• Energy Research

The combined trends of urban heat island (UHI) intensification and global warming led to an increased tendency towards on the greening of cities as a tool for UHI mitigation. Our study examines the range of research approaches and findings regarding the role of green roofs in mitigating urban heat and enhancing human comfort. This review provides an overview of 89 studies conducted in three main climate types (hot-humid, temperate, and dry), from 2000 till 2020. All of the reviewed studies confirm the cooling effect of green roofs and its contribution to reduced heat island intensity regardless of the background climatic condition. However, dry climate has the highest (3 °C) median cooling effect of green roofs among all the climates investigated. Hot-humid climate presents the lowest cooling potential (median = 1 °C) of green roofs among all the climate types. Moreover, green roofs contribute a median surface temperature reduction of 30 °C in hot-humid cities. This value is relatively low for temperate climates (28 °C). Notably, no study has examined the impact of green roofs on surface temperature reduction in dry climates. This review can benefit urban planners and various stakeholders.

Universities and higher education institutions play an important role in achieving a sustainable future through their teaching and by undertaking cutting edge research to combat climate change. There have been several efforts towards a sustainable future and achieving carbon neutrality at higher education institutions in Australia and around the world. This study has reviewed the sustainability strategies of numerous universities in Australia and has identified as study cases six universities that are committed to and leading the implementation of initiatives to achieve carbon neutrality. The initiatives implemented at the selected universities were classified into eight “sustainability categories”, namely, built environment, energy, food and gardens, GHG emissions, natural environment, resource and waste management, transport, and water. Among the selected leading universities in sustainability, Charles Sturt University and the University of Tasmania (UTAS) are the only universities in Australia certified as carbon neutral. An interesting aspect of this review is the way in which universities are implementing sustainability initiatives in line with their mission and strategies. Despite striving towards the same end goal of achieving carbon neutrality, different institutions offer individually unique approaches towards sustainability. For example, UTAS values the creation, expansion and dissemination of knowledge and the promotion of continual learning, which is clearly demonstrated through its initiatives and policies. The findings in this review are critical in identifying those institutions of higher education which are role models in their strong commitment to achieving carbon neutrality. Such role model universities can pave the way for similar climate action at other universities.

Green roofs are increasingly recognised as a crucial urban solution, addressing climate change, enhancing energy efficiency, and promoting sustainable architecture in densely populated areas. In this manuscript, the research study delves into the influence of green roofs on energy consumption, focusing on the Treasury Place building in Melbourne, Australia. The utilisation of DesignBuilder and EnergyPlus simulations was explored. Various green roof parameters such as the Leaf Area Index (LAI), plant height, soil moisture, and tree coverage were optimised and compared against base case scenarios. The key findings indicate an optimal LAI of 1.08 for maximum energy savings, with diminishing returns beyond an LAI of 2.5. The soil moisture content was most effective, around 50%, while a plant height of approximately 0.33 m optimised energy reduction. The introduction of 50% canopy tree coverage provided temperature regulation, but increased soil moisture due to trees and their influence on wind flow had an adverse energy impact. These results emphasise the necessity for precise green roof representation and parameter optimisation for maximum energy efficiency. This research offers essential insights for those in urban planning and building design, endorsing green roofs as a pivotal solution for sustainable urban environments.

Humans relate to the living environment physically and psychologically. Environmental psychology has a rich developed history while experience design emerged recently in the industrial design domain. Nonetheless, these approaches have barely been merged, understood or implemented in architectural design practices. This study explored the correlation between experience design and environmental psychology. Moreover, it conducted literature reviews on theories about emotion, user experience design, experience design and environmental psychology, followed by the analyses of spatial settings and environmental quality data of a selected aged care facility in Victoria, Australia, as a case study. Accordingly, this study led to proposing a research framework on environmental experience design (EXD). It can be defined as a deliberate attempt that affiliates experience design and environmental psychology with creation of the built environment that should accommodate user needs and demands. The EXD research framework proposed in this study was tailored for transforming related design functions into the solutions that contribute to improving the built environment for user health and wellbeing.

As most people spend their days indoors, it is indeed important that buildings provide residents with a higher standard of health, convenience, and safety. As a result, many practices are implemented into buildings to improve the comfort of occupants, particularly thermal comfort; nevertheless, the energy required to run and maintain these applications is a significant constraint. Renewable energy sources offer alternative solutions to energy demand problems, and selecting the best renewable energy sources is crucial. In this article, we examine the health and well-being advantages to the occupants, as well as the surrounding environment, of a variety of novel strategies that may be integrated into buildings to increase occupants’ thermal comfort for conventional practices using solar power. The key discoveries explored in this article include daylighting, passive ventilation, thermal applications, cooling applications, and power generation. For this, the information was gathered by a systematic review of the relevant prior literature. In addition, the detrimental effects of existing practices on the health and well-being of residents and the environment are included. While there are still some practical obstacles to overcome in the extraction of solar energy, the technology exists. Potential future obstacles to the broad acceptance and usage of solar energy systems in buildings are highlighted, as well as possible solutions.

Physical activity is connected to public health in many ways, and walking is its most popular form. Modern planning models have been applied to cities to manage rapid urban expansions. However, this practice has led to low level of walkability and strong car-dependency in today’s cities. Hence, this study aims to provide a review of the most promising urban design parameters affecting walkability, using Frank Lawrence’s theory of “Objectively Measured Urban Form” (density, connectivity and accessibility, and mixed-use development) as the basis of discussion. The second part of this paper takes a case study approach, through discussing the main design elements of traditional Iranian cities (mosques, bazaars, residential quarters, and alleyways) and analyses their impacts on promoting walkability. This study concludes that incorporating inherent values of traditional urban design elements will complement modern planning and design practices.

Twenty-minute neighbourhoods highlight the importance of well-connected and mixed-used neighbourhoods and communities with proximate access to employment, essential services, public transport, and open spaces. Shorter distances together with re-prioritised public spaces encourage more active transport choices, resulting in public health benefits and reduced environmental pollution. Higher liveability brought about by mixed-use developments enables people to have equitable access to local facilities, amenities, and employment opportunities, promoting vibrancy, social cohesion, and intergenerational connections. The attributes of 20-minute neighbourhoods also combine to create places, that are acknowledged as friendly for all ages, address changing needs across the life course, and provide better support for the ageing population. Furthermore, there are indications that 20-minute neighbourhoods may be more resilient against many of the negative impacts of stringent public health protocols such as those implemented in periods of lockdown during the Covid-19 pandemic. In this article, we evaluate and compare planning policies and practices aimed at establishing 20-minute neighbourhoods in Melbourne (Australia) and Scotland (the UK). Using case studies, we discuss similarities and differences involved in using place-based approaches of 20-minute neighbourhoods to address 21st-century challenges in key areas of health and wellbeing, equity, environmental sustainability, and community resilience.

Accessibility is commonly assessed using indicators calculated from spatial data. Comparatively perceived accessibility cannot be adequately reflected by these calculated measures because it involves the perception to participate in spatially dispersed opportunities. This highlights the need to understand and consider perceived accessibility for planning and evaluation of transport systems from a complementary perspective. Therefore, this study aims to offer a systematic review concerning the interpretations of perceived accessibility in transport, its concept, major social drivers, barriers, evaluation methods and key influencing factors. This review also highlights the importance of perceived safety and service quality in public transport and their relationship with perceived accessibility in daily travel. The paper argues that perceived accessibility with due consideration of perceived safety and service quality will contribute to the development from mobility-based to accessibility-based planning.