Despite ongoing technological advancements, public acceptance of automated vehicles (AVs) remains limited, with perceived safety (PSAV) emerging as a pivotal determinant of trust and adoption. While prior research has identified factors such as cybersecurity, legal accountability, and functional performance as influential, these elements are often examined in isolation and without a unifying framework. Furthermore, the role of individuals' Knowledge Levels of AVs (KLAV) in shaping the salience of safety concerns remains underexplored. This study addresses these gaps through a qualitative investigation involving 66 interviews with members of the public and AV experts in the United Kingdom. We develop an empirically grounded taxonomy of PSAV comprising thirteen factors, organized into three overarching categories: Technological Safety, Psychological Safety, and Social Safety. Our findings suggest that perceptions of safety are not uniform but vary with participants' KLAV, which is associated with differences in how safety concerns are interpreted and prioritized. The study advances theoretical understanding by reconceptualizing PSAV as a multidimensional and knowledge-sensitive construct. Practically, the taxonomy and KLAV-based insights offer actionable guidance for AV research, public engagement, and anticipatory governance, supporting more inclusive and socially responsive pathways for AV deployment.

This paper applies the multilevel perspective (MLP) theory to investigate how collective identities influence sector-wide digital transformations, focusing on the cooperative sector in Europe. By employing a wide mix of primary and secondary data from platform and incumbent cooperatives, our analysis showed that collective identities facilitate sector-wide digital transformations by mobilizing resources and enhancing the legitimacy of niche innovations. However, they can also act as a source of friction across the different phases theorized by the MLP. Drawing on these findings, we propose a novel framework that links the influence of collective identities with overarching narratives framing digital transformation as either a threat, an inevitable tendency, or an opportunity to reaffirm collective identities. In addition to expanding current theorization on the role of collective identities, narratives, and intermediaries in sociotechnical transitions, our analysis urges managers and intermediary organizations to take the lead on the co-creation of sector-specific digital transformation narratives, reconciling collective identities with transition processes (and vice versa).

Urban mobility and logistics are being transformed by the adoption of autonomous and uncrewed vehicle systems (UxVs), yet research on user acceptance remains theoretically fragmented and empirically inconsistent. This study systematically reviews empirical research on UxV acceptance, across ground-based autonomous mobility technologies and autonomous logistics and last-mile delivery systems, excluding speculative aerial passenger technologies for which no empirical evidence exists. Drawing on the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), its subsequent extensions (TAM2, TAM3, and TAM for Smart Technologies), as well as the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT and UTAUT2), the review synthesises psychological, social, technological, and contextual determinants of UxV acceptance. Our analysis shows that acceptance arises from the multidimensional interaction of these factors and that no single model fully captures the domain-specific differences between mobility and logistics applications. Contextual influences, such as exogenous shock, organisational dynamics, and institutional and policy frameworks, appear as important moderators that shape, rather than replace, established TAM and UTAUT constructs. The review also identifies significant knowledge gaps, including the influence of socio-demographic variables, the need for technology-specific studies, and the importance of empirical research grounded in real-world trials. Addressing these gaps is essential to advancing theory and informing the effective integration of UxV technologies in complex urban environments.

Smart city initiatives aim for sustainability and inclusiveness, but recent evidence shows that they often lead to injustices. Although this contradiction has received growing academic attention, a comprehensive understanding of how justice is addressed within smart city practices remains limited. Therefore, this study conducts a systematic review of 67 empirical articles to identify key barriers to achieving justice in smart city development, analyze their global distribution, and suggest pathways toward more equitable outcomes. Six major barriers were identified: institutional, legacy, economic, social, technical, and geographical, with institutional barriers being the most prominent globally. We found that barriers vary depending on the context. For instance, the Americas face governance shortcomings and infrastructural inequalities; Asia's rapid urbanization intensifies administrative weaknesses; Africa suffers from capacity and resource gaps; Oceania's rigid institutions obstruct inclusion; while in Europe, coordination challenges exist despite stronger governance systems. To address these challenges, the study proposes a governance‐centered framework emphasizing justice integration across planning and implementation, supporting the advancement of Sustainable Development Goals 11 and 16.

Developing a circular economy (CE) for construction and demolition waste (CDW) presents a promising pathway to decarbonize the construction industry by reducing reliance on carbon-intensive primary material production. However, most existing studies rely on life cycle assessment (LCA) approaches and treat CDW flows as isolated processes, overlooking the broader economy-wide emission consequences and distributional effects arising from complex inter-sectoral and inter-regional material and energy flows. This limitation risks underestimating the full carbon mitigation potential of CDW circularity, thereby hindering progress toward the Net-Zero targets pledged by most global economies. This study introduces a novel analytical framework integrating LCA with environmentally extended input-output (EEIO) analysis to quantify the environmental impacts of CDW circularity, explicitly accounting for sectoral and regional trading linkages. Applying the framework to the United Kingdom (UK), this study estimates carbon emissions and potential savings under multiple CDW circularity scenarios for the year 2018. The results indicate that material use for domestic final demand and exports generates approximately 159 and 170 million tonnes of CO2, respectively, while CDW circularity achieves only modest emission savings of 2-3 million tonnes (<1%). Reuse scenarios deliver greater reductions than recycling, with the most significant benefits observed in secondary and tertiary industries, particularly from the circular use of metallic and wood materials. Despite the UK's high CDW recovery rate, inefficient treatment pathways and weak alignment between recovered-material supply and industrial demand constrain the net-zero potential of CDW circularity. Enhancing recovery efficiency, advancing cleaner technologies, and improving material productivity are therefore critical for supporting the UK's net-zero transition. This study is novel in pioneering one of the first LCA-EEIO analytical frameworks for evaluating the economy-wide environmental impacts of CDW circularity, providing a scalable methodological foundation and system-level evidence for global economies seeking to accelerate their pathways toward Net-Zero targets.

This study investigates the extent to which collaborative platforms contribute to strengthening the collaborative governance capacity of municipal governments, focusing on smart city development as an empirical context. Drawing on survey data from 289 municipal government officials and using a multinomial logit model, we test eight hypotheses linking collaborative platforms to key dimensions of collaborative governance: knowledge sharing, innovation culture, competences, strategic orientation, monitoring, vertical and internal coordination, and decision-making power. Our findings challenge the prevailing assumption that such platforms are uniformly beneficial. While their presence might support some collaborative governance dimensions, their contribution is less certain in others. Moreover, in some cases, our data shows that municipalities managing collaborative governance initiatives by means of a collaborative platform might perform just as well or even worse than those without one. These results suggest that expectations about collaborative platforms should be more carefully calibrated. By critically examining the contribution of collaborative platforms across key dimensions of collaborative governance, this study advances theoretical understanding and offers actionable insights for municipal platform managers and policymakers.

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a persistent, devastating, yet neglected, non-communicable disease, particularly in developing and emerging countries. The traditional risk factors for CKD, such as hypertension and diabetes have received relatively ample attention but do not sufficiently explain the high burden of CKD. Ambient air pollution is an emerging environmental risk factor for CKD; however, epidemiological data and evidence are lacking for susceptible populations in developing countries. The Niger Delta region of Nigeria is a petrochemical hub known for environmental degradation, including air pollution, and thus, serves as a good case study for investigating the association between air pollution and CKD. This brief is based on an exploratory mixed-methods study conducted in four communities situated near an oil and gas refinery in Warri, Nigeria, to explore perceived and actual air pollution risks and determine whether long-term exposure to ambient air pollution is associated with CKD. Air pollutant concentrations measured in partnership with citizen scientists using portable air sensors, showed that all except one air pollutant (ozone) exceeded the WHO acceptable limits in all four communities. PM2.5 ranged from 22.8 to 28.0 μg/m3, PM10, 40.6 to 55.5 μg/m3, and CO2, 584-652 ppm. The overall prevalence of CKD was 12.3% but even higher (18%) in a socially deprived semi-urban community closest to the oil refinery. Hypertension, diabetes, other behavioral risk factors, and exposures associated with CKD were prevalent in the four communities and environmental health information was lacking. A multifaceted approach is required to mitigate air pollution and the associated NCD risks in the region. The government needs to invest in air monitoring services, cleaner technologies, and environmental risk communication through various media channels. We strongly recommend public inclusion in planning, designing, and implementing educational interventions. Lastly, environmental risk factors such as air pollution should feature prominently in strategic plans for NCD prevention.

