scholarly journals SDG-Based Sustainability Assessment Methodology for Innovations in the Field of Urban Surfaces

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (11) ◽  
pp. 4466 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kristina Henzler ◽  
Stephanie D. Maier ◽  
Michael Jäger ◽  
Rafael Horn
Keyword(s):  
Urban Areas ◽  
Sustainability Assessment ◽  
Methodological Approach ◽  
Innovation Process ◽  
Assessment Method ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
Three Dimensions ◽  
Potential Contribution ◽  
Economic Dimension

The sustainability of urban surfaces can be enhanced by introducing innovations. An ex-ante assessment of the potential sustainability impacts of innovations in urban areas can provide decision-makers with valuable recommendations for their selection before implementation. This knowledge helps to make the innovation more future-proof. Although a first methodological approach for such an assessment is available, there is no readily applicable set of indicators. Hence, this article proposes a holistic sustainability impact assessment method tailored to the management of urban surfaces and their innovations. For the development of the method, a Sustainable Development Goal (SDG)-based, top-down approach is adopted. The proposed assessment method makes it possible to identify an innovation’s potential contribution to the achievement of the SDGs before its introduction. In this article, the assessment method is tested by evaluating the sustainability impacts of weed-suppressing joint filling sand on a walkway in a municipal cemetery in Southern Germany. The case study shows that a mixed impact of the innovation in the three dimensions of sustainability could be expected within the system boundary. It highlights the need for innovation optimization, mainly in the economic dimension. As a result, the introduced method can support the innovation process of urban surfaces for sustainable municipal development.

scholarly journals A Comprehensive and Integrated Stochastic-Fuzzy Method for Sustainability Assessment in the Malaysian Food Manufacturing Industry

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 948 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shamraiz Ahmad ◽  
Kuan Wong ◽  
Babar Zaman
Keyword(s):  
Manufacturing Industry ◽  
Sustainability Assessment ◽  
Assessment Method ◽  
Three Dimensions ◽  
Food Manufacturing ◽  
High Performing ◽  
Reliable Assessment ◽  
Integrated Sustainability ◽  
Food Manufacturing Industry

Manufacturing activities carry significant burdens for all three dimensions of sustainability, i.e., environment, economy and society. However, most of the available sustainability assessment methods for manufacturing are based on environmental concerns only. Moreover, it is hard to find a sustainability assessment method that considers both stochastic and fuzzy uncertainties concurrently and a comprehensive set of weighted and applicable indicators. Thus, the main purpose of this paper was to develop and test an integrated sustainability assessment method that included both stochastic and fuzzy uncertainties. Both quantitative and qualitative, and weighted sustainability indicators for the Malaysian food manufacturing industry needed to be considered, with reliable assessment results. In order to achieve the objective, the Monte Carlo simulation and fuzzy logic approaches were employed. An overall unit-less sustainability index was calculated to evaluate the current sustainability level. This method was demonstrated using a real-world case study of a Malaysian food manufacturing company. The results highlighted and traced the company-wide major low and high performing areas for all three dimensions of sustainability. The results unveiled that the case company could improve its sustainability performance more effectively by decreasing the amount of air emissions, polluted wastewater, etc., and improving the working conditions. This would enable the practitioners and decision-makers to allocate resources accordingly and more efficiently. Finally, the developed method was validated and the implications and conclusions of the research were presented.

scholarly journals Application of a Sustainability Model for Assessing the Relocation of a Container Terminal: A Case Study of Kristiansand Port

2018 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 87 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mariia Dushenko ◽  
Clemet Thærie Bjorbæk ◽  
Kenn Steger-Jensen
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Sustainability Assessment ◽  
Container Terminal ◽  
Development Project ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
Assessment Model ◽  
Infrastructure Investment ◽  
Model Framework

