Amudjie, J., Chan, A. P. C., Darko, A., Debrah, C., & Agyekum, K. (2025). CircularBIM: Future needs at the convergence of building information modelling and the circular economy. Automation in Construction, 176, 106250. doi:10.1016/j.autcon.2025.106250
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Abstract
The progressions of industrial revolutions have enabled diverse digital technologies in architecture, engineering, construction and operation (AECO), with Building Information Modelling (BIM) gaining notable attention. Concurrently, the circular economy (CE) has emerged as a crucial strategy for addressing socio-economic issues such as waste, resource depletion, and climate change. However, limitations within BIM or CE implementations have led to these persisting socio-economic challenges. This paper presents a comprehensive state-of-the-art review on the convergence of BIM and CE (hereafter, CircularBIM), utilizing a mixed-method approach (bibliometric and systematic review techniques), analysing 89 relevant studies. Key research trends identified include life cycle assessments, deconstruction, BIM-based systems, waste management, and energy efficiency. This paper suggests future research should integrate recommender systems for CircularBIM, employ real-time performance integrated CircularBIM directory, increase expert studies and broaden parameters integration for CircularBIM. Ultimately, this paper aims to enhance CircularBIM implementation in the AECO sector, providing insights for all stakeholders.
Keywords
Building information modelling; Carbon emissions; CircularBIM; Circular economy; PRISMA; Review
Darko Amos, Weerasinghe Lichini Nikesha Kumari, Chan Albert Ping Chuen, & Wu Lingzi. (2025). Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling of Challenges to Existing Residential Building Net Zero Carbon Retrofitting. Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, 151(8), 05025005. doi:10.1061/JCEMD4.COENG-16471
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Abstract
Residential buildings play a significant role in global energy usage and carbon emissions. In Hong Kong, they contribute to 27% of energy usage and associated carbon emissions. Retrofitting residential buildings to net zero carbon (NZC) is an efficient way to lower carbon emissions and prevent climate change. However, the widespread adoption of NZC retrofitting in the industry has been limited by several challenges, which have rarely been addressed in research. This study intended to evaluate the linkages among various challenges while assessing their impacts on NZC retrofitting of existing residential buildings. Data were collected through a questionnaire survey with 123 residential building occupants in Hong Kong, whose perspectives are largely ignored in existing building retrofit research. Partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was used to analyze the data. Outcomes indicated that technical and social challenges have a considerable negative effect on residential building NZC retrofitting. In addition, this study highlights the connections between challenge categories and presents a predictive model illustrating the relationships between challenges and residential building NZC retrofitting. Theoretically, the outcomes of this study provide new insights into the relationships between residential building NZC retrofitting challenges and their interactive effects, revealing that the challenges influence one another and do not exist in isolation. Practically, the findings could be useful to policymakers and practitioners seeking to promote NZC retrofitting by enabling the development of effective policies and strategies to mitigate the identified challenges.
Meen Chel Jung, Karen Dyson, Marina Alberti, Urban landscape heterogeneity disaggregates the legacy of redlining on land surface temperature, Landscape and Urban Planning, Volume 261, 2025, 105406, ISSN 0169-2046, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landurbplan.2025.105406.
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Abstract
The lingering effects of redlining are linked to contemporary heat inequities observed across US cities. Residential security maps created by the Home Owners’ Loan Corporation (HOLC) have been widely used to analyze neighborhood-level disparities in land surface temperatures. However, the use of aggregated spatial units often fails to capture internal landscape heterogeneity and the heat vulnerabilities associated with redlining. In this study, we introduced urban landscape heterogeneity by incorporating granular development levels captured at different resolutions within HOLC-graded neighborhoods. This approach combined Landsat-based National Land Cover Database (NLCD) data, Sentinel-based WorldCover land cover data, and HOLC map layers. We examined the role of urban landscape heterogeneity in revealing additional patterns of heat inequities beyond those explained by redlining-based macro spatial units, using grouped boxplots and mixed-effects models across three major cities in the Northeastern US: Boston, Massachusetts; New York, New York; and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. By accounting for urban landscape heterogeneity, our findings revealed that: (1) the well-documented trend of higher land surface temperatures in lower HOLC grades becomes systematically fragmented, (2) statistical models show improved performance in estimating land surface temperature, and (3) the cooling effect of tree canopy exhibits a varying, non-linear threshold pattern. These results highlight the need to consider micro-scale landscape dimensions to better understand the persistent, unequal distribution of temperatures associated with redlining. Municipal and community-led tree planting initiatives should consider comprehensive landscape characteristics to develop spatially targeted heat mitigation strategies and promote equitable climate outcomes.