Amid the expanding digital economy and the progression of Industry 4.0 initiatives, both industry professionals and academic researchers are increasingly focused on unraveling the mechanisms by which manufacturing digitalization drives technological innovation. Build upon the resource-based view and dynamic capability theory, this study develops a theoretical framework and proposes research hypotheses to investigate how manufacturing digitalization and dynamic capabilities influence technological innovation, with particular attention to product and process innovation. Analyzing survey data from 276 manufacturing firms located in the first national-level pilot cities for digital transformation in China, structural equation modeling results reveal that: (1) digitalization within manufacturing firms can significantly promote both product and process innovation; (2) dynamic capabilities play a mediating role in linking manufacturing digitalization with technological innovation. Specifically, dynamic capabilities partially mediate the relationship between manufacturing digitalization and process innovation, and serve as a full mediator in its impact on product innovation. These findings provide theoretical insights and practical implications, helping manufacturing firms better recognize the strategic value of digitalization and dynamic capabilities in enhancing technological innovation through digital transformation.

This article examines the interplay between materiality, relational spaces, and technological change dynamics. The objective is to introduce a novel theoretical perspective and a structured analytical process designed to enrich the investigation of relational spaces within the context of sociotechnical transitions. Our perspective aims to help transition scholars integrate the often-overlooked importance of material arrangements with the analysis of material flows and social components. We interpret this integration as a morphological approach to the analysis of relational spaces. The development of our perspective is grounded in a thorough review of existing literature on transition studies, complemented by the application of the theory of space constitution. Through our theoretical contribution, we advance the spatial discourse in transition studies, offering the means required to produce novel insights into how diverse social and material dimensions of spatial contexts affect, and are affected by, sociotechnical transition pathways and the technological change they produce.

The Covid-19 pandemic has further evidenced the potential of grassroots actors as initiators of digital innovations, in the form of open-source applications, platform cooperatives, and other crowdsourced digital artifacts. These innovations played a crucial role in mitigating the impact of lockdown measures, specifically serving the needs of communities often neglected by commercial offerings from large tech companies. Grassroots digital innovations (GDIs) have long been recognized by scholars and policymakers as potential remedies to market distortions and social iniquities within digitalization processes. Nevertheless, these initiatives have historically struggled to become sustainable. Recent evidence confirms that many GDIs developed in response to the global health crisis are now facing financial issues that threaten their survival. In this commentary, we reflect on this challenge and assert that GDI literature exhibits several shortcomings that contribute to undermining the long-term stability of these initiatives and their capacity to foster more inclusive, just, and sustainable digitalization processes. We examine how these shortcomings can be addressed to enhance both GDI research and practice. Our discussion focuses on three major methodological and conceptual limitations: a tendency towards theory-devoid empiricism, a bias towards successful cases, and a dearth of longitudinal, multi-site analyses. We discuss the causes of each shortcoming and illustrate how they impact both the theoretical and practical development of GDIs. Drawing on this critical examination, we identify four priorities to advance future GDI research: leveraging methodological pluralism, applying theoretical sampling, enhancing qualitative longitudinal research, and strengthening methods for data collection and archival. These priorities aim to inform the agendas of academic communities, funding bodies, and policy institutions dedicated to harnessing the potential of GDIs for more sustainable and inclusive digitalization processes.

Air pollution is an emerging risk factor for chronic kidney disease (CKD) that is typically ignored in preventive interventions. This study investigated whether long-term exposure to ambient air pollution in communities near petrochemical industries in the Niger Delta was associated with CKD. A cross-sectional study with an embedded citizen science inquiry. Four communities situated at varying distances from a petrochemical refinery in Niger Delta, Nigeria. We obtained sociodemographic, behavioural, exposure history and clinical data from 1460 participants who have resided for at least 5 years in the four communities. A citizen science approach was used to monitor air pollutant concentrations with eight community volunteers. The mean PM2.5, PM10 and volatile organic compounds (VOC) concentrations exceeded the WHO-acceptable limits in all four communities. CO2 was acceptable in the farthest communities from the refinery, while O3 was within acceptable limits in all communities. The total hazard quotient was relatively higher in the two communities near the refinery (11.27, 11.63) than those farther (9.63, 10.68), F=0.038, p=0.989. The overall prevalence of CKD was 12.3%; it was 17.9% in the community closest to the refinery and 8.0% in the farthest (χ2=18.292, p=0.004). Increasing age was the only independent risk factor for CKD after adjusting for confounding factors and intrahousehold design effect (adjusted OR 1.26; 95% CI 1.09 to 1.45, p=0.002). Long-term exposure to ambient air pollution may increase CKD risk in susceptible populations. Social factors and environmental exposures associated with CKD are prevalent in the communities, necessitating multifaceted and inclusive approaches to mitigate air pollution and the associated kidney disease risks. More studies are required to explore the mechanism of air pollution-associated kidney disease and interventions to reverse or limit it.

