Socio-economic Dimensions Research Articles

Is blanqueamiento (whitening) an emerging concept in urban transformation?

The concept of “whitening” has emerged as a tool to describe processes of invisibilizing local social practices in favor of affluent, often white, foreign populations within Mexico City's central urban transformation. This article critically examines the relevance of whitening as an analytical framework compared to more established, albeit sometimes ambiguous, terms such as “gentrification”. The discussion focuses on three key areas: the impoverishment of urban vocabulary; the adaptation of foreign concepts in Latin America; and the limits of whitening as a concept. This comment argues that while whitening captures significant racial dynamics in urban transformations, its conceptual development is still nascent, making it insufficient to encompass the broader socioeconomic dimensions covered by gentrification. Unlike gentrification, which has been adapted to Latin American contexts to capture diverse forms of displacement and exclusion, whitening has yet to undergo such adaptation and remains limited in its geographic and temporal application. Additionally, the article discusses the risk of fragmenting urban discourse through the creation of neologisms that overlap with more established concepts. Whitening may offer valuable insights into racial aspects of urban change, but its application remains restricted compared to the more encompassing and versatile framework of gentrification, which addresses economic, demographic, and cultural changes in a comprehensive manner.

An advanced spatial decision model for strategic placement of off-site hydrogen refueling stations in urban areas

The strategic placement of hydrogen refueling stations (HRSs) is crucial for the successful adoption of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles (HFCVs) and the promotion of sustainable urban transportation. However, existing spatial decision models using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Multi-Criteria Decision-Making (MCDM) often stop at generating suitability maps and rely on simplistic or arbitrary site placement methods, such as fixed service radii, without optimizing spatial distribution that overlook inherent uncertainties, limiting the effectiveness of the decision-making process. This study develops an advanced spatial decision model to handle uncertainty and optimize HRS placement in Prague, Czechia. The model integrates multiple methodologies: (i) Utilizing 21 criteria across accessibility, environmental, infrastructural, and socioeconomic dimensions, with criteria weights prioritized using the Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process (FAHP) to manage uncertainty in expert judgments. GIS suitability analysis identified optimal areas, with 18.13% of Prague classified as highly suitable for HRS deployment. (ii) Implementing Fuzzy C-Means (FCM) clustering to optimize site distribution and address uncertainty in HRS placement, proposing 10 optimal locations validated by a silhouette score of 0.68. (iii) Evaluating model performance through sensitivity analysis, revealing responsiveness to criteria variations. To evaluate and rank the proposed HRS locations, we integrated a Genetic Algorithm (GA) with the Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS), optimizing the selection process by exploring a wider solution space. Additionally, accessibility analysis assessed emergency response coverage, ensuring efficient response times. This multi-methodological framework ensures a robust, data-driven approach to site selection, optimizing accessibility, minimizing environmental impact, and promoting sustainable urban transportation. It advances strategic infrastructure planning, sets a precedent for integrating advanced analytic techniques to handle uncertainty and automate site selection in spatial decision-making, and is adaptable to diverse urban contexts.

Downscaling EU Bioeconomy Policy for National Implementation

This paper examines how EU bioeconomy strategies are adapted and implemented at the national level, using Ireland as a case study. Through the application of a Narrative Policy Framework, this study analyses how national bioeconomy policy aligns with EU objectives and how such policy addresses institutional capacity, policy coherence, and sustainable development. The findings reveal a significant misalignment between the EU's ambitious bioeconomy targets and the realities of implementation at the national level. It highlights how primary industries are often underrepresented in policy-making processes, yet are expected to meet high innovation standards without evidence of adequate support. The paper highlights gaps in governance mechanisms, partnership models, and sustainability approaches, particularly in addressing the socio-economic dimensions of sustainability. These gaps risk perpetuating existing inequalities and failing to meet sustainability targets. The research provides a critical analysis of the disconnect between EU bioeconomy policy aspirations and national-level implementation, offering insights into the structural barriers that hinder effective policy transposition. The study calls for more tailored policy support, clearer governance frameworks, and deeper engagement with local stakeholders to ensure the bioeconomy transition is both inclusive and sustainable. Future research is recommended to explore cross-national comparisons to improve the adaptability and implementation of bioeconomy policies across the EU.

