Sustainable Communities

This research aims to develop a holistic framework for ecovillage development tailored to the Cherokee Nation in Oklahoma. Globally, ecovillages are gaining immense popularity as ideal models for sustainable living. Most existing models are shaped by middle- and upper-middle-class white people, thus limiting their relevance for Cherokee contexts, which are grounded in distinct traditions of land, governance, and mutual aid. Hence, this research addresses that gap by developing a holistic approach that represents Cherokee cultural values, governance traditions, and environmental ethics. A mixed-method design is employed, where the first stage of data collection consists of an exploratory factor analysis to determine the key dimensions grounded in Cherokee perspectives. In the second stage, a confirmatory factor analysis is used to validate the internal coherence of these dimensions across a broader sample. The third stage, which is a longitudinal data collection method, spans six months and incorporates diverse community voices, elders, youth, planners, and cultural leaders. The expected outcomes include an empirically grounded ecovillage framework, consisting of core pillars and the practices that constitute the identified pillars. The framework is intended to support policy development, guide sustainable infrastructure planning, and revitalize traditional lifeways.

Livability of a city is directly related to the quality of life (QOL) in the city. While QOL is attributed to many factors, considering the degree of impact of the quality of physical environment on livability and the role of recreation in psychological wellbeing of individuals, these are the major determinants [of QOL]. Like in many major cities in Asia, the historic waterfront of Dhaka and nearby architectural heritage are important components of its urban fabric. Although diminishing in recent decades, the waterfront continues to play an important role in the social life of the people living in Old Dhaka. In recent years, protection of the waterfront from illegal encroachment and pollution has become a major agenda of civil society and NGOs. However, there is a general lack of understanding of how the river could help in improving the quality of life of the people living near it. The role of community involvement in this is also neglected. By comparing urban waterfronts in similar context and through literature review and observations, the authors investigate if and how the conservation of historic waterfront can contribute to the improvement of quality of life in Old Dhaka and suggest ways to protect riverfront with this objective. Instead of looking at the waterfront strictly as a geographic feature, this paper sees it as products of human manipulation of various natural components. It discusses the socio-political forces that shape the Old Dhaka waterfront, and investigates how the QOL of the residents living on the waterfront can be improved by conserving the historic landscape. It uses a case study approach based on documentary research, unstructured and nonparticipant observations, and interviews with community leaders, environmental campaigners and local organizations.

Much has changed in the ambition for and challenges to protected and conserved areas since the last IUCN World Parks Congress in 2014. As such, the IUCN World Protected and Conserved Areas Congress 2027 (WPC27) will be a critical milestone for global conservation, arriving at a time of ecological urgency and profound societal shifts. WPC27 will be organised around three integrated themes, each designed for their transformative potential: 1) Global Change and Biodiversity-Opportunities and threats for protected and conserved areas; 2) Scaling Effective Conservation-Securing gains and catalysing scalable, sustainable action; and 3) Conservation and People-Rights, responsibilities and relationships in a changing world. This paper synthesises the thematic vision and proposes sub-themes and key outcomes for each, outlining how they can inspire action, innovation and investment at scale. Although the themes were developed for the World Protected and Conserved Areas Congress, the challenges and opportunities are relevant to discussions on protected and conserved areas at the 2025 World Conservation Congress and other global meetings leading up to 2030 and beyond. The programme of WPC27 will be developed to influence and inform a range of related multilateral meetings and negotiations.

The construction industry plays a pivotal role in addressing climate change, resource scarcity, and social demands for sustainable development. This article presents a comparative analysis of sustainable construction practices in Brazil and the United States, exploring their respective innovations, challenges, and potential synergies. While Brazil has advanced in low-cost housing programs incorporating sustainable materials, renewable energy, and community-driven design, the U.S. has led in technological adoption, certification systems (LEED, WELL), and large-scale green infrastructure. This conceptual study employs a comparative framework that integrates life-cycle assessment (LCA), socioenvironmental resilience, and policy innovation. Results highlight that Brazilian practices in material recycling (e.g., reuse of concrete, wood, and demolition waste) and social housing policies could inspire affordable and scalable sustainable solutions in the U.S., while American advances in digital construction technologies (BIM, AI-driven energy modeling) and green certifications could accelerate the professionalization and impact of sustainable construction in Brazil. The discussion underscores that a transnational learning process may foster disruptive innovation, enhance climate resilience, and address housing equity challenges in both countries. The article concludes with a call for integrating cross-national best practices, emphasizing the urgent need for bilateral knowledge exchange to achieve a truly sustainable global construction sector.

The construction industry plays a pivotal role in addressing climate change, resource scarcity, and social demands for sustainable development. This article presents a comparative analysis of sustainable construction practices in Brazil and the United States, exploring their respective innovations, challenges, and potential synergies. While Brazil has advanced in low-cost housing programs incorporating sustainable materials, renewable energy, and community-driven design, the U.S. has led in technological adoption, certification systems (LEED, WELL), and large-scale green infrastructure. This conceptual study employs a comparative framework that integrates life-cycle assessment (LCA), socioenvironmental resilience, and policy innovation. Results highlight that Brazilian practices in material recycling (e.g., reuse of concrete, wood, and demolition waste) and social housing policies could inspire affordable and scalable sustainable solutions in the U.S., while American advances in digital construction technologies (BIM, AI-driven energy modeling) and green certifications could accelerate the professionalization and impact of sustainable construction in Brazil. The discussion underscores that a transnational learning process may foster disruptive innovation, enhance climate resilience, and address housing equity challenges in both countries. The article concludes with a call for integrating cross-national best practices, emphasizing the urgent need for bilateral knowledge exchange to achieve a truly sustainable global construction sector.

