On the incidental exposure of the general public to invasive forest pests through mainstream media

Exploring administrative burden theory: The relationship between digital inclusion and human development.

ABSTRACT Post-war suburbanisation is a foundational element of the Australian urban experience but brought a balance sheet of social costs alongside material benefits. Most development authorities were slow to acknowledge the need for a more explicit social approach to urban questions until the 1970s, a decade of questioning conventional wisdom, promoting wider community participation, and greater awareness of the importance of place in planning outcomes. This paper explores this narrative in reconstructing the career and contributions of a relatively forgotten figure in the development of Australian planning. Caroline Kelly (1899–1989) pursued a remarkably varied life. Her three core careers: actress-entrepreneur, social anthropologist, and social planner were shaped throughout by her feminist outlook. Kelly’s third career for a succession of major planning bodies in Sydney saw her advising on social wellbeing and placemaking activities for relocated suburban populations and receiving communities as the social aspects of urban planning were first being considered as an integral part of the wider planning mission. In an era of great social change, her skills in communication and social research enabled her to appreciate and promote consideration of human issues in the planning process. Kelly’s was a resolute voice for qualitative inquiry, and for planners listening to, acknowledging, and addressing the needs of displaced communities, with particular concern for the isolation, loneliness and lack of social infrastructure suffered by women, children and teenagers in suburbia. A place-based perspective provides the interpretive structure to analyse Kelly’s activities from the 1940s to the 1980s. Caroline Kelly’s social research revealed that all residents in expanding urban environments were experiencing social displacement and disconnection. Kelly promoted better-informed planning and active place-making supports to encourage the reformation of individual social identity, thereby nurturing a stronger connection to place. As a social anthropologist, university lecturer and planning consultant, Kelly helped drive the emergence of social planning as a fundamental component of modern planning in Australia.

The rapid expansion of national digital health infrastructures has transformed the way citizens interact with healthcare systems. However, the long‐term success of these platforms depends not only on technological implementation but also on users’ perceptions and continued engagement. This study investigates how the usability of a national mobile health application influences users’ behavioral intention through the mediating role of e‐satisfaction. Drawing on usability and technology acceptance literature, the study proposes a research model in which the perceived usability of a mobile health application positively affects users’ behavioral intention both directly and indirectly via e‐satisfaction. Empirical data were collected from users of the Turkish national digital health platform e‐Nabız through a structured survey. The proposed research model was tested using structural equation modeling techniques. The results indicate that mobile health application usability significantly enhances users’ e‐satisfaction, which in turn positively influences behavioral intention, including recommendation intention and continued preference intention. Interestingly, the analysis revealed that even negative usability perceptions were associated with increased e‐satisfaction, likely reflecting the quasimandatory nature of the platform, where functional necessity and perceived value can outweigh usability difficulties. The findings also demonstrate the mediating role of e‐satisfaction in the relationship between usability and behavioral intention. By focusing on a large‐scale national digital health platform, this study contributes to the growing literature on digital health adoption by highlighting the importance of usability‐driven user experience in quasimandatory digital health systems. The results provide practical insights for policymakers and digital health system designers seeking to improve citizen engagement and long‐term utilization of national digital health infrastructures.

ABSTRACT Urban design is crucial in fostering sustainable, resilient and inclusive cities. As digital technology advances, digital twins have emerged as a powerful tool for enhancing citizen participation in urban design. This scoping review systematically explores and maps existing digital twin-based frameworks, methods and tools that engage citizens in urban design processes. By synthesizing findings from 26 studies, this review identifies key trends, challenges and research gaps in implementing digital twins for participatory urban planning. The results suggest that digital twins facilitate enhanced decision-making, bridge the gap between experts and citizens and improve the accessibility of urban planning through interactive platforms. However, data governance, inclusivity and technical integration complexity persist. This study proposes a Digital Twin Framework that categorizes digital twins into four types: analytical, visualization-driven, interactive participatory and operational, each serving distinct functions in citizen engagement. The findings underscore the need for further research on the socio-technical implications of digital twin adoption in urban design, ensuring equitable and effective citizen participation. Future work should address technical barriers, ethical considerations and policy frameworks to maximize the potential of digital twins in shaping urban environments.

