Dr Zainab Jagun

Through administrative research and media records, this paper aims to examine and highlight the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on Malaysian workers, property development, construction sites, and the national economy. The development of real estate and the construction industry can significantly impact socio-economic growth and infrastructure development. Adequate building and infrastructure construction can ensure national economic stability, job creation, community cohesion, and higher living standards. Since the COVID-19 pandemic began in 2019, many countries, including Malaysia, have reported an increased number of virus cases. According to the Ministry of Health, 9316 cases and 314 COVID-19 clusters were discovered in Malaysia, with a 38.55–48.06% prevalence for factories, a 12.55–15.29% prevalence for community spreading, an 8.6–11.56% prevalence for construction sites, a 5.53–7.96% prevalence for educational sites, and a 7.01% prevalence for shopping areas. Several governments-imposed lockdowns, movement, and proximity restrictions during the pandemic due to the high infection rates at property development sites. However, due to inactivity in various sectors such as the construction industry, these measures have significantly impacted the national economy. As a result, the pandemic has had an impact on workers, production costs, and project completion timelines, resulting in operational issues and policy concerns. Overall, the records reviewed revealed that the COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted real estate development, the housing market, and the construction industry. As a result, sustained and targeted policies are required to support Malaysia’s construction industry’s socio-economic growth and infrastructure development.

A major challenge in renewable energy planning and integration with existing systems is the management of intermittence of the resources and customer demand uncertainties that are attributed to climates. In emerging distributed grids, state-of-the-art optimization techniques were used for cost and reliability objectives. In the existing literature, power dispatch and demand side management schemes were implemented for various techno-economic objectives. In renewable energy-based distributed grids, power dispatch is strategic to system operations. However, demand side management is preferred, as it allows more options for customer participation and active management of energy in buildings. Moreover, the demand side management can simply follow supplies. This paper investigates the implications of demand side management as it affects planning and operations in renewable energy-based distributed grids. Integration of demand side management in customer-oriented plans such as the time-of-use and real-time-pricing on residential and commercial demands is conceptualised to ensure effective customer participation which maintains the valued comforts. Moreover, the optimised tariff integrated demand side management implementations based on the utility-initiated demand response programmes are envisaged to offset conflicting objectives of the economy and customer comforts within residential and commercial demands and are also viewed as a step towards efficient management of energy in buildings.

Landfill leachate, which is a complicated organic sewage water, presents substantial dangers to human health and the environment if not properly handled. Electrochemical technology has arisen as a promising strategy for effectively mitigating contaminants in landfill leachate. In this comprehensive review, we explore various theoretical and practical aspects of methods for treating landfill leachate. This exploration includes examining their performance, mechanisms, applications, associated challenges, existing issues, and potential strategies for enhancement, particularly in terms of cost-effectiveness. In addition, this critique provides a comparative investigation between these treatment approaches and the utilization of diverse kinds of microbial fuel cells (MFCs) in terms of their effectiveness in treating landfill leachate and generating power. The examination of these technologies also extends to their use in diverse global contexts, providing insights into operational parameters and regional variations. This extensive assessment serves the primary goal of assisting researchers in understanding the optimal methods for treating landfill leachate and comparing them to different types of MFCs. It offers a valuable resource for the large-scale design and implementation of processes that ensure both the safe treatment of landfill leachate and the generation of electricity. The review not only provides an overview of the current state of landfill leachate treatment but also identifies key challenges and sets the stage for future research directions, ultimately contributing to more sustainable and effective solutions in the management of this critical environmental issue.

Clean air is an important requirement for human health and wellbeing. In this paper, the impact of urban air pollution on human health, safety and the environment in Nigeria was critically examined. It was observed that most cities and metropolises in Nigeria are characterized by high levels of air pollutants particularly when compared to European Union (EU) standards for air quality. The findings are largely ascribed to various natural or anthropogenic activities such as open-air burning of wastes, combustion of fossil and solid fuels, car exhaust fumes, land clearing, mining, agriculture, cement production and utilization, among others. The long and short-term exposure to the high levels of air pollutants emitted from such activities pose significant risks to human health, safety and the environment in Nigeria. The review of the literature revealed that air pollutant largely accounts for the exacerbated or soaring cases of asthma, cancer, lung/respiratory diseases, other cardiovascular diseases, and eventually premature death in Nigeria. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop a critical plan of action for the promotion of clean air and sustainable utilization of fuel and energy materials that cause air pollution, which severely impacts air quality and human health, safety and the environment.

