B4B is a multi-year, multi-stakeholder project focused on developing methods to harness big data from smart meters, building management systems and the Internet of Things devices, to reduce energy consumption, increase comfort, respond flexibly to user behaviour and local energy supply and demand, and …

At the University of Applied Science Utrecht we have been working on optimising the sustainable use of space for a long time. There are various reasons for this, such as the high costs per square meter, the shortage of space at peak times and the vacancy rate at off-peak moments. There are complaints …

Large floating projects have the potential to overcome the challenge of land scarcity in urban areas and offer opportunities for energy and food production, or even for creating sustainable living environments. However, they influence the physical, chemical, biological and ecological characteristics …

The coronavirus pandemic highlighted the vital role urban areas play in supporting citizens’ health and well-being (Ribeiro et al., 2021). In times of (personal) vulnerability, citizens depend on their neighbourhood for performing daily physical activities to restore their mental state, but public spaces …

The seismic assessment of unreinforced masonry (URM) buildings with cavity walls is a relevant issue in many countries, such as in Central and Northern Europe, Australia, New Zealand, China and several other countries. A cavity wall consists of two separate parallel masonry walls (called leaves) connected …

This paper tries to ascertain the overall impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Dutch criminal justice system. In the Netherlands, the first case of COVID-19 was reported in February 2020. On March 16, 2020, the Netherlands went into its first lockdown which lasted until approximately June 15, 2020. …

CC-BYNatural ventilation has been used widely in buildings to deliver a healthy and comfortable indoor environment for occupants. It also reduces the consumption of energy in the built environment and dilutes the concentration of carbon dioxide. Various methods and techniques have been used to evaluate …

Positive Energy Districts (PEDs) have the potential of accelerating the decarbonization of urban areas and promoting scalability between cities. The development and real-world implementation of such innovative concepts can be enhanced through urban energy modelling. However, assessing PEDs can be challenging, …

Flooding has become more common in many developing nations as a result of increasing urbanization and climate change. As a result, community people are constantly confronted with the harmful impacts of floods. Flooding is a recurring issue in Nigeria, causing huge economic losses as a result of damage …

This paper aims to quantify the evolution of damage in masonry walls under induced seismicity. A damage index equation, which is a function of the evolution of shear slippage and opening of the mortar joints, as well as of the drift ratio of masonry walls, was proposed herein. Initially, a dataset of …