The future ability of urban centres in Australia and around the globe to adapt and respond to big challenges of climate change, economic development and social inclusion, will depend on how well we embed structural and social resilience within these built environments. Such a complex urban resilience agenda presents a major collective challenge for designers, planners and engineers to work out with politicians, developers, financiers and community leaders. Central to achieving integrated design responses for thriving centres is the challenge of mobility, ensuring transit corridors that enable cool, comfortable and reliable transitions between home and workspaces, education, health facilities, entertainment and recreation. Refocusing design efforts on interstitial spaces between destinations will require collaborative processes and co-creation in a design space currently dominated by siloed approaches to traffic management, transport planning, precinct design and engineering, architecture and landscaping. With the aim of bridging these silos, this study -by an interdisciplinary team spanning engineering, science, business and planning -evaluates key literature to create a Place Making Framework that comprises seven principles and associated practices to address critical components of structural and social resilience within the built environment. The paper applies the framework to four urban fabric types, highlighting opportunities and considerations for regeneration development projects, towards urban environments where people can thrive in ways that are good for people and planet. transit corridor, urbanism, centres of tomorrow, trackless tram systems Previous research has concluded that such local interventions with mobility support could only be done by integrating a new approach to funding and financing with partnerships between land developers, the local community, and state agencies, addressing federal government goals for vibrant and resilient cities [4]. In 2015, the Australian Federal Government created a City Deal model [4] to support such initiatives, which are now being created and rolled-out across Australia. Building on previous SBEnrc studies, this paper presents a key design innovation in the form of a Place Making Framework that comprises seven core principles and 21 practices that can guide a consistent approach to integrating local structural and social resilience within suburban centres, focusing on transport nodes and corridors. Given the national appetite (evidenced through SBEnrc consultation) for Trackless Tram System technology in particular, the paper focuses on this technology as an example key lever to unlock urban development potential. Moving beyond traditional design or redesign, Trackless Trams are an example of how a transport technology can be fitted into centres as a fast corridor service as well as enabling walkable, dense centres at stations. The paper begins with a short literature review, discussing the city shaping opportunity provided by the Place Making Framework of principles and practices. The paper then presents how each of the seven principles can be applied, drawing on case studies to test and refine their usefulness. The authors also comment on the potential range of new forms of leadership, governance and co-creations that are being tested by local communities in order to address these design principles. The authors conclude with an invitation to colleagues from transport planning, engineering, architecture and business to use the Framework for urban regeneration development projects, towards urban environments where people can thrive in ways that are good for people and planet. The authors have used literature review and workshops to create and refine the framework. Subsequent workshops were then carried out to further establish the elements of the framework. This section presents the details of the literature review, workshops and the insights gained. Academically refereed, full text journal, conference papers and technical reports on the urban regeneration, activated corridors, trackless tram systems were sought using clearly defined search strings in the urban development domain. More than 95 articles were analysed to define the principles of design and to create the framework for Centres of Tomorrow. The principle statements were further informed during workshops facilitated by co-authors Newman and Mouritz.

Cultural landscapes are living expressions of the relationship between people and their environment, embodying both tangible and intangible heritage. In the context of Southwest Delhi-a region experiencing rapid urban transformation-traditional villages such as Mitraon, Dichaon Khurd, and Najafgarh are facing increasing pressure from infrastructural expansion, land-use change, and population growth. This study explores how cultural landscapes in these villages continue to support and sustain traditional practices such as festivals, rituals, social gatherings, and oral traditions. Using a mixedmethods approach, including field observations, spatial mapping, and ethnographic interviews with local residents, the research identifies key cultural features like sacred groves, shrines, communal ponds, boundary trees, traditional wells, and vernacular courtyard homes. These features are not merely physical; they act as anchors for community identity, ritual continuity, and collective memory. The study highlights how these landscape elements shape and are shaped by long-standing practices like Chhath Puja at village ponds, Holika Dahan near old banyan trees, and seasonal agricultural rituals at field boundaries. However, findings also reveal that many of these cultural features are under threat due to urban development, encroachment, and the erosion of intergenerational knowledge. Traditional spaces are being replaced by modern constructions, leading to the weakening of cultural practices and communal bonds. This paper argues for the urgent need to recognize and protect cultural landscapes as part of inclusive urban planning and heritage conservation. Recommendations include participatory mapping, legal protection of key features, adaptive reuse strategies, and community-led stewardship programs. The research underscores that preserving cultural landscapes is essential not just for heritage, but for sustaining the socio-cultural fabric of rapidly transforming peri-urban areas like Southwest Delhi.

Na jaren van groei staat het stadmaken in Rotterdam voor een nieuwe uitdaging. De aantrekkende markt en hernieuwde professionele drukte in de stad dreigen particulier initiatief en gedeelde stadsontwikkeling minder vanzelfsprekend te maken -ondanks de waarde die veel partijen er aan hechten. De vraag is hoe het stadmaken in Rotterdam zich in deze nieuwe context kan verstevigen en consolideren. Dit essay is het verslag van een zoektocht naar die vraag onder Rotterdamse stadmakers in de periode zomer 2017 -voorjaar 2018. Rotterdamse stadmakers bespraken de kenmerken en kernwaarden van het stadmaken, en dachten na over manieren om het stadmaken sterker te maken. Vijf concrete suggesties kwamen naar voren: zorgen voor (i) meer uitwisseling en regelmatige meetups, (ii) meer politieke verbinding, (iii) meer kennis over waardeontwikkeling en ondernemingsmodellen, (iv) verduidelijking van afspraken in stadmaak-omgevingen en (v) grotere toegankelijkheid en inclusiviteit van het stadmaken. Deze suggesties kunnen het stadmaken verder consolideren terwijl ze tegelijkertijd de dynamiek, het onverwachte, het gedeelde en de openheid van het stadmaken in stand houden. De Rotterdamse stadmaker. Bevlogen, betrokken, ondernemend. Met hart en ziel verbonden aan de stad en haar plekken, gedreven om deze plekken nog levendiger, meer gedeeld en toegankelijker te maken. De stadmaker en het stadmaken werd de afgelopen jaren een steeds breder gedragen begrip in Rotterdam. Er ontstond een levendige praktijk van kleinschalige particuliere stadsontwikkeling, initiatieven van bewoners, ondernemers en zelfstandigen, ondersteund door professionele partijen zoals woningbouwcorporaties, ontwikkelaars en de gemeentelijke diensten. De Rotterdamse stadmakers-praktijk is geworteld in een lange lokale traditie van ondernemerschap, privaat-particuliere-publieke stadsontwikkeling en bewonersbetrokkenheid, maar kwam vooral aan het licht toen de financiële crisis in al haar hevigheid losbarstte. Burgers en lokale ondernemers sprongen in het gat dat de terugtrekkende overheid en markt achterlieten. Zij begonnen vanuit hun eigen belang, interesse en kennis en met eigen middelen initiatieven te ontwikkelen die, ondanks hun kleinschaligheid en relatieve autonomie, een belangrijke bijdrage leverden aan de stedelijke kwaliteit. Het speelveld van stedelijke ontwikkeling veranderde daardoor in rap tempo. Niet langer was dit het exclusieve domein van professionele partijen zoals gemeenten, Rijk, woningcorporaties, ontwerpbureaus en ontwikkelaars, maar in toenemende mate ook van de stadmakers. De werkwijze van het stadmaken verschilde sterk van voorheen gangbare (markt-en overheid gestuurde) stadsontwikkeling. In het stadmaken deelt men initiatief, is er ruimte voor lokale, actuele oplossingen en kansen, en draait het om het leggen van creatieve verbindingen tussen mensen, plekken en innovatieve ideeën. De Rotterdamse stadsontwikkeling ging daarmee steeds meer lijken op de maatschappij die de filosoof Gilles Deleuze al in 1993 beschreef: een maatschappij van nooit geheel te doorgronden individuen, die

Since the mid-twentieth century, global commercial and financial relations and global social policy have been managed through a variety of institutions. Today, these include the World Trade Organization (WTO) and what are popularly called the Bretton Woods Institutions (BWIs): the International Monetary Fund (IMF or Fund) and the World Bank (Bank) (Deacon, 1999). These institutions, together with an associated system for monetary policy and exchange-rate stability centered on the US dollar\u27s convertibility to gold, are collectively known as the Bretton Woods System. Since this initial dollar-peg system ended in the early 1970s, the term most commonly refers only to the Bank and the Fund, even though the WTO also has its roots in the same conference at which the Bank and the Fund were first proposed, the Bretton Woods Conference

Social work responses to environmental degradation have sought to mitigate harm that has already occurred and create strategies to respond or adapt to environmental hazards. Despite a good deal of literature suggesting the promise of prevention-focused models, social workers have less frequently considered prevention models to address environmental issues. In this manuscript, we consider how communities engaged in environmentally-based prevention work might inform the development of ecosocial work practice. We describe how a prevention-focused agenda, in partnership with communities, can be a promising avenue for ecosocial work practice to address the root causes of environmental degradation and its social impacts.

The advancing and entrenching of many forms of entrepreneurship and enterprising education, within higher education institutions, is instrumental in the development of entrepreneurship, industry, and the regeneration of society as a whole. However, this development is subject to the resources, capability, and ongoing support available. Inspired by a recent visit to the United States of America by a group of academics, this paper compares two distinct cases of this offering as witnessed through reflective investigation. The findings documented within this paper highlight the issues of programme and institutional focus, the resource effectiveness of different universities, and the levels of educational experiences across continents. In further strengthening this form of education, this paper uniquely presents phases of normalisation for enterprising education, which attempts to address issues of educational environment, approach, rhetoric, and engagement.

This paper assesses the views expressed by Gary Becker and Richard Posner about the economic value of relying on microfinancing for economic development as well as their opinions about its desirability as a means of alleviating poverty. It also raises some issues overlooked by Becker and Posner. Where relevant, the discussion is related to results obtained from a case study of microfinancing in the Sindh District of Pakistan. Subjects covered include the economic efficiency of the supply of microfinance, the optimality of microfinancing versus philanthropy, whether high interest rates and short-term loans for microfinance are justified, preference for females rather than males in microfinancing, social networking and the efficient provision and allocation of microfinance, and the prospects for escaping from poverty as a result of microfinancing.

Freedom begins the moment you realize someone else has been writing your story, and it's time you took the pen from his hand and started writing it yourself. --Bill Moyers keynote address to the National Conference for Media Reform in Memphis, TN (2007) Today, everyone can be a storyteller as social media and mobile streaming applications have flattened the communicative landscape. Moreover, social media platforms have the potential to change the relationship between news media and the public in significant ways, as virtually everyone now has the ability to document and live-stream events to a global audience. To say the least, social media has become a primary venue for public commentary about current events, disrupting the gatekeeping power once held by national news outlets and talk radio. The most poignant examples of this restructuring of communicative power can be seen in social justice movements and the instant release of imagery and commentary in the wake of multiple shootings of Black men by police officers across the U.S. in recent years. For instance, Diamond Reynolds live-streamed the moments following the shooting of her fiancé, Philando Castille, when they were pulled over by police for a broken taillight in Falcon Heights, a suburb of the St. Paul and Minneapolis twin cities in Minnesota. Videos were posted online when police in Baton Rouge, Louisiana shot Alton Sterling, prompting an investigation from the U.S. justice Department. Civil unrest followed the shooting of Michael Brown, an unarmed Black teenager in the St. Louis suburb of Ferguson, Missouri in the summer of 2014. As the hashtag #Ferguson trended on Twitter, national and international news outlets followed social media activity in covering the protests, looting, and militarized police response. And in Cincinnati, Ohio during the summer of 2015, Sam DuBose, an unarmed Black motorist, was shot and killed during a traffic stop by Ray Tensing, a University of Cincinnati police officer. Afterwards, local community groups led by @BlackLivesCincy and @theIRATe8 quickly mobilized on social media to decry the incident and confront competing narratives that it was justified.

Freedom begins the moment you realize someone else has been writing your story, and it's time you took the pen from his hand and started writing it yourself. --Bill Moyers keynote address to the National Conference for Media Reform in Memphis, TN (2007) Today, everyone can be a storyteller as social media and mobile streaming applications have flattened the communicative landscape. Moreover, social media platforms have the potential to change the relationship between news media and the public in significant ways, as virtually everyone now has the ability to document and live-stream events to a global audience. To say the least, social media has become a primary venue for public commentary about current events, disrupting the gatekeeping power once held by national news outlets and talk radio. The most poignant examples of this restructuring of communicative power can be seen in social justice movements and the instant release of imagery and commentary in the wake of multiple shootings of Black men by police officers across the U.S. in recent years. For instance, Diamond Reynolds live-streamed the moments following the shooting of her fiancé, Philando Castille, when they were pulled over by police for a broken taillight in Falcon Heights, a suburb of the St. Paul and Minneapolis twin cities in Minnesota. Videos were posted online when police in Baton Rouge, Louisiana shot Alton Sterling, prompting an investigation from the U.S. justice Department. Civil unrest followed the shooting of Michael Brown, an unarmed Black teenager in the St. Louis suburb of Ferguson, Missouri in the summer of 2014. As the hashtag #Ferguson trended on Twitter, national and international news outlets followed social media activity in covering the protests, looting, and militarized police response. And in Cincinnati, Ohio during the summer of 2015, Sam DuBose, an unarmed Black motorist, was shot and killed during a traffic stop by Ray Tensing, a University of Cincinnati police officer. Afterwards, local community groups led by @BlackLivesCincy and @theIRATe8 quickly mobilized on social media to decry the incident and confront competing narratives that it was justified.

With the recent development of wireless communication systems and the 5G spectrum, mobile broadband technology (MBB) has been thriving. In this contribution, the design of an Ultra Wide Band T-slotted rectangular microstrip patch antenna is presented which is suitable for high data rate applications. The antenna is fed using a coplanar waveguide and is designed for two central operating frequencies, the lower resonant frequency at 3.6 GHz, an internationally recognized standard for 5G wireless mobile communications and a higher frequency at 6.8 GHz, which is part of the new wifi-6E standards. All data of the characteristic parameters have been obtained by using the Computer Simulation Technology Microwave Studio Student suite 2021 (CST MWS).

With most of the world`s population living in cities and urban areas, cities are currently seeking new strategies to integrate nature into the built environment. Urban waterways, and their adjacent urban areas, have been typically the main concern of these strategies. Urban waterfronts, although often sites of heavy development, are rarely designed to reflect the innate human need for contact with nature, commonly known as 'Biophilia'. Within this context, the main objective of this paper is to explore biophilic indicators in Central Cairo's waterfront, under the guidelines of 'Biophilic Urbanism' approach, which expands the practice of biophilia on the scale of cities and urban areas. The paper follows an analytical case study approach. Methods of data collection included a literature review, on-site observations, concurrent with semi-structured interviews when possible, and an online survey. An in-depth analysis of data was then carried out to assess the degree of integration of the Nile waterfront within the urban fabric of the city to identify biophilic perceptions in the waterfront. Results demonstrate that users of the Nile waterfront are rarely allowed physical access to the water. Visual access is mostly provided, with minor exceptions. Other cross-cutting findings indicate a lack of longitudinal and lateral social connectivity to the waterfront, lack of continuous appropriate pedestrian trails, and a general lack of green spaces and public amenities.

In this paper, we explore intercultural communication as dialogue occurring in a third space. Through seven students' reflective essays on group-based intercultural learning, we analyse the ever-shifting communicative space that interlocutors produce through negotiating the meanings of difference and power and their dialogic relations with the other. Based on the findings, we propose intercultural dialogue (and intercultural communication) as a political and ethical response to the thirdness in the in-between space of communication, inherent in the character of social life but not always possible nor desired. We therefore suggest 'principles' for such dialogue be seen in this space and not as a teleologically-achievable ideal that privileges self-expression and normalises difference through a 'cultural diversity' discourse.

Placemaking creates environments which are more active, memorable and meaningful for people. It can provide several benefits, such as a high quality of life, a strong sense of community and the creation of distinctive places. There is, however, a paucity of theoretical literature on placemaking in master-planned communities (MPCs). Therefore, this chapter develops a 4-P framework for placemaking in MPCs with the four important factors of Place, Programme, People and Perception. It then applies the framework to a case study of Varsity Lakes, an MPC on the Gold Coast of Australia. It analyses the placemaking performance of the MPC in terms of social sustainability using the four factors and draws implications from the study. The chapter shows the importance of both physical design as well as the process of placemaking to build sustainable communities. Some of the key ideas for placemaking include provision of places for social interaction, walkability, community governance, stakeholder engagement, legibility, safety and sense of place. These ideas and the proposed framework could be relevant for the sustainable development of MPCs in the Asia-Pacific region.

