Purpose Urban environment maintenance is a critical component of Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED), yet its direct impact on crime reduction remains underexplored. Grounded in the Broken Windows Theory, this study investigates the relationship between urban maintenance factors and street crime in Manhattan, New York City. Design/methodology/approach This research employs a machine learning approach to analyze crime occurrences in relation to urban maintenance indicators. Using a grid-based spatial analysis (250 × 250 meters), we assess over 18,000 citizen-reported complaints from the 311 system spanning five years. Ensemble learning models, including Random Forest and XGBoost, were applied to predict crime occurrence, with SHAP (SHapley Additive exPlanations) analysis used to interpret feature importance. Findings The results reveal that environmental maintenance factors influencing crime vary significantly depending on local urban conditions. In high-crime areas, specific factors such as illegal parking, homeless presence, and abandoned vehicles exhibit stronger associations with crime rates, whereas noise and sanitation concerns play a more prominent role in low-crime areas. These findings suggest that crime prevention strategies should incorporate region-specific maintenance interventions rather than a one-size-fits-all approach. Originality/value This study advances the understanding of urban crime prevention by integrating machine learning-based predictive modeling with spatial environmental analysis. By identifying key maintenance factors contributing to crime variations at a granular level, the research provides actionable insights for policymakers, urban planners, and law enforcement agencies seeking to enhance urban safety through targeted environmental management.

Purpose This study aims to evaluate the spatial efficiency and functional integration of communal facilities and social infrastructure in public rental housing for single-person households in Seoul. Design/methodology/approach This study examines the spatial efficiency and functional integration of facilities for single-person households in public rental housing in central Seoul. It adopts a broad concept of the residential environment, covering both on-site communal facilities and surrounding social infrastructure within a 10-min walking distance. Findings The results reveal a clear imbalance in facility provision. Convenience and management-related facilities are consistently oversupplied within housing complexes, while essential public-oriented facilities – such as youth welfare, cultural and healthcare services – are markedly underprovided both on-site and in surrounding areas. In addition, functional redundancy is observed in facilities such as community spaces and convenience stores, indicating inefficient spatial use. Research limitations/implications Although based on accessibility indicators and a limited sample, the findings highlight the need to shift from complex-centered facility provision toward integrated, living-zone-based planning. Social implications The study provides insights for improving public rental housing environments and enhancing welfare services for the rapidly growing single-person household population. Originality/value By jointly analyzing on-site communal facilities and off-site social infrastructure, this study offers an integrated perspective largely absent from prior research and highlights redistribution and multifunctional integration as key strategies for improving urban public rental housing.

Purpose Building a healthy city that is conducive to improving residents' mental health is a current hot topic in the field of urban research on human health issues. The purpose of this study is to provide a comprehensive summary of research on the associations between the urban environment and mental health on the basis of bibliometrics. Design/methodology/approach VOSviewer software is used to analyze 129 publications from the Web of Science core dataset. Findings (1) Urban environmental exerts its health benefits by increasing exposure levels, providing ecological service functions and additional benefits. (2) Meditation, as an active intervention factor, reinforces the health benefits by strengthening the human-nature connection and enhances the effects of nature exposure. (3) There are some contradictions between existing examples of meditation-space cases and theoretical knowledge. Originality/value Some evidence has shown that more research is needed to understand the internal principles when meditation and the environment are superimposed, including examining the specific composition of environmental elements and clarifying the impact of environmental preferences on the willingness to meditate. The theoretical basis can then be fed back into urban design to improve mental health through active intervention.

Purpose This study aims to address the ongoing lack of professional knowledge regarding Roma housing in Serbia, which limits effective practical solutions. Building on previous research of informal Roma settlements, it focuses on a planned settlement transformed through adaptations by Roma residents. These changes reflect culturally conditioned life patterns and challenge standardized housing models imposed by non-Roma frameworks. The study stresses that understanding housing as a reflection of everyday social practices is essential for supporting spatial justice for the Roma community. Design/methodology/approach The research employs an interdisciplinary theoretical framework and an anthropological approach, treating housing as a complex system of practices and meanings. The fieldwork involved detailed observation, measurement and mapping of spatial changes compared to the original plan, along with prolonged engagement with residents to observe daily routines and spatial interactions. Due to the difficulty, or near impossibility, of obtaining consent for questionnaires or other forms of formal communication, the research was designed as participant observation based on field notes. Findings Results show residents independently transformed the planned settlement to align with their collective lifestyle and culture. All original housing units were significantly modified, revealing a mismatch between resident needs and the standardized housing model based on majority norms. Key spatial elements – courtyard clusters, streets and communal areas – were reconfigured or created to enhance social interaction and community cohesion. These adaptations highlight the importance of culturally responsive housing design. Research limitations/implications One limitation of this study is that it focuses on only one transformed planned Roma settlement in Belgrade (the only one of its kind), which may represent a limited research sample. Furthermore, the fact that Roma in Serbia constitute a heterogeneous group with diverse behavioral patterns suggests that the findings from Belgrade cannot be directly applied or generalized to other urban areas. Future research plans include expanding fieldwork to additional cities in Serbia and conducting comparative analyses, with the aim of achieving a more comprehensive understanding of spatial practices across different Roma communities. Social implications The research methodology and findings open the possibility of shifting existing professional paradigms from mere problem-solving to integrated understanding and design, enabling the development of inclusive and culturally conscious urbanistic and architectural solutions tailored to the Roma cultural context. Originality/value Unlike prior studies relying mainly on theory or surface observation, this research offers systematic, fieldwork-based insights into Roma residents' everyday spatial practices in Serbia. This anthropological approach fills a critical knowledge gap and provides a foundation for future design strategies aligned with real community needs and cultural practices.

