Journal of Sustainable Development, Issue: Vol.19, No.4

Energy, Thermodynamic and Sustainable Analysis of a Deep Bioclimatic and Self-Sufficient House. Casa Blasco

Fri, 17 Jul 2026 10:42:51 +0000

This study presents an energy, thermodynamic efficiency, and sustainability analysis of a deep bioclimatic house, Blasco house, capable of thermal self-regulation without the need for heating or air conditioning. The energy analysis compares the energy consumption of this house to that of a conventional house with the same characteristics. Due to its low energy consumption, the house is energy self-sufficient at a low economic cost. The bioclimatic and thermodynamic efficiency analysis demonstrates the good conceptual thermodynamic performance of the house, as a result of the location of the insulation on the exterior of the building envelope and its high thermal inertia on the interior. Finally, a sustainability analysis of the house was conducted using 11 Green Building Rating Systems (GBRS), quantifying the contribution of the house's bioclimatic design to its overall sustainability. The results highlight the significant sustainability advantages of buildings with deep bioclimatic design.

Perspectives on Community Wellbeing in an Urban Environment: Challenges, Opportunities, and Equity Implications for the City of Jackson, Mississippi

Fri, 17 Jul 2026 10:42:51 +0000

Community wellbeing in mid-sized Southern U.S. cities faces a combination of pressures from issues such as entrenched poverty, limited food access, deteriorating infrastructure, and elevated crime rates. This study reports findings from a preliminary, mixed-methods assessment of community wellbeing perceptions in Jackson, Mississippi. Employing the Atkinson et al. (2020) People-Place-Power framework and the What Works Centre for Wellbeing (Bagnall, 2018) indicator model, we analyzed data from five stakeholder focus groups (n ≈ 55 participants) representing neighborhood residents (renters), local NGO members, neighborhood association leaders, local business owners, and college students. Qualitative thematic analysis of transcripts was combined with nonparametric statistical methods named Kruskal-Wallis H tests and Dunn's post hoc comparisons with Bonferroni correction to identify divergences and areas of consensus across groups. Chi-square tests of independence were applied to categorical ranking data across five wellbeing domains. Findings reveal near-universal concern over crime and public safety (100% of business owners; 80–83% of college students and renters), significant inter-group heterogeneity regarding food access (100% of students vs. 50% of renters) and differential prioritization of infrastructure, parks, and city leadership. Results align with the Governance and Place dimensions of the Bagnall framework and support recent scholarship on resource deserts in the urban South. Implications for participatory comprehensive planning, community capacity-building, and equitable resource allocation are discussed.

Financial Inclusion and Poverty Reduction among Women in Kenya

Fri, 17 Jul 2026 10:42:51 +0000

This study examines the effect of financial inclusion on poverty reduction among women in Kenya. Despite sustained government and private sector efforts to enhance financial inclusion through mobile money, savings groups and digital credit services, poverty among women remains persistently high. Using ordered logit models on a sample of 7982 rural and 4,337 urban women, the study investigates the effect of financial inclusion on poverty status classified as hardcore poor, poor and non-poor. The financial inclusion index is computed using principal component analysis. The dummy variables for having bank account, access to credit, having savings and insurance are used to compute the index. The index ranged from 0 to 100. The results show that financial inclusion significantly improves women’s welfare in both rural and urban areas, with odds ratios of 1.024 in rural areas and 1.02 in urban areas, indicating access to financial services is associated with higher probability of not being poor. The results suggest the need for government to deepen and broaden financial inclusion by expanding access to affordable digital financial services, strengthening women-targeted savings and credit products.

Urban Forms of Hot Dry Region Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Fri, 17 Jul 2026 10:42:51 +0000

The study aims to analyze Riyadh’s current urban forms and identify the most suitable ones for its weather to achieve sustainable urban development. Evaluating traditional urban patterns showed many positive principles useful for future growth. The government have regulated plans to address the hot, arid climate of Riyadh. However, building regulations and zoning in residential areas created constraints, as foreign consultants gave inadequate consideration to the region’s cultural, climatic, and physical requirements. The finding of this study, it was concluded that neo-traditional urbanism is suitable for the city of Riyadh because it is compatible with the city's climatic, social, and urban conditions and needs.

Nature-Based Solutions in Enhancing Well-being of Urban Cities in Nigeria

Fri, 17 Jul 2026 10:42:51 +0000

The rapid urbanization of Nigerian cities has put a lot of pressure on the environment such as heat accumulation, flooding, and the continued loss of urban green spaces, which significantly impacts human well-being and cultural identity. Nature-Based Solutions (NbS) are an integrative approach to address these challenges by the integration of natural systems into the built environment. This paper explores the role architectural NbS plays in improving well-being, and ecological identity, within urban cities in Nigeria, with a specific focus on Ibadan.