Within the broader context of digital transformation in local governance, digital strategies are increasingly recognised as critical enablers of the localisation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). These strategies encompass a wide range of technology-driven interventions, including e-governance platforms, digital data systems, mobile applications, digital service-delivery tools and big data initiatives. Despite this promising outlook, the specific pathways through which digital strategies shape SDG localisation processes in African contexts, particularly in Zimbabwe, remain fragmented and underexplored in the existing literature. This study addresses this gap by mapping and synthesising the fragmented, multidisciplinary literature on digital strategies adopted by local governments to support SDG localisation, while also identifying the opportunities and challenges associated with their implementation in Zimbabwe. To achieve this objective, a scoping review is employed as the most appropriate methodological approach for examining the emergent, multidisciplinary and heterogeneous body of knowledge in this field. The findings of the review indicate that the digital strategies adopted by local governments offer significant opportunities to advance SDG localisation through improved transparency, accountability, service delivery efficiency and citizen engagement. However, the review also identifies several persistent constraints, including deficits in digital infrastructure, limited digital skills and technical capacity, financial constraints and institutional, policy and political barriers. Theoretically, the study contributes to ongoing debates at the intersection of SDG localisation, digital governance and sustainable development scholarship. Practically, it provides an evidence base to inform future empirical research, policy design and context-responsive digital interventions aimed at strengthening local-level SDG implementation.

This study examines policy directions for data protection and security in smart cities from a digital communication governance perspective by integrating regulatory frameworks, technological innovations, and communication-based governance mechanisms to address emerging digital risks. A systematic mapping study guided by the PRISMA protocol was conducted using the Scopus database, covering publications from 2015 to 2024 and employing a comprehensive search strategy on smart cities, data protection, privacy, cybersecurity, data governance, and Internet of Things security. The study applies two complementary approaches: bibliometric mapping using RStudio-Biblioshiny and CiteSpace to identify thematic clusters, keyword citation bursts, and topic evolution, and qualitative policy-oriented synthesis of high-impact and highly relevant studies to translate bibliometric patterns into actionable policy insights. The findings reveal three dominant conceptual domains: technology ecosystems (e.g., IoT, artificial intelligence, blockchain), privacy-enhancing techniques (e.g., federated learning, differential privacy, cryptography), and regulatory and governance frameworks (e.g., GDPR compliance, consent management, and fundamental rights). From a communication perspective, these domains are closely linked to processes of digital information exchange, risk communication, transparency, and citizen engagement within smart city systems. The results demonstrate that effective data protection in smart cities depends not only on strong synergy between technical safeguards and policy governance, but also on how data-related risks and policies are communicated, understood, and trusted by the public. This study proposes a multi-level policy framework linking regulatory instruments, privacy-enhancing technologies, and institutional governance mechanisms, complemented by communication-based approaches such as transparency, risk communication, and public engagement, operating across city, national, and cross-border levels. The study contributes to smart city governance and communication literature by offering an explicit and integrative policy model that supports adaptive, citizen-centered, and sustainable data protection strategies in the digital age.

The influence of perceived dimensions of sustainability on life satisfaction and citizen engagement in developing countries

As citizen participation gains traction in the European energy transition, diverse forms of collective energy initiatives (CEIs) emerge as key mechanisms for enabling stronger citizen involvement in the energy system and changing consumption behavior. Fully understanding all forms of collective energy initiatives is crucial to avoid the risk of misaligning engagement with people's lived realities, interests, and capacities, and to inadvertently alienating or excluding groups whose preferred forms of participation do not fit the dominant form of engagement. Drawing on original survey data from 232 participants across Europe, collected within the Horizon 2020 ENCLUDE project, this paper compares two main CEI types: Energy Communities (ECs) and Collective Targeted Actions (CTAs), across different dimensions including participant demographics, motivations, barriers, behavioral outcomes, and internal diversity of engagement. Findings reveal distinct motivation factors, participation patterns and behavioral changes. EC participants display broader, value-driven engagement encompassing both technical actions and lifestyle shifts. CTA participants engage more instrumentally, focusing on specific project goals with limited lifestyle transformation. While ECs face higher institutional and procedural barriers, CTAs offer easier entry but may produce limited engagement. Within ECs, a clustering analysis based on mean self-reported behavioral change scores identifies three profiles (Low-Engagement Members, Technically Driven, and Lifestyle Transformers), illustrating different participation and behavioral changes. Policy frameworks should therefore support a diverse ecosystem of CEIs, recognizing CTAs as entry points and ECs as catalysts for deeper transformation. Reducing participation barriers, tailoring engagement strategies, and embedding energy justice considerations are essential for an inclusive and equitable energy transition.

Community Renewable Energy (CRE) projects play a critical role in the global clean energy transition by enabling citizens to collectively own and manage energy systems. Despite growing interest, the factors driving participation—and the extent of their influence—remain underexplored. Most prior studies conceptualize participation narrowly, overlook the relative importance of drivers, and rely on traditional statistical methods that struggle to capture complex behavioral patterns. Addressing these gaps requires approaches suited to high-dimensional data with nonlinear interactions. Machine Learning (ML) offers the flexibility to model such complexity, while explainable Artificial Intelligence (XAI) techniques provide transparency by interpreting predictions independently of the underlying algorithm—essential for generating policy-relevant insights. Using Australia as a case study, this research addresses three questions: whether ML models can accurately predict citizens’ multi-role participation levels; how robust model-agnostic explanations are when applied to heterogeneous behavioral data; and what factors drive varying levels of engagement. We surveyed 875 residents on their participation across ten CRE roles—from investing to volunteering and advocacy—synthesizing responses into a composite involvement score categorized as low, medium, or high. Classification algorithms including eXtreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost), Multi-layer Perceptron (MLP), and Keras-based Sequential models were paired with SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP)—a model-agnostic XAI method—using Tree SHAP, Kernel SHAP, and Deep SHAP variants for interpretation. To evaluate explanation robustness, we developed two novel metrics: the Stability Correlation Index (SCI) and the Explanation Integrity Metric (EIM), which introduce targeted perturbations to key features. XGBoost with Tree SHAP achieved the highest stability, with SCI above 99% and EIM near zero at moderate perturbation levels. Key findings reveal that plans to adopt renewable technologies polarize participation into high or low levels, while perceptions of corporate-owned projects act as a double-edged factor driving both engagement extremes. Increased awareness of policy risks motivates moderate participation, suggesting opportunities to leverage risk communication. These insights offer practical strategies for policymakers and project developers seeking to broaden and deepen citizen engagement in CRE initiatives. • Developed SCI and EIM metrics to measure explainers’ sensitivity. • Employed XGBoost and Tree SHAP to provide robust explanations. • Plans to adopt renewable technologies polarize participation into high or low levels. • Belief in corporate-owned projects drives both high and low engagement extremes. • Policy risk awareness motivates moderate participation, challenging deterrence views.

A framework to design and evaluate citizen engagement strategies to accelerate the energy transition

Citizen science has the potential to increase the amount of data collected on various subjects, as well as enhancing the scientific literacy of the citizens involved. This study aimed to evaluate the contribution of citizen science to the study of marine biodiversity in the Professor Luiz Saldanha Marine Park, a marine protected area located in mainland Portugal. The methodology consisted of applying an online survey to divers of the study area, which included questions on their sociodemographic profile, diving characteristics, motivations and challenges for diving, and species observation recording habits. From the survey, 102 valid responses were obtained, indicating that the majority of respondents have some diving experience, a high level of education, and an interest in recording the species observed. The results suggest that divers have the potential to contribute valuable data to citizen science initiatives. However, actual participation in citizen science platforms remains limited. Overall, the findings indicate that citizen science can enhance knowledge of marine biodiversity in the study area, although greater optimization of data usage and increased citizen engagement are needed. These insights can inform the development of targeted strategies to increase diver participation in biodiversity monitoring, thereby improving the integration of citizen-contributed data into marine conservation efforts. • Citizen science enhances data collection while improving scientific literacy among participants. • An online survey assessed how 102 divers can contribute to marine biodiversity data in Professor Luiz Saldanha Marine Park, Portugal. • Most divers are experienced and interested in recording species, indicating potential for valuable contributions. • Because engagement with citizen science platforms is limited, strategies to boost participation are presented.