Gaining insights related to medical data has always been a challenge, as limited technology delays treatment. Various types of data are collected from the medical field, such as sensor data, that are heterogeneous in nature. All of these are very poorly maintained and require more structuring. For this reason, deep learning is becoming more and more popular in this area. There are many challenges due to inadequate and irrelevant data. Insufficient domain knowledge also adds to the challenge. Modern deep learning models can help understand the dataset. This chapter provides an overview of deep learning, its various architectures, and convolutional neural networks. It also highlights how deep learning technologies can help advance healthcare.

Risk analyses are necessary for many forms of investment; therefore, it is vital for Estate Surveyors and Valuers to link and account for these risks explicitly to clients by incorporating more detailed risk analysis techniques to the present appraisal techniques used in order to guard their clients against the effects of instability in the expected outcome of their development. Data collected amongst 90 estate firms in phase III Abuja revealed that only few Estate Surveyors and Valuers firms have carried out the feasibility and viability appraisal in Abuja metropolis in the past 20 years. Analyses of data collected were made using frequency counts, percentage tables and Mean Item Scores, based on 5 points Likert scale with spearman ranking in descending order. From the study, the result shows the significant risk provided for are political, economic, and legal risk, while sensitivity analysis was the most preferred risk analysis technique used by Estate Surveyors and Valuer, the research work also revealed that the more complex the method of analysis, the lower the usage. Monte Carlos technique is recommended to be a suitable method that Estate Surveyors and Valuers can use to report risk explicitly to clients.

Untreated landfill leachate can harm the environment and human health due to its organic debris, heavy metals, and nitrogen molecules like ammonia. Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) have emerged as a promising technology for treating landfill leachate and generating energy. However, high concentrations of total ammonia-nitrogen (TAN), which includes both ammonia and the ammonium ion, can impede MFC performance. Therefore, maintaining an adequate TAN concentration is crucial, as both excess and insufficient levels can reduce power generation. To evaluate the worldwide research on MFCs using landfill leachate as a substrate, bibliometric analysis was conducted to assess publication output, author-country co-authorship, and author keyword co-occurrence. Scopus and Web of Science retrieved 98 journal articles on this topic during 2011-2022; 18 were specifically evaluated and analysed for MFC ammonia inhibition. The results showed that research on MFC using landfill leachate as a substrate began in 2011, and the number of related papers has consistently increased every 2 years, totaling 4060 references. China, India, and the USA accounted for approximately 60% of all global publications, while the remaining 40% was contributed by 70 other countries/territories. Chongqing University emerged as one of the top contributors among this subject's ten most productive universities. Most studies found that maintaining TAN concentrations in the 400-800 mg L-1 in MFC operation produced good power density, pollution elimination, and microbial acclimatization. However, the database has few articles on MFC and landfill leachate; MFC ammonia inhibition remains the main factor impacting system performance. This bibliographic analysis provides excellent references and future research directions, highlighting the current limitations of MFC research in this area.

Growing populations, expanding economies, industrialisation, and urbanisation pose a problem for waste management in developing countries. Their waste management methods, on the other hand, are not as efficient as they could be. Most developing countries’ current waste management practices do not fully conform to developed countries’ best practices for meeting socioeconomic goals. As a result, the importance of waste management in developing countries has grown in recent years. In order to highlight the socioeconomic perspectives of waste management practices, the present study examines the existing literature, policies, information, and records on waste management in developing nations. The findings indicate that essential socioeconomic factors such as finances, population density, per capita income, education level, policies, and technology have a significant impact on waste management, which encompasses waste generation, collection, composition, and disposal/treatment. Nonetheless, waste management has a number of economic benefits, including financial stability, job creation, and community cohesion. This study will inspire further research on the need for developing nations to consider the socioeconomic benefits of proper waste management and to develop a policy plan to achieve these benefits.

Microbial fuel cells (MFCs), hailed as a promising technology, hold the potential to combat various wastewater pollutants while simultaneously converting their chemical energy into electricity through biocatalysts. This study explores the applicability of a dual compartment MFC (DC-MFC) under varying conditions, targeting the removal of chemical oxygen demand (COD) from landfill leachate and electricity generation. In this setup, anaerobic sludge from a wastewater treatment plant serves as the inoculum in the anode compartment of the MFC, with a Nafion117 membrane acting as the separator between MFC units. The cathode compartments are filled with distilled water and continually aerated for 24 h to enhance air supply. The study assesses the MFC's performance across different COD concentrations, focusing on COD removal, power generation, and Coulombic efficiency. The findings reveal that COD removal efficiency is notably enhanced at higher concentrations of organic matter. Specifically, at a COD concentration of 3325.0 mg L-1, the MFC exhibited the highest COD removal efficiency (89%) and maximum power density (339.41 mWm-2), accompanied by a Coulombic efficiency of 25.5%. However, as the initial substrate concentration increased to 3825 mg L-1, the efficiency decreased to 72%, with a Coulombic efficiency of 13.56% and a power density of 262.34 mWm-2. Optical density levels increased due to bacterial growth at ambient temperature and neutral pH, reflecting the dynamic microbial response within the system.