Keywords
Redlining; Land cover; Spatial resolution; Land surface temperature; Tree canopy cooling; Heat inequity
Ababio, B.K., Lu, W., Darko, A. and Agyekum, K. (2025), “A cross-economy examination of circular procurement implementation in construction: key drawbacks and strategies toward a sustainable built environment”, Smart and Sustainable Built Environment, Vol. ahead-of-print No. ahead-of-print. https://doi.org/10.1108/SASBE-09-2024-0349
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Abstract
Purpose
Circular procurement (CP) systems have become essential in the face of resource scarcity, environmental degradation and the need for cost savings. However, its widespread adoption for construction projects has been notably slow. This study sets out to examine the barriers to CP implementation and explore potential solutions to accelerate its uptake within the global construction industry.
Design/methodology/approach
The study employs a quantitative approach to examine perspectives of 132 procurement experts from a split sample of two geo-economic contexts: developed and developing economies. It determines, categorizes and evaluates the barriers and strategies associated with CP implementation using descriptive statistics, principal components and comparative agreement analysis.
Findings
The findings revealed major impediments at different system levels including inadequate leadership and commitment for circular practices, little knowledge of CP opportunities, linear construction business setup and weak policies on circularity. These drawbacks were prevalent among experts from both geo-economic contexts. However, other barriers like cultural and industry behaviors were not commonly considered significant. Some effective strategies recommended by industry professionals were centered around organizational dynamics, industry nudging and financing, skill and cultural adaptation, and innovation and development mechanisms. The cross-economy comparison highlighted varying degrees of consensus in the significance of the strategies, indicative that approaches to dealing with challenges vary across economies.
Originality/value
This study, the first of its kind in the construction sector, offers insights into CP implementation dynamics, i.e. challenges and strategies relevant to different geoeconomic contexts. The comparative approach between developed and developing economies adds a unique dimension to the understanding of the peculiarities of CP adoptions and what strategies may apply.
Keywords
Circular procurement (CP); barriers; strategies; construction sector; geoeconomic context; comparative analyses
Shah, S.H., Haverkamp, J.A., Guzmán, C.B. et al. Beyond unintentionality: considering climate maladaptation as cyclical. Climatic Change 178, 77 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10584-025-03922-7
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Abstract
Climate adaptation is imperative; however, instances of maladaptation are increasingly documented in sectors and locations around the world. Despite the prevalence of maladaptation, researchers and intergovernmental actors, including the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, consistently frame it as “unintentional.” Drawing from environmental injustice, critical development studies, critical race theory, and coloniality scholarship, we argue the impossibility of characterizing maladaptation—now a global-scale phenomenon—as an unintended consequence of well-intentioned adaptation planning. This paper reframes the (re)production of climate maladaptation as a foreseeable result of the unequal systems of colonial racial capitalism through which adaptation is implemented and refracted. Systems-level change that confronts uneven relations of power, rather than incremental institutional reform, can address the prevalence of maladaptation. Treated as such, tackling climate maladaptation becomes a “political project”— not merely a “planning project.”
Keywords
Climate maladaptation; climate vulnerability; transformative adaptation; Longue durée; colonialism, injustice
Feng, R., Li, G., Alberti, M., Wang, F., Liu, S., & Yu, G. (2025). Optimizing Urban Greenspace Landscapes to Mitigate Population Exposure to Extreme Heat in 21st Century Chinese Cities. Environmental Science & Technology, 59(11), 5510–5520. doi:10.1021/acs.est.4c11345
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Abstract
Urban greenspace (UGS) is a crucial nature-based solution for mitigating increasing human exposure to extreme heat, but its long-term potential has been poorly quantified. We used high spatial-temporal resolution data sets of urban land cover and population grid in combination with an urban climate model, machine learning, and land use simulation model to assess the impact of UGS on population exposure to extreme (high-heat exposure, HHE) and its potential spatial optimization strategies. Results showed that the UGS and HHE have a strong spatiotemporal dynamic coupling in 21st century Chinese cities. Moreover, UGS shrinkage increased the HHE by 0.58–1.15 °C, while UGS expansion mitigated it by 0.72–1.26 °C, both stronger in the SSP3–7.0 and SSP5–8.5 scenarios. Different from common impressions, spatial relationships, rather than quantities of UGS, are more influential (1.3–1.8 times) on HHE. Our solutions suggest that simply enhancing the spatial dynamic connectivity between patches can mitigate HHE by 9.1–21.1%, especially for the eastern and central cities. Our results provide an example of how to improve climate adaptation in urban ecological space designs and strongly promote research on optimal spatial patterns for future robust urban heat mitigation.
Keywords
Urban greenspace; extreme heat exposure; mitigation effects; optimization solution; future projection
Linyan Chen, Amos Darko, Fan Zhang, Albert P.C. Chan, Qiang Yang,Can large language models replace human experts? Effectiveness and limitations in building energy retrofit challenges assessment,Building and Environment,Volume 276,2025,112891, ISSN 0360-1323,
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.buildenv.2025.112891.
