This study examines the relationship between residents' perceptions of sustainable urban planning and their overall satisfaction in Qonayev City, Kazakhstan. Building on the three conventional sustainability pillars (economic, environmental, and sociocultural) it adds a fourth, under-studied dimension, religious/interfaith harmony, to test whether it independently predicts satisfaction in a multi-ethnic, multi-confessional setting. Using survey data from 941 residents and structural equation modelling (AMOS 25.0), we find that economic development (β = 0.136), sociocultural welfare (β = 0.147), and the religious dimension (β = 0.466) are positively associated with satisfaction, while the environmental dimension shows a significant negative association (β = −0.109); together, the four dimensions explain roughly one quarter of the variance in residents' satisfaction (R2 = 0.250). Given the cross-sectional design, results are interpreted as associations rather than causal effects. The negative environmental coefficient, despite comparatively favourable descriptive ratings, points to a gap between residents' general sustainability appraisal and the specific service shortfalls—sewerage, eco-friendly transport, pedestrian/bicycle infrastructure, renewable energy—that most affect satisfaction, consistent with the “perception-mismatch” pattern documented elsewhere in Kazakhstan and Central Asia. Sustainability planning in Qonayev appears uneven across dimensions, requiring a collaborative, evidence-based approach among authorities, planners, and residents.
Delivery service companies in Indonesia face a decline in the number of shipments due to the large number of competitors and uncompetitive shipping price offers. This condition automatically affects the revenue received by the company. This study aims to analyze the mechanism of the relationship between tariff setting and the revenue performance of courier service companies and evaluate the behavior of revenue and profits in various tariff scenarios and demand conditions. The results of this study have led to the adjustment of the concept of dynamic pricing and revenue management to the delivery service sector has led to theoretical contributions that show that revenue is not static, but is influenced by fluctuations in shipping demand, the number of fleets owned, fleet transport capacity, delivery times and service levels. Existing modeling conditions are still better in terms of providing revenue for companies. This model allows companies to understand the causal relationship between variables that affect total revenue. Understanding this relationship can help companies in decision-making, especially in determining the price of services in the future.
Due to the difference in terminologies and defining criteria in different locations, defining peri-urban areas is controversial among urban planning researchers. In Damascus case, this ambiguity challenges post-war planning. Through a three-stage comparative analysis, this paper outlines global frameworks for peri-urban areas, examines seven studies in Damascus before the conflict, and compares local approaches with international standards. This research reveals the lack of clear spatial definition methods in most studies and systematically reduce peri-urban areas to mere urban extensions. As Syria entered a critical post-war phase, this study provides a foundation for adopting a unified definition framework in Damascus future strategies.
Loneliness is a global epidemic that influences mental and physical well-being. Loneliness and other mental well-being indicators, such as social network size, social cohesion, and emotional and social support, are often interlinked, but the underlying mechanisms and coping strategies may differ. This study explores the role of distinct and overlapping demographic, transportation accessibility, and built environment factors on two outcomes – self-reported loneliness and perceived lack of social and emotional support across U.S. counties. Data from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)’s Smart Location Database and the County Health Ranking and Roadmap 2025 were used in this study. Transportation accessibility and built environment factors were aggregated from the census block group level to the county level. Two multiple linear regression models were developed, one for each outcome. Built environment factors significantly influence the percentage of adults feeling lonely and reporting a lack of social and emotional support. Pedestrian network density and multimodal network density significantly influence loneliness but are not significantly correlated with social and emotional support. The employment diversity index is associated negatively with the percentage of adults feeling lonely. The findings serve as valuable insights to help address the issues of loneliness and enhance the quality of life.
Parking scarcity in downtown areas presents a major challenge for commuters seeking convenient spaces near their destinations. This study proposes a dynamic pricing optimization framework for garage parking in downtown Chicago, balancing the often-conflicting objectives of garage operators and users. The framework formulates garage pricing as a multi-objective optimization problem that combines normalized garage revenue and occupancy, with the weight factors calibrated through a sensitivity analysis to identify the trade-off that maximizes occupancy gains while approximately preserving baseline garage revenue. Using simulated POLARIS data, we applied a Bayesian optimization framework to determine the optimal garage prices for both peak and off-peak periods, then evaluated key performance metrics, including the temporal and spatial distribution of garage fees, occupancy rates, and revenues over a 24-hour period. Results showed that the optimized pricing strategy substantially reduced off-peak garage fees, improving accessibility during off-peak periods, while peak-period fees remained close to existing baseline levels, avoiding disadvantage to peak-period travelers. Peak-hour occupancy increased from approximately 50% to over 70%, with improved overall parking space utilization and limited revenue trade-off. The study also highlights the influence of allocating a portion of parking spaces to other road users.