Research on building energy efficiency has increased significantly over the past twenty years, creating a complex and fragmented landscape that complicates a thorough comprehension of the field’s development and present condition. This study utilises a mixed-method approach that integrates bibliometric analysis and systematic literature review to investigate the building energy efficiency research environment from 2003 to 2023. We examined 1458 papers from the Scopus ® database, concentrating on publication trends, collaborative networks, research themes and emerging issues. Research on building energy efficiency has expanded significantly, exhibiting a compound annual growth rate of 15.3% in publications. Artificial intelligence, the internet of things and improved materials are crucial catalysts of contemporary advancements. Collaborations among academics, industry and policymakers have increased, promoting more applied research. This two-part paper presents the inaugural complete, longitudinal examination of the building energy efficiency research environment, elucidating its evolution, present condition and prospective trajectories.

This study examines the efficacy of microbial fuel cells (MFCs) in treating landfill leachate while generating bioenergy. The MFCs achieved substantial reductions in chemical oxygen demand (62%) and nitrogen concentrations (78%), highlighting their role in sustainable waste management. Anammox bacteria and microbial consortia were identified as critical in optimizing nitrogen and COD removal. Experimental findings revealed an optimal power density (PD) of 283.38 mW/m

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Purpose Sustainable and resilient infrastructure projects aim to reduce flooding impacts and improve community adaptability. For instance, flood-resistant stilts elevate structures, mitigating flood damage. Comprehensive consideration is crucial when adding elements to housing projects, incurring costs for all involved parties. This study aims to assess the viability of concrete stilts for cost-effective flood mitigation in Malaysian terrace housing. Design/methodology/approach The study evaluates cost implications through a comparative 5D building information modeling (BIM) cost analysis of stilted and conventional (standard) housing models. This assesses the percentage increase in total cost. Furthermore, a survey of construction professionals was undertaken. The study used online convenience and stratified sampling techniques. Out of the 222 emails that were sent, 27 construction professionals located in Johor, Sabah and Selangor within Malaysia participated in the research survey. Their perspectives on stilt housing prospects and factors for costing such structures were analyzed through a descriptive analysis using SPSS. Findings The case study models revealed that the incorporation of stilts could lead to a 21.64% increase in the overall cost per unit. This cost increase was primarily attributed to the additional reinforcement required. However, the survey findings highlighted that a majority of construction professionals perceived the cost increment to fall within the range of 10%–20%. Consequently, it becomes imperative to meticulously consider cost factors such as foundational requirements, staircases, and the extended construction duration to effectively curtail expenditures. The prospect of heightened costs potentially posing a threat to profit margins and discouraging developers necessitates careful financial management. Notwithstanding these challenges, the survey's insights underscored that professionals in the construction industry indeed recognize the potential of stilt technology in the realm of flood mitigation and management, particularly within housing projects. Practical implications This research has significant practical implications. It provides a precise financial contrast between housing categories using 5D BIM and incorporates construction experts’ viewpoints on raised housing. Enhanced design considerations for raised housing can make it economically viable, offering a cost-effective, nature-based approach to flood mitigation. This approach can bring substantial benefits to residents by reducing flood-related damages and enhancing community resilience. Originality/value One of the notable aspects of this research is its originality. It uses a dual quantitative methodology involving modeling and survey techniques to address its objectives effectively. This approach contributes significantly to the relatively limited body of research focused on stilt housing and the application of 5D BIM. By combining these methodologies, the study explores a relatively uncharted area, making a valuable contribution to the field.

The phenomenon of polycrisis poses a significant and pressing challenge to the global community in the present era. The issues show diverse origins, consequences, and remedies, yet possess the capacity to profoundly disrupt the lives of countless individuals globally. The objectives of this study are to identify the factors, impact, and responses related to the occurrence of polycrisis in the housing market globally, with the goal to increase awareness among housing market regulators and participants who have been directly impacted by polycrisis and to ensure preparedness for future crises. A qualitative research method was employed in this study, where a desktop study was conducted to fulfil the research objectives. The qualitative data was then subjected to a thematic analysis. To address polycrisis effectively, a thorough strategy is necessary, considering historical occurrences, present conditions, and future potentialities. Therefore, this paper holds significant value for governments, businesses, and individuals looking to reduce their environmental footprint and effectively handle the consequences of economic, political, and social upheavals. The study is in line with both local and global goals, including the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 8, 11, and 13.