The role of maritime heritage in providing benefits such as sense of place and identity has been well documented, but there is limited quantitative analysis (especially in monetary valuation) of its influence on people’s preferences. In this paper, we present results from a choice experiment where we valued cultural and heritage aspects of fishing through the preferences of seafood consumption. We found a strong preference for some attributes of seafood such as “locality” (origin of the catches), freshness, and sustainability in harvesting, but also a significant role of tangible maritime cultural heritage, such as visible fishing operations. This analysis can be helpful in informing public policies aiming to enhance experiences of fisheries as a living heritage and to valorise local produce to increase income of local communities.

Sustainability education and conservation have become an international imperative due to the rising cost of energy, increasing scarcity of natural resource and irresponsible environmental practices. This paper presents Makahiki, an open source serious game framework for sustainability, which implements an extensible framework for different organizations to develop sustainability games. It provides a variety of built-in games and content focused on sustainability; game mechanics such as leaderboards, points, and badges; a variety of common services such as authentication, real-time game analytics and ability to deploy to the cloud, as well as a responsive user interface for both computer and mobile devices. The successful implementation of six sustainability educational games in different organizations provides evidence regarding the ability to customize the Makahiki framework successfully to different environments.

Indonesia Melalui SAFE Kerap kali mendengar permasalahan tentang lingkungan mulai dari perubahan iklim, deforestasi, hingga permasalahan terbaru hari ini mengenai ketamakan manusia sehingga merusak alam. Oleh karena itu, kelestarian lingkungan menjadi salah satu fokus dunia, mengingat lingkungan berperan penting untuk keberlangsungan ekosistem global. Fokus dunia menjaga ekosistem yang ada melalui berbagai program berkelanjutan yang dilakukan oleh sejumlah aktor baik domestik maupun Internasional. Dimana dalam standar pencapaian dalam setiap program yang ada terdapat di SDG's sebagai tujuan yang ingin dicapai oleh dunia. Uni Eropa sebagai organisasi internasional yang ada turut berperan aktif dalam menjaga lingkungan. komitmen terlihat nyata dengan regulasi, program dan kerja sama yang dijalankan Uni Eropa. Salah satu kerja sama Uni Eropa dengan sejumlah negara termasuk indonesia tertuai

The past century has seen the rise of an urban environment that differs greatly from anything that has gone before. Urbanization has brought many benefits, but has also raised concerns about sustainability. Urban/suburban sustainability goes hand in hand with physical and social environment sustainability, i.e. the challenge of creating sustainable, healthy communities. Development must occur with a sense of place, history and cultural distinctiveness, with a view to reducing inequality between groups. In other words, proper development and planning can create healthy communities. Research into the role of the social and material environment in determining healthy communities has highlighted the need to use more innovative data in describing geographical areas, in spite of the difficulty and time involved in the collection, utilisation, comparison and interpretation of such data. This paper is based on a case study of empirical data collected in Portugal. Logistic regression models were used to measure the relationship between the material and social environment and self-rated health (representing quality of life and wellbeing). We used new contextual measures, created through PCA and individual data from the National Health Survey for Lisbon Metropolitan Area (LMA). The results show the importance of neighbourhood (social and material environment) in determining health, alongside traditional factors such as age, social class and lifestyles. In LMA, a high level of political engagement and community participation, and good access to public transport and to health services improve self-rated health scores. Associations were found to be independent of gender, age, social class (occupation and education), economic activity and lifestyle (physical activity or smoking). Moreover, both the features of social and material environment and the magnitude of association with self-rated health are different for both genders.

This photo essay illustrates a study on endeavors in a rural Japanese town with a declining population and discusses the future of rural society from a perspective of civic pride as well as sustainability. The population of the town of Gojome, located in Akita Prefecture of northern Japan, has halved from 20,025 in 1960 to 9,481 in 2015. Depopulation is often perceived as a half-empty glass, but we approached our study with the view that it is half-full. We discuss the issue through appreciative approaches by adopting the concept of "civic pride" as an alternative lens based on our empirical survey. The methodology adopted for this field survey include individual interviews with 126 respondents (consisting of 79 residents of Gojome and 47 individuals who were visiting the town) across different generations, 15 key informant interviews, drawings of their pride about the town by 34 sixthgraders of Gojome Elementary School, and observations. It was found that various generations of proud Gojome locals and non-locals have started to proactively participate in the process of bettering the town through various social, cultural, economic, and environmental activities. Based on our learning in Gojome town we conclude that, in the wake of rural depopulation, nurturing "civic pride" could potentially contribute to rural sustainability through entrusting the future of rural society to next generations. Rural depopulation, often perceived as a negative phenomenon, is believed to increase in the near future in various countries worldwide, with Japan currently in the lead. As a group of graduate students from The University of Tokyo's Graduate Consilience Kusakari et. al: Rural Sustainability and Civic Pride Program in Sustainability Science -Global Leadership Initiative (GPSS-GLI), we traveled to Akita Prefecture in search of possible approaches to the challenges facing rural sustainability in aging societies. Upon arrival in the town of Gojome, we conducted our fieldwork from the 23rd to 30th of January 2016. Presented in this article is a discussion of our research into the ongoing challenges to the sustainability of this aging Japanese rural town and the potential of civic pride to address such challenges. Inspired by the endeavors of Gojome locals, we hope our findings will further support the future of rural sustainability in various regions around the world.

Maintaining rural roads plays an important role in the development of society and economy in Shan State, Myanmar. This study aims to prioritize road maintenance by employing the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP). There are four types of pavement distress: roughness, raveling, potholes, edge failure, and bleeding. Data collection was conducted and analyzed in ten rural roads by using an Excel-based tool to evaluate the AHP analysis. The findings significantly discussed awareness of road conditions and pavement maintenance requirements, and R4 had the highest level of priority to maintain. The study also compared the Pavement Condition Index (PCI) method with AHP results, highlighting acceptance and differences. Significant differences were noted for others due to the comprehensive nature of AHP when both methods ranked R5 and R6 typically within the top three. This research provides a systematic and transparent approach for prioritizing road maintenance, enhancing resource optimization and decision-making. Both AHP and PCI methods are integrated, and a comprehensive way is recommended to ensure thorough assessment and optimal use of resources to plan road maintenance. The study also contributes to improving the sustainability and performance of the rural road network, supporting broader economic and social goals in Shan State, Myanmar.

Unequal exchange is a foundational concept in Marxist political economy, highlighting how the enduring imbalance between core and peripheral regions stems from the core's appropriation of a disproportionate share of the value produced in the periphery. This occurs by establishing average global profit rates and international market prices across the global market despite stark wage disparities. Today, global trade inequality and value transfers largely stem from multinational corporations relocating production to periphery countries, where similar productivity levels are achieved, but wage disparities only grow. These terms of trade underscore the supremacy of the law of capitalist accumulation over a monopoly driven global economic order. Mexico's export manufacturing sector illustrates this pattern, with productivity levels comparable to those in the United States yet a widening wage gap. This study highlights that wage disparities are crucial for monopoly capital accumulation, resulting in diminished wages and precarious social conditions in Mexico.

Prinzessinnengarten Berlin is an urban agriculture Project in Berlin. Thousands of volunteers turned a vacant lot into an urban garden that is a multifunctional, semi-public space offering a diversity of social, cultural, educational, and political functions. Faced with the threat of privatization of the land, the founders initiated a successful campaign not only to save this particular garden but also to emphasize the importance of urban open spaces for social and ecological engagement.

This research analyzes the impact of land tenure systems on foreign direct investment (FDI) through quantitative assessment of Nigeria and its comparison to the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada. Investor confidence in addition to security directly depends on a well-defined and protected land tenure system because such policy affects both property rights and investment stability. The paper investigates how different customary, statutory, and leasehold systems influence investor confidence and access to land together with long-term return possibilities. In Nigeria, complex legal pluralism and customary landholding patterns often hinder transparency and secure land acquisition, deterring foreign investors. Institutionalized corruption at all decision-making levels and poor enforcement of laws, rules, and regulations are major setbacks to the smooth functioning of the systems. On the other hand, the US and Canada, along with the UK, have instituted detailed land registration systems that guarantee property safety, thus building strong investment frameworks. The findings show that tenured land systems free of corruption and bureaucratic delays lead to higher foreign direct investment levels.

Overcoming the dichotomous nature of smart city research is fundamental to provide cities with a clear understanding of how smart city development should be approached. This paper introduces a research methodology for conducting the multiple-case study analyses necessary to meet this challenge. After being presented, the practical feasibility, effectiveness and logistics of such a methodology are tested by examining the activities that Vienna has implemented to deliver its smart city development strategy. The results of this pilot study show how the application of the proposed methodology can help smart city researchers codify the knowledge produced from multiple smart city experiences using a common protocol. This in turn allows them to: (1) coordinate efforts when investigating the strategic principles that drive smart city development and test the divergent hypotheses emerging from the scientific literature; (2) share the results of this investigation and hypothesis testing by conducting extensive cross-case analyses among multiple studies able to capture the generic qualities of the findings; (3) gain consensus on the way to think about, conceptualize and standardize the analysis of smart city developments; and (4) develop innovative monitoring and evaluation systems for smart city development strategies by reflecting upon the lessons learned from current practices.

Son yıllarda, taşkın risk algısının ve vatandaşların koruyucu önlemlere ilişkin bilgi düzeylerinin ve farkındalıklarının değerlendirilmesi, yenilikçi entegre taşkın yönetim stratejilerinin oluşturulmasında odak noktası haline gelmektedir. Bu kapsamda, risk algısı, taşkın farkındalığı, hazırlıklı olma durumu ve sosyoekonomik dinamikler gibi sosyal bileşenlerin de mühendislik planlamalarıyla birlikte ele alınması taşkın risk yönetimi açısından oldukça önemlidir. Bu çalışma öncelikle, taşkın riski altındaki bölgelerde vatandaşların risk algısı, farkındalığı ve hazırlıklı olma durumları hakkında literatürde yapılmış çalışmalar hakkında bir değerlendirme yapılmıştır. Ardından taşkınlara sıklıkla maruz kalan Doğu Karadeniz Havzası için taşkın farkındalığı oluşturma yönetim planı önerilmiştir. Bu önerilerin oluşturulmasında literatürdeki mevcut çalışmaların sonuçları da dikkate alınmış ve bölge için uygulanabilirliği değerlendirilmiştir. Toplumun afet bilincini ve dayanıklılığını artırmak konusunda çocukların bilinçlendirilmesinin son derece önemli olduğu vurgulanmıştır. Ayrıca; eğitim faaliyetleri, taşkın müzesi ve ziyaretleri, belli periyotlarda anket uygulanması ve değerlendirmeleri, halkın taşkın erken uyarılara karşı güveninin sağlanması, taşkın izi faaliyet çalışmaları, taşkın tatbikatlarına halkın katılımı, psikolojik destek ve rehberlik birimi oluşturulması ve diğer öneriler değerlendirilmiştir.

