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This research aims to study a broad range of sustainability aspects and develop a set of indicators with their subjective relevance to each of the sustainability dimensions that will help to improve the sustainability level of the water system of Nur-Sultan (Kazakhstan).

The broader list of indicators (which were identified through a thorough review of the literature) was assessed by water-related industry professionals and experts who were asked to assess the compliance of suggested indicators to five criteria of sustainability using a Likert scale.

It was found that the highest-ranked indicators across all five categories were mainly related to the chemical and physical quality of water, followed by availability of individual water meters as well as water supply tariffs' adjustment to users' income, and issues of ageing infrastructure. The lowest-ranked indicators among all categories were mainly related to investments into research and development, water management and awareness, feedback systems and flexibility. The least ranked indicators are seen to be more related to the scenarios when basic needs are covered and the stakeholders have extra time and resources for advancing the levels of water infrastructure sustainability.

The ranked and categorized indicators can be used as a powerful decision-making tool to improve the sustainability of the water system of Nur-Sultan or any other city in a developing country.

By conducting this study, it was aimed to address the aforementioned gap in the field in terms of running a wider scope assessment of indicators rather than looking at conventional environmental and socio-economic aspects. This provides novelty to the study, especially in the context of developing countries that need more guidance in terms of sustainable development of the water-related infrastructure.

Circular economy (CE) is increasingly used as a system solution framework for tackling climate change. Existing CE solutions have been found effective in other sectors but ineffective in the construction sector (CS) due to the inability to account for unique CS dynamics that are essential for its success. With CS being one of the worst polluters, this research aimed to investigate critical success factors (CSFs) and a practical CE implementation framework for the sector.

Mixed methods research involving descriptive surveys of construction professionals in Kazakhstan, Malaysia and Turkey was used to explore priority dimensions of McKinsey’s ReSOLVE (“regenerate, share, optimize, loop, virtualize and exchange”) circulatory framework, and the associated CSFs that underpin successful implementation of CE in the sector. Empirical data were analyzed using the fuzzy analytical hierarchy process (F-AHP) and the Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) algorithm.

Results showed that “Optimize” and “Loop” were the most critical of the six dimensions of CE implementation framework for successful circularity transition of the CS in each case study country. Twenty-seven CSFs identified in the study were clustered into seven key action areas for successful rollout of the ReSOLVE framework, namely, legislative and documentation, financial, design, external/stakeholder, technological, internal and construction/production/waste management.

The study makes a unique contribution to existing knowledge by exploring ReSOLVE-based CSFs for successful CE implementation in the CS through the lenses of experienced construction practitioners and experts in developing countries. The findings are expected to provide a deeper insight into the most significant CSFs to be focused on with the limited resources available to decision-makers in the CS. The findings would also inform regulatory policy reformations aimed at facilitating greater rate of implementation of CE in the construction value chain.

The study – the first of its kind – established and validated a wholistic and construction-specific CE implementation framework to guide built environment professionals and policymakers in formulating a roadmap for successful CS’s transition to circularity and hopefully paving the way for improved economic, social and environmental performance of the sector.

The current COVID-19 pandemic is influencing our life in every aspect, including working and living environments. Millions of people were forced to isolate themselves in their homes, which has posed significant pressure on buildings and shown us that our dwellings are not designed for such purposes. This is partly due to the fact that homes are designed and built for occasional use rather than isolated and long-term occupation. The legislative system of a country plays an important role in defining and shaping the conditions of people living there. Hence, the aim of the study is to evaluate the readiness of Kazakhstani and the EU construction-related legislation for pandemics.

Previously developed pandemic-resilient indicators were used for the evaluation of construction legislation. Both legislative systems were reviewed, and the quality of responses was evaluated by assigning response scores.

The results based on response scores indicate that the environmental resource consumption sub-category was better covered by EU legislation. At the same time, the buildings’ health, safety and comfort are better taken into account in Kazakhstani legislation. Seven pandemic-resilient indicators were not responded to by any legislative system indicating a gap between current legislation and requirements for new living conditions.

No study has analyzed how COVID-19 can transform construction legislation. The study reveals the limitation of current construction legislation in Kