Search Results (278)

Contemporary regional shocks are no longer experienced primarily as isolated supply interruptions. They are increasingly lived as disruptions to essential services: cooling during heatwaves, mobility during fuel or transit disruptions, digital connectivity during infrastructure failures, and affordable warmth in volatile energy markets. This paper develops the concept of territorial service security, defined as the capacity of places to maintain affordable, reliable, and equitable access to essential services under compound shocks, including cascading disruptions. The framework complements conventional resilience indicators such as employment, output, income, and productivity by examining how economic capacity is translated into effective service access across places. Drawing on research on regional resilience, provisioning systems, services of general interest, and spatial justice, the paper highlights how housing, transport, digital networks, public services, institutions, and spatial inequality mediate the effects of disruption. It then presents an integrative conceptual framework, outlines a comparative research agenda, and identifies place-based policy implications for resilient regional development. The paper argues that the next frontier for regional science is not only to secure inputs, but to redesign territories so that everyday services remain affordable, accessible, flexible, and just under stress. Full article

The transition to electromobility and the intention to purchase electric vehicles have attracted growing interest amid concerns about the environmental impacts of the transport sector. Although consumer behavior toward electric vehicles is widely examined through psychosocial factors, the literature highlights a gap in integrating individual determinants with broader macro-normative dimensions, particularly in emerging markets. Therefore, the objective of this study is to empirically analyze the influence of the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 11, 12, and 13) on consumers’ intention to purchase electric vehicles in Northeast Brazil. The findings demonstrate that all TPB constructs, including attitude, Subjective Norm (SN), and Perceived Behavioral Control (PBC), positively influence adoption intention, with a strong emphasis on Pro-environmental Attitude. Furthermore, the SDGs function as complementary normative motivators, indicating that recognizing electric vehicles as solutions for sustainable cities, responsible consumption, and climate action also increases purchase intention. As its main theoretical contribution, the study demonstrates that the constructs of the Theory of Planned Behavior and sustainability-related perceptions associated with SDG 11, SDG 12, and SDG 13 are all significant predictors of consumers’ intention to purchase electric vehicles. In practical terms, the study provides actionable insights for public policy and management strategies aimed at accelerating the transition to low-carbon mobility. Full article

The systemic shift in the energy consumption structure from high-carbon fossil fuels to low-carbon clean energy constitutes a critical pathway toward global climate governance and carbon neutrality. However, this sustainable transition is consistently impeded by deep-seated institutional frictions and structural barriers, such as governance fragmentation and carbon lock-in effects embedded in traditional industrial organization. Whether digital government development can overcome these barriers by nurturing resilient business ecosystems and thereby promote a systemic low-carbon energy transition remains an urgent question within sustainable development research. To address this issue, this study integrates digital government development, regional e-commerce ecosystem competitiveness, and the low-carbon transition of the energy consumption structure into a unified analytical and sustainable governance framework. Using panel data from 30 Chinese provinces from 2012 to 2022, we exploit the institutional reform of provincial big data administrations as a quasi-natural experiment to identify the impacts of digital government. Regional e-commerce ecosystem competitiveness is comprehensively evaluated across four sustainable dimensions: ecological innovation capacity, market connectivity, ecological global integration, and inclusive infrastructure. Methodologically, we employ a spatial difference-in-differences model to capture geographic interdependencies alongside a double machine learning framework to handle high-dimensional confounding and nonlinear disturbances. The empirical findings reveal that both digital government development and regional e-commerce ecosystem competitiveness significantly drive the low-carbon transition of the energy consumption structure. The institutional effect of digital government exhibits strong regional embeddedness with localized impacts, whereas e-commerce ecosystem competitiveness generates positive spatial spillovers that accelerate energy optimization in neighboring regions. Crucially, regional e-commerce ecosystem competitiveness serves as a significant partial mediator, constructing a reliable transmission channel from institutional design to market-based decarbonization. Further pathway analysis indicates that market connectivity and inclusive infrastructure function as the primary transmission channels, effectively mitigating transportation energy intensity and bridging the digital-green divide, while the mediating contribution of ecological innovation capacity is relatively constrained due to cross-organizational coordination thresholds. This study clarifies the interactive mechanism between public digital governance and market ecosystem competitiveness in advancing environmental sustainability, thereby offering fresh theoretical insights and actionable policy implications for emerging market economies striving for economic growth and decarbonization. Full article

