Introduction: 

This study investigates the COVID-19 response strategies of a senior housing facility in Sweden, Red Garden, which reported a notably low mortality rate during the pandemic’s first wave.

Methods: 

Using a single-case study design, the research draws on on-site inspections, routine protocol documents, and a semi-structured interview with the facility manager. Thematic analysis was conducted to examine the data.

Results: 

Thematic analysis reveals that effective containment at Red Garden resulted from a combination of spatial affordances, proactive leadership, embedded hygiene culture, and communication strategies. Importantly, the findings suggest that the successful implementation of national guidelines relied not only on knowledge and motivation, but on the physical and organizational capacity of the facility to act.

Discussion: 

These findings challenge the assumption that infection control strategies are universally transferable across eldercare settings. The study underscores the need for pandemic preparedness plans that address the environmental and managerial feasibility of implementation. While limited by its single-case design, this research highlights how spatial configuration and leadership dynamics can interact to shape resilience in long-term care environments.

Introduction

As Karachi continues to expand into a densely populated megacity, its public transport infrastructure faces increasing pressure, particularly at bus stops, where issues of crime, poor accessibility, and inadequate design are prevalent. This study investigates how the physical environment, infrastructure quality, and environmental indicators influence perceptions of safety and accessibility at bus stops across socio-economically distinct urban areas.

Methods

The study employed structured surveys and field assessments at bus stops located in three areas of Karachi: Karsaz, Gulshan-e-Iqbal, and Korangi. The analysis focused on perceived safety, accessibility, and compliance with Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) principles, while also examining the influence of demographic factors such as gender, age, and frequency of use.

Results

Bus stops in higher-income areas showed significantly higher perceived safety and CPTED compliance compared to those in lower-income districts. Women reported greater feelings of insecurity than men, while older users show distinct perception patterns and remained structurally vulnerable despite comparatively higher safety and accessibility ratings. Frequent users expressed greater dissatisfaction with infrastructure conditions, suggesting that repeated exposure increases awareness of design deficiencies.

Discussion

The findings highlight the combined influence of physical design and social context in shaping commuter experiences at bus stops. The study emphasizes the importance of integrating context-sensitive CPTED strategies into public transport planning to improve perceived safety, accessibility, and inclusive urban mobility in rapidly growing cities such as Karachi.

This paper investigates how x-minute cities consider climate-related hazard management, blue-green infrastructure (BGI) and resilience to climate change challenges. It is important to analyse these concepts together as they are often studied individually. A systematic literature review reveals that climate hazard studies are mostly limited to flooding, water quality and the urban heat island effect. Additionally, BGI needs to be considered and included in sustainable urban development. Finally, the concept of x-minute cities should enhance resilience equitably across all communities. This research highlights the importance of a comprehensive assessment of these concepts in understanding the effects of new urban development.

Rapid urbanization contributes to impervious surface areas resulting in higher vulnerability to flooding and loss of green spaces. Recently, sustainable methods like nature-based solutions (NBS) are effectively being used to build resilient cities. These are practices derived from nature by emulating and regulating ecosystem services. Specifically, the adaptation of sponge city (SC) concept as part of NBS is being extensively used in growing cities to help mitigate impacts of development. This study focuses on difficulties encountered by Karachi, such as extreme weather occurrences and flooding. It examines the feasibility of implementing SC methods drawing inspiration from successfully implemented examples of China and Saudi Arabia. The outcomes indicate significance of incorporating NBS and adoption of SC elements in urban planning to provide remedies for Karachi's environmental challenges.

The concept of the 15-minutes city [15 MC] focuses on providing important services within proximity and accessibility through active travel like walking or biking. While this model is becoming popular in urban planning and academic discourse, its implementation faces challenges in both densely populated developing and developed countries. This study aims to conduct a systematic review of recent literature to (1) identify the core components of the 15 MC model, (2) examine planning tools and strategies used in its implementation, (3) compare successes and challenges across global contexts, particularly in densely populated and resource-constrained areas, and (4) offer practical recommendations for adapting the model to meet local needs. The study reviewed 33 research papers published in the last five years [2019–2024]. Following PRISMA guidelines, a structured screening and selection process was conducted using databases such as Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar. Thematic analysis revealed major challenges for implementing the 15 MC in the Global South, including urban informality, gaps in infrastructure, and complex governance issues. Moreover, the review points out the potential risks of exclusion and gentrification if the specific needs of different contexts are not considered. While high-income countries tend to focus on sustainability and making neighborhoods walkable, developing countries struggle with deeper structural problems that make equitable implementation harder. This study emphasizes the need for locally adaptive frameworks in planning 15 MCs and aims to develop inclusive urban policies that support Sustainable Development Goal 11, which seeks to make cities inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable.

Stadsdelslyftet Andersberg är ett omfattande projekt inom Gävle kommun med idag mycket viktiga ambitioner såsom att öka integrationen, skapa mer jämlika förutsättningar, att öka den upplevda tryggheten, samt att utveckla en modell för brett samverkansarbete med dessa och andra samhällsutmaningar i stadsdelar där det finns behov. Gävle kommun anlitade en forskargrupp vid Högskolan i Gävle för att bedriva följeforskning av projektet Stadsdelslyftet. Syftet med följeforskningen var att undersöka hur den nya mötesplatsen Andreassalens verksamhet bidrar till uppfyllandet av Stadsdelslyftets målsättningar, med ambitionen att generera forskningsbaserad kunskap som en grund för utvecklingen av verkningsfulla metoder för att åstadkomma ökad social inkludering och en socialt hållbar stadsutveckling. Forskningsmetoden har inkluderat semi-strukturerade intervjuer och fokusgruppsintervjuer samt enkätundersökning.  Resultaten visar att Andreassalen spelar en viktig roll i det samverkande samhällsarbete som bedrivs i Andersberg och att verksamheten har bidragit till uppfyllandet av flera av Stadsdelslyftets effektmål. Andreassalen fyller en funktion som ett områdescenter där kommunala aktörer, civilsamhällets föreningsliv, boende från lokalsamhället och andra stadsdelar, möts och interagerar och där en mångfald av aktiviteter organiseras. För att uppnå en socialt hållbar utveckling av Andersberg är det därför angeläget att Stadsdelslyftets och Andreassalens arbete fortsätter och vidareutvecklas. I det fortsatta arbetet att vidareutveckla Stadsdelslyftet och utarbeta en modell för liknande arbete i andra stadsdelar finns viktiga lärdomar att dra från arbetet med Andreassalen.