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Abstract
Retrofitting existing buildings is essential to improve energy efficiency and achieve carbon neutrality in the fight against global climate change. Large language models (LLMs) have recently attracted significant attention for their ability to process data efficiently. While LLMs have emerged as useful tools for various tasks, their potential to replace human experts in assessing building energy retrofit challenges remains unexplored. This research explores the potential of replacing human experts with LLMs by evaluating four mainstream LLM chatbots and comparing their performance against a human expert benchmark through semantic similarity and text correlation metrics. It answers the research question: can LLMs replace human experts in assessing the challenges to building energy retrofits? Prompt engineering techniques, including zero-shot and chain-of-thought (CoT) prompting, were employed to guide LLM responses. Results show that LLMs perform well in identifying challenges but are less reliable in ranking them. CoT prompting improves challenge ranking accuracy but does not enhance challenge identification. Incorporating domain-specific knowledge in prompts significantly enhances LLM performance, whereas prompts designed to simulate experts have notable limitations in improving LLM performance. Furthermore, there are no significant performance differences among LLMs, including their advanced versions. While LLMs can streamline the initial identification of building energy retrofit challenges, they cannot fully replace expert judgment in ranking challenges due to their lack of tacit knowledge. This research provides valuable insight into the capabilities and limitations of LLMs in the challenge assessment, offering practical guidance for industry practitioners seeking to integrate LLMs into their building energy efficiency practices.
Keywords
Large language model; Building energy retrofit; Challenges assessment; Prompt engineering; Generative artificial intelligence
Pineo, H., Moore, G., Barrantes Chaves, K., Cooper, E., Dianati, V., & Braithwaite, I. (2025). ‘Best practice’ for healthy urban development: learning from others while maintaining local responsiveness in an emerging planning specialism. Planning, Practice & Research, 1–28. https://doi.org/10.1080/02697459.2025.2475628
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Abstract
Lack of clarity about what ‘healthy’ urban development means, alongside financial and technical challenges, has slowed progress on health-promoting development. Case studies could support learning, however, scholars have been critical of their risks when they are applied without adequate consideration of required adaptations or alternatives. We explored how health is promoted through new development via a narrative synthesis of published cases and critically evaluated their value. Cases more frequently achieved sustainability goals than equity and inclusion goals. We conclude that case studies have particular value when shared in a manner that encourages critical examination and discussion, such as through storytelling.
Keywords
Health; wellbeing; planning; best practice; urban development
Bourassa, S.C., Hoesli, M., Mayer, M. and Stalder, N. (2025), “Reflections on hedonic price modeling”, Journal of European Real Estate Research, Vol. ahead-of-print No. ahead-of-print. https://doi.org/10.1108/JERER-11-2024-0087
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Abstract
Purpose
This paper provides a critical history of residential hedonic price modeling, highlighting key issues and advances. It is based on the keynote address presented by the first author at the European Real Estate Society Annual Conference in Sopot (Gdańsk), Poland, in June 2024.
Design/methodology/approach
The core of the paper is a high-level review of the methodological literature, focusing on three issues: model specification, multicollinearity and functional form. This review is framed by an early example of hedonic price modeling and a current application. These examples demonstrate key issues and advances in hedonic price modeling.
Findings
Hedonic price research has expanded dramatically with the advent of personal computing. Increased availability of data has enabled better model specification. At the same time, the development of interpretable machine learning techniques has allowed much more flexible modeling of functional form. However, multicollinearity continues to be, by definition, an intractable problem.
Originality/value
This paper presents a review of residential hedonic price modeling intended to provide researchers with a useful high-level perspective on the topic. A case study of Gdańsk illustrates an approach to producing interpretable results from machine learning estimations.
Keywords
Hedonic modeling; house prices; specification issues; multicollinearity; functional form; interpretable machine learning; R31
Akerele, D. D., Aguayo, F., & Wu, L. (2025). Portland Limestone Cement in Concrete Pavement and Bridge Decks: Performance Evaluation and Future Directions. Buildings, 15(5), 660. https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings15050660
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Abstract
With the rising demand for sustainable infrastructure, addressing the limitations of Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC) is crucial, particularly for exposed structures such as pavements and bridge decks. Portland limestone cement (PLC) is a sustainable alternative that delivers environmental benefits and comparable performance. This study used a systematic review and meta-analysis with a random-effects model to evaluate PLC’s strength development, durability, and sustainability. The findings indicate that PLC generally matches or surpasses OPC in terms of compressive strength, freeze–thaw resistance, and sulfate durability. However, its setting time and early-age cracking require further optimization, especially in cold climates. Additionally, this study highlights the fire performance advantages of PLC and its enhanced chloride resistance. The analysis identified critical research gaps, including long-term field performance and regional adaptation to extreme environmental conditions. These findings contribute to a deeper understanding of PLC’s role in sustainable construction and offer future research directions on hybrid cements and admixture compatibility.
Keywords
Portland limestone cement (PLC); type 1L cement; concrete pavement; bridge deck; sustainability; low-carbon; CO2 reduction