
Iris Katherine Quintana Miralles ◽  
Benjamín Prado Larraín ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Management ◽  
Disaster Preparedness ◽  
Disaster Risk ◽  
International Strategy ◽  
Metropolitan Regions ◽  
Current State ◽  
Policy Goals ◽  
Development Goals ◽  
State Of Affairs ◽  
Output Indicators

In Chile and Ecuador, multiple hazards and dynamic processes in vulnerability pose a high risk. Spatial planning and emergency management can contribute to disaster risk management but they follow different goals. However, global goals, such as from UN-ISDR (United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Risk Reduction) and UN SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) can potentially support cities and regions in defining concerted action. This paper aims at measuring the performance of Chile and Ecuador in regard to the aforementioned policy goals. Although both countries show considerable progresses in the implementation of the UN strategies, it is doubtful that the existing global monitoring approach is appropriately designed for measuring the real situation on the ground. Our paper is based on a desktop research combined with stakeholder workshops and expert interviews. Overall, both countries made considerable progress in regard to disaster preparedness and monitoring. However, multi-risks are rarely considered and there is still increasing vulnerability due to the expansion of informal settlements. The risk management is characterized by an imbalanced distribution of financial resources and institutional capacities between the metropolitan regions and smaller municipalities, and by low public participation and hardly community-based approaches. The paper underlines the importance for more qualitative, in-depth studies on the root causes of disaster risk which could complement the global monitoring which is very much focused on quantitative data and shows inconsistency between input and output indicators.

scholarly journals Sustainable Streetscape and Built Environment Designs around BRT Stations: A Stated Choice Experiment Using 3D Visualizations

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (12) ◽  
pp. 6594
Author(s):  
Ahmad Adeel ◽  
Bruno Notteboom ◽  
Ansar Yasar ◽  
Kris Scheerlinck ◽  
Jeroen Stevens
Keyword(s):  
Built Environment ◽  
Mass Transit ◽  
Local Context ◽  
Transit Oriented Development ◽  
Commercial Building ◽  
Related Factors ◽  
Housing Projects ◽  
The Road ◽  
Development Goals ◽  
Set Up

The incompatibility between the microscale-built environment designs around mass transit stations and stakeholders’ preferences causes dissatisfaction and inconvenience. The lack of a pedestrian-friendly environment, uncontrolled development patterns, traffic and parking issues make the street life vulnerable and unattractive for users, and affect the mass transit usage. How to design the streetscapes around mass transit stations to provide a user-friendly street environment is a crucial question to achieve sustainable transit-oriented development goals. To recognize the specific attributes of streetscape environment relevant in local context of BRT Lahore, this paper presents the results of a visual preference experiment in which nine attributes of built environment were systematically varied across choice sets. Multinomial logit models were set up to identify the preferences of three target groups: BRT users, commercial building users and residents at different locations. The research indicates that not only the road-related factors (bike lane and sidewalk widths, crossings facilities, street greenery) have a significant influence on people’s preference but also that building heights, and the typology of buildings and housing projects around BRT corridor have shaped these preferences. When planning and designing urban design projects around mass transit projects, these significant attributes should be considered.

Primary Exploration of the New Assessment Method on Green Building Which Based on the Environment Disturbance and Ecological Compensation

2011 ◽  
Vol 347-353 ◽  
pp. 4097-4103
Author(s):  
You Yin Jing ◽  
Jian Liang Zhang ◽  
He Bai
Keyword(s):  
Green Building ◽  
Assessment Method ◽  
Assessment System ◽  
Ecological Compensation ◽  
Green Architecture ◽  
System A ◽  
Building Assessment ◽  
Assessment Systems ◽  
Current Assessment ◽  
Ecological Building

This paper proposes some suggestions to perfect our current green building assessment system. Green building and ecological building is undoubtedly the trend of construction industry. Green building assessment systems play a directional function for the design, the construction and the use of green architecture. This paper introduces the development of green building assessment system at China and other country firstly. Through the comparison and analysis for some kinds of green building assessment systems, found that that the applicability for buildings and areas and the fairness for ecological environment and surrounding people of current assessment system should be optimized. Finally，proposed that several aspects must be considered, and thus establish the new system-A Green Building Assessment Method Which Based on the Environmental Disturbance and Ecological Compensation.