This study evaluates models for predicting volatile fatty acid (VFA) concentrations in sludge processing, ranging from classical statistical methods (Gaussian and Surge) to diverse machine learning algorithms (MLAs) such as Decision Tree, XGBoost, CatBoost, LightGBM, Multiple linear regression (MLR), Support vector regression (SVR), AdaBoost, and GradientBoosting. Anaerobic bio-methane potential tests were carried out using domestic wastewater treatment primary and secondary sludge. The tests were monitored over 40 days for variations in pH and VFA concentrations under different experimental conditions. The data observed was compared to predictions from the Gaussian and Surge models, and the MLAs. Based on correlation analysis using basic statistics and regression, the Gaussian model appears to be a consistent performer, with high R2 values and low RMSE, favoring precision in forecasting VFA concentrations. The Surge model, on the other hand, albeit having a high R2, has high prediction errors, especially in dynamic VFA concentration settings. Among the MLAs, Decision Tree and XGBoost excel at predicting complicated patterns, albeit with overfitting issues. This study provides insights underlining the need for context-specific considerations when selecting models for accurate VFA forecasts. Real-time data monitoring and collaborative data sharing are required to improve the reliability of VFA prediction models in AD processes, opening the way for breakthroughs in environmental sustainability and bioprocessing applications.

Background: Increasing population growth and economic progress are partially to blame for the global issue of climate change and rising energy usage. One important step towards dealing with this issue would be to enhance the efficiency of a thermal system using tiny nanoparticles. Adding hybrid nanoparticles in a working fluid results in a “hybrid nanofluid” which can improve the efficiency of a thermal system to meet the rising demand for energy for current technology. Aim: This study aims to increase the heat transfer in an inclined cavity using Agsingle bondTiO2 nanoparticles. The novel aspects of this research include evaluating the thermal performance of the suggested thermal system in the presence of a magnetic field and thermal radiation. Moreover, the heat transfer ability of a regular fluid, nanofluid, and hybrid nanofluid will also be compared with each other. Methodology: The finite difference method is used to obtain the numerical solutions. The computations are done using MATLAB software. Findings: The findings show that the applied magnetic field boosts the heat transfer capacity of nanoparticles. The heat transfer of the fluid increased by 1.6% and 2.5% on adding 4% vol. of TiO2 and Agsingle bondTiO2 nanoparticles, respectively.

Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) have garnered attention in bio-electrochemical leachate treatment systems. The most common forms of inorganic ammonia nitrogen are ammonium ([Formula: see text]) and free ammonia. Anaerobic digestion can be inhibited in both direct (changes in environmental conditions, such as fluctuations in temperature or pH, can indirectly hinder microbial activity and the efficiency of the digestion process) and indirect (inadequate nutrient levels, or other conditions that indirectly compromise the microbial community's ability to carry out anaerobic digestion effectively) ways by both kinds. The performance of a double-chamber MFC system-composed of an anodic chamber, a cathode chamber with fixed biofilm carriers (carbon felt material), and a Nafion 117 exchange membrane is examined in this work to determine the impact of ammonium nitrogen ([Formula: see text]) inhibition. MFCs may hold up to 100 mL of fluid. Therefore, the bacteria involved were analysed using 16S rRNA. At room temperature, with a concentration of 800 mg L-1 of ammonium nitrogen and 13,225 mg L-1 of chemical oxygen demand (COD), the study produced a considerable power density of 234 mWm-3. It was found that [Formula: see text] concentrations above 800 mg L-1 have an inhibitory influence on power output and treatment effectiveness. Multiple routes removed the most nitrogen ([Formula: see text]-N: 87.11 ± 0.7%, NO2 -N: 93.17 ± 0.2% and TN: 75.24 ± 0.3%). Results from sequencing indicate that the anode is home to a rich microbial community, with anammox (6%), denitrifying (6.4%), and electrogenic bacteria (18.2%) making up the bulk of the population. Microbial fuel cells can efficiently and cost-effectively execute anammox, a green nitrogen removal process, in landfill leachate.

Heat transfer is crucial because it has industrial uses. A novel type of nanofluids dubbed “ternary nanofluid” is being utilized to boost the ability of conventional fluids to transmit heat since it has a greater heat transfer capacity than solo and hybrid nanofluids. This work investigates the heat transfer capabilities and entropy generation in the cylindrical flow of a ternary nanofluid in the presence of a magnetic field. Minimizing the entropy generation and maximizing the heat transfer of a fluid using ternary nanoparticles (CuO—MgO—TiO₂) is the aim of this work. The finite difference method is used by the MATLAB computer program to solve the problem numerically. The results reveal that the entropy generation minimizes in the presence of CuO—MgO—TiO₂. The heat transfer rate of the fluid increased by 9.9%, 10.8%, and 11.2% on adding TiO₂, MgO—TiO₂, and CuO—MgO—TiO₂ nanoparticles, respectively.