Digital technologies and infrastructure are essential to the development of smart cities. Yet, vulnerable populations often lack equitable access to such resources. In this context, integrating justice into smart city development serves as a crucial foundation for developing just and equitable cities. To explore this issue, we examined 3067 articles and synthesized findings from 67 studies on justice in smart cities. Using deductive content analysis, we categorize justice issues into two distinct groups: types and dimensions. Among the various types of justice, infrastructural justice emerges as the most frequently discussed, appearing in 23 studies and highlighting significant disparities in access to basic urban infrastructure for marginalized communities. In terms of justice dimensions, procedural justice is the most prominent. Discussed in 27 studies, it emphasizes the importance of inclusive decision-making and the challenges posed by limited public awareness and tokenistic participation. The findings reveal that marginalized communities, particularly low-income groups, women, and individuals with disabilities, bear the brunt of exclusion, inequity, and marginalization in smart city developments. These communities are particularly vulnerable to gentrification, displacement, and reduced economic opportunities, further deepening existing inequalities. By positioning justice as a central element in smart city development, this study calls for a fundamental shift in the mindset of practitioners, advocating for policies and governance approaches that promote a just, equitable, responsible, and inclusive smart city ecosystem.

The growing interest in leveraging digital technologies to advance circular economy practices in construction reflects the global push for Industry 4.0 and sustainable development. However, a comprehensive understanding of how digital technologies can effectively support circular initiatives in the sector remains limited. This study addresses this gap by critically reviewing the role of digitalization in enabling circular strategies through an innovative academic lens, exploring a more refined and sophisticated mechanism in which digital technologies are decomposed into their corresponding digital functions. Through a thorough analysis of 125 papers, 10 digital functions and 15 circular strategies in construction have been unveiled. By correlating these functions with strategies in an organized framework, it was found that different functions are typically supported by specific digital technologies. Among the most frequently emphasized functions are “assess”, “auto-plan”, “collect”, and “estimate”. The reliance on digital functions varies across different circular economy strategies. This study also highlights three key research gaps for future exploration: (1) the application of digital technologies in underexplored lifecycle stages, with a particular focus on strategies for extending building lifespan, (2) reuse and recycling practices at the meso- and macro-scales, and (3) the development of robust data management mechanisms. By offering insights into the state-of-the-art of existing research, and unexplored areas deserving future investigations, this study aids in propelling the conversation on digitalization-enabled circular construction practices.

This article explores how smart city entrepreneurs (SCEs) learn to address urban sustainability challenges with innovative digital products and services. SCEs embody social, digital, and urban entrepreneurialism features and play a pivotal role in advancing smart city development. But despite their importance, little is known about the knowledge, skills, and competencies required to become an SCE. Grounded in entrepreneurial learning theory, our study helps fill this gap. Using the city of Edinburgh, UK, as our empirical setting, we examine the learning process of 34 SCEs. Our findings offer three core contributions. First, we show that collaborative learning is a key driver of innovation in the smart city domain. SCEs significantly benefit from collaborative efforts rather than competitive strategies alone. Second, we show that these collaborations develop in temporary ecosystems that contribute to enhancing the innovative capacities of SCEs. Building on these findings, we expand entrepreneurial learning theory, highlighting the critical yet overlooked role of temporary ecosystems and intermediaries in stimulating collaboration and knowledge exchange among SCEs. Third, we provide practical recommendations for policymakers, emphasizing the importance of supporting the development of strategic learning capacities and diverse learning modalities for SCEs.

Place-based leadership (PBL) is critical to the economic and social vitality of places, as it emphasises collaboration, shared visions, and the mobilisation of human agency and collective action. While emotions are increasingly recognised as central to PBL, their role remains underexplored. This study investigates the case of the Valle dei Cavalieri cooperative in the region of Emilia-Romagna, Italy, to examine how PBL fosters the emergence of a community-based enterprise. We highlight the role of interaction rituals and collective effervescence in channelling emotions into collective action. Our findings contribute to the PBL literature, particularly regarding sustainable local development and rural resilience.