Sustainable development, a new interdisciplinary paradigm, is attracting increasing attention from the global research community. It is an enhancement of sustainability principles. This study documents the findings from applying a sustainability assessment model framework by Koo and Ariaratnam (2008) for decision support in connection with the projection of major infrastructure investment in a port. The objective of this study is to support the decision-making process in a port development project and to verify the applicability of sustainability assessment using a sustainability assessment model for a terminal development project in an urban area of Scandinavia. The sustainability assessment model is based on the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP). A literature review of sustainability assessment models was conducted to find indicators for the AHP approach. Subsequently, a questionnaire was compiled and six decision-makers for projects in Scandinavian Ports in urban areas were selected for the case study. The hypothesis is that decision-makers of major infrastructure investment projects in publicly owned ports must adhere to sustainable development principles and support the United Nations sustainable development goals that are a call for action by all countries. When documenting a sustainable design of port projects, decision-makers use theoretical sustainability models to conceptualize features of a sustainable society. However, a major challenge for the decision-makers was that the sustainability assessment results did not show, as expected, the same results as those of three existing theoretical sustainability models. The results of the sustainability assessment model were scrutinised and benchmarked against existing theoretical sustainability models, namely: a sustainability stool, a 3-overlappingcircles model, and a 3-nesteddependencies model. The benchmark results indicate a disparity between the importance of what sustainability models describe and what is important in practice.

scholarly journals EXTRACTION AND VISUALIZATION OF 3D BUILDING MODELS IN URBAN AREAS FOR FLOOD SIMULATION

2019 ◽  
Vol XLII-2/W11 ◽  
pp. 669-673 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. E. Kilsedar ◽  
F. Fissore ◽  
F. Pirotti ◽  
M. A. Brovelli
Keyword(s):  
Urban Areas ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
Three Dimensions ◽  
Adaptation Measures ◽  
Flood Simulation ◽  
Domain Experts ◽  
Effective Strategies ◽  
Web Map ◽  
Building Models

<p><strong>Abstract.</strong> Floods pose a risk that is likely to worsen in the future due to climate change. Therefore, it is essential that decision makers and domain experts have the tools to evaluate the effects of floods. We developed a tool that visualizes the earth and buildings in three dimensions to simulate floods so that effective strategies can be developed to enhance resilience and mitigate the effects of floods. We opted to use open standards and free and open source software (FOSS) for Web to maximize interoperability, replicability, reusability, and accessibility. As a result of the literature review, we decided to use CityGML and CesiumJS for three-dimensional geospatial data visualization. However, as CityGML data is not available for the cities that our project focuses on, we developed software called shp2city that converts Esri shapefile to CityGML data in LOD1 or LOD2. Moreover, as CityGML data cannot be immediately used with CesiumJS, we used 3DCityDB to store, represent, and manage the CityGML data; 3DCityDB Importer/Exporter to export the CityGML data in KML/COLLADA/glTF format to be used within the 3DCityDB Web-Map-Client that is based on CesiumJS for visualization. Finally, we simulated floods to aid in the informed decision-making process regarding adaptation measures and mitigation of flooding effects.</p>

scholarly journals The Pleasure of Walking: An Innovative Methodology to Assess Appropriate Walkable Performance in Urban Areas to Support Transport Planning

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (12) ◽  
pp. 3467 ◽  
Author(s):  
Appolloni ◽  
Corazza ◽  
D’Alessandro
Keyword(s):  
Urban Areas ◽  
Urban Governance ◽  
Central Italy ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
Medium Size ◽  
Suitability Index ◽  
Innovative Methodology ◽  
Governance Process ◽  
Walking Performance

The Walking Suitability Index of the Territory–T-WSI is an innovative methodology to assess walkability. Unlike other methods and tools in this field designed to evaluate walkability on given origin-destination paths, T-WSI is conceived for area-wide assessments, typically at the neighborhood level. This can be achieved by visual surveys to collect data, which are easy to perform at street level, their further process via an algorithm, and their aggregation to assess the walking performance levels of the test area. The paper describes such methodology, which includes the development of 12 indicators associated with four main evaluation categories (Practicability, Safety, Urbanity and Appeal), and its application to a case study in a medium-size town in central Italy. Results are described and elaborated to highlight T-WSI’s contribution to help decision makers in the urban governance process, typically in the fields of land use, mobility management and maintenance, coherently with the research objective to enlarge the potential of walkability methodologies thus far available up to area-level assessment.

scholarly journals Determining rural areas vulnerable to illegal dumping using GIS techniques. Case study: Neamț county, Romania

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Florin Constantin MIHAI
Keyword(s):  
Rural Areas ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Regional Scale ◽  
Assessment Method ◽  
Household Waste ◽  
Management Systems ◽  
Field Observations ◽  
Carpathian Region ◽  
Illegal Dumping

The paper aims to mapping the potential vulnerable areas to illegal dumpingof household waste from rural areas in the extra- Carpathian region ofNeamț County. These areas are ordinary in the proximity of built-up areasand buffers areas of 1km were delimited for every locality. Based onvarious map layers in vector formats ( land use, rivers, buil-up areas,roads etc) an assessment method is performed to highlight the potentialareas vulnerable to illegal dumping inside these buffer areas at localscale. The results are corelated to field observations and currentsituation of waste management systems. The maps outline local disparitiesdue to various geographical conditions of county. This approach is anecesary tool in EIA studies particularly for rural waste managementsystems at local and regional scale which are less studied in currentliterature than urban areas.

scholarly journals Simulating the effects of low impact development approaches on urban flooding: a case study from Tehran, Iran

2019 ◽  
Vol 80 (8) ◽  
pp. 1591-1600 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maryam Movahedinia ◽  
Jamal Mohammad Vali Samani ◽  
Fakhreddin Barakhasi ◽  
Saleh Taghvaeian ◽  
Raffi Stepanian
Keyword(s):  
Urban Areas ◽  
Peak Flow ◽  
Low Impact Development ◽  
Hydraulic Modeling ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
Urban Flooding ◽  
Urban Stormwater ◽  
Rainfall Events ◽  
Storm Water Management Model

Abstract Low impact development (LID) methods have been shown to be efficient in reducing the peak flow and total volume of urban stormwater, which is a top priority for effective urban stormwater management in many municipalities. However, decision-makers need information on the effects of LIDs and their associated costs before allocating limited resources. In this study, the Storm Water Management Model (SWMM) was used to investigate the effects of five different LID scenarios on urban flooding in a district in Tehran, Iran. The LID scenarios included rain barrel (RB) at two sizes, bio-retention cell (BRC), and combinations of the two structures. The results showed that significant node flooding and overflow volume would occur in the study area under the existing conditions, especially for rainfall events with longer return periods. BRC and combinations of BRC and RBs were the most effective options in reducing flooding, while the smaller-size RB was the cheapest alternative. However, normalized cost, obtained through dividing the total cost by the percent reduction in node flooding and/or overflow volume, was smallest for BRC. The results of this study demonstrate how hydraulic modeling can be combined with economic analysis to identify the most efficient and affordable LID practices for urban areas.

scholarly journals Application of Multi-criteria Approach for Sustainability Assessment of Manufacturing Processes

2016 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 62-78 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aldona Kluczek
Keyword(s):  
Sustainability Assessment ◽  
Expert Knowledge ◽  
Assessment Method ◽  
Manufacturing Processes ◽  
Baseline Scenario ◽  
Limited Information ◽  
Analytical Technique ◽  
Systematic Improvement ◽  
Hierarchy Process