There are three types of retirement villages development business models: the outright sale model, the lease for life model and the rental model. This paper aims to investigate the influence elements of chosen business models adopted in Malaysia's retirement village development. This study uses a qualitative research method through interviews with the selected developers as case studies. The prominent contemplation for developing retirement villages are sustainability, practicality, profitability and land availability. Local developers have been mindful and creative in implementing their retirement village business models.

This study presents insights into the solid biofuel properties of corn cob biomass (CCB) wastes for sustainable energy recovery. The physicochemical, thermal, and kinetic properties of CCB were charac-terised through ultimate, proximate, heating value, and thermogravimetric (TGA) analyses. Results showed that CCB contains high carbon (41.88 wt.%), hydrogen (6.33 wt.%), volatile matter (68.21 wt.%), and higher heating (15.70 wt.%) values for potential energy recovery. However, the high ash (16.56 wt.%) content could pose bed agglomeration, fouling, and sintering problems during high-temperature conversion. Thermal analysis resulted in 55.84%-59.51% loss of mass and residual mass of 40.49%-44.17%. Kinetic analyses revealed that CCB is highly reactive as characterised by the average activation energy, Ea=134.58 kJ/mol and pre-exponential factor, ko=2.53×l0

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The growing prospect of any investor is to achieve maximum satisfaction in his investment. To attain the investment objective of maximizing wealth, maximizing returns and minimizing risks as a prudent investor will be paramount, therefore, chooses between ranks of alternative investments. Therefore, this study aims to identify various risk factors that affect housing investment appraisal and measure the level of familiarity with the risk factors in housing development investment appraisal in Nigeria. This study adopted the use of exploratory sequential methods which consist of expert opinion and survey method by using stratified sampling technique in administering questionnaires to the 160 estate surveyors and valuers in Abuja, Nigeria. The ordinal test was analyzed using frequency distribution while the nominal was analyzed using partial least square (PLS) analysis. The study, however, shows that estate surveyors and valuers are most familiar with four risk factors which include the economic factors, political factors, technological factors, and social factors. Therefore, there is the need for estate surveyors and valuers to increase their effort to ensure that risk factors that are prone to variation during appraisal estimates are managed, as it affects the outcome of housing development investment.

One of the most desired and appreciated assets in a man’s life is Housing. This is generally seen as an indispensable factor in the development and growth of an individual and Household. However, diverse issues affect the realisation and sustainability of Housing across countries, most notably in developing nations like Nigeria. The housing crisis in the country has been associated with factors like poor household structure developing systems such as an ever-increasing household formation and old existing stock without a significant increase in new Housing Construction. This paper appraises or documents sustainable Housing delivery in Metropolitan Lagos based on the quality and adequacy of Housing, as an essential indicator of economic development. The operation of the private sector as the most significant contributor to Housing delivery is majorly explored in the study, to suggest how to improve the quality of lives of the urban residents. A combination of self-administered questionnaires and in-depth personal interviews were used for data collection instruments in this study. Sixty (60) participants, representing the number of Property developers across Lagos Metropolis, were used for the study. Kruskal-Wallis test of significance was used to test the hypothesis. The result of the analysis indicated that there no significant difference in constraints limiting the Sustainable Housing delivery in Metropolitan Lagos by private developers. Hence, the null hypothesis was rejected for all the variables at p<0.05 level of significance. The finding suggests that there are constraints that contribute to the limitation of Sustainable Housing delivery in Lagos State by Private Developers and the obstacles have varying but non-significant different contributions. It is assumed that the identified associated restriction would give an insight into solving the issue of adequate Housing provision in achieving the desired sustainability. Collaboration and commitment by all concerned agents of development including the governments, professionals and the people at large, are recommended.

