Attractive Environment Research Articles

Walkability assessment for university campuses in the MENA region. Case of Applied Science Private University (ASU), Amman, Jordan

ABSTRACT This study investigates the quality of pedestrian environments’ walkability at university campuses in MENA contexts. The Applied Science Private University (ASU) in Amman, Jordan, was employed as a study case; a total of (19) street segments were analysed, and a sample total of (57) campus users were considered. The study adopted mixed-methods including spatial mapping, photographic documentation, a tailored survey, and, an adaptation of the CDC audit tool which was developed for the study context – considering shade and terrain as two unique factors. The results were analysed using statistical tests, including the Cronbach alpha test, mean and standard deviation analysis, T-test, One-way ANOVA, and Bonferroni post hoc test. The results yielded that the campus has medium walking attractiveness. The average score for walkability suggests that it is considered a setting with intermediate risk for pedestrians and generally provides a pleasant and visually attractive environment. The study’s findings indicate that pedestrian facilities scored higher than vehicle-pedestrian roads. The mean value for both variables suggests that the presence of campus roads impacts the walkability of the environment. Overall, the study concludes that ASU has an opportunity to develop a more walkable campus by utilizing available landscapes to improve environmental quality and resources.

The Urgency of Notary Deed in Supporting Sustainable Economic Growth in Riau

This research aims to investigate and analyze the creation of a conducive business climate using notary deed in Riau. The results show that notary deed play a central role in creating a stable and attractive business environment for sustainable economic growth through interviews and documentation, including maximizing Nvivo 12 Plus analysis for data coding. In this context, business transactions become legally valid with notary deed to increase confidence in investing and conducting business. Even though the concept is essential in increasing legal certainty and creating a conducive business climate, several challenges are faced in the implementation, including awareness and education, cost and time, bureaucratic processes, and changing regulations.

THEORY OF "ATMOSPHERIC AESTHETICS" IN THE ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN OF TRADITIONAL CHINESE VILLAGES

Purpose of this study is to identify ways to apply the theory of atmospheric aesthetics in the design of traditional rural landscapes to enhance the visual and experiential appeal of rural areas. Today, the theory of "atmospheric aesthetics" is recognized as a foundation for revitalizing rural environments within the ecological design framework and is widely discussed in academic circles in China and around the World. Methodology. The research utilized literature analysis, inductive reasoning, case studies, and factor analysis of environmental design. Results. Based on the analysis of the practical application of the theory of "atmospheric aesthetics" in rural design, techniques to improve the aesthetic perception of traditional villages are demonstrated. The main advantages of using this theory in the design of traditional villages have been identified, such as: enhanced aesthetic experience; promotion of cultural heritage; improved quality of life; resolution of environmental crises. The practical application of the theory of "atmospheric aesthetics" helps create a unique artistic atmosphere and emotional resonance, making rural landscapes more attractive and strengthening the sense of identity and belonging among residents. Emphasis on preserving traditional cultural elements, such as ancient architecture and streets, contributes to the continuity of cultural heritage and the sustainable development of rural areas. Scientific novelty. Theoretical and practical approaches to rural environment design based on the theory of "atmospheric aesthetics" have been further developed. Extensive evaluations of the effectiveness of using this theory in rural design were conducted during field studies and surveys in various locations. This innovative theory enriched methods of studying environmental aesthetics, offering scientific support for rural revitalization strategies and innovative designs. Practical significance. The practical significance of the obtained results lies in their potential application by designers in the design of traditional Chinese village environments, where an aesthetically comfortable and attractive environment for both local residents and tourists is created based on the identification of emotional and sensory qualities of the surroundings.

An Outdoor Educational Experience in Health Professions Education: Beyond a Focus Group Study

Outdoor learning can relate students with environment, community, society and themselves. It can benefit students of all ages and successful in a variety of settings. Furthermore, it can enrich the curriculum and improve educational attainment. So, the present study has tried to explore experience of PhD candidates in Medical Education through a focus group. Data were collected from PhD students in medical education after participating in an outdoor session through a focus group which is frequently used as a qualitative approach to gain an in-depth understanding of social issues. Data were analyzed through conventional content analysis approach. Fifteen PhD candidates participated in focus group. Most of them aged above 35. The majority of them were working at Education Development Center (EDC), the rest were clinical practitioner, faculty member and people involved with educational activities. As to conventional content analysis of data, two main categories of instructional and inspirational sides of outdoor learning had emerged with three (Different physical space, Environmental distractors, and Innovative teaching method) and four subcategories (Informal communication, Attractive learning environment, inducing reflection, and making a new viewpoint) respectively. It is recommended to include the outdoor learning experience to provide situations for research and practice. It should be noted that curriculum reform might be necessary for planning the Outdoor learning environments and associated teaching learning methods.

Shareholder rights in Ukraine: some protection mechanisms and corporate relations

This article provides a detailed analysis of the establishment and protection of shareholders’ rights in Ukraine, which is an important component of corporate governance and the country’s development. The protection of shareholders’ rights ensures the stability of financial markets and contributes to attracting investments. The legal status of shareholders, their rights, and obligations play a crucial role in the functioning of joint-stock companies. The primary way to acquire shareholder status is by purchasing shares on the stock market, as well as through the transfer of shares via inheritance or gifting. The Law of Ukraine «On Joint-Stock Companies» regulates these processes, establishing shareholders’ rights to participate in general meetings, receive dividends, and access information about the company’s activities. One of the important functions of the law is to provide shareholders with the opportunity to protect their rights in the event of violations. The mechanisms for protecting shareholders’ rights include legal recourse and filing complaints with the National Commission on Securities and Stock Market (hereinafter – NCSSM). This government body oversees the activities of joint-stock companies, ensuring compliance with legal requirements regarding the issuance and circulation of securities. The NCSSM also has the authority to impose sanctions on companies that violate shareholders’ rights. Transparency and openness in the activities of joint-stock companies are crucial aspects of shareholder protection. Companies are required to provide information about their financial activities and management decisions, but in practice, this is not always done properly. In such cases, the NCSSM may impose fines and demand that violations be corrected. In Ukraine, shareholder relations and corporate governance are undergoing significant transformations under the influence of globalization, continuous legislative updates, and the growth of the stock market. These changes create new opportunities for business development but also present new challenges for shareholders and companies. The protection of shareholders’ rights is one of the cornerstones of ensuring economic stability and forming an attractive investment environment. An effective system of corporate governance that guarantees fair protection of shareholders’ interests is a necessary condition for increasing trust in the Ukrainian market and attracting international investors. International practice plays an important role in the implementation of corporate governance standards in Ukraine. The principles developed by international organizations are aimed at ensuring fair treatment of shareholders, increasing transparency, and enhancing the accountability of management bodies. This contributes to the protection of shareholders’ rights, improves the investment climate, and fosters the development of corporate culture in Ukraine.

Architecture of transit spaces

The problem of modern cities is considered - the need to ensure efficient and comfortable movement of people and goods. With the development of transport, the issue of maintaining an attractive pedestrian environment arises. The concept of “architecture of transit spaces” and the role of transit routes in the planning structure of the city are revealed, and their diversity is examined. These spaces include various elements of urban infrastructure, pedestrian streets, boulevards, squares, underground passages, passages that provide connections between different parts of the city. The study identified four main groups of transit spaces: streets, bridges, covered walkways and temporary structures. Using the example of real objects, factors influencing the formation of transit routes, their scale and geometry, functional content and, as a result, the architecture itself are studied.

Older adults and game-based systems: Engagement model and player types of characterization based on their motivations

Older adults are now actively participating in game-based systems. They find in these technological solutions not only a form of entertainment and socialization, but also a way to stimulate themselves physically and cognitively. Although, their participation is increasing, they face challenges such as the digital divide, since most of the games are oriented to a young audience with different tastes and motivations. Therefore, although positive results are obtained in terms of participation, there is still potential for improvement, since current game experiences are not fully adapted to the tastes and needs of older adults. Consequently, the objective of this paper is to propose a characterization of the types of players in older adults, based on the motivations previously identified. This is to better understand this population and design more appropriate game experiences. It is hoped that from the results of this research it will be possible to create attractive and fun game environments for older adults, thus improving their experience as players in these systems.

Clean energy challenges and innovation opportunities in Kazakhstan

Abstract Kazakhstan has pledged to transition to a low-carbon economy by implementing national policies and strategies that promote clean energy innovation. However, Kazakhstan is still falling short of its expected targets for energy transition, and there is a lack of knowledge regarding the country’s challenges and opportunities for clean energy development. Towards this end, the current study identifies and assesses the enablers and barriers related to clean energy innovation in Kazakhstan. Using the combination of SWOT analysis, survey data from 41 experts and the DEMATEL decision support tool, we evaluated the key factors affecting Kazakhstan’s clean energy innovation and their implications for energy transition. Assessment results show that the immature business environment, underpinned by technological, institutional, and socioeconomic factors, is perceived as a high-impact constraint for clean energy innovation and green finance deployment in Kazakhstan. Skilled labour shortages, high reliance on hydrocarbons and low retail energy prices are significant challenges to Kazakhstan’s clean energy innovation. The low-profit margin and high investment risk in clean energy projects are identified as transition barriers in the power and energy-intensive industries. In contrast, Kazakhstan’s endowments of resources critical for developing clean energy technologies (rare earth metals, uranium, gas) and the potential of low-carbon investments (e.g. carbon storage) are perceived as prominent enablers of clean energy innovation. Results are consistent across expert subgroups (academia, industry, NGOs, etc). Findings call for policy support to modern and attractive business environments, capacity, and human capital development. The findings can provide helpful insights for countries in Central Asia and beyond with similar socioeconomic structures that aim for a timely energy transition.

Transforming University Library Building Conservation: A Descriptive Study of Preservation Practices in Nigeria

The study examined the conservation of library building for effective information preservation among university libraries in Enugu State, Nigeria. Descriptive survey with population of 325 library staff made up the study. The instruments for collecting data is questionnaire, analysed and presented in mean score, standard deviation as well as percentage and t-test. Results: conservation criteria for library building are clearing and cleaning of the library building, repair of roof, windows and doors, installation of fire and smoke alarm system, and the provision of enough security personnel around the building. Library buildings are being conserved to protect resources against natural disasters like flooding, and earthquake, against man-made disaster like fire, making library resources accessible, promote an end to wasteful use of non-renewable information resources, to encourages best practices in records management, and it provides an extremely attractive environment for the use of books. Findings on the adequacy level of policy and regulatory framework shows that disaster management, storage capacity for documentary resources, appropriateness of environmental conditions are to be consider in the library. The study recommended that the university library management should provide monitoring system for environmental condition, storage capacity for digital resources and disaster preventive measure in the library.

A County-Level Analysis of the Economic Performance in Romania and Bulgaria Using Hierarchical Algorithms

The EU Regional Competitiveness Index 2.0 measures a region’s ability to provide an attractive environment for businesses and residents to work and live. According to this indicator, countries in the southern and eastern regions of the European Union are reported to have the lowest values. As it measures the performance of NUTS-2 regions, it was desired to study the problem in more detail, reaching the NUTS-3 level. Thus, within the current research, Romania and Bulgaria are studied by means of a county-level analysis of the economies of the two states established through the prism of the labor market, the field of health, transport, enterprises, tourism, education, and research. Through eight indicators, a series of maps designed to present the situation of the two states was illustrated, and the investigation continued with a cluster analysis carried out by the implementation of hierarchical algorithms. During the course of the current study, a classification and a ranking of the counties of the two countries were performed to determine the areas with the best or, in contrast, the poorest performance.

Analysis of the resource base and competition of business tourism in Moscow

This paper analyzes the resource base in the context of the competitiveness of business tourism in Moscow. It considers the key elements that form the infrastructure of business tourism, such as the hotel sector, transport accessibility, service level and the presence of business centers. Particular attention is paid to a comparative analysis with other large cities, which helps to identify the strengths and weaknesses of Moscow’s offer. It also considers factors influencing the development of business tourism, including macroeconomic conditions, trends in event organization and digitalization of services. The importance of cooperation between government and the private sector to create an attractive environment for international business clients is emphasized. In conclusion, recommendations are formulated for optimizing the city’s resource base to increase competitiveness and improve the image of Moscow as one of the leading destinations for business tourism.

Cthink.It. A Board-game for Computational Thinking in Early Years

Computational Thinking (CT) refers to a specific set of mental skills used to formulate solutions to problems by converting given inputs to produce appropriate outputs while following detailed algorithms to perform this process. Essentially, CT is broadly defined as a combination of thinking processes which include abstraction, algorithm design, decomposition, pattern recognition and data representation. Board-games can be used in the educational process as a learning tool while creating an attractive and authentic learning environment, providing an educational approach which is transdisciplinary, developing and utilizing multiple skills. Using board-games in Early Childhood Education (ECE) cultivates students' social skills, 21st century skills and cognitive skills, while helping them to increase their motivation and achieve the objectives of the curriculum framework. In this paper, the aforementioned areas are combined through the presentation of a board-game that was designed within the CThink.it Erasmus+ project (2022-1-MT01-KA220-SCH-000086903) for cultivating CT competency in the early years. The backstory is a toy, lost in a museum and through a series of activities, it is to be returned to the child-owner. Prior to designing the game, a systematic literature review was conducted so as to provide foundation for the game itself and a set of associated lesson plans. The produced materials were pilot tested in schools. The paper aims to provide preliminary data for the game evaluation, focusing on the issues of playability, age appropriateness, connection to curricula and the teachers’ perspective on the usability of the game as teaching resource for ECE. For that, the research methodology will be presented, along with preliminary findings.

Literature Review: Analysis of the Relationship between Employer Branding, Employee Engagement, and Employee Retention

Employer branding is a crucial concept for companies in creating a comfortable and attractive work environment for employees. This research aims to emphasize the importance of employer branding in retaining employees and increasing their engagement. The method used in this study is the Systematic Literature Review (SLR), which examines various sources from databases such as Scopus, Emerald, and Google Scholar. The search criteria include journals that are openly accessed and written in English and Indonesian. The results of the study show that employer branding has a significant influence on employee retention. When companies build a positive image as a workplace, employees tend to feel more engaged and loyal. In addition, emotional factors such as employee engagement have also been shown to have a strong impact. Employees who feel emotionally engaged with the company tend to be more productive and motivated. Thus, companies that focus on employer branding are not only able to retain employees, but also create a more passionate and dedicated team. This makes employer branding a strategy that should not be ignored by companies in facing human resource challenges in the modern era.

Visual Pollution of the Banks of the Tigris River in Baghdad City Capital of Iraq

The study titled "Visual Pollution of the Tigris Riverbanks in Baghdad City" consists of two main sections: the first section is dedicated to the theoretical framework, while the second section covers the practical aspect (field study). Specific areas of Baghdad were selected for this study due to the widespread presence of solid waste along the riverbanks. The importance of the study lies in the fact that visual pollution is one of the dangerous types of pollution that affects both human health and the environment. The study concluded that visual pollution along the Tigris River banks results from the impact of human activities spread linearly along the river, and the lack of environmental awareness among residents has negatively affected the river environment through the disposal of household and construction waste and the discharge of untreated wastewater from sewage treatment plants. The research recommends the importance of strict monitoring of human activities near the river, imposing financial penalties on violators of environmental standards, and working on rehabilitating and developing the riverbanks to make them attractive environments for residents, turning them into tourist and recreational areas that serve the city.

Вплив розвитку ринку землі на фінансову стійкість та рівень соціального забезпечення в територіальних громадах

The article reveals the peculiarities of the development of the land market in Ukraine and its impact on the socio-economic state of society in general and territorial communities in particular. Understanding the impact of the land market on regional development is vital in today’s challenging environment. Land of various purposes, in the communal ownership of territorial communities, is one of the most essential resources in today’s conditions. Since the moratorium on the sale of agricultural land was lifted, the land market in Ukraine has significantly revived and provided new opportunities for the development of territories. Renting land plots, selling property, and privatizing can become important sources of income for communities. In particular, the community budgets receive the following taxes related to agricultural land: land tax, rent for communal land, a single tax for agricultural producers, and tax on the income of individuals received from the lease or sale of land plots. Thus, in modern conditions, the development of the land market has a significant impact on the prospects of financial stability and social security in territorial communities. Therefore, the proper development of the land market will contribute not only to the economy but also to the social development of the regions of the state. An assessment of the development possibilities of the domestic land market in the context of the socio-economic development of the territories was carried out. Unlocking the potential of the land market can lead to an influx of investments, improvement of transport and social infrastructure, creation of new jobs, improvement of people’s living standards, and promotion of regional development. The introduction of the land market and further legalization of land transactions are positive factors for developing land relations in the country. However, today, land reform is at the stage of establishing accurate and stable market relations in agricultural land circulation, which is an integral part of this process. Despite numerous restrictions, the land market is currently functioning, which, in turn, contributes to the creation of an attractive investment environment. Therefore, constructive steps for further developing Ukraine’s land market to increase the efficiency of this process and strengthen the financial stability and capacity of territorial communities have been substantiated. Keywords: land, land market, territorial communities, financial sustainability of territorial communities.