Gas Flaring and its Socioeconomic Implications for Rural Communities in Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI): Reflections on the Impact of Gas Flaring in Tawke Community

The study critically examines the problem of gas flaring and its socioeconomic implications in the KRI with emphasis on Tawke community who are predominantly peasant rural farmers. For several decades, KRI allowed natural gas to be flared which poses severe challenges to health, agricultural productivity and the environment with huge socioeconomic dimension to the survival of the local population. Although Iraq has sizeable natural gas reserves, however, about 70% of natural gas produced are flared which is responsible for more than 20 million tons of CO2 emissions annually that cost the domestic economy billions of dollars in lost revenue and other consequences including threat to public health and the environment. Thus, the study conducted simple narrative and in-depth qualitative in-person interview with some employees of DNO, public sector workers and members of the Tawke community on the impact and socioeconomic implications of gas flaring on their livelihood. The research findings resonate and lend credence to the widely held views on the state of the environment in KRI and revealed severe environmental consequences, health consequences, low yields in agriculture with socioeconomic and cultural implications on livelihood of the local people particularly Tawke community.

Sustainable watersheds management in Peru: Challenges and perspectives

Sustainable watershed management stands at the forefront of global efforts to tackle pressing environmental and socio-economic challenges. This study offers a pioneering assessment of the state of research on Peru's watersheds, integrating geographical, environmental, and socio-economic dimensions. By harnessing cutting-edge bibliometric tools, including Bibliometrix and VOSviewer, and adhering to PRISMA guidelines for a systematic review, this work maps the scientific landscape of watershed management in Peru. Utilizing comprehensive databases such as Scopus and Web of Science, the study identifies and analyses key thematic clusters, revealing an escalating focus on the urgent issues of climate change and urbanization, particularly within the critical Rimac River Basin. This basin, vital to the water supply of Lima, the world's second-largest desert city, faces severe threats from pollution and climate instability. Our findings not only chart the evolution of research in this domain but also spotlight emerging opportunities to modernize water management practices through the integration of climate change models, advanced data monitoring, and artificial intelligence. The study makes a compelling case for a collaborative approach, urging stronger alliances among local communities, research institutions, and international stakeholders to foster more resilient and sustainable watershed management strategies in Peru. This paper provides actionable insights, making it an indispensable resource for policymakers and practitioners aiming to secure Peru's water future.

Using a stakeholder engagement approach to inform professional development programs to promote education for sustainability in schools

This exploratory study highlights the experience and perspective of educators and school leaders implementing sustainability as a cross-curriculum priority (S-CCP) in Queensland, Australia. The barriers and facilitators for integrating S-CCP were explored through qualitative interviews (N = 16). The findings underscored a profound knowledge gap wherein sustainability was interpreted narrowly, emphasizing environmental actions and overlooking the broader socio-economic and equity dimensions. This misperception led to multiple challenges within and outside of the classroom as Education for Sustainability (EfS) was perceived to be tied to environmentally sustainable facilities that require financial resources. A lack of leadership support was also noted. The experience of the educators successfully navigating these barriers are detailed. Furthermore, the findings highlighted the complexities and nuances of sustainability education and provided valuable insights for the design of professional development programs.

Sustainable livelihoods through cashew cultivation: insights from smallholder farmers in the southern region of India

Cashew cultivation has emerged as an important agricultural activity in promoting sustainable livelihoods for smallholder farmers. The present study investigates the impacts of cashew cultivation on sustainable livelihoods of smallholder farmers in the Southern region of India, addressing a significant research gap in the understanding of how this crop affects various aspects of farmers' lives. Using a mixed-methods approach, the study reveals that, cashew farming significantly increases farmers’ income, leading to improvements in food security, education, social status, and standard of living. These findings contribute to new insights into the socio-economic and environmental dimensions of cashew cultivation, offering a holistic understanding of its role in rural development. Additionally, the study also emphasizes the need for government policies supporting smallholders in cashew farming, including training, access to quality seeds, and best agricultural practices. Social welfare initiatives and cooperatives can improve the overall well-being of cashew farming communities. Research and development should prioritize climate-resistant cashew varieties to address environmental challenges linked to cashew cultivation. The study’s results also provide a foundation for future research and policy formulation aimed at enhancing the practice of cashew farming for sustainable livelihoods.

Influencia del Medioambiente en la Calidad de Vida en un Entorno Macroeconómico en el Perú

We live in a globalized world that faces important environmental challenges, where there is an interconnection between the natural environment, human well-being and macroeconomics. In order to explore this relationship, the main objective of this article was to analyze the influence of the environment on the quality of life in a macroeconomic context in Peru. With a methodological approach that seeks to integrate the environmental, socioeconomic and macroeconomic dimensions, with an orderly and systematic exploration of the selected information, results were obtained that show a clear connection between the environment, quality of life and macroeconomics in the Peruvian context; therefore, it is essential that governments integrate the issue of environmental preservation into all public policies, since environmental degradation has negative repercussions on human life as well as on economic stability, especially in countries that lack the necessary resources to face sudden or recurrent natural disasters, such as Peru.