Coal is a carbon-rich sedimentary rock and fossil fuel that accounts for over 60% of all economically recoverable primary sources of energy on earth. The burning of coal emits ∼40% of the entire energy-related atmospheric greenhouse gases, which poses risks to human health, safety, and the environment. Given this scenario, there are growing concerns about the long term sustainability of the industry vis-à-vis its effects on global warming and climate change. However, clean technologies such as gasification with carbon dioxide capture could be the panacea to the challenges of coal-fired electricity generation. Therefore, this study investigates the hydrogen (H2) and syngas potential of Afuze (AFZ) coal earmarked for electricity generation in Nigeria. Consequently, the mathematical simulation, sensitivity analysis, and optimization of AFZ were performed under air-steam gasification conditions using ASPEN Plus. Results revealed that AFZ gasification from 200°C to 1600°C and the feed rate of 1000 kg/h yields H2, CO, CO2 and CH4. The optimal conditions for H2 and syngas were observed at 950°C, ER = 0.31 and SC = 2.0 at the optimal gas compositions of H2 (48 mol.%), CO (11 mol.%), CO2 (11 mol.%) and CH4 (0 mol.%). Furthermore, temperature (T), equivalence ratio (ER), steam to carbon (SC) ratio greatly influenced AFZ gasification, whereas pressure did not impact the process. In conclusion, bench-scale or demonstration gasifier tests are required in future AFZ gasification studies to comprehensively investigate its energy recovery and electricity generation potentials.

Housing development waste (HDW) comprises both construction and demolition waste. (define) HDW has been on the increase in India because raw materials and energy are consumed by India's housing development business due to the rise in population and the accompanying increase in the need for building/housing. Construction and demolition debris includes building material from debris and rubble from any civil structure being built or remodeled or repaired or torn down. Construction and demolition waste is among the most common types of waste generated in India. The Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) notified the current India legislation on Waste Management Rules, 2016, on March 29th, 2016, to implement housing development and demolition waste prevention and recycling measures. However, there are insufficient tools to accelerate the development of waste recycling. As a result, it lacks resources that would allow Aggregates and Sand Manufacturing from Demolition Waste to grow more quickly and efficiently in the future. This study was conducted to determine the necessity of recycling factories that produce aggregates and sand from demolished concrete from housing development trash. Therefore, providing tools to accelerate the development of waste recycling.

This is Part II of a study utilising a mixed-method approach that integrates bibliometric analysis and systematic literature review to investigate the building energy efficiency research environment from 2003 to 2023. China, the USA and European nations are prominent contributors to building energy efficiency research. The emphasis of research has transitioned from individual building elements to comprehensive, systems-oriented methodologies. We delineate research gaps and emerging trends, providing a framework for researchers, policymakers and practitioners to progress in the domain of building energy efficiency.

The urban area is rapidly expanding, with the population expected to triple in the next eight years. This situation might harm the urban biodiversity population in the city. When the areas in the town become limited, the places for urban biodiversity living might be narrowed and replaced to fulfill urban dwellers’ needs. In addition, the population of fauna species is declining, whereas flora species are gaining popularity among city dwellers. This study highlights the role of the Local Authority in managing the fauna species in terms of conservation in urban areas.

Public universities have recently struggled to maintain operating costs due to a budget reduction from Federal Government. Thus, universities must diversify their revenue streams by utilizing the land as one of their valuable assets. However, since the university is not a for-profit institution, it is difficult for them to generate income from land use. This study examines the challenges that universities encounter when managing the usage of their land for the purpose of generating income. The challenges are determined using content analysis of secondary data and the result of this study has identified the four main challenges.

Seminar Presentation at the 19th European Real Estate Society Education Seminar

Rapid development of infrastructure in Indonesia, coupled with escalating environmental concerns, has necessitated construction waste minimisation. Notwithstanding that the design stage of construction project delivery processes offers a significant opportunity for waste minimisation, current practices in Indonesia often overlook this stage by rather focusing on waste management during the construction stage. This study investigates the design measures for promoting waste efficiency within the Indonesia construction sector, thereby addressing a gap in existing practices. Employing a quantitative approach that was underpinned by review of extant literature, 468 construction professionals across different roles within the Indonesian construction industry were surveyed using random sampling technique. Results from exploratory factor analysis suggests the significance of optimising design processes to mitigate errors and rework, fostering stakeholder integration to pre-empt constructability and the need to leverage innovations such as the use of prefabrication and secondary materials. Design strategies that support integration, spatial adaptability and standardisation were found to be requisite to mitigating construction waste. Findings of this study suggest the need for a systemic change through policy and incentives for sustainable construction practices, embedding waste prevention into the procurement processes and early-stage collaborations among project stakeholders. Although the findings of this study align with international best practices, they equally provide a pathway for Indonesia to achieve sustainable infrastructural development without the negative impacts associated with waste management. Through findings that are tailored to the Indonesian construction industry and contribution to the broader global discourse on construction, this study provides actionable insights for both practitioners and policymakers.

