The demand for energy in Jordan’s residential buildings is increasing, resulting in significant discrepancies between predicted and actual energy usage. Accurately predicting household energy usage is crucial for sustainable building planning and effective energy management strategies. However, traditional energy models often need to pay more attention to the complexity of occupant behavior, leading to significant differences between expected and actual energy usage. To improve energy consumption forecast accuracy, a unique approach was proposed in this study, which combined Time-Use Survey (TUS) data with AI-driven algorithms in Building Information Modeling (BIM). The study conducted a time-use survey in 100 Irbid, Jordan residences to document detailed inhabitant behavior and daily activity patterns. The collected data was then used to train AI algorithms integrated into the BIM framework. This integration enables the BIM model to dynamically adapt and estimate energy usage based on real-time occupant behaviors and environmental conditions instead of relying solely on static architectural and mechanical inputs. Using this BIM model with AI significantly reduced the difference between expected and actual energy usage in the analyzed houses. The findings of this study support the usefulness of incorporating occupant behavioral data into energy prediction models. This approach provides more accurate energy consumption projections and highlights the importance of considering human aspects throughout the architectural design and energy planning stages.

The discipline of urban planning is an ever-evolving and essential area of study that plays a pivotal role in the formation and development of future cities. In this research, we seek to examine the varied risks inherent in urban planning projects and how these risks impact decision-making and growth. The research is a scoping review, which includes synthesis and analysis of various articles in the field. The study’s findings indicate a wide range of risks, including natural risks, environmental risks, societal risks, and other complex risks that impede the process of decision-making and inhibit the progress of urban planning. The significance of multidisciplinary cooperation, risk assessment approaches, and data-driven decision-making is underscored. Moreover, it highlights the need for implementing strategies that enhance resilience and adaptability, promoting the construction of robust infrastructure, and implementing efficient financial risk mitigation strategies. This study gives useful insights into the intricate nature of urban planning and presents suggestions for academics and policymakers to foster the development of urban settings that are more sustainable, inclusive, and resilient. 

The ever-evolving threats presented by climate change compel us to rethink and restructure our built environment, particularly housing designs, to imbue them with resilience and adaptability. In this research, this study has embarked on an exhaustive review of scholarly works to identify design harmonies that can enhance the resilience of housing structures under fluctuating climate circumstances, particularly flooding results from unexpected heavy rains. The study’s purview extends to diverse case studies from Northern and Southern parts of Pakistan experienced unprecedent rains and flooding, elucidating the unique obstacles and environmental variances across these regions. The literature review spans across several disciplines, exploring resilience in housing design from architectural, environmental, health and socio-economic angles. It provides an in-depth examination of established methodologies and innovative trends, with an emphasis on merging ancestral wisdom with modern advancements. This holistic approach underscores the significance of community-based design solutions, active community involvement, and policy structures in cultivating resilience. The case studies from different flood affecting regions of Pakistan serve as practical examples, shedding light on the unique climatic adversities and identifying 14 critical housing defects caused by natural disasters. By juxtaposing these diverse climatic settings, this study determine design and protection guidelines that can be customized to cater to each region’s specific requirements, fostering a resilient housing infrastructure capable of weathering climate change impacts. In conclusion this study underscores the importance of adopting both immediate and long-term strategies for housing design in response to climate change. By synthesizing the valuable insights gleaned from the literature review and case studies, a set of recommendations for architects, urban planners, and policymakers are suggested to promote resilient housing design, not only within Pakistan but on a global scale.

As the building sector acts as an important CO 2 emissions source, it is essential to renovate the existing building stock for carbon neutrality in the EU. The study reveals the effects of several novel renovation technologies on building energy consumption and CO 2 emissions through building simulations. An English semi-detached house and a Spanish terraced house were chosen as the simulated demo houses. Renovation technologies were divided into passive, ventilation, and generation packages and simulated by packages and final combinations. Insulating breath membrane and bioaerogel thermal insulation are the most appropriate single technology for lowering CO 2 emissions for the English and Spanish demo houses, respectively. For generation technologies, solar assisted heat pump is a more recommended CO 2 emissions conservation technology than PVT system in both climate conditions. The demo houses' CO 2 emissions can be reduced maximally by over 70% after renovating with the final combination including solar assisted heat pump. The current economic feasibility of the novel technologies is limited by various issues, for example, manufacturing costs and energy prices. Nevertheless, considering most of the issues can be solved with time, they will be economically feasible renovation measures in the future.