Spirituality as an International Coping Method during Covid-19

The Covid-19 pandemic has brought forth global challenges in socioeconomic, political, and public health dimensions. For many, spirituality was a powerful source of support during this pandemic experience. The current review provides an apt overview of spirituality as a coping method to mitigate the mental and emotional impact of global turmoil of Covid-19 within the context of Europe. Using select studies from Czechia, Italy, and Turkey which have low, middle, and high religiosity indexes respectively, the potential positive effects of spirituality are examined across differing samples, geographical contexts, and traumatic events. We conclude that while spirituality is not a one-size-fits all method to mitigate the impact of trauma, exploration of potential interventions that also include spirituality might be beneficial for the field at large, and those affected by myriads of different acute or chronic traumatic events.

Generalized contact matrices allow integrating socioeconomic variables into epidemic models.

Variables related to socioeconomic status (SES), including income, ethnicity, and education, shape contact structures and affect the spread of infectious diseases. However, these factors are often overlooked in epidemic models, which typically stratify social contacts by age and interaction contexts. Here, we introduce and study generalized contact matrices that stratify contacts across multiple dimensions. We demonstrate a lower-bound theorem proving that disregarding additional dimensions, besides age and context, might lead to an underestimation of the basic reproductive number. By using SES variables in both synthetic and empirical data, we illustrate how generalized contact matrices enhance epidemic models, capturing variations in behaviors such as heterogeneous levels of adherence to nonpharmaceutical interventions among demographic groups. Moreover, we highlight the importance of integrating SES traits into epidemic models, as neglecting them might lead to substantial misrepresentation of epidemic outcomes and dynamics. Our research contributes to the efforts aiming at incorporating socioeconomic and other dimensions into epidemic modeling.

From Potential to Power: Advancing Nigeria’s Energy Sector through Renewable Integration and Policy Reform

Nigeria is a nation endowed with both abundant renewable and non-renewable energy resources. Despite its vast potential, Nigeria struggles with a consistent power supply due to various systemic issues, such as inadequate funding, infrastructural decay, corruption, technical skill shortages, and macroeconomic instability. These challenges hinder the effective harnessing and distribution of energy resources, particularly renewable ones like wind, solar, biomass, and hydropower. This study assesses the existing energy policies and their efficacy in promoting sustainable energy development towards achieving universal electricity access by 2030. It highlights the necessity for a just energy transition that integrates a substantial proportion of renewable energy into the national grid, aiming to meet up to 60% of the country’s energy demands with clean sources by 2050. This transition is critical not only for energy security and reducing the environmental impact but also for fostering socioeconomic equity. Recommendations include overhauling the legal and regulatory frameworks to support renewable energy growth, particularly in off-grid areas, to ensure clean, affordable, and secure energy access. Strategic investments, enhanced infrastructure, and robust public–private partnerships are essential to overcome the current barriers and realize Nigeria’s energy potential. This paper calls for a comprehensive approach that addresses both the technical and socioeconomic dimensions of the energy crisis, laying the groundwork for a sustainable and prosperous energy future for Nigeria.

Transferred Bias Uncovers the Balance Between the Development of Physical and Socioeconomic Environments of Cities

Evaluating the balance between a city’s physical and socioeconomic environmental development is crucial for creating sustainable and livable urban spaces. Although they might appear contradictory, they jointly support the comprehensive sustainable urban development strategy. Traditional methods usually focus on assessing this balance from a specific perspective, such as how neighborhood greenery shapes real estate value. Yet, they fail to deliver a holistic balance assessment in developing the physical and socioeconomic dimensions. To fill this gap, this study introduces a research framework that measures this balance through house prices based on transferred bias. Using house price as an indicator shaped by both physical and socioeconomic environments, the framework first constructs a series of deep learning models to estimate house prices through street view images for each city. These models capture the relationship between neighborhood appearance and house price. Second, by leveraging transfer inference, we introduce neighborhood appearance from one city into the model trained from another city. This process identifies the transferred bias, which is the disparity between inaccurate inference resulting from a mismatched neighborhood appearance and the trained model. Through transferred bias, we can quantify the differences in physical and socioeconomic environments across cities and evaluate the urban balances of these two environments. The results show that the transferred bias effectively quantifies the disparities among cities in physical and socioeconomic environments, thereby facilitating further investigation into the urban balance between these two environments.