Suboptimal management of healthcare waste poses a significant concern that can be effectively tackled by implementing Internet of Things (IoT) solutions to enhance trash monitoring and disposal processes. The potential utilisation of the Internet of Things (IoT) in addressing the requirements associated with biomedical waste management within the Kaduna area was examined. The study included a selection of ten hospitals, chosen based on the criterion of having access to wireless Internet connectivity. The issue of biomedical waste is significant within the healthcare sector since it accounts for a considerable amount of overall waste generation, with estimates ranging from 43.62 to 52.47% across various facilities. Utilisation of (IoT) sensors resulted in the activation of alarms and messages to facilitate the prompt collection of waste. Data collected from these sensors was subjected to analysis to discover patterns and enhance the overall efficiency of waste management practices. The study revealed a positive correlation between the quantity of hospital beds and the daily garbage generated. Notably, hospitals with a higher number of beds were observed to generate a much greater amount of waste per bed. Hazardous waste generated varies by hospital, with one hospital leading in sharps waste (10.98 kgd-1) and chemical waste (21.06 kgd-1). Other hospitals generate considerable amounts of radioactive waste (0.60 kgd-1 and 0.50 kgd-1), pharmaceuticals, and genotoxic waste (16.19 kgd-1), indicating the need for specialised waste management approaches. The study sheds light on the significance of IoT in efficient waste collection and the need for tailored management of hazardous waste.

The study examines the influence of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) technology on teaching and learning within the built environment discipline from the perspective of academics. It explores the relationships between academics’ experience, AI knowledge, willingness to adopt AI technologies and their capacity to detect student use of AI. A mixed-methods approach was employed, incorporating qualitative interviews and quantitative surveys with built environment academics. A web scraping technique was used to obtain the contact details of potential research participants for purposive sampling, resulting in a sample of 56 participants from 42 UK universities offering built environment education. Cramér’s V coefficient was applied to analyse the relationships between the variables. The findings suggest that academics’ experience significantly affects their adoption of AI, their preparedness to adapt assessments and their ability to detect AI use by students. Academics with broader subject expertise are more inclined to embrace GenAI and adjust teaching practices. These insights contribute to policy development for integrating GenAI into built environment pedagogy and support its wider adoption in higher education.

The resilience capacities of commercial property markets and locations came to light with the market shock brought about by COVID-19 pandemic. The occurrence led to different property classes and locations responding ununiformly to the economic shock. As such, proceeds from investing and demanding (occupier and investment) of retail premises varies across locations. As property stakeholders continue to deal with the challenges influencing the demand and supply of retail properties, including, increasing vacancy rates, reduction in absorption rates and increasing store closures. It is important to have better understanding of how retail locations respond to the impact of COVID 19 (market shock) with a view of establishing retail location optimisation for better utilisation and management of urban resources. This study investigates resilience capacity (and reactions) of retail locations within sampled city (Leeds) with a view of developing optimum retail location model. The study explores and develop digital model that identifies, scores, classifies, and predicts optimum retail location base on resilience and performance of urban retail locations. The study adopts geospatial variables of rental value (at different dates) and accessibility metrics to grade performance and resilience index of retail locations before and after COVID 19. The study finds that a strong relationship exists between estimated retail location performance and the resilience index distribution of retail property locations in Leeds. That is, the market shock has high impact on retail property location after COVID-19 but less altercating impact on the prediction of commercial property location performance (as measured by rental value and accessibility). The result suggests that optimum localisation of retail property can be achieved viz-a-viz geospatial estimation of retail rental value through accessibility index. This pilot study calls on similar investigation on other urban settings to achieve comprehensiveness in modelling optimum retail location.

A special building is representing the old-stratified scheme occupied before June 1996 or from June 1996 to 11 April 2007 as stated in Strata Titles Act 1985. It is highlighted for the absence of strata title that is resulted from the failure of strata title application. However, even strata title legislation relating to strata title application are improving, the number of strata title applications for special building are still showing deficiencies. Hence, this paper attempts to explain the factors that contribute to the failure of strata title applications for special buildings in Malaysia.

Purpose Housing adaptation enables the elderly and disabled people to live healthy, productive, independent, and dignified lives by making it easier to carry out everyday tasks in a safer environment. Assistive technology enables them to perform tasks that would otherwise be difficult or impossible to achieve independence. Therefore, the new guidance for local authorities in England on Disabled Facilities Grants (DFG) recommends assistive and smart technology as part of a DFG award package to maximise the benefits of home adaptations. Through a baseline study, this paper examines the disabled and elderly peoples’ level of digital engagement, the challenges and the impact of smart devices on their daily living and well-being. Design/methodology/approach A baseline study approach was used through the co-production of knowledge. The study relies on a questionnaire survey and the Most Significant Change (MSC) research technique through structured interviews. A percentage of the total approach is used in analysing the quantitative data by comparing the pre- and post-baseline results. Findings The major challenges the clients face are Wi-Fi connectivity, system compatibility issues, and skills in navigating different applications and operating systems. The pilot study demonstrates that assistive technology supports independent and healthy living and promotes a secure and safe environment. It also promotes social inclusion and improves the elderly and disabled people’s comfort and engagement. However, the results show that the overall impact is minimal; therefore, a longitudinal study is needed to understand the impacts over a long period. Practical implications The findings will help policymakers to understand the impacts of assistive technology on improving the elderly and disabled people’s quality of life. Originality/value A comparable baseline study was carried out to serve as a reference point for other similar future studies. The paper also highlights the challenges faced by the elderly and disabled people, their digital skill level and the impact of smart devices on their daily living and well-being.