An increase in urban air temperature raises heat stress and mortality risk for city dwellers. This study assessed the potential reductions in air temperature and heat stress through the combined effect of cool façades and floor pavements, in two street canyons in an affordable housing project in Thailand. The air temperature and mean radiant temperatures were simulated for 81 design scenarios where materials with low, medium, and high albedos were used for the walls of buildings, parking areas, and road using ENVI-met v5.0. The risk of exposure to heat stress under extreme conditions was estimated using a heat index equation. The results showed that the avenue canyon (height-to-width ratio, H/W = 0.6) with a low-albedo road surface was hotter than the regular one (H/W = 1.2), due to the larger areas of road pavement and smaller shaded areas. A medium to high albedo for the pavements could reduce the street-level air temperature by up to 2.3°C, but the average mean radiant temperature was raised by 9.3°C. The regular canyon (H/W = 1.2) provided better thermal conditions, and had fewer 'hot spot' areas exposed to heat stress than the avenue canyon. This study explored the benefits of using cool pavements to improve the thermal conditions in areas with limited shade. In addition, this study identified safe outdoor areas not being directly exposed to solar radiation during the hot summer months. These findings could be important for planning safe outdoor activity spaces under extreme heat conditions.

The Dubai Municipality has launched the 'Green Roofs Awareness Initiative' to achieve a green area per capita of 23.4 m 2 in the city. Given the numerous symptoms caused by the unprecedented urban expansion, green roofs and facades can provide various benefits to the city. This study intends to develop an evaluation method for the performance of green roofs (artificial ground reforestation) by quantifying the thermal environment functionality of a low-maintenance lightweight green roof. As a methodology, this study analyzed the change in the thermal environment of the surface, including sensible heat and latent heat, using four types of plants, namely Polytrichum Commune (PC), Thuidium Kanedae (TK), Anomobryum Filiforme (AF), and Kentucky Bluegrass (KB). The results showed that PC reduced the ground surface temperature by 2.58°C to 3.81°C while planting PC increased relative humidity (RH) from 48.0% to 93.3%. KB had the highest effect on humidity control, resulting in a 49.31% increase in RH. Regarding the temperature change by ground surface type, the surface temperature was 0.4 ~ 0.9°C lower for PC, AF, and TK at 18 ~ 24°C, while KB showed a 0.5 ± 0.2°C lower than the set temperature. KB did not show any significant change in temperature up to 24°C, but as the set temperature increased from 30 to 36°C, the surface temperature decreased remarkably. This research provides primary data that will serve to raise awareness, reduce installation costs, and systemize government support for green roofs in Dubai.

Public-private partnership (PPP) projects remain one of the key initiatives of the Chinese government. The key characteristics of the PPP projects include the long construction period and large investment amount, while constant monitoring is required to determine the risks of the projects within a comprehensive environmental management framework. Over the years, the government has used the PPP model to implement various projects, capitalizing on a few methods to assess the riskiness of the entire life cycle of the comprehensive environmental PPP projects. However, we argue that the principal component analysis (PCA) can be used to determine the various factors that may have a high influence on the risk potential of PPP projects. In fact, it plays an important role in ensuring the smooth implementation of projects while reducing the losses caused by various risks. According to the risk factors of the whole life cycle of the comprehensive environmental governance PPP project, an indicator system of five first-level indicators, 18 second-level indicators, and 43 third-level indicators has been established. Principal component analysis is used to analyze the influence and weight of risk factors at each stage. The analysis shows that among the four stages, environmental pollution risk, project approval delay risk, completion risk, interest rate and financial fluctuation risk, and franchise life risk are the most influential risks in the implementation of PPP projects. Therefore, suggestions are made based on the risk factors at each stage of the comprehensive environmental management PPP project. Building on this, we argue that the ability to resist any PPP projects with higher risk can be improved, thus ensuring a smooth implementation of the project while promoting the long-term development of comprehensive environmental management PPP projects in the future.

Floating wetland systems potentially can provide a diverse set of ecosystem services that collectively improve urban resilience. Despite the growing studies and use of floating wetlands in temperate and subtropical climates, the design of floating wetlands in tropical climates is still understudied. This paper therefore aims to identify the research gaps in landscape planning and synthesize the design typology that can be applied to tropical urban conditions. The purpose of this research is i) Identify opportunities and challenges in applying floating wetland systems for landscape planning and design, ii) synthesize the design typology that can be applied to urban tropical climate conditions and iii) demonstrate the application of ecological wetland principles for the built environment. This research uses a mixed methods approach by including both a narrative review based on 67 peer-reviewed articles as well as case studies from tropical climates. The review captures the challenges and opportunities of designing ecological floating wetlands in terms of multifunctional usage, site limitation, cost effectiveness, social benefit, and ecological habitat creation. For design typology of floating wetlands in a tropical climate, we discuss design components based on size, floating mat types, structures and materials, planting design, and additional technology. While the first case study showcased a design for an ecological floating wetland, the second case study illustrates how mathematical modeling can guide sizing and performance assessment in planning floating wetland implementation. Ecological floating wetlands can provide a positive impact to the urban environment under tropical conditions, but the main research gaps include an incomplete understanding of contaminant uptake rates associated with different plants, required maintenance of the systems, plant robustness, and community appreciation.

Reinforced concrete is currently the most used material in construction, posing a significant environmental concern as GHG emissions and problems related to durability and recycling. Therefore, governments have started to encourage the usage of traditional buildings which offer interesting advantages. However, due to poor mechanical and technical performance, as well as a lack of regulations and know-how their usage is limited. The research work carried out on eco-materials has improved their mechanical performance as well as their water resistance. Despite the importance of this study, it is clear that the proposed ecological models cannot yet compete with modern constructions in terms of mechanical performance, rate of construction and economic efficiency. To combine the advantages of these two construction methods: the modern one with its better mechanical performance and economic efficiency, and the traditional one with its insulating power, ecological and bioclimatic aspects, it is proposed to investigate the aspects of the concept “hybrid building technology” which is less polluting, competitive and capable of reducing the impact of the construction on the environment. This article’s goal is to define the concept of hybrid construction technology via an analysis of two modern construction trends: sustainable construction techniques and reinforced concrete buildings. Furthermore, the article discusses several hybridization techniques in the building sector and offers some examples of hybrid construction technology models. Future prospects and recommendations for developing a hybrid building research field are also provided. As a conclusion, this third way in construction will allow for good outcomes in the reconciliation of construction, economics, and man with the environment.

Urban sprawl has been a persistent sustainability impediment caused by its associated low urban density that led to heavy reliance on private cars. To overcome this problem, urban densification, as a sustainable planning approach, has been widely advocated. Al Ain, one of the most affected cities by urban sprawl in the United Arab Emirates, has recently adopted an urban densification process through its Al Ain Plan 2030 and started applying it by 2010 in a pioneering redevelopment project in Bida Bin Ammar neighborhood. This research aims at studying the impacts of the applied urban densification measures and tools on social sustainability in this neighborhood. The research adopts a qualitative case study method utilizing field observations as the main source of primary data collection, while the analysis of CAD drawings, census data, land-use plans, and Google Earth maps forms a secondary source of data for this study. Based on the results of the study, it is concluded that urban densification through its two applied measures, the Intensification and the Infill Development, have enhanced social sustainability in Bida Bin Ammar neighborhood but with various degrees of success for each of the social sustainability principle and indicators. While mixed use and accessibility principles have been partially enhanced in the study area, density, mobility, social capital, quality of life, sense of belonging, and safety and security have been weakly enhanced. Accordingly, a proposed set of guidelines have been initiated to inform decision-makers in the city, and maybe in other cities in the UAE and the Arabian Gulf region, to help them revise the applied urban densification process in a way that helps achieve more socially sustainable urban communities.