The research uses a descriptive mixed-methods approach and combines a rich literature review with a questionnaire survey administered to 287 residents across eight neighborhoods in Ibadan. The study explored their access to urban nature, perceptions of green spaces, well-being, ecological identity, and attitudes towards NbS. Quantitative data were analysed through descriptive analysis, while qualitative data via thematic analysis.

The results indicate that residents recognise NbS as important contributors to thermal comfort, stress reduction, mental restoration, and urban liveability. However, effectively implementating NbS is constrained by challenges such as unequal access across different neighbourhoods, including governance, maintenance and policy-related challenges. Respondents strongly supported integrating greening strategies in buildings and the urban environment such as the integration of courtyards, shaded communal spaces, and culturally-responsive design strategies.

It concludes that, when equitably distributed, culturally sensitive and supported by effective governance frameworks, architectural NbS can meaningfully contribute to sustainable urban developments in Ibadan. It emphasises the importance of architectural NbS in enhancing environmental resilience, well-being and ecological identity in Nigerian cities.

The Decoupling of Credit Growth and Operational Risk: An Integrative EPVw Approach under Clean Surplus Valuation

Fri, 17 Jul 2026 10:42:51 +0000

This study investigates the dynamic, non-linear relationship between private sector credit expansion and operational risk within financial institutions. Utilizing 2025 monthly loan data, the research proposes an integrative quantitative framework coupling Standard Score (Z-score) Probability Density Functions with the Weighted Expected Present Value (EPVw) model, incorporating a 0.995644 discount factor. Empirical results reveal a critical decoupling between credit volume and risk magnitude. While the loan portfolio expanded continuously from 6,742 billion in January to a peak of 7,318 billion in December, calculated risk (EPVw) followed a parabolic, bell-shaped distribution. Maximum risk exposure converged mid-year (June–August), driven by the highest statistical probability density as loan values hovered around the annual mean (μ = 6,997 billion). Conversely, despite peak volumes in December, year-end capital risk collapsed to its lowest point (377 billion) due to an extreme right-tail distribution shift (Z = 2.02) minimizing probability density weights (0.051). These findings challenge traditional linear risk assumptions, proving volatility concentrates within normal baselines rather than volume peaks. This study provides a vital framework for asset-liability management, ensuring capital reserves are optimally calibrated against market extremes, aligned with Clean Surplus Relation principles.

Resource Transformation and Sustainable Development Mechanisms in Creative Rural Tourism: Evidence from Guangdong Village, China

Thu, 23 Jul 2026 14:57:34 +0000

Against the backdrop of rural revitalisation and the continued integration of culture and tourism in China, this study takes Guangdong Village in Yanbian Prefecture as a typical case, systematically exploring the intrinsic logic of rural creative tourism resource transformation and sustainable development mechanisms in ethnic minority regions based on spatial production theory and stakeholder theory. The research finds that Guangdong Village creatively transforms local agricultural and cultural resources into tourism experiences by organically integrating agricultural production, ethnic culture, and spaces of everyday life, and has constructed a multi-stakeholder collaborative structure of "government guidance—enterprise operation—village collective coordination—farmer participation". The study reveals a sustainable development model of "Co-creation, Co-construction, Co-sharing" that connects cultural experience, everyday community life, and creative tourism spaces, and contributes to the synergistic realisation of economic, social, cultural, and ecological value. However, the village also faces sustainable development challenges such as unequal benefit distribution and limited resident involvement in decision-making. This study provides theoretical insights and practical implications for the sustainable development of rural creative tourism in ethnic minority regions.

Use Patterns, Perceptions, and Perspectives of Outdoor Recreation Participants at Chapman Mountain Nature Preserve and Monte Sano State Park in North Alabama

Wed, 29 Jul 2026 00:30:09 +0000

The study, focused on two sites in North Alabama - Chapman Mountain Nature Preserve (CMNP) and Monte Sano State Park (MSSP), sought to explore site visitation patterns, visitor demographics, visitors’ perspectives, and the perceived benefits and challenges associated with these locations. The concept of community engagement to achieve sustainable development goals was also investigated. A convenient sample of users was invited to complete a questionnaire at the end of their visit. Fifty-nine users participated, 50% identifying as female and 48% as male. The others (2%) did not gender identify. Among respondents, 53% visited CMNP, whereas 47% visited MSSP. Most respondents (84%) identified as Caucasian, while 16% identified as Non-Caucasian. Additionally, 61% of participants reported having at least a bachelor’s degree. Analysis of the relationship between site visitation and perceived stress revealed a slight negative correlation (r(52) = −0.103, p = 0.457), suggesting that increased visitation might be associated with slightly reduced stress levels. However, this finding was not statistically significant. Notably, African-American participants (n = 3) reported moderate stress levels (average ~19 points), while other racial groups reported lower stress levels (average ~11 points). However, the small sample size of African-American participants limits the generalizability of these findings. Visitors rated CMNP slightly higher than MSSP in terms of the condition of facilities and overall experiences.