Existing research on public attitudes towards fire safety and evacuation has predominantly employed traditional methodologies. While these methods have provided valuable insights, they are limited in their ability to capture the full spectrum of public. Moreover, a significant gap exists in the literature regarding the broader population's concerns of how the general public perceives and responds to building safety regulations, particularly in the context of new legislation like the Building Safety Act (BSA) 2022. To address these gaps, this study adopts a novel approach by analysing social media data, specifically YouTube, to capture a wider range of public sentiments towards the BSA 2022. A total of 3577 data points reflecting the general public's views were gathered, processed, and examined using sentiment analysis, k-means clustering and Latent Dirichlet Allocation text mining techniques for topic modelling. Findings reveal nine clusters each for the positive and negative sentiments. The overall findings reveal that the public expressed positive sentiments (20%), negative sentiments (4%), and neutral sentiments (76%) towards (Building Safety Act, 2022). The study posits recommendations from the public’s sentiments for policy makers to leverage on.

The construction industry’s operations heavily contribute almost half of the UK’s carbon emissions and reportedly falling behind in achieving the net zero targets set out by the Paris Agreement. This necessitates a deeper understanding of the main barriers to achieving net zero in the construction industry. As such, this paper aims to gain an understanding of the barriers to procuring and building net zero assets through the lenses of the construction industry and the built environment’s interdisciplinary workforces. The study adopted an exploratory qualitative research approach involving the use of semi structured interviews conducted for 13 professionals working across a range of sectors, different sizes of organisations in the construction industry and built environment with varying levels of experience. The factors and discussions taken from the interview transcriptions were collected and subjected to thematic analysis using the K-Mean clustering learning algorithm and Latent Dirichlet Allocation topic modelling. The analysis produces thirty-two distinct factors clustered/modelled into five themes/topics referred to as barriers to net zero adoption in the UK construction sector. These barriers are financial and economic barriers, technological and expertise challenges, regulatory and policy issues, industry practices and cultural resistance, and supply chain and operational issues. The findings of this research indicated that net-zero construction is usually seen as inherently expensive, with financial budgets often being prioritised ahead of net-zero goals. Thus, financial support and incentives from the government are required to alleviate the high costs associated with net zero technologies, particularly for smaller organizations to drive the adoption of net zero practices.

Existing research on constructional professional attitudes towards fire safety and evacuation has predominantly employed traditional methodologies. While these methods have provided valuable insights, they are limited in their ability to capture the full spectrum of the stakeholders. Moreover, a significant gap exists in the literature regarding the broader population’s concerns about how the industry experts perceives and responds to building safety regulations, particularly in the context of new legislation like the Building Safety Act (BSA) 2022. To address these gaps, this study adopts a novel approach by analysing social media data, specifically YouTube, to capture a wider range of public sentiments towards the BSA 2022. A total of 3577 data points reflecting the general public’s views were gathered, processed, and examined using sentiment analysis, k-means clustering and Latent Dirichlet Allocation text mining techniques for topic modelling. Findings reveal nine clusters each for the positive and negative sentiments. The overall findings reveal that the public expressed positive sentiments (20 %), negative sentiments (4 %), and neutral sentiments (76 %) towards BSA 2022. The study posits recommendations from the public’s sentiments for policy makers to leverage.

Automated Compliance Checking (ACC) is continuously gaining traction in improving the efficiency and precision in regulatory compliances within the AEC sector. Thus, this research presents a comprehensive review of the current state of ACC emphasising its application domains, techniques, challenges and opportunities. The review reveal that ACC is currently being applied in multiple domains including building design analysis, energy efficiency, construction safety and fire safety. ACC systems currently employ techniques such as artificial intelligence (machine learning, neural networks, and natural language processing), graph-based methods, semantic enrichment and representation and general rule representation analysis. The review identifies technological constraints and integration difficulties as main challenges facing ACC implementation. The potential opportunities for ACC include integration with enhanced technologies, expanding application domains, collaborations and standardisations. This study addresses existing knowledge gaps and enhances the understanding of ACC's role and impact, steering future research towards innovative approaches and improved implementation strategies.