Urban noise management has traditionally prioritized the reduction of environmental sound through rigid regulations and strategic noise maps based on acoustic quality objectives, which set out the noise levels that can or cannot be exceeded. However, current research suggests that lower noise levels do not inherently improve quality of life. Traditional protocols are increasingly viewed as insufficient for achieving true acoustic comfort. This study advocates for a shift towards sensory urbanism, moved by the soundscape approach formalized in the ISO 12913 series of standards. By redefining the acoustic environment as a perceptual construct, this paradigm treats sound not as a pollutant, but as a valuable resource for sustainable urban design. This work explores how soundscape assessment serves as a complementary tool for noise action planning, capturing citizen preferences that standard sound level meters and traditional engineering-based noise management systems cannot detect. Building on previous experience of soundscape assessments in Granada, southern Spain, standardized protocols for measuring environmental acoustics and public perception in context have been used to refine the methodology and conduct targeted soundwalks. These soundwalks aim to evaluate the affective qualities of the city center and its expanding fringe areas. The findings indicate that context-specific factors, such as human activity and personal expectations, significantly dictate perception. Natural sounds, such as birdsong and water, are shown to enhance comfort even in high-decibel environments. Ultimately, integrating these assessments into urban planning could enable the creation of cities where the environment promotes public health and wellbeing, and safeguards intangible cultural heritage. Finally, this study contributes to the identification of design variables for a prediction model to help planners create the restorative, sensory-led acoustic climates that citizens prefer.
Urban construction logistics is exposed to variable traffic and meteorological conditions, yet translating traffic information into construction-delivery decisions requires consideration of project-specific operational constraints. This study develops an interpretable time-series machine-learning pipeline for hourly traffic-volume modelling and proposes a framework for translating predictive signals into construction-logistics decision support. The modelling approach incorporates temporal variables, autoregressive traffic-volume lags, and concurrent meteorological observations, with model development and selection conducted using TimeSeriesSplit cross-validation. Candidate algorithms were compared under a time-ordered evaluation protocol, followed by out-of-time (OOT) testing, feature ablation, and interpretation using SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) and partial-dependence analysis. Random Forest demonstrated the most favourable cross-validation performance among the candidate algorithms within the full-feature specification and was selected for detailed OOT evaluation. Ablation analysis indicated that concurrent meteorological variables contributed only marginal incremental OOT improvement beyond temporal variables and historical traffic lags. The interpretability analyses examined fitted associations between predictors and modelled traffic volume without establishing causal relationships. These findings demonstrate the potential of interpretable time-series modelling to characterise temporal variation in traffic volume while highlighting the distinction between network-demand indicators and operational delivery outcomes. The proposed decision-translation framework identifies the additional information and calibration required to connect traffic-volume signals with construction-logistics decisions. Because the meteorological inputs comprise concurrent observations from an archived dataset, the OOT evaluation represents retrospective modelling rather than a deployable weather-informed forecasting system. Furthermore, traffic-volume predictions do not directly establish route travel time, delivery delays, or site-production disruptions. Operational validation against delivery windows, just-in-time disruption, cost, or emissions would require forecast-available weather information, route-specific travel-time data, delivery schedules, and site-operation records.
The construction industry continues to experience persistent delivery problems, including cost overruns, schedule delays, quality failures and inefficient resource use. Although value management (VM) and total quality management (TQM) are widely recognised as approaches for improving project performance, the literature remains fragmented regarding their application and integration in construction practice. This study therefore synthesises the literature on VM and TQM and develops a conceptual framework for their integration. A systematic literature review with narrative synthesis was conducted following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) approach. The review covered studies published between 1994 and 2026 and included 102 eligible articles. The findings indicate that TQM is the more mature and institutionally embedded field, whereas VM remains comparatively under-adopted and is discussed mainly in relation to implementation barriers, gaps and critical success factors. These barriers extend beyond technical limitations to include organisational, cultural, institutional and governance constraints. Digital enablers, including building information modelling (BIM), digital twins, AI-driven decision support and Industry 4.0 systems, also create opportunities to connect value analysis, quality monitoring and performance feedback across the project lifecycle. Based on these findings, the study proposes the Integrated Value–Quality System (IVQS), which links VM-derived value priorities with TQM quality criteria, delivery processes and continuous-improvement routines through enabling conditions, integration mechanisms and feedback loops. The framework adds value by providing a construction-specific and context-sensitive architecture for translating strategic value objectives into operational quality delivery.
This study examines acoustic design strategies in Nigerian public facilities by identifying and synthesizing insights on their variations in public buildings and the application of these strategies across diverse typologies. Existing studies were reviewed using a PRISMA framework to identify patterns and organise them into themes toward interpretation and analytical coherence. Findings reveal that the major determinants of acoustic quality in public spaces include form, finishes, intended function, evolution, building style, budget constraints, site context, and user behaviour. Furthermore, strategies applicable to diverse typologies were divided into six major themes based on shared characteristics: architectural, material, environmental, technical, management and user-centred. In spite of existing studies on acoustic design, there is an underrepresentation of several building typologies, such as industrial, transport, civil/judicial, libraries, hospitality, and recreation. Certain acoustic themes, such as policy and budget, and the evolution of building style are also discussed only sparingly. Acoustic considerations extends beyond specific building typologies, therefore, this study recommends future research on under-researched typologies, integrated acoustic planning, acoustic codes, training programs and routine user feedback. Insights from this study offer valuable contributions to enhanced user comfort and satisfaction in public spaces, better-informed acoustic decision-making, and sustainable acoustic outcomes in resource-constrained environments such as Nigeria.
IntroductionSensory and spatial characteristics of learning environments can influence how neurodivergent students participate in education. This study examined professional accounts of built‐environment barriers relevant to neuro-inclusive secondary‐school design in Nigeria.MethodsSeven multidisciplinary professionals were interviewed virtually using a semi‐structured guide. Four had direct experience with secondary‐school‐aged learners, while others worked in therapeutic, special‐needs, rehabilitation, or care/support settings. Open‐ended responses were analysed inductively using reflexive thematic analysis, while responses to nine predefined design features were synthesised separately as prompted feature appraisals.ResultsFour themes were generated: sensory environmental stressors; environmental distress and spatial dysregulation; restorative and regulatory features; and spatial configuration, transition, and classroom ergonomics. Auditory and visual conditions, crowding, abrupt transitions, and limited retreat space were prominent concerns. Funding, space, institutional readiness, and implementation knowledge affected feasibility. A preliminary three‐tier retrofit framework prioritised acoustic control, lighting control, withdrawal/escape spaces, and sensory zoning (Tier 1); flexible furniture and wayfinding/predictability (Tier 2); and biophilic respite, visual simplification/colour, and temperature/ventilation (Tier 3).DiscussionThe findings provide mixed‐context professional proxy evidence relevant to Nigerian secondary‐school design. The framework is preliminary and unvalidated and should be tested through co‐design with neurodivergent students and objective environmental assessment.
