Social Sciences

Abstract: Urban inundation forecasting in high-density cities is complicated by sparse incident labels, nonstationary rainfall, and changing sensing systems. Using Taipei as a case study, we develop a building-scale GeoAI decision-support prototype that integrates 30,421 LOD1 building-centroid nodes, 41,636 graph edges, built-environment attributes, and eight extreme-rainfall events from 2015 to 2026. We evaluate a static inundation-susceptibility baseline, 60- and 120-min event-level forecasts, tree-ensemble models, a Temporal GNN, and ConvLSTM, and separately test temporal and spatial transfer under compound distribution shift. The analysis adopts a positive-unlabeled (PU) learning perspective and distinguishes event-level, pooled, temporal-transfer, spatial-transfer, and scale-sensitivity evaluation regimes. Across seven events with verifiable outputs, macro-averaged AUCs were 0.694 at 60 min and 0.677 at 120 min. XGBoost achieved the highest AUC (0.682) in a benchmark with non-equivalent spatial support, whereas forward temporal validation fell to 0.490. Physics-based synthetic augmentation increased the mean AUC for four historical gauge-era events from 0.4965 to 0.6768, although one event deteriorated. These results define the conditions under which building-scale GeoAI remains informative and where it fails, providing a more defensible basis for urban-resilience decision support, climate adaptation, and infrastructure continuity.

Abstract: This study examines how rain-gardens are conceptualized, implemented, governed, maintained, and situated within contemporary green infrastructure (GI) systems in New Jersey, USA. A qualitative case-study design integrated semi-structured interviews with ten municipal, NGO, design, and watershed stakeholders; qualitative analysis of New Jersey-specific professional, technical, and regulatory documents; and structured field documentation of 18 implemented rain-garden sites. The book Rain Gardens (Dunnett & Clayden, 2007) was analyzed separately as a comparative contextual source. Findings indicate that rain-gardens are primarily operationalized as decentralized stormwater-management infrastructure, with infiltration, runoff management, water-quality improvement, and regulatory compliance as dominant implementation rationales. Although institutional discourse also associates rain-gardens with biodiversity, environmental education, public engagement, and climate resilience, these functions generally remain complementary to stormwater objectives. Field observations revealed substantial variation in vegetation, maintenance, and visible site condition, consistent with interview evidence that long-term functioning depends on continuing stewardship, institutional capacity, funding, and maintenance. Stewardship, therefore, emerges as an often-overlooked form of “invisible infrastructure” that supports rain-gardens after implementation. The findings further identify a scalar tension between predominantly site- and parcel-scale implementation and the watershed- and landscape-scale objectives associated with climate resilience. Rain-gardens can provide important localized benefits, but broader resilience contributions depend on their strategic coordination with complementary GI and watershed-management measures.

Abstract: The expansion of remote work has raised new questions about how residents evaluate housing locations, particularly as daily workplace proximity may become less central for some workers and space, amenities, and lifestyle considerations may become more salient. This study examines residential location priorities and scenario-based area-type preferences across preferred future work arrangements in the Roanoke Metropolitan Statistical Area, Virginia, a mid-sized U.S. metropolitan region. Data were drawn from a 2023 cross-sectional online survey of verified adult residents, producing an eligible analytical base of 636 respondents. Thirteen residential-priority items were analyzed using complete cases (n = 620). Exploratory factor analysis, supported by parallel analysis and interpreted using polychoric correlations with oblique rotation, identified two related exploratory priority orientations: a broad space/stability/community-related orientation and an accessibility/amenity-related orientation. Kruskal–Wallis tests with Benjamini–Hochberg correction showed statistically significant but generally modest differences across preferred work-arrangement groups, with the largest differences observed for proximity to the central business district and rural/suburban lifestyle preference. Scenario-based area rankings were analyzed among respondents with valid paired rankings under both in-person and remote-work conditions (n = 579). Under the remote-work scenario, suburban areas were ranked significantly more favorably, while city center/CBD locations were ranked significantly less favorably; changes in urban and rural rankings were not statistically significant after correction. These findings indicate that preferred future work arrangements and hypothetical remote-work scenarios are associated with differentiated stated residential preferences in this mid-sized metropolitan sample. The results should be interpreted as stated preference paĴerns and scenario-based ranking differences, not as evidence of actual relocation behavior, realized housing-market demand, verified access to remote-capable employment, or causal effects of remote work on urban spatial change.

Abstract: The Alqueva Multifunctional Project was conceived as a development infrastructure for southern Portugal, promising agricultural modernisation, demographic stabilisation, job creation and territorial cohesion. This article examines the gap between these promises and the project’s outcomes through an analysis of documents, census data, sectoral indicators and a territorial case-study approach. The results reveal a clear paradox, as significant achievements were observed in the water, agriculture, energy and tourism sectors, including the expansion of irrigation, growth in exports, greater water security and innovation in the field of renewable energy. However, these sectoral gains have coexisted with ongoing depopulation, an ageing population, the precarious nature of the migrant workforce, land concentration, poor local value retention and growing environmental pressures. The article argues that this contradiction reflects a development model shaped by neo-extractivism, accumulation through dispossession and the limited capture of territorial rent. Alqueva thus demonstrates how technically successful infrastructure projects can fail to generate inclusive territorial development when redistribution, institutional coordination and local integration remain inadequate and when effective mechanisms for spatial justice are lacking.

Abstract: Tourists visiting tsunami‑prone destinations often have limited familiarity with local hazards, making their preparedness a critical component of disaster risk reduction. This study examines the determinants of tourist preparedness in Pangandaran, Indonesia, using the Protection Motivation Theory (PMT) framework. Data were collected through an online survey of domestic tourists and analyzed using structural equation modeling. The results show that both threat appraisal and coping appraisal significantly shape preparedness outcomes. Risk perception increases self‑efficacy and behavioral intention, while coping appraisal, particularly self‑efficacy, emerges as the strongest predictor of both intention and actual preparedness behavior. Response efficacy also contributes positively to intention, whereas perceived obstacles reduce preparedness motivation. Behavioral intention significantly predicts actual behavior, although the moderate behavioral scores indicate an intention–behavior gap. Socio‑demographic characteristics exert limited influence, with only age, education, and income showing modest associations with selected PMT constructs. These findings highlight the central role of cognitive mechanisms in shaping tourist preparedness and underscore the need for targeted communication, capability‑building interventions, and coordinated institutional support to enhance safety in tsunami‑prone destinations.

Abstract: While urban agriculture (UA) addresses the constraints of urbanisation and the ecological sustainability of urban land-use policies, most of the UA literature focuses on food security outcomes but undertheorises its effects on land scarcity. Land scarcity is, however, a structural factor shaping which UA models succeed or collapse. The article asks (1) Which land scarcity types emerge from UA initiatives? (2) Which governance structures influence the land constraints and contribute to the success of UA initiatives? The article critically compares UA projects in six Indonesian cities. The data demonstrate that while UA projects are maturing and expanding across all cities, they vary in their operationalisation and in the spatial distribution of benefits. The core contradiction lies in a battle for spatial resources. Urbanisation drives rapid city expansion and infrastructure development, consuming the very arable land urban farmers need, while UA attempts to retrofit food production into dense, concrete-dominated environments. Community-led UA models are more resilient under land pressure than government-directed programs. Policy recommendations include recognising community agricultural land in urban zoning and coding, and advocating for urban farming in city-level ecosystem valuation. This can become possible if more hybrid governance approaches are stimulated or created.

Abstract: Coupling-coordination scores are widely used to describe whether urban systems develop in step, although the usual index combines subsystem balance with average development level. This study separates these attributes for digital and transport infrastructure and relates them to urban environmental service performance in China. The analysis links city-level broadband use, mobile connectivity, data-center records, urban road provision, and seven municipal service indicators for 2002-2024. The preferred panel contains 6094 observations for 275 cities in 28 provinces. City fixed effects and province-by-year fixed effects absorb persistent local differences and common provincial shocks. After decomposing the conventional score, the standardized portfolio-level coefficient (0.188, p < 0.001) is more than four times the balance coefficient (0.045, p = 0.021). Balance remains positive before 2020 and when data-center capacity enters the digital index, but disappears with a road-density transport proxy. Component estimates locate the balance association in water and gas access, not sewage treatment, green coverage, or harmless waste treatment. The digital-transport interaction provides no evidence of superadditive returns. For SDG 9 and SDG 11 planning, infrastructure scale, relative balance, and external service outcomes should be monitored separately; synchronized construction alone does not establish environmental improvement.