scholarly journals Promotion of Social Innovation through Fab Labs. The Case of ProteinLab UTEM in Chile

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (16) ◽  
pp. 8790
Author(s):  
Macarena Valenzuela-Zubiaur ◽  
Héctor Torres Bustos ◽  
Mónica Arroyo-Vázquez ◽  
Pablo Ferrer-Gisbert
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Social Innovation ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Quadruple Helix ◽  
Third Mission ◽  
The Sustainable Development ◽  
Social Challenges ◽  
Mixed Analysis ◽  
Development Goals ◽  
Effective Instrument

Fab Labs as manufacturing laboratories that stimulate innovation and collaboration are nowadays proliferating within universities. Given the new social challenges, framed within the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), we formulate the following research question: Are Fab Labs an effective tool for the promotion of social innovation from universities? To answer this question, a mixed analysis has been carried out focusing on the case of ProteinLab UTEM. The approach aims to generate a model for the promotion of social innovation from universities through Fab Labs, linking the quadruple helix actors. The objective of this model is to show how Fab Labs can become an effective instrument to promote social innovation from universities. The contribution of this article lies in linking Fab Labs with social innovation through the university’s third mission. Our approach considers Fab Labs as an instrument for the development of social innovations within the university, which contribute, through the third mission, to the social and sustainable development of its environment. As a result of this research, a model is presented for the development of social innovation from universities through Fab Labs. Our research concludes that Fab Labs are an effective instrument for the promotion of social innovation from universities.

Study on Prediction and Assessment Methods of Outdoor Wind Environment of Residential District - Taking “Letian Home” in Leshan, Sichuan for Example

2011 ◽  
Vol 71-78 ◽  
pp. 3868-3873
Author(s):  
Li Jin Ma ◽  
Hong Juan Zou ◽  
Jia Shun Zhu
Keyword(s):  
Fluid Mechanics ◽  
Composite Index ◽  
Assessment Method ◽  
Assessment Methods ◽  
Assessment System ◽  
Outdoor Environment ◽  
Computational Fluid Mechanics ◽  
Analog Computation ◽  
Wind Environment ◽  
Residential District

According to the micro-climate environment outdoor of the region, wind environment outdoor which is under planning programming can be done analog computation using computational fluid mechanics PHOENICS software. A set of comprehensive prediction and assessment system which is mainly focused on outdoor environment composite index WBGT can be established combining with assessment method on wind environment outdoor of predecessors in order to more accurately and humanly predict and assess the wind environment outdoor, bring safe, comfortable and healthy outdoor environment and provide references for the assessment and design of green residential district.

scholarly journals Climate Adaptive Design Index for the Built Environment (CADI-BE): An Assessment System of the Adaptive Capacity to Urban Temperatures Increase

Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (15) ◽  
pp. 4630
Author(s):  
Eduardo Bassolino ◽  
Maria Cerreta
Keyword(s):  
Built Environment ◽  
Adaptive Capacity ◽  
Adaptive Design ◽  
Assessment System ◽  
Urban Transformation ◽  
Urban Spaces ◽  
Open Spaces ◽  
Large Cities ◽  
Island Effect ◽  
Urban Heat

In a scenario in which the climate changes subject urban centres and large cities to high levels of environmental vulnerability and criticality underway, it is evident the need to define operational and straightforward decision-making tools capable of prefiguring and verifying the effectiveness of urban transformation climate-adaptive regeneration processes. The Climate Adaptive Design Index for the Built Environment (CADI-BE) tool has been developed to assess the adaptive capacity and level of performance of open urban spaces to the stresses due to the increase in global average temperatures. The repercussions of these phenomena cause the occurrence of heatwaves and the urban heat island effect (UHI), bringing out the inability of cities to cope with changes in the climate, making urban open spaces unlivable and no longer the ideal habitat for everyday life and social interactions.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document