Purpose This paper aims to uncover the unaccounted effects of digital transformation on accounting, auditing and accountability. It explores the extant academic research and introduces the AAAJ Special Issue titled Accountability for a Connected Society: the Unaccounted Effects of Digital Transformation . Design/methodology/approach A methodological approach combining bibliometric analysis techniques with a qualitative literature review was used to explore relevant academic research. This approach facilitates the identification of thematic clusters within the literature and supports the subsequent qualitative analysis of the studies within each cluster. The qualitative literature review employed an analytical model grounded in organisational science literature, focusing on three predominant levels of analysis: individual, organisational and societal. Findings The bibliometric analysis technique led to the identification of seven thematic clusters covering the impact of digital transformation on (1) accounting; (2) adoption, accounting education and e-government; (3) management control; (4) auditing and the auditing profession; (5) public sector auditing and digital technologies; (6) digital innovations for a sustainable future; and, finally, (7) digital trust and cybersecurity. The subsequent qualitative literature review of the papers belonging to each thematic cluster led to an integration of those themes into three macro-clusters: accounting, auditing and accountability. Originality/value This work’s innovative combination of methods, including bibliometric and manual techniques, enhances its ability to identify key research topics and uncover further research directions. Several promising directions are suggested for future research.

This study explores the critical role of boundary objects in the context of people-centred smart cities, a new paradigm in urban development that emphasises citizen participation in planning and decision-making. Boundary objects—artefacts, documents, or concepts that facilitate communication and collaboration across different knowledge domains—are increasingly recognized as essential tools in the complex, multi-stakeholder environment of urban governance. Despite extensive research on boundary objects in organizational contexts, their specific application in smart cities remains underexplored. This study addresses this gap by investigating how BOs, particularly collaborative tools and spaces, contribute to innovation, engagement, and knowledge-sharing in people-centred smart cities. Employing a Systematic Literature Review following the PRISMA protocol, this research synthesizes key insights from scholarly articles to comprehensively understand boundary objects' role in urban governance. This study offers a theoretical framework for leveraging boundary objects to enhance the inclusivity and sustainability of smart cities. It suggests avenues for future research, including empirical validation and exploration of boundary objects in diverse geographic and cultural contexts.

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a persistent, devastating, yet neglected, non-communicable disease, particularly in developing and emerging countries. The traditional risk factors for CKD, such as hypertension and diabetes have received relatively ample attention but do not sufficiently explain the high burden of CKD. Ambient air pollution is an emerging environmental risk factor for CKD; however, epidemiological data and evidence are lacking for susceptible populations in developing countries. The Niger Delta region of Nigeria is a petrochemical hub known for environmental degradation, including air pollution, and thus, serves as a good case study for investigating the association between air pollution and CKD. This brief is based on an exploratory mixed-methods study conducted in four communities situated near an oil and gas refinery in Warri, Nigeria, to explore perceived and actual air pollution risks and determine whether long-term exposure to ambient air pollution is associated with CKD. Air pollutant concentrations measured in partnership with citizen scientists using portable air sensors, showed that all except one air pollutant (ozone) exceeded the WHO acceptable limits in all four communities. PM 2.5 ranged from 22.8 to 28.0 μg/m 3, PM 10, 40.6 to 55.5 μg/m 3, and CO 2, 584-652 ppm. The overall prevalence of CKD was 12.3% but even higher (18%) in a socially deprived semi-urban community closest to the oil refinery. Hypertension, diabetes, other behavioral risk factors, and exposures associated with CKD were prevalent in the four communities and environmental health information was lacking. A multifaceted approach is required to mitigate air pollution and the associated NCD risks in the region. The government needs to invest in air monitoring services, cleaner technologies, and environmental risk communication through various media channels. We strongly recommend public inclusion in planning, designing, and implementing educational interventions. Lastly, environmental risk factors such as air pollution should feature prominently in strategic plans for NCD prevention.

Governance inefficiencies threaten the potential of smart city projects to deliver equitable urban transformations. Current strategies often hinder implementation, and risk harmful technological effects on communities. Tackling this challenge demands urgent reforms to better integrate scientific insights into smarter governance practices.

Smart city technologies provide promising solutions for local governments to tackling societal challenges and enhancing public service provision. The global embrace of these digital innovations represents a new era in public sector advancements. However, it has also brought to light difficulties that existing public sector innovation (PSI) theories struggle to address. One key issue is the lack of comprehensive knowledge regarding the most critical barriers to implementing smart city projects and their intensity. We address this knowledge gap with a systematic literature review within the smart city domain, focusing on literature reporting on the barriers that local governments commonly encounter. This effort has culminated in the development of a conceptual framework that categorize smart city project barriers, forming a taxonomy that builds on and expand the most recent development in the PSI literature. This study contributes to PSI theory refinement by offering a more nuanced understanding of the barriers that local governments might experience when attempting to sustain digital innovation efforts. Moreover, this insight into PSI dynamics is a valuable resource for local governments as they seek to devise realistic mitigation strategies tailored to local development needs.