Traditional location models for Park-and-Ride (P&R) facilities are constrained by the Independent and Identically Distributed (IID) assumption, failing to simultaneously capture inter-modal substitution elasticity and spatial path overlap, which leads to systematic demand forecasting biases. To address this gap, this study proposes an integrated Cross-Nested Logit (CNL) and Paired Combinatorial Logit (PCL) behavioral kernel within a bi-level programming framework, where the upper level minimizes total system generalized cost and the lower level simulates multi-modal Stochastic User Equilibrium (SUE). A hybrid GA-MSA solution strategy is developed. Experiments on the classic Sioux Falls benchmark network demonstrate that the proposed model identifies the optimal construction scale (N = 3) and the critical parking fee threshold (65 CNY) for mode shift. Compared to the un-nested MNL-PCL formulation, the integrated CNL-PCL framework provides an 11.75% downward behavioral correction in P&R market-share estimation, effectively counteracting the overestimation tendency inherent in conventional architectures. The optimal spatial layout (Nodes 4, 6, and 19) achieves a 54.40% share for “P&R + Public Transport” green modes and yields an annual net CO₂ mitigation of 957 tons. These findings confirm that synergistically characterizing mode correlation and path overlap provides a more prudent foundation for sustainable P&R planning. The proposed framework is also generalizable to other multi-modal facility location problems, such as transit-oriented hub sizing or electric vehicle charging network planning. Full article

The accelerating closure of schools in depopulating regions is leaving a growing surplus of public assets whose reuse must be prioritised, yet systematic and transferable tools for supporting such decisions in advance remain scarce. This study proposes an artificial-intelligence-augmented multi-criteria framework that prioritises the adaptive reuse of closed schools using only openly available demographic and spatial data. Four criteria—regional ageing, building floor area, and proximity to administrative and transport infrastructure—were evaluated for 121 closed schools in Chungbuk Province, South Korea, under two weighting schemes, the subjective analytic hierarchy process and the objective entropy method, with a large-language-model agent added as an explanatory layer to interpret context and recommend reuse types. The data-driven weights proved liable to a structural distortion, elevating the single largest building to first place in urgency on the strength of its size alone, a misjudgement the agent corrected through contextual reasoning over the same data. Examining the schools from the opposed standpoints of intervention urgency and reuse potential further revealed a near-perfect inversion between them (Spearman ρ = −0.998), indicating that the most urgent schools are systematically those least able to sustain a market-led conversion. The framework addresses this dilemma not through a single optimal ranking but through spatially differentiated, agent-generated recommendations and is formulated for transfer to other middle-income economies approaching the same demographic transition. Full article

In recent years, owing to the extensive application of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) in large-scale energy storage, transportation systems, and portable electronics, the LIB market has expanded rapidly. Proper recycling of spent LIBs can significantly alleviate environmental and economic burdens. Bioleaching, as an environmentally friendly and cost-effective approach for metal recovery from primary and secondary resources, is particularly suitable for the processing of spent LIBs. However, its efficiency significantly decreases under high-pulp-density conditions. Therefore, improving metal recovery performance under such conditions remains a critical challenge. This review systematically summarizes the microorganisms and leaching strategies employed for LIB bioleaching in the related peer-reviewed publications from 2015 to 2025, which were retrieved from the Web of Science, Scopus, and ScienceDirect databases. Based on this, this review analyzes the mechanistic limitations under high-pulp-density conditions and elucidates the key factors responsible for reduced efficiency. Furthermore, several process-intensification strategies are discussed, along with future perspectives for industrial-scale application. The increasing market demand and rapid technological development in LIB recycling highlight the strong potential of bioleaching technologies. This review provides mechanistic insights into microbial recovery processes and offers guidance for future research on high-pulp-density bioleaching systems. Full article

Heavy-duty freight transport remains one of the most difficult sectors to decarbonize due to its high energy demand, long-distance operation, and strong dependence on diesel fuel. In Chile, more than 90% of heavy trucks operate with diesel engines, contributing significantly to greenhouse gas emissions and local air pollutants. At the same time, Chile has favorable conditions for the development of green hydrogen due to its world-class solar and wind resources. This study presents a technical and economic assessment of green hydrogen fuel cell trucks recently introduced in Chile, comparing their operational performance with conventional diesel freight trucks. A techno-economic framework based on total cost of ownership, fuel consumption, operational range, fleet utilization, and hydrogen price scenarios was developed using information reported in public studies and official Chilean strategic documents. The results indicate that hydrogen trucks are technically suitable for long-haul and intensive-duty operations due to their rapid refueling capability and high operational autonomy. However, economic competitiveness remains strongly dependent on hydrogen price, fleet scale, infrastructure utilization, and vehicle capital cost. Under current market conditions, diesel trucks preserve cost advantages, while hydrogen trucks become increasingly competitive as hydrogen prices approach long-term target values and annual mileage increases. Chile’s renewable resource base positions the country as a strategic candidate for early adoption in mining, logistics corridors, and captive fleets. The study concludes that hydrogen freight transport can become a realistic decarbonization pathway if accompanied by targeted public policies, infrastructure deployment, and industrial scale-up. Full article