Gender and socioeconomic dimensions of relative age effects on ADHD prescriptions: Evidence from Denmark

This paper examines the impact of relative age on Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) prescriptions among school-aged children. Using a regression discontinuity design, we leverage the quasi-experimental variation in school starting age. We use administrative data for all children aged 6–16 from 2010 to 2019 in Denmark. We find a significant decrease in ADHD prescription rates for girls who are relatively old compared to their class mates. We do not find any significant results for boys. We further test the social gradient in relative age on ADHD prescriptions and find that the effect is entirely driven by girls from low income families.

Relationship between Residential Patterns and Socioeconomic Statuses Based on Multi-Source Spatial Data: A Case Study of Nanjing, China

The relationship between residential patterns and socioeconomic statuses highlights the complex interactions between the economic regime, welfare system, and neighborhood effects, which are crucial in urban inequality studies. With the diversification of the housing demand and supply system, the traditional analysis conducted separately from the ethnic or spatial segregation perspective fails to capture the rising inequalities and changing socio-spatial context. Taking Nanjing as an example, based on a multi-source database including the housing price, residential environmental quality, surrounding support facilities, and mobile phone user portrait data, this paper proposed a modified method for discovering the coupling relationship between residential patterns and socioeconomic statuses. It is found that socioeconomic status contributes to residential spatial aggregation and that the relationship between social and spatial dimensions of residential differentiation is tightly coupled and related. The lower socioeconomic strata were displaced to the periphery and the older urban core, while affluent inhabitants were more likely to settle voluntarily in segregated enclaves to isolate themselves from the general population through more flexible housing options. The heterogeneity of the urban socioeconomic dimension is primarily affected by consumption and occupational status, while housing prices mainly determine the divergence of spatial distribution.

Strong versus weak sustainable development in the blue economy: a study of 15 EU coastal countries

One of the European Union’s environmental and sustainable development objectives is to achieve sustainable marine development, combining the objectives of ocean health and the blue economy. Developing, implementing, and monitoring marine policies requires information on the status and evolution of marine development at the country level, including the extent to which strong sustainable development (i.e., balanced development across socio-economic and environmental dimensions) is being achieved. Here, we provide a comprehensive assessment of progress towards marine development for 15 European Union coastal countries in the Baltic, North, and Atlantic Seas, covering the period 2012–2022 and using information from Sustainable Development Goal 14 to derive our indicator framework. We show that the EU is achieving sustainable marine development, but not comprehensively in all countries. While seven countries achieved sustainable development under both weak and strong sustainability, seven countries developed only under weak sustainability, and one country made no progress under either concept.

Functional brain connectivity predictors of prospective substance use initiation and their environmental correlates

BackgroundEarly substance use initiation (SUI) places youth at substantially higher risk for later substance use disorders. Furthermore, adolescence is a critical period for the maturation of brain networks, the pace and magnitude of which are susceptible to environmental influences and may shape risk for SUI. MethodsWe examined whether patterns of functional brain connectivity during rest (rsFC), measured longitudinally in pre-and-early adolescence, can predict future SUI. Next, in an independent sub-sample, we tested whether these patterns are associated with earlier environmental exposures, specifically neighborhood pollution and socioeconomic dimensions. We utilized data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study®. SUI was defined as first-time use of at least one full dose of alcohol, nicotine, cannabis, or other drugs. We created a control group (N = 228) of participants without SUI who were matched with the SUI group (N = 233) on age, sex, race/ethnicity, and parental income and education. ResultsMultivariate analysis showed that whole-brain rsFC from 9-10 to 11-12 years of age (prior to SUI) prospectively differentiated the SUI and control groups. The SUI-related rsFC pattern was also related to aging in both groups, suggesting a pattern of accelerated maturation in the years prior to SUI. This same pattern of rsFC was predicted by higher pollution, but not neighborhood disadvantage (adjusted for family socioeconomic factors) in an independent sub-sample (N = 2,854). ConclusionBrain functional connectivity patterns in early adolescence that are linked to accelerated maturation can predict SUI in youth and are associated with exposure to pollution.

Mapping Research Trends in Global Climate Change Adaptation to Flood Disasters: A Bibliometric Analysis using VOSviewer

Using a bibliometric analysis, this study aims to map the research trends and thematic developments in climate change adaptation to flood disasters. Data from 812 publications, spanning from 1996 to 2023, were retrieved from the Scopus database and analyzed using VOSviewer software to visualize keyword co-occurrence networks. The analysis identified five key thematic clusters: adaptation strategies and resilience (180 publications), urban planning and green infrastructure (150 publications), flood risk management (85 publications), early warning systems (60 publications), and socio-economic impacts such as health and displacement (100 publications). Over time, research output has significantly increased, particularly after 2015, with publications peaking at 150 in 2023. Regionally, Asia leads the research output with 200 publications, followed by Europe (180 publications) and North America (120 publications). The findings highlight a shift toward sustainable, nature-based solutions and the integration of advanced technologies such as machine learning in flood management. The increasing focus on the socio-economic dimensions of flood adaptation, particularly in vulnerable communities, underscores the need for more inclusive approaches. Future research should prioritize underrepresented regions, such as Africa and Latin America, and foster interdisciplinary collaboration to address the complex challenges of climate-induced floods.