Abstract: The rapid development of rural e-commerce has become an important pathway for promoting sustainable rural transformation, yet its impacts on territorial resilience and underlying land-use mechanisms remain insufficiently understood. This study investigates the effects of Taobao Village development on county-level territorial resilience and examines the mediating role of ecological land-use transition in China. Using panel data from 1,503 counties between 2014 and 2022, we employ a staggered difference-in-differences model, spatial Durbin model, and Bootstrap mediation analysis to identify the causal effects, spatial spillovers, and transmission pathways. The results show that: (1) Taobao Village development significantly improves territorial resilience, with stronger effects observed in central and northeastern China, while the impacts vary considerably across regions due to differences in economic foundations, digital infrastructure, and land-use conditions. (2) Spatial analysis reveals that the resilience-enhancing effects of Taobao Villages are mainly localized, with no significant spillover effects to neighboring counties, indicating the constraints of existing administrative and spatial governance systems. (3) Ecological land-use transition serves as an important transmission pathway linking rural e-commerce development and territorial resilience, suggesting that land-use restructuring induced by digital transformation can generate both development opportunities and ecological trade-offs. (4) The mediation analysis identifies a suppression effect, indicating that although Taobao Village development may initially exert pressure on ecological spaces, ecological optimization ultimately contributes positively to long-term resilience improvement. These findings highlight the importance of integrating digital rural development with ecological sustainability and territorial spatial governance. The study provides policy implications for promoting resilient and sustainable rural transformation through differentiated land-use strategies.

Abstract: Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) is a key instrument for advancing sustainable ocean governance in Europe, yet the spatial distribution of socioeconomic benefits and trade-offs remains poorly understood. This study addresses this gap by applying and extending the Spatial Economic Benefit Analysis (SEBA) framework to evaluate the socioeconomic footprint of offshore wind energy and capture fisheries in France, with a focus on the North Atlantic–Western Channel (NAMO) region. Methodologically, a mixed-methods approach is used, integrating publicly available data, industry disclosures, and spatial analysis to produce regional-scale economic maps of employment, firm participation, infrastructure, and financial performance. The study also presents an interactive, updatable visualization platform that enhances SEBA, by enabling continuous data integration and dynamic exploration, strengthening its relevance for public policy and stakeholder engagement. Results show that offshore wind energy generates spatially concentrated yet internationally distributed economic benefits, characterized by transnational value chains and uneven regional participation. In contrast, fisheries exhibit highly localized benefits but increasing structural vulnerability, reflected in fleet decline, employment contraction, and financial dependence. These findings reveal a persistent asymmetry in benefit distribution within MSP, with implications for spatial equity and sectoral inclusion. By advancing SEBA as a scalable and decision-support tool, this research aims to contribute to a more transparent, data-driven MSP and to support the transition toward a more inclusive and sustainable blue economy.

Abstract: This study analyses demographic processes within the Western European urban network using grid data from 2011 to 2021. The findings indicate that all countries in the region experience both urban shrinkage and growth, albeit to varying degrees. These processes differ significantly from the European average. Belgium represents the extremes in population growth within urban grids, while Austria exemplifies the most pronounced population decline. Based on these demographic processes, five categories are proposed to classify the spatial patterns of city centres and agglomerations. Western European countries are also classified according to the extent to which urban growth and shrinkage determine their urban structure. Significant urban growth is evident in Belgium, Luxembourg, and Austria, while significant urban shrinkage is observed in France.

Abstract: This study examines urban green infrastructure (UGI) branding as a governance practice shaped by institutional homogenization and strategic responses within China’s multi-level policy framework. Against the backdrop of global sustainability agendas, UGI branding is conceptualized as a policy-oriented, symbolically embedded instrument for communicating cities’ commitments to green development and climate resilience. Using an institutional "identity-label-image" framework, integrated with policy diffusion theory and multi-center regional development models, we systematically analyze historical brand-label data from 27 core cities in the Yangtze River Delta. Our findings reveal three key patterns: (1) brand diffusion follows dual pathways of mandatory and imitative homogenization, with evolutionary rhythms tied to five-year planning cycles, generating discernible "policy waves"; (2) within polycentric regional structures, core cities act as institutional "interpreters" and benchmarks, while peripheral cities pursue imitation-driven differentiation, reflecting complex dynamics of collaboration and competition; and (3) urban identities expressed through brand labels progressively align with substantive sustainability transitions, aiming to enhance regional competitiveness and upward recognition. We conclude that UGI branding constitutes a deep-seated mechanism of sustainable urban governance, offering a novel theoretical lens on China’s institutional logic of city branding and providing actionable insights for optimizing collaborative brand governance and integrated green infrastructure planning in urban agglomerations.

Abstract: Overseas land investment has emerged as one of the most complex human–environment system challenges of the twenty-first century, yet its evolving role under global carbon neutrality targets remains theoretically under-specified. This study conducts a systematic literature review and bibliometric analysis of 145 English and 38 Chinese publications (2008–2026) to map the intellectual landscape, identify divergent research priorities, and examine the implications of carbon-credit-based land investment. Our analysis reveals three distinct evolutionary phases—from conceptual emergence and mechanism analysis to interdisciplinary expansion—and identifies three parallel divergences between Chinese and international scholarship: contrasting research stances, thematic priorities, and governance imaginaries, all rooted in China's transitional position within a Western-dominated discourse system. We conclude that China must transition from rule-adaptation to active governance participation, and identify priority pathways including property-rights protection, carbon-standard alignment, and polycentric governance frameworks that balance food security, host-country development rights, and global ecological justice. These findings provide both theoretical synthesis and actionable directions for governing land-based carbon markets in an era of geopolitical fragmentation.

Abstract: Oil extraction and agricultural production are central to North Dakota’s economy, yet their spatial coexistence and implications for sustainable land-use planning remain poorly understood. This study conducts a statewide geospatial analysis integrating OpenStreetMap data, GIS processing, DBSCAN clustering, and spatial statistics to examine the colocation of 7,102 oil well and 4,277 grain silo sites. Hotspot and spatial heterogeneity tests using the Getis–Ord Gi* statistic and local Moran’s I reveal a pronounced spatial divide: oil activity is tightly clustered in the western Bakken region, whereas grain storage facilities concentrate across central and eastern counties. The limited geographic overlap suggests minimal systemic land-use overlap, though localized high-intensity co-location patterns emerge in McKenzie, Dunn, and Mountrail counties. These patterns provide stakeholders with insight into locations where shared logistics pressures and land-use tensions may influence sustainable infrastructure planning. More broadly, the study demonstrates the value of spatial data mining techniques applied to free, publicly available data for identifying intersectoral infrastructure patterns that inform sustainable land-use, infrastructure, and regional development planning across North Dakota.

Abstract: This case study examines how archaeological heritage can inspire value‑added crafts to diversify livelihoods in marginalized rural regions while strengthening territorial identity. Focusing on Serra da Capivara (Piauí, Brazil) and Tierradentro (Cauca, Colombia), both UNESCO World Heritage Sites in predominantly agrarian territories, it explores how archaeological landscapes and material culture can underpin community‑based, heritage‑driven rural development. Methodologically, the paper adopts a qualitative comparative case study design, combining documentary analysis with rural development, territorial and creative‑industry frameworks. It analyzes Serra da Capivara’s ceramics project, which translates prehistoric rock‑art motifs into contemporary design objects linked to tourism, national markets and local employment, and then develops a project blueprint for Tierradentro. The article’s originality lies in bringing together sustainable livelihoods, territorial heritage and indigenous/community‑enterprise perspectives to design a pottery‑based diversification strategy grounded in indigenous governance and cultural rights, while proposing guidelines for reinterpreting archaeological ceramic forms and motifs under Nasa authority without commodifying sacred symbols.