I was truly blessed to be led to Fairhaven College, the liberal arts component of Western Washington University, as my entry to the university experience. Fairhaven was established as an experimental college, and one of its innovative characteristics was enabling students to design their own majors. I thrived in the intellectual freedom afforded and over the course of five years ended up designing and completing a major which I titled, "Village Design: Ekistics for the 21st Century." This was the world's first formal degree devoted to EcoVillage Design yet I was clever enough to expand the possibilities by choosing the more inclusive title Village Design. This Curriculum Schematic displays the course titles, organized into their relevant overarching categories, I selected to design the degree.

Two years after its first release, this paper has influenced hundreds of thousands of people to reconsider their lives and work in the face of dangerous climate change. A new agenda, community and movement for Deep Adaptation to our predicament has been borne. It is comprised of people who believe that a climate-influenced collapse of societies in most parts of the world in the coming decades is either likely, inevitable or already unfolding. They are organising a diversity of activities to help reduce harm, save what we can, and create possibilities for the future while experiencing meaning and joy in the process. This movement has grown through word-of-mouth, as I did not actively seek to promote Deep Adaptation through the mass media, and instead focused on enabling peer-to-peer support.

Outside of management studies, there is a wide field of scholarship on the experience and possibility of societal collapse, which I did not know about when we released this paper from the Institute in July 2018. In addition, over the last two years many scientists have concluded that societal collapse is the most likely scenario. However, this paper appears to have an iconic status amongst some people who criticise others for anticipating societal collapse. Therefore, two years on from initial publication, I am releasing this update.

The update involves a light edit, not seeking to incorporate the range of scholarship that is relevant to societal collapse over the past two years. Instead, I focus on making specific clarifications and corrections to the original text. The paper therefore remains focused on its originally intended audience – people in the corporate sustainability field. Therefore, the paper does not address the many important issues of poverty, rights, humanitarian action, public policy, re-localisation, monetary policy, anti-patriarchy, racial justice and decolonisation. Those subjects were important to me before this paper and remain so, with various contributions on those topics at www.jembendell.com

Der Umbruch jedenfalls ist länger schon in Gang. Altenpolitik ist keineswegs nur noch Altenhilfepolitik und ist mit den drei Kategorien stationär, ambulant und offen nicht mehr angemessen zu erfassen. Auf Länderebene ist allerdings der Umorientierungsprozeß hin zu einer modernen und differenzierten "Landschaft" der Altenarbeit, die der Vielgestaltigkeit des Alters und Alterns Rechnung trägt, sehr unterschiedlich weit entwickelt. Dies hat auch mit dem Stand der entsprechenden Landespolitik zu tun. In mancher Hinsicht scheint hier Baden-Württemberg eine Vorreiterrolle eingenommen zu haben, deren Beginn in Zusammenhang mit zwei Untersuchungsberichten gebracht werden muß: einerseits dem Bericht der Kommission "Altern als Chance und Herausforderung" (1988), andererseits dem Bericht und Antrag des Untersuchungsausschusses "Menschenwürde und Selbstbestimmung im Alter" (Landtag BaWü 1990). In dieser Zeit wurde zugleich unter der Ägide der damaligen christdemokratischen Landesregierung das Konzept der Seniorengenossenschaften entworfen. Pointiert gesagt ging es darum, den Selbsthilfegedanken aus seiner einerseits privatistischen, andererseits gesundheitsbezogenen Nische zu befreien, offensiv zu propagieren und auszuprobieren.

Natural water bodies like river, canal and lakes play an important role in the establishment of a balance between nature and social life for the sustainable development of cities. The identities and distinctive characteristics of many cities are closely tied to their rivers, and the many ways their residents interact with their waters. The rivers surrounding the cities are an advantage to it and essential for the survival of the city as these provide drainage system, drinking water, different kinds of fishes and also waterways for travelling.
The Ichamoti River is a transboundary river which flows through India and Bangladesh and also forms the boundary between the two countries. In Pabna district of Bangladesh has lost her potential for extensive use over the last couple of decades due to various interventions like cross-dam at off-take and closing of the river at downstream for irrigation, heavy siltation and encroachments, urban waste disposal, agricultural pollutants, and many other factors. Restoration of the river is vital for the reestablishment of all functions like hydrological, ecological, biological, hydro morphological, hydraulic, economic and social etc. The direct involvement of the community and Architects through designing can play a great role in protecting rivers and creating relational reciprocity
between the cities and rivers.
Landscape plays a vital role in the design process. The methodology for landscaping in the Pabna town near the Ichamoti River involves the systematic investigation of existing social, ecological, and geological conditions. Context responsive landscape design; site planning; storm water management; environmental restoration; parks and recreation
planning; visual resource management and green infrastructure planning and provision have been addressed in the design process. Since the Ichamoti River is running through a natural setting, full attention and focus of design work are given to Nature-Based Solution (NBS). Architectural interventions in the Restoration of Ichamoti River project are considered in the urban and rural scenario, focusing on public outdoor spaces and social interaction spaces, including Landscape design with the consideration of
the river bank and ecology.