Stadsdelslyftet Andersberg is a comprehensive project within the municipality of Gävle with very important ambitions such as increasing integration, creating more equal conditions, increasing the perceived security, and developing a model for broad collaborative work with these and other social challenges in neighborhoods where there is a need. The municipality of Gävle asked a research group at the University of Gävle to conduct participatory research on the Stadsdelslyftet project. The purpose of the research was to explore how the new meeting place Andreassalen's activities contribute to the fulfillment of the Stadsdelslyftet project goals, with the ambition to generate research-based knowledge as a basis for the development of effective methods to achieve increased social inclusion and socially sustainable urban development. The research method has included semi-structured interviews and focus group interviews as well as a questionnaire survey. The results show that Andreassalen plays an important role in the collaborative community work conducted in the neighborhood Andersberg and that the activities have contributed to the fulfillment of several of the project impact goals. Andreassalen serves as a community center where municipal actors, civil society associations, residents from the local community and other city districts meet and interact, and where a variety of activities are organized. In order to achieve socially sustainable development of Andersberg, it is therefore important that the work of Stadsdelslyftet and Andreassalen continues and is further developed. In the continued work to further develop Stadsdelslyftet and develop a model for similar work in other city districts, there are important lessons to be learned from the work with Andreassalen.

The Pacific region and Asia are mainly vulnerable to climate crises due to their reliance on natural resources, weak institutional frameworks, dense coastal populations, and high level of poverty. In Pakistan, climate change has led to an increase in the frequency and severity of floods with the 2022 flood submerging almost one third of the country, affecting and displacing millions. While existing studies addressed climate crises, a few studies focus on the construction techniques, traditional knowledge and craftsmanship, employed by local communities as adaptive measures. This study investigates the construction techniques of residential buildings in two severely affected villages in Sindh, assessing their resilience to flooding. By analyzing structural damage and the use of local materials through purposive sampling of three houses per village, combined with qualitative data from focus-group discussions, this research provide recommendations for resilient housing solutions and strategies to enhance community's responses to flood risks benefitting governmental and NGO efforts to mitigate vulnerabilities.

This study examines the environment of one of the largest and most recently built shopping mall in Karachi, Pakistan. The aim of this study is to assess how building design, familiarity with the mall, and past experiences of victimization influence visitors’ perceived safety. Using site inspections guided by crime prevention through environmental design (CPTED) principles and an online survey, the study identifies factors affecting visitors’ perceived safety. Findings indicate that enhancing surveillance, territoriality, and access control in well-designed and maintained spaces can impact levels of perceived safety. These findings underscore the importance of surveys, in combination with site inspections, in providing a comprehensive tool for understanding and improving safety in commercial complexes.

The vulnerability of growing cities to climatic challenges has led to substantial degradation of ecosystem services resulting in increased flooding and reduced green spaces. Sponge City (SC) concept has been promoted currently, as part of the wider scope of Nature-based Solutions (NBS) as sustainable measure that can be adopted to build resilient cities. However, Pakistan is still far behind in adapting such new practices. Its major cities like Karachi suffer from urban flooding and poor landscape management producing unhealthy urban environments. This study examines the familiarity and willingness of the experts related to architecture, urban planning and environmental development in adapting the concept of SC and the existing practical limitation perceived by these experts in Karachi for SC implementation. It employed a structured questionnaire survey administered to stakeholder groups to ascertain the status of knowledge amongst them related to NBS and SC. The research findings revealed that more than 50 % of experts are familiar with the concept of NBS and are willing to take part in implementing the SC initiatives in Karachi. At the same time, a significant majority of experts (74 %) are of the view that the absence of open and green spaces has a negative impact on quality of life in Karachi. However, most experts (72 %) consider the lack of government support as one of the major hinderances, while others consider high maintenance costs, shortage of skilled individuals and technology as barriers in adapting and implementing the SC concept in Karachi. This research subsequently identifies what could persuade experts to innovate SC concept within their practices. It emphasizes the urgent need for stakeholders and experts to collaborate with policy makers, advocating for a shift in mindset among both educated professionals to uninformed residents to drive meaningful change in the society.

A building is not sustainable unless it contributes to improving the health of the occupants. By the end of August 2022, more than 600 million people have been infected, and about 6.5 million have died from COVID-19. An immense number of studies have been conducted and published in the fields of General Internal Medicine and Public Environmental and Occupational Health. However, little attention has been paid to the physical characteristics of the built environment where all the interactions between people and in particular airborne transmission of COVID-19 take place. This article aims to conduct a review of the effects of ventilation and air conditioning on the spread of COVID-19 worldwide. The paper makes a review of the building design solutions for infection prevention in the history of architecture and discusses the scientific evidence on the effectiveness of air conditioning on the prevalence of COVID-19. This review puts together the available empirical evidence to explain why there is a need to reconsider the building design approaches in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in a post-COVID era.