Abstract: Purpose: This paper explores why evidence-based policies that appear effective in one context frequently produce uneven outcomes, exclusion, or legitimacy challenges when transferred across policy and governance contexts. It introduces the Contextual Research Validity Index (CRVI) as a diagnostic framework for evaluating whether the contextual conditions necessary for policy validity remain aligned across settings. Methodology: The study develops a conceptual and diagnostic framework that assesses contextual validity across four dimensions: epistemic alignment, institutional fit, cultural resonance, and operational feasibility. The framework is illustrated through an interpretive analysis of India’s Aadhaar digital identification system, drawing on secondary literature, policy reports, and institutional evidence. Limitation: The paper is conceptual and illustrative rather than predictive or causal. The CRVI scoring approach is heuristic and based on qualitative interpretation rather than statistical modelling or original empirical data collection. Findings: The analysis demonstrates that policy effectiveness cannot be separated from contextual conditions. The Aadhaar case shows that interventions regarded as technically successful may still generate exclusion, legitimacy disputes, and uneven outcomes when epistemic assumptions, institutional safeguards, cultural expectations, and operational realities are misaligned. Practical Implications: The CRVI provides policymakers and evaluators with a structured tool for assessing transfer readiness, contextual risk, and governance vulnerabilities before scaling or replicating interventions across settings. Social Implications: The framework supports more accountable and context-sensitive policymaking by helping reduce exclusion, governance failures, and legitimacy erosion in large-scale policy interventions, particularly in digital public infrastructure. Originality: The paper contributes to the policy evaluation and governance literature by reframing policy failure as a problem of contextual misalignment rather than of insufficient evidence alone, and by operationalising contextual validity through a transferable diagnostic framework.

Abstract: Complete neighbourhoods — places where residents can meet most daily needs on foot — have become a cornerstone of healthy and sustainable urban planning. Yet most assess-ment frameworks were calibrated for dense metropolitan environments, leaving rural and peri-urban municipalities without operational tools suited to their territorial realities. This article presents MilieuxVie, an open-source, browser-based interactive mapping applica-tion developed for the Laurentides health region of Québec (76 municipalities, 11 land-based unorganised territories, 2 indigenous territories and 4 aquatic administrative units; 93 territorial units in total; ~680,000 inhabitants). The tool evaluates the spatial ac-cessibility of 12 service categories drawn from the Vivre en Ville (2026) com-plete-neighbourhood framework and OpenStreetMap data, using residential parcels from the provincial property assessment roll (MAMH 2026) as origin points and weighting re-sults by number of dwelling units. Three adaptive radius tiers (urban, intermediate, rural) based on municipal area correct for the systematic under-performance of standard thresholds in low-density settings. A dedicated Urban Perimeter mode further disaggre-gates analysis to sub-municipal built-up zones, aligning the tool with Québec's provincial planning orientations (OGAT). Gap analysis outputs identify which service types fall be-low the 70 % coverage target, enabling evidence-based prioritization for elected officials and planners. Results illustrate the scope of accessibility deficits across the region and highlight the analytical limits of uniform distance thresholds when applied beyond met-ropolitan contexts. The tool is freely available and requires no software installation, mak-ing it directly deployable by local planning offices.