Persistent urban–rural inequality remains a major challenge for sustainable regional development, especially in countries where rural communities still face limited access to markets, employment, and public services. This study examines whether rural road network density promotes inclusive regional growth in China. Using county-level panel data from 2013 to 2024, we construct an inclusive regional growth index that combines economic output, nighttime-light-measured economic activity, rural income, and the urban–rural income gap. rural road network density is measured by the length of county, township, and village roads per 100 square kilometers. Two-way fixed-effects models, mechanism tests, robustness checks, instrumental-variable estimation, and heterogeneity analysis are employed. The results show that rural road network density significantly improves inclusive regional growth. Dimensional analysis indicates that higher rural road network density increases real GDP per capita, strengthens nighttime-light-measured economic activity, raises rural income, and reduces the urban–rural income gap. Mechanism analysis shows that these effects operate through labor mobility, market access, and non-agricultural industrial development. The results remain robust to alternative road measures, lagged specifications, outlier treatment, sample restrictions, and instrumental-variable estimation. Heterogeneity analysis further shows that the effects are larger in central-western counties, low-accessibility counties, and less-developed counties. These findings suggest that rural road network density is not only a transport infrastructure indicator but also a key spatial condition for promoting sustainable and inclusive regional development. Full article

Grain storage is vital for a country within a framework of food sovereignty and security. It helps stabilize markets, prices, and imbalances between supply and demand. In Mexico, public storage infrastructure is almost nonexistent, having been transferred to the private sector. The objective of this article is to analyze the relationship between public storage infrastructure and distribution problems that maize producers face in Mexico. A mixed-methods analysis procedure was implemented. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with small, medium, and large distributors, selected using the snowball sampling technique. The analysis identifies a positive association between references to storage infrastructure and distribution problems in the interview materials. Additionally, Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient was applied to the counts to strengthen the analysis. The results indicated a positive and significant relationship between the variables “storage infrastructure” and “distribution problems”, but also that, around the latter, there are others: lack of government support, price fixing, guaranteed price, insecurity, production costs, and inconveniences that require attention to stabilize the maize market. Inadequate infrastructure limits storage capacity, affects grain quality, increases costs, reduces producers’ bargaining power, and contributes to price volatility. It also impacts logistics, transportation, and marketing, especially in less developed regions. Evidence suggests that public storage infrastructure is a strategic element for food security; however, its concentration and predominantly private nature generate territorial inequalities. Full article

The construction sector contributes substantially to global greenhouse gas emissions, making material substitutions a key strategy for advancing sustainability transitions. Mass timber has emerged as a low-carbon alternative to mineral-based construction materials, offering biogenic carbon storage and compatibility with prefabricated and industrialized building systems. This study aims to systematically synthesize the economic, cost, and market evidence on mass timber construction by reviewing 143 peer-reviewed publications, with the objective of clarifying what is empirically known and where uncertainties remain. The reviewed literature reveals three core findings. First, economic outcomes are mixed: while several studies report regional value creation, supply-chain upgrading, and alignment with circular-economy principles, others highlight persistent constraints such as limited manufacturing capacity and uneven policy support. Second, construction cost findings vary substantially, ranging from cost parity or modest savings relative to conventional systems to premiums of approximately 10–15%, shaped by regional pricing, labor availability, transportation distance, regulatory conditions, and supply-chain maturity. Third, market-oriented studies consistently identify slow diffusion, limited practitioner experience, and risk-averse investment environments as key barriers to adoption. Overall, the review shows that economic performance is not yet consistently established and underscores the need for more standardized, context-sensitive, and methodologically consistent evaluation frameworks to support informed decision-making and the sustainable scaling of mass timber construction. Full article

This study presents a system-of-systems simulation framework to evaluate the integration of advanced air mobility (AAM) into intermodal transport. It models door-to-door journeys from Munich to Cres Island via Rijeka, combining intercity modes with intracity AAM or public transport. Mode choice is based on passenger-specific utility functions that account for time, cost, and emissions. A baseline scenario assesses the impact of AAM on travel performance. A product push paradigm is explored where the focus is on how a known product (eVTOL) can be successfully deployed to satisfy stakeholder requirements. A four-step approach to the product push paradigm is proposed in this work with progressively increasing complexity at each level, exploring the value added, understanding the market, capturing the market, and lastly, trading off stakeholder interests. Full article