Purpose This article aims to investigate the impact of the “smart people” parameter on the quality of life in smart cities built from scratch. The focus is on Aspern Seestadt near Vienna, examined within the smart city framework. Design/methodology/approach Data were collected from 500 residents of Aspern Seestadt through stratified random sampling using online and paper-based surveys. A pre-test (n = 20) ensured instrument clarity, and a G*Power analysis confirmed sufficient statistical power (>0.80). Validated scales from the smart city literature were adapted for the questionnaire. Data were analyzed using confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling (SEM) in SPSS 21 and AMOS 21, supported by reliability tests, Kaiser–Meyer–Olkin and Bartlett's tests and standard model fit indices. Findings Settlements built from scratch, where the “smart people” approach is actively implemented, demonstrate high overall quality of life. The analysis underscores the critical role of this parameter in shaping public policies and guiding municipal management. Strategic incorporation of the “smart people” dimension significantly enhances the effectiveness of smart city initiatives. However, more structured strategies and clearer frameworks are needed to systematically embed this dimension into policy development. Originality/value This study examines smart new cities from a human-centric perspective by evaluating the “smart people” parameter and its impact on quality of life. Empirical evidence is provided on how education, social participation and openness to innovation influence residents' well-being. While previous research has focused on technological infrastructure and governance, the role of human capital is emphasized here as an active and measurable driver of urban experiences. Using SEM, the study offers a novel methodological approach to understanding interactions between human-centric smart city attributes and residents' quality of life.

Purpose The purpose of this study was to uncover and evaluate the process and result of applying open building principles to create a long life (100 plus years), accommodating and dynamic building that could readily enable the iterative reconfiguration of spaces to reflect changing demographics and evolving pedagogies and to do so economically, with minimal disruption. Design/methodology/approach The focus of this article is the Discovery Building and Exploration Building at Santa Monica High School in Santa Monica, California. A collaboration of two architectural firms won the commission to design a major multi-purpose building on a high school campus with an open-ended program and a desire for flexibility. The design team proposed a loft building and designed it to be highly adaptable by employing strategies espoused by the internationally recognized open building movement. The team also won a second major commission for the Exploration Building, recently opened and inviting comparison between the two projects. Findings Now occupied for three years, the Discovery Building has become a model for future-proofing new facilities in the Santa Monica–Malibu Unified School District. Students and faculty have responded positively to the dynamic and flexible learning environment and changes in use and specific reconfigurations have been aided by the open building principles that have guided the design of this facility. Research limitations/implications Given the relatively short time span of the building's occupation, Discovery Building's capacity for change has not been fully tested. The project would greatly benefit from a full scale post-occupancy evaluation. The Exploration Building just opened last year and needs time to be tested through occupation, but it already invites comparisons in terms of similarities and differences in strategy. Social implications The way this building has been conceptualized and realized invites ongoing participation of faculty, students and administrators in the shaping of spaces that foster the education of both the individual and the collective. Originality/value The Discovery Building is the first education building explicitly designed according to open building principles in North America. As such, it is a model for future educational facilities of all kinds.

Purpose Amid rising global temperatures and resource constraints among developing economies, this study investigates gender-based variations in thermal comfort preferences and their impact on energy-related behaviours in Ghanaian university housing. Grounded in Gender Schema Theory, the research explores how thermal discomfort influences behavioural adaptation and social interactions. Design/methodology/approach The study used a cross-sectional survey of 735 university students across several campuses in Ghana. Quantitative analyses included independent-sample t-tests and multiple linear regression, with gender incorporated as an interaction term to evaluate moderation effects. Findings The results reveal that female students preferred warmer indoor temperatures more than males and engaged in thermally adaptive behaviours more frequently. Discomfort was indeed exacerbated, particularly among female occupants, by environmental determinants such as limited clothing insulation (mean Clo = 0.6), low air velocity (mean = 0.33 m/s), elevated relative humidity (mean = 78%) and high indoor temperatures (mean = 31.7 °C). These conditions contributed to an increase in thermal stress and sedentary activity levels (Met = 1.3), which also occurred. Research limitations/implications Female students demonstrated greater behavioural responsiveness toward these environmental stressors, which validated the limitations of prevailing male-centric thermal models and underscored the need for gender-sensitive approaches to indoor environmental design and management. Social implications Inclusive thermal comfort strategies may enhance social cohesion and promote equitable energy practices in student housing management. Originality/value This study introduces a gender-sensitive framework to the discourse on thermal comfort, advocating adaptive ventilation systems, preference-based roommate matching and participatory energy governance.