Abstract: This paper presents a theoretically informed critical review of climate change discourse in Sub-Saharan Africa. Drawing on peer-reviewed scholarship and authoritative policy documents, it examines how climate knowledge is framed, communicated, authorized, and translated into public and policy use. Guided by decolonial theory and the Multiple Evidence Base approach, the review assesses climate discourse through four linked dimensions: epistemic authority, communicative accessibility, representational framing, and policy relevance. The review finds that recent scholarship and policy increasingly recognize Indigenous and local knowledge, public participation, climate education, and context-specific communication. However, significant gaps remain between formal recognition and operational integration. Climate literacy continues to vary across and within African countries; climate services become useful only when institutions align them with user needs and local decision-making contexts; and educational and policy discourse can still reproduce epistemic hierarchy even when it invokes inclusion. The paper contributes to sustainability scholarship by showing that demystification and decolonization are complementary requirements for inclusive climate governance and sustainable development. Demystification improves the intelligibility and usability of climate knowledge, whereas decolonization strengthens legitimacy by challenging hierarchies that privilege some knowledge systems while marginalizing others. A stronger climate discourse for Sub-Saharan Africa, therefore, requires institutional changes in how actors authorize knowledge, translate uncertainty, frame vulnerability and agency, and design climate communication, education, and services for public and policy use.

Abstract: The landscapes of most tropical regions have been shaped by the indigenous peoples’ and their livelihood practices. The utility of plants within these landscapes for traditional purposes has been facing intense competition from commercial logging. To gain insights into this conflict, this paper examined how landscape conditions may influence the presence and spatial distribution of indigenous subsistence and commercial logging ecosystem services relative to one another. Data on the ecosystem services and landscape conditions in the form of physical environment variables were obtained for twelve indigenous villages in the Rupununi, Southern Guyana. For each village, the relative log risk ratios of subsistence values to logging values were computed and regressed against six physical environment variables – village presence, distance to village, distance to road, distance to waterways, elevation, and slope – to examine if and how landscape conditions may favor the presence of one service over the other. The estimates were then used to map the relative differences in the spatial distributions of subsistence and commercial logging services in each village. It was found that mean relative log risk ratios for the villages were generally positive, indicating an inclination towards the presence of subsistence services. However, the maps revealed that while some areas within a given village were indeed more favorable for the presence of subsistence services, other areas within the same village were inclined towards the presence of logging services. Similar spatial analyses can be explored to guide policy-makers in developing land-use strategies that allocate forest lands between competing users by identifying areas that are best suited for indigenous peoples’ subsistence activities and for commercial logging operations.

Abstract: Mega-events like the Olympic Games present both opportunities and challenges for sustainable urban development. This study addresses a critical knowledge gap: how can temporary Olympic Villages transition into permanent, inclusive urban communities that deliver lasting social, economic, and environmental benefits. Drawing on grounded theory and cross-case analysis of six Olympic events, we establish a three-tier P-R-L model (Physical-Relational-Legacy) that explains sustainable community structure evolution. The Physical layer operationalizes resilient space design through adaptive infrastructure; the Relational layer institutionalizes equitable governance through stakeholder integration; the Legacy layer consolidates inclusive urban dividends beyond traditional metrics. Our findings demonstrate how these dimensions reinforce mutually to support sustainable community transitions, offering a replicable framework for mega-event planning aligned with SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities) and SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions). The research contributes actionable guidance for policymakers, urban planners, and event organizers seeking to maximize positive sustainability outcomes.

Abstract: Waerebo Village, a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site in Indonesia, represents a profound harmony between the Manggarai people, nature, and spirituality, yet the technical functional role of its traditional zoning remains under-researched. This study examines the Waerebo landscape model by integrating horizontal and vertical spatial patterns through literature reviews, field observations, interviews, and GIS-based analyses, including Digital Elevation Models (DEM) and multi-temporal NDVI from 2015 to 2025. Find-ings indicate that Waerebo’s landscape is organized into three concentric zone—core, uti-lization, and sacred zones—mirroring a tripartite spiritual framework of God, ancestors, and nature spirits. Geospatial data reveals a sophisticated indigenous landscape engineering system where the settlement is strategically positioned on a stable 16° terrace, while sacred forests are maintained on extreme 85° slopes to protect watersheds and mitigate landslides. Multi-temporal NDVI analysis confirms an increase in forest density from 0.47 in 2015 to 0.52 in 2025, validating the effectiveness of customary laws in maintaining ecological integrity despite tourism pressures. The study concludes that Waerebo's cosmic spiral model achieves a vital balance between culture, socio-economic survival, and environmental conservation, offering a functional blueprint for resilient cultural heritage management in challenging topographies.