Abstract The paper is to present a multi-criteria approach for sustainability assessment of manufacturing processes, which can be applied to carry out the sustainability assessment of manufacturing processes requiring less detailed data, time, and expert knowledge, but still providing a company-level analysis. The analytical hierarchy process method is used to determine ranking of simple and relevant activity areas for manufacturing processes in terms of sustainability objectives. Analytical technique is also employed to assess the degree of sustainability in manufacturing due to limited information which appear to be a characteristic of the case study presented. One goal of sustainability characterization methodology is to improve the manufacturing sustainability performance. Similar to the baseline scenario, sustainability reevaluation for sustainability improvement is also applied and discuses performance profile at the process level. This approach seems particularly useful when comparing different processes. It makes applicable for various industries and might be a challenge to derive priorities for systematic improvement. The applicability and usability of the proposed assessment method was verified by the case study in company producing heating devices.

A New Sustainability Assessment Method for Façade Cladding Panels: A Case Study of Fiber/Textile Reinforced Cement Sheets

2021 ◽  
pp. 809-819
Author(s):  
Payam Sadrolodabaee ◽  
S. M. Amin Hosseini ◽  
Monica Ardunay ◽  
Josep Claramunt ◽  
Albert de la Fuente
Keyword(s):  
Sustainability Assessment ◽  
Assessment Method ◽  
Cladding Panels ◽  
Reinforced Cement ◽  
Cement Sheets

scholarly journals Single case research methodology: a tool for moral imagination in business ethics

2017 ◽  
Vol 40 (8) ◽  
pp. 890-906 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jose Luis Retolaza ◽  
Leire San-Jose
Keyword(s):  
Business Ethics ◽  
Single Case ◽  
Moral Imagination ◽  
Methodological Approach ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
Corporate Management ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Case Research ◽  
Single Case Research

Purpose Although there are several often-used case research methods for teaching purposes, these cannot be used to conduct scientific research into business ethics, perhaps owing to criticism levelled against it. The precise aim of this work is to expound and argue for its use within the framework of scientific hypothetical-deductive methodology. Design/methodology/approach The opportunities offered by this methodological approach, both from an inductive (Eisenhardt, 1989; Dyer and Wilkins, 1991) and a deductive perspective (Yin, 1993; Carson et al., 2000), have been wasted, creating a need for scientific contributions within this area; hence, this study. It was carried on a theoretical approach of the use of single case applied to corporate management based on religion and spirituality inclusion. Findings The results obtained indicate that the single-case research method makes it possible to put forward alternative hypotheses to the dominant hypothesis, making contributions to the theory. Concretely, the scientific legitimacy of its use is justified by what it has been called “possibilistic hypothesis” for what it is not necessary to collect a large data or make an empiric research. Practical implications In the field of business ethics, these hypotheses (possibilistics) make alternatives stand out that widen the moral responsibility of decision-makers. It implies an open mind for decision-makers and rigorous arguments using just a single case. Reinforce and make them easier based on moral imagination improvement. Originality/value The decision process is complex, but in this rich method, the single-case study could permit establishing rigorous and robust decisions easily. The case study is not used widely for management, but this perspective could enrich and increase its use.

scholarly journals Farmers’ Participation in Territorial Planning: A Methodological Approach for the Case Study of Huerta de Valencia

2014 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
pp. 351-355
Author(s):  
Stefano Corsi ◽  
Chiara Mazzocchi ◽  
Giovanni Mottadelli ◽  
Guido Sali
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Land Management ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Action Plan ◽  
Methodological Approach ◽  
Urban Land Use ◽  
Territorial Planning ◽  
Territory Management ◽  
Competition For Resources

Participation in planning has become progressively important in territory management. As regards Territorial Planning, farmers are among the main stakeholders. In fact multifunctionality of agriculture admits a new role to primary sector. In particular the management of open areas is particularly strategic in peri-urban areas, where competition for resources is highest than in other areas, especially for the land. In this context, the involvement of farmers as privileged stakeholders to land management is even more important. This paper proposes a methodological approach for the evaluation of peri-urban land use plans by farmers. In particular, it has been considered the "Territorial Action Plan of Valencias Huerta (TAPVH).

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