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Navigating urban sustainability: balancing livability, smartness, services and environment through AHP analysis

Ahmed O. El-Kholei (Department of Architectural Engineering, Menoufia University, Shebin El-Kom, Egypt)
Ghada Yassein (Department of Architectural Engineering, Menoufia University, Shebin El-Kom, Egypt)
Ibrahim Sedky Rizkallah (Department of Architectural Engineering, Menoufia University, Shebin El-Kom, Egypt)

Open House International

ISSN: 0168-2601

Article publication date: 28 June 2024

88

Abstract

Purpose

Sustainable urban development involves integrating intelligent technology into urban planning to promote economic growth, social services, and environmental preservation. It fosters inclusiveness, safety, resilience, and sustainability in urban environments. However, this strategy faces challenges balancing economic growth, social equality, and environmental preservation. Design experts must balance economic development with sustainability preservation to achieve sustainable urban development. They depend on technology for smarter communities. The paper aims to identify the criteria for sustainable urban design and design professionals' bias and their awareness of using the fourth industrial revolution technologies.

Design/methodology/approach

The research methodology involves a document review to identify criteria and weights for sustainable urban design. A questionnaire was conducted with 30 design professionals to understand their preferences and biases. A hierarchical framework was created, and pairwise comparisons were computed using an AHP Online System. The weight of each criterion was calculated by aggregating normalized pairwise values within each row and dividing by the total number of cells. The Consistency Ratio (CR) was determined by aggregating the values in the row to produce the weighted aggregate value for each principle.

Findings

The document review emphasizes the significance of sustainable urban design, livability, intelligence, and environmental conservation in sustainable communities. However, participants often overlook these aspects, focusing on comfort, privacy, security, and exclusiveness. They also ignore the need for smart city technologies and environmental protection. This lack of understanding may hinder Egypt’s achievement of SDG11.

Research limitations/implications

The paper’s main limitation is the small sample size and composition, as all participants were Egyptians working in Egypt or the Arabian Gulf region. The findings cannot be generalized, and future research could involve a team from different regions. Egypt needs to address the lack of knowledge and awareness of sustainable urban design principles among design professionals to achieve SDG 11 goals. This can be achieved through educational initiatives, readjusting priorities towards sustainability, harmonizing policy and practice with sustainable urban design principles, and interdisciplinary teamwork. Design professionals should customize their methods to suit local requirements and ecological circumstances.

Originality/value

The paper reveals that many design professionals lack an integrated and holistic understanding of sustainable urban design principles that the document review outlined. Their responses and practices reveal an incomplete understanding of sustainable urban development, requiring attention to organizing the profession, training practitioners, and reforming planning education. The paper shows that AHP has the potential to serve as a suitable instrument for decision-making; nonetheless, it is essential to exercise caution when interpreting its outcomes.

Keywords

Acknowledgements

We want to extend our heartfelt gratitude to the participants, the anonymous reviewers and the editors for their invaluable recommendations and feedback during the review process, which greatly contributed to enhancing the quality and strength of this work. We express our gratitude toward them. All inaccuracies remain our responsibility. The paper is within the research plan of our department. We received no funding from external sources.

Citation

El-Kholei, A.O., Yassein, G. and Rizkallah, I.S. (2024), "Navigating urban sustainability: balancing livability, smartness, services and environment through AHP analysis", Open House International, Vol. ahead-of-print No. ahead-of-print. https://doi.org/10.1108/OHI-10-2023-0247

Publisher

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Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2024, Emerald Publishing Limited

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