In today’s world, renewable energy sources (RESs) are crucial. Their role is growing year by year, for commercial enterprises, public institutions, and individuals alike. The aim of this study was to examine the competitiveness of solid biomass compared to other renewable energy sources in the opinion of entrepreneurs participating in the acquisition and processing of biomass. We did the research in 2024–2025. The number of companies participating in the research and involved in the production and sale of solid biomass was 37. The largest number of companies focus on two key stages of the biomass value chain: the acquisition and processing of biological raw materials. The most frequently indicated strategy is concluding long-term contracts with suppliers, which was chosen by 13 respondents. In total, 25 companies (representing approximately 68%) declared active investment in pro-ecological solutions and 12 companies (approximately 32%) indicated no such activities. The most noticeable factor influencing the sector was the development of regulations and certification at the European Union (EU) level, including the Renewable Energy Directives (RED II and RED III) and ESG requirements, as indicated by 10 respondents. The largest number of respondents (13 responses) indicated a moderate increase in the share of solid biomass. The most frequently cited barrier was high transportation and logistics costs, highlighted by as many as 13 companies. The increasing environmental awareness of customers, especially institutional ones, is fostering an increase in demand for certified biomass. The vast majority of companies confirmed that transportation costs pose a significant challenge, highlighting the importance of logistics in the biomass value chain. Maintaining and strengthening its market position requires overcoming the identified barriers and systemic political and economic support. Full article

This study provides a comparative performance evaluation of commercial Precise Point Positioning Real-Time Kinematic (PPP-RTK) and public Network RTK (NRTK) services for vehicle-based positioning in urban and suburban environments. Using low-cost u-blox ZED-F9 receivers, the research assesses the accuracy, availability, and robustness of the u-blox PointPerfect service against a regional NRTK network across diverse real-world scenarios, including high-speed highway conditions and signal-challenging urban corridors. The experimental framework utilizes a rigid-bar setup for high-precision ground-truth validation and incorporates an independent vertical accuracy assessment against a LiDAR-derived digital elevation model (DEM). The results demonstrate that all tested configurations achieve decimeter-level accuracy. Notably, the integration of PPP-RTK with an inertial measurement unit (IMU) delivers performance nearly equivalent to NRTK, effectively mitigating vertical biases and ensuring positioning continuity in GNSS-denied areas such as tunnels. These results confirm that low-cost GNSS solutions, when paired with modern augmentation services and IMU integration, can meet the stringent demands of mass-market applications like Cooperative Intelligent Transport Systems (C-ITS) and autonomous mobility. Full article

The article provides a comprehensive overview of the role of hydrogen as a key vector in the decarbonization of the global transport sector. The study situates hydrogen within the broader context of energy transition and climate neutrality targets, emphasizing its potential to replace fossil fuels in road, rail, maritime, and aviation applications. The analysis integrates a review of current technological, infrastructural, and policy developments, covering both combustion-based and fuel-cell hydrogen propulsion systems. Quantitative and qualitative data were assessed from international reports, scientific publications, and ongoing industrial projects to evaluate performance, efficiency, safety, and cost parameters such as Levelized Cost of Hydrogen (LCOH) and Total Cost of Ownership (TCO). The results indicate that while hydrogen remains economically challenging, technological progress in electrolysis, fuel cells, and refueling infrastructure significantly improves its competitiveness, particularly in heavy-duty and long-range transport. The paper highlights the critical role of international strategies, including the European Hydrogen Strategy and Fit for 55 package, in driving market adoption and regulatory alignment. The conclusions suggest that by 2050, hydrogen could contribute up to one-quarter of total transport energy demand, positioning it as a cornerstone of sustainable mobility and a bridge toward a fully decarbonized transport ecosystem. Full article

With the rapid expansion of rural tourism in China, high-quality development has become a key concern for academics and policymakers. Existing studies have focused primarily on economic and industrial growth, with limited attention paid to development quality from the perspective of resident well-being. Using panel data from 30 Chinese provinces from 2012 to 2022, this study establishes a multidimensional evaluation framework for high-quality rural tourism. We employed the entropy weight method, Theil index, and quadratic assignment procedure analysis to examine its level, regional differences, and driving factors. The findings revealed that: (1) the overall level of rural tourism development remained relatively low but rose steadily from 0.064 (2012) to 0.150 (2022) (134.38% cumulative growth), driven by supply-side improvements and demand-side expansion. (2) Pronounced regional inequalities existed: eastern provinces had higher overall levels but larger internal gaps, whereas central/western provinces had lower overall levels but smaller internal differences, with intra-regional disparities accounting for over 66% of the national inequality. (3) The tourism market and transportation were universal key drivers, but the underlying mechanisms differed: the ecological environment exerted greater influence in the east, while public services and living standards were more critical in the central/western regions. By incorporating resident well-being into a systemic analytical framework, this study reconceptualizes high-quality rural tourism as an adaptive socio-ecological system shaped by multilevel interactions among the economy, society, and the environment. The results provide empirical evidence and systemic governance insights for promoting balanced and sustainable rural tourism development. Full article