Hill areas are known to be  different and  distinct from plain areas of any country, because of its unique  diversity,  physiography, structure, topography, morphology, flora, fauna, herbs, fruits, vegetation, bio-diversity, climate, culture, heritage, fragility, vulnerability, nature, natural resource, views, quality of life,  lakes, glaciers, mobility, infrastructure, built structures etc. Occupying 17% geographical areas and housing 11% national population, hill areas occupy unique space and importance in the growth story of India, as a nation.
Despite distinct character, role , relevance and importance of rational planned  development of  hill areas, its  overall / integrated  development and management has been marginalized. With priority and resources going to the plain areas of the country, hill areas are being subjected to large unplanned, irrational and sub-standard growth and development. Accordingly, hill areas are fast becoming hotbeds of vulnerability, both natural and manmade, facing large number of challenges in terms of earthquakes, landslides and  flooding, leading to massive loss of human life, animals, infrastructure, built environment  and property. Current scenario of irrational, unplanned and haphazard development in hill areas can be, primarily and essentially,  attributed  to the absence of adequately trained manpower in the art and science of planning, development and management of the  hill areas and giving low priority to rationalising development of hill areas. Having special and specific features, hill areas pose different/unique challenges in planning and development and accordingly need  different skill-sets, understanding, expertise and approach to its planning and development. Unfortunately, despite having large area and housing large population, no institution in the country offers specialized course in the planning, development , construction and management of hill areas. It is time for Government of India and hill states of India, to ask all IITs/Nits/SPAs and other private universities,  located in the hill states to run dedicate specialized courses for the planning, development and management of  hill areas. In addition, Government of India, must  enact a law and Constitute a  High Powered National, Hill Area Planning and Development Authority ,  on the pattern of NCR Delhi , comprising of representatives of Government of India, hill states and experts from the related fields, under the overall Chairmanship of  Minister-in Charge Hill States with Ministers of hill states, Chief Secretaries of Hill States  as members , to define the agenda and roadmap for the  integrated  growth and development  of hill states of the country. The Authority should be mandated to prepare the Regional plan of the entire Himalayan Region and provide framework for the states to draw its own Regional Plan. This would help in not only ensuring integrated growth of hill states of the country but will also help in making hill areas  more  prosperous, productive, sustainable and livable  but would also empower  India in meeting the goals and agenda defined by SDGs in terms of sustainability, livability, growth and development. Sooner it is done , better it would be for  the balanced and sustainable  physical , social,  environmental and economic growth/ prosperity of both hill states and India,as a nation

Six wide-ranging mangrove species, Rhizophora apiculata, R. mucronata, Avicennia marina, A. offi cinalis, Bruguiera gymnorrhiza, and B. sexangula, were selected to study the growth and survival of seedlings under three contrasting salinity treatments over a 30-week period: low (3-5psu), moderate (15-17psu) and high (33-36psu). Seedlings grown under high salinity exhibited signifi cantly lower performance (p<0.05) in survival rates, cumulative shoot height, mean growth rates, mean total leaf area, and mean dry weight, compared to those under low and moderate salinity regimes. Th e low salinity treatment provided the best conditions for initial establishment and growth of the seedlings of all species until 15-20 weeks of age. However, the same seedlings showed better performance under moderate salinity after 15-20 weeks of age (shift in optimal salinity), implying that adaptation to salt and physiological needs of mangrove seedlings varies with age. Th ese results have practical implications of use in raising up mangrove nurse species for planting since it indicates that seedlings should get low salinity water until four to fi ve months of age and then moderately saline water, in order to achieve maximum growth and survival.

Th e existence of social capital in the peer groups formed by young people is one distinctive feature of their experience. Another comes from the advances in information and communications technology (ICT) and various media. For example the internet gives access to a virtual world comprising an unlimited range of groups, unconnected by geographical proximity. It also supplies a setting for experimentation with new forms of relationship and new forms of identity, if not 'multiple identities' . Th e somewhat disturbing aspect of some features of these developments needs to be set against the opportunities supplied for expanded networks and new horizons for example in formal and non-formal education, employment, cultural expression, political engagement and social life, i.e. bridging and linking, as well as bonding, social capital. Th is book, written by authors mainly from England and Finland, is intended as a source book in a non-traditional sense for students and faculty in youth studies, and it will also be of much interest to youth policy makers and practitioners working with young people. Th e book has been put together at a time of growing concern about the alienation of many young people in today' s society and the negative consequences including drug and alcohol abuse and anti social behaviour and political apathy. Th e book consists of fi ve sections: Introduction; Youth and Capitals; Social Capital and Identity; Social Networks in Education; and Transitions and Potentials. Each section contains a response from an expert who off ers his or her personal perspectives on the papers' themes. Th e chapters provide much in-depth analysis of issues such as inventing adulthoods, ethnic and religious identities, adolescent' s goal-related social ties, education and juvenile crime, the potential for change within and across generations. Th e book gives youth workers, researchers, and policy makers important and timely information about young people' s social capital from diff erent life perspectives in diff erent contexts. Looking at issues from the perspective of England and Finland deepens our understanding as well as giving us new ideas about how to engage with young people' s interests and concerns. Th e Youth and Capitals section is divided into four topic areas focusing on issues related to social, cultural and human capital especially in studying youth and adulthood from a number of diff erent perspectives. Th e chapter by Janet Holland draws on a unique qualitative longitudinal study which has involved following a group of young people, using various methods but mainly repeated

The Green Man is a familiar image in British popular culture who is celebrated in a variety of ways, not least in an ever-growing number of festive processions in towns, villages, and cities, particularly around Beltane (May Day). Combining two scholarly voices, this article offers a survey of the Green Man image and related ritual phenomena in what we refer to as the 'Green Man complex'. Here we address the Green Man's role in what could be the mobilization of responses to the current ecological crisis, as well as his relationship to growing trends in dark green religion. Last, we turn our attention to the theoretical innovations that current Green Man phenomena invites: more than 'symbolic' or 'representational', the Green Man is a source for contemporary Pagan ritual religious creativity that is being used in animistic, embodied, territorializing, and reciprocal fashions to direct human attention toward the other-than-human vegetable kingdom.