Karang Taruna is a community-based youth organization. Karang Taruna plays a strategic role in strengthening the character of young citizens at the village or sub-district level. As a vehicle for character education, Karang Taruna provides a social learning space through community service activities, creativity development, and leadership. This study aims to describe how Karang Taruna functions as a non-formal character education environment that supports the strengthening of civic engagement of young citizens. The method used is descriptive qualitative with data collection through observation, interviews, and documentation of Karang Taruna activities in Ngijo Village, Gunungpati, Semarang. The results show that Karang Taruna activities are able to facilitate the internalization of character values ​​through direct experience, cross-age social interactions, and community-based leadership practices. In addition, Karang Taruna serves as a space for the actualization of the younger generation in solving local social problems, thereby fostering civic skills. This study confirms that Karang Taruna is an important instrument in national character education because it is able to integrate Pancasila values ​​and the principles of civic engagement in the daily lives of young people.

This study investigates how Artificial Intelligence (AI) can be systematically leveraged to reinvent smart cities by optimizing legacy infrastructures for greater efficiency, sustainability, and inclusivity. In response to the accelerating challenges of global urbanization, the research examines how AI’s predictive, adaptive, and autonomous capabilities can transform existing systems in transportation, energy management, waste management, public safety, and citizen engagement without the financial and environmental costs of large-scale redevelopment. Employing a qualitative and conceptual research design grounded in a systematic literature review, the study analyzed eighty-five scholarly, institutional, and industry sources published between 2020 and 2025. The findings reveal that AI integration significantly enhances operational performance across all urban domains, reducing traffic congestion by up to 25%, improving energy efficiency by 15–20%, and cutting waste management costs by 10–15%. However, the results also indicate that the benefits of AI deployment are unevenly distributed, heavily influenced by governance capacity, ethical oversight, and citizen participation. The study developed a socio-technical framework that positions AI as a central enabler linking technological innovation with governance, ethics, and social inclusion. This framework emphasizes three interdependent pillars: technological intelligence, institutional capacity, and social inclusion as prerequisites for sustainable urban transformation. The research concludes that the reinvention of smart cities requires not merely the adoption of advanced technology but the creation of accountable, human-centered governance systems that ensure equity, transparency, and trust. Ultimately, the study contributes a conceptual and policy-relevant foundation for reimagining AI-enabled cities as adaptive, resilient, and ethically governed ecosystems. It offers practical insights for policymakers, urban planners, and researchers seeking to balance innovation with sustainability, efficiency with equity, and digital progress with human welfare.

Abstract This study examines the media’s role in enhancing transparency, credibility, and democratic participation during Ghana’s 2020 general elections. Using a qualitative approach drawing on interviews, media reports, and institutional documents, it highlights the contributions of major outlets, particularly TV3 Ghana and Channel 1 TV Ghana. Findings show that the media extended beyond traditional reporting to include electoral oversight, civic education, and misinformation control. TV3 deployed extensive field coverage, while Channel 1 TV emphasized verified results to ensure accuracy and public trust. Both outlets exposed incidents of voter suppression and electoral violence, prompting institutional responses. Innovative initiatives such as constituency-based reporting and voter-focused programming strengthened citizen engagement, especially among marginalized groups. The study demonstrates how media innovation is reshaping Ghana’s political culture by promoting informed participation and ethical journalism; and recommends institutionalizing media oversight and expanding civic education to support democratic consolidation.

Indonesia’s electoral process is increasingly influenced by digital transformation, public demand for transparency, and the need to strengthen democratic participation in a complex political and geographical setting. This article aims to examine the concept of smart election governance and its relationship with public participation in Indonesia’s electoral process. The study uses a qualitative research method with a literature-based approach by reviewing relevant academic sources, policy discussions, and conceptual studies related to electoral governance, digital administration, information integrity, and citizen engagement. The findings show that smart election governance is supported by five main dimensions: digital electoral administration, public participation, information integrity, ethical institutional coordination, and collaborative governance among election management bodies, government institutions, civil society, media, digital platforms, and citizens. Digital systems contribute to improving voter data management, logistics monitoring, electoral information access, complaint reporting, and result transparency. However, the study also finds that technological innovation must be accompanied by data protection, digital inclusion, institutional accountability, and civic literacy to prevent misinformation, unequal access, and declining public trust. The article concludes that smart election governance should not be understood merely as the adoption of technology in election management, but as an integrated democratic framework that connects digital innovation, institutional integrity, and active citizen participation. This framework is essential for strengthening transparency, public trust, democratic engagement, and electoral legitimacy in Indonesia.

This study addresses a critical gap in smart city implementation by proposing a novel triple helix model that integrates smart governance, smart technologies, and active citizen engagement. While smart city initiatives are widespread, effective execution remains a major challenge. This research examines the smart city environment through the lens of smart government, smart people, and smart technology, revealing a disconnect between ambitious plans and the actual impact of applications. The new model was applied to four metropolitan cities in Turkey and tested using desktop research, analysis of 115 municipal websites based on the McMillan interaction model, and a citizen survey of 1,754 participants. The study presents an in-depth analysis based on detailed examination of the citizen survey and discusses the potential factors affecting awareness and usage by using The Chi Square of Independence Test and Binary Logistic Regression methods to analyze 13 relationships using data from 19 smart mobility applications. The results have shown that smart city initiatives fail to reach their full potential without aware citizens and responsive governance, even with sufficient technology. This research contributes a critical perspective to the smart city discourse, offering a foundational model for future smart city implementations to ensure their success and sustainability.

ABSTRACT This text examines how media contribute to the formation of fiscal hierarchies. Drawing on sociology and anthropology of taxation and using a comprehensive set of data, including media sources, archival materials, and expert interviews, our study analyzes the implementation of personal income tax (PIT) in the early 90s in Poland, to show how media representations shaped public perceptions of taxpaying and how the initial vision of fostering universal fiscal citizenship was gradually eclipsed by practical concerns. In the process of explaining the new fiscal obligation, the media constructed specific categories of taxpayers: the ‘everyman,’ the ‘average taxpayer,’ and the ‘active taxpayer.’ The ‘everyman,’ with minimal agency in tax matters, was largely absent from public discourse. The ‘average taxpayer’ was portrayed as vulnerable and in need of guidance, while the ‘active taxpayer’ was presented as the ideal model of citizen engagement. These fiscal hierarchies had significant implications for how various groups of taxpayers perceived their relationship with the state and their position in the emerging market economy.

This article explores the access to and use of online voting tools in non-electoral contexts in Spain, specifically in internal processes within political parties and local participatory initiatives. While Spain does not employ online voting in national elections, various political organizations and municipalities have adopted digital tools to facilitate citizen engagement and internal decision-making. Drawing on the 2024 Survey on Equipment and Use of ICT in Households conducted by the Spanish National Statistics Institute (INE), we analyze the sociodemographic, political, and digital determinants influencing participation through online voting. Ten explanatory variables are grouped into four dimensions: digital experience, interest in political issues, sociodemographic characteristics and available resources. Our findings show that participation through online voting reflects significant asymmetries. Individuals who are more digitally experienced, politically interested, and better connected to informational and educational resources are more likely to engage. These results raise critical concerns about the potential of digital tools to widen participatory gaps rather than close them.

ABSTRACT This article examines how local governments in Thailand are advancing citizen‐centric governance through participatory design, digital tools, and multi‐stakeholder collaboration. Drawing on three municipal case studies—Ko Kha's geo‐informatics tax mapping reform, Ban Phai's participatory flood resilience system, and Maha Sarakham's Eco‐School initiative—the study analyzes how subnational administrations mobilize civic engagement to address complex governance challenges. Employing the Participatory Co‐Creation Governance (PCG) framework, which integrates democratic innovation and citizen‐driven innovation, the analysis reconceptualizes participation as a relational and iterative process embedded in everyday governance practices. The findings suggest that, even under fiscal and administrative constraints, locally embedded innovations can enhance responsiveness, transparency, and trust when supported by sustained citizen engagement and collaborative institutional arrangements. At the same time, the cases reveal important frictions—including uneven participation, digital divides, and contested collaboration—highlighting the contingent and negotiated nature of democratic innovation in practice. Rather than offering broadly generalizable conclusions, the study provides analytically transferable insights into the conditions under which citizen‐centric governance can emerge in resource‐constrained and politically hybrid settings. In doing so, it contributes to the literature on public sector innovation in developing contexts and offers practical implications for policymakers and practitioners seeking to institutionalize participatory governance as part of decentralization and democratic development strategies.