Village Waste Management Strategy as an Economic Asset: Accounting Evaluation an Implementation of Sustainable Practices in Bongkasa Village, Abiansemal District, Badung Regency

Bongkasa Village faces significant challenges in waste management, which has become increasingly complex due to population growth, cultural activities, and rising consumption. The Community Service Program (KKN-PMM) aims to evaluate the economic potential of waste management using an accounting approach, enabling efficient and sustainable management of waste. Additionally, this program seeks to empower the local community with knowledge and skills in environmentally friendly and economical waste management practices, contributing to the creation of a clean, healthy, and attractive village environment for eco-tourism development. This service indicates that although the community's knowledge of waste management is fairly good, there are differing views on the burden of waste management. To address this, it is recommended to implement activity-based budgeting that includes budget allocation for facilities, sorting technology, and incentive programs. By making appropriate budget allocations and ensuring good oversight, it is hoped that the efficiency and effectiveness of the waste management program can improve. Furthermore, continuous socialization and education through routine outreach programs are essential to enhance community knowledge, starting from elementary school students about the importance of waste sorting and its benefits for the environment. The support provided must be integrated with budget management to ensure that all aspects of the ongoing program can be optimized, fostering active community participation and improving waste management quality in Bongkasa Village.

METHODS FOR MANAGING VISUAL QUALITIES OF LIGHTING IN PUBLIC SPACES OF THE CITY

Raising of problem. Lighting is an important aspect of creating an attractive and comfortable urban environment. It can enhance the aesthetics of night-time cities by highlighting architectural details, highlighting significant urban locations and creating areas for public interaction. Properly designed lighting affects the health and comfort of citizens. It can improve mood, sleep, reduce fatigue and improve visual function. With the development of new lighting technologies and digital innovations, it becomes possible to introduce modern approaches to urban lighting planning into architectural practice.At the present stage of innovative development of street lighting technologies, the Urban Lighting Masterplan (ULMP) is playing an increasingly important role. These are strategies that regulate and fix the basic requirements for organizing sustainable artificial lighting in urban spaces. Purpose. This study is devoted to the principles of managing the visual qualities of the illuminated architectural environment. For the first time, a framework for the formation of criteria for assessing the visual qualities of the architectural environment is proposed. GIS is considered as a promising tool for managing the visual qualities of lighting, the levels of which are formed in accordance with the functions of visual comfort. The following nine basic functions of visual comfort are defined, each of which is the basis for creating GIS layers: 1. Adaptive; 2. Axiological; 3. Compensatory; 4. Integrating; 5. Aesthetic; 6. Cultural; 7. Social memory function; 8. Epistemological; 9. Ethical. Each subsequent layer adds its own light sources. For each of these nine functions, two lighting properties are proposed: color and light. Each property is described by four characteristics: color − saturation, lightness, color temperature, color tone; light (luminous flux) – brightness, illumination, contrast. Conclusion. An idea of the approaches and structure of the assessment of the visual qualities of illuminated public spaces has been formed. It is hypothesized that the optimal approach to the analysis of existing situations in the lighting of open public spaces and the formation of sets of requirements for improving their visual qualities is the use of GIS. A hypothesis was formed about the structure of the criteria for assessing the visual qualities of lighting, based on the psychophysiological, emotional-aesthetic, and pictorial-artistic levels of perception of the architectural environment.Thus, the approach described in the article allows us to formulate criteria for assessing the visual comfort of artificial lighting of public spaces.

دور الحكومة الرقمية في دعم النمو الاقتصادي للدول - دراسة حالة: دولة الإمارات العربية المتحدة

The study aimed to identify the reality and future of implementing digital government in the United Arab Emirates, and its role in supporting the country’s economic growth. This is done by learning about the concept of digital government, its elements, and its importance, and then learning about the foundations of implementing digital government in the United Arab Emirates. The role of the digital government in enhancing the position of the United Arab Emirates regionally and internationally as a center for technical progress and e-commerce, and knowing the position of the United Arab Emirates in the relevant global competitiveness indicators through the use of the descriptive analytical approach and the case study approach. The study reached a set of results, the most important of which are: The contribution of the United Arab Emirates’ adoption of modern technology and its application to digital government in achieving the concept of leadership and innovation, and developing distinguished infrastructure, as the country has allocated large investments to support the information technology sector; This led it to become a regional center for information and communication technology services and industry, and created an attractive investment environment in the information technology sector, which enhanced the diversification of sources of income and increased the size of the gross domestic product and its dependence on non-oil sectors, as the percentage of increase in the gross domestic product reached 7.9%. Year 2022, these sectors, of all types, relied on a qualified infrastructure of technical development, which highlights the importance of the state adopting technical progress through digital government in supporting economic growth. Digital transformation in the United Arab Emirates also contributed to enhancing its competitiveness in the international system by occupying first place globally in 23 indicators in 2020 in multiple sectors, including communications, health, work, and residence, all of which fall within the digital transformation in the United Arab Emirates. The study recommended a set of recommendations, including the need to generalize the success of the United Arab Emirates’ experience in implementing the digital government project to Arab countries; this is due to the success of its application in the UAE and its role in facilitating and simplifying all procedures and services provided to customers. Its impact on reducing time and costs, and its role in attracting investments and promoting economic growth. In addition to continuing to build and strengthen the education system using modern technical means, which contributes to spreading the culture of information technology and preparing technically qualified educational personnel to deal with the requirements of technical development.

Multi-Criteria Evaluation of the Institutional and Tax Environment for Business in the EU Economies

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the institutional and tax environment for businesses in 21 countries of the European Union (EU), using a multi-criteria analysis and, in particular, the PROMETHEE II method, based on thirteen evaluation criteria and the ranking of the European economies. Through the research, the importance of factors related to the efficiency of the tax administration, the tax capacity of the country, the growth rate of the economy, the quality of institutions, the level of corruption, the tax burden, the time of tax compliance and the political stability of the country is studied, in the formation of an attractive environment for the development of entrepreneurship in the EU economies. Moreover, the results of the analysis revealed the existence of significant fiscal and institutional differences between the EU economies under investigation, regarding the development of entrepreneurship. These differences are due to the size of the economy, the institutions, the history, the economic crises of each country and a wide range of dissimilar policy recommendations, which reflect asymmetric policy responses. The study concludes by offering theoretical and political recommendations to improve the institutional and fiscal environment in EU economies so that entrepreneurship can play an important role in improving the economic and social situation of a country.

Moderating effect of institutional quality on the influence of debt on investment in sub-Saharan Africa

The relationship between external debt and economic growth has been extensively studied by researchers and policymakers. However, the link between external debt and domestic investment remains an underexplored area of research. Therefore, this paper investigates the nexus between external debt and domestic investment, using institutional quality as a moderator. The sample consists of 47 sub-Saharan African countries with data spanning from 1996 to 2021. The empirical findings from conventional and robust estimators indicate that external debt negatively and significantly hampers domestic investment, while institutional quality plays a significant moderating role in this relationship. Additionally, the benefits of debt can only be realized by the SSA region when the average quality of institutions is above − 1.174 on the scale of − 2.5 to 2.5. The in-depth analysis offers insights that high-quality institutions (above a certain threshold) can help countries leverage debt for positive outcomes by promoting efficient resource allocation and attracting further investment. Thus, policymakers are advised to uphold debt management strategies and institutional reforms, such as reducing corruption, improving property rights, and strengthening the rule of law, to ensure transparency in debt use and maintain a sustainable debt burden. This will create a more attractive environment for both domestic and foreign investment. The results remain robust to alternative methodologies.