Exploring socio-economic and financial dimensions of rural small-scale gem mining in Passara, and Lunugala areas of Sri Lanka: Implications for sustainable development

Despite being rich in gem resources, the Passara, and Lunugala areas of Sri Lanka continue to experience poor economic and social development, lagging other regions of the country. This disparity raises the need to examine the underlying causes of their stagnation, despite the potential of the gem mining industry to drive growth. Therefore, the research problem seeks to explore "How do socio-economic challenges, financial inequities, and traditional practices in the rural gem mining industry of Passara, and Lunugala in Badulla district hinder its contribution to sustainable development and equitable growth?". Hence, the objectives of this study are two-fold: firstly, to identify the socio-economic challenges faced by workers and owners in the rural gem mining industry of Passara, and Lunugala. Secondly, to investigate financial disparities and power dynamics between investors/owners and workers in the gem mining sector, focusing on their impact on sustainable development. The research adopts a qualitative approach, employing interpretivism and inductive reasoning to assess the experiences, challenges, and aspirations of five investors/owners and fifteen workers in gem mining. The findings highlight critical socio-economic hurdles, financial disparities between owners and workers, and the need for policy interventions to foster equitable growth and environmental sustainability. Key recommendations include implementing Environmental Social and Governance (ESG) practices, advancing mining techniques, and introducing robust labor laws.

Torture, Livelihoods and Rehabilitation.

The understanding of torture has evolved to encompass a complex interplay of factors including poverty, politics, health and psychosocial factors which increase vulnerability to torture. In response to this evolving understanding, rehabilitation efforts for torture survivors have expanded beyond medical and psychological care to encompass broader socio-economic dimensions, including live-lihoods support. Livelihoods are not only a means of making a living, but also a source of purpose and identity. This article explores the intersect between livelihoods loss and torture, exploring where livelihoods loss co-occurs with torture, is a consequence of torture, or may be an act of torture in itself. The importance of documenting livelihoods losses in torture assessment and the integration of livelihoods into rehabilitation programs is considered. Although research in this area is sparse, existing evidence suggests that combining livelihoods rehabilitation with psychological and physical interventions, alongside long-term support are important components. For livelihood restoration to be effectively integrated, it must be survivor-centred, holistic, evidence-based and focused on safety. While the field is to date underexplored, this article provides a foundational framework for torture treatment centres and stakeholders to consider the role of livelihoods in both conceptualising and treating survivors of torture.

Spatially Explicit Analysis of Landscape Structures, Urban Growth, and Economic Dynamics in Metropolitan Regions

Assuming that settlement morphologies and landscape structures are the result of economic transformations, the present study illustrates a statistical framework investigating metropolitan growth due to the inherent changes in landscape configurations vis à vis socio-demographic functions. Focusing on the evolution of their spatial drivers over time, metropolitan development was studied by adopting land parcels (or ‘patches’, as they are referred to in the ecological literature) as the elementary analysis unit—with the individual surface area and a specific shape indicator as the dependent variables and background socioeconomic attributes as predictors of landscape change over time. We specifically ran a Multiscale Geographically Weighted Regression (MGWR) testing the spatial dependence of the size and shape of landscape parcels on a vast ensemble of socioeconomic factors in a dense region (metropolitan Athens, Greece) with natural landscapes exposed to increasing human pressure. To investigate the spatial direction and intensity of the settlement expansion and landscape change, local regressions using the parcel area and fractal index (perimeter-to-area ratio) as the dependent variables and the elevation, distance from selected economic nodes, transport infrastructures, and natural amenities as the predictors were run separately for 1990 and 2018, representative of, respectively, a mono-centric configuration and a moderately polycentric organization of economic spaces. In a strictly mono-centric setting (1990), the parcel size showed a linear dependence on the distance from business districts, elevation, and wealth. Changes in the relationship between the parcel size and spatial (economic and non-economic) drivers may suggest a latent process of settlement de-concentration, and a possible shift toward polycentric development (2018), as documented in earlier studies. By integrating socioeconomic and ecological dimensions of landscape analysis and land evaluation, the empirical results of this study outline the increased complexity of dispersed landscape structures within dense metropolitan regions and along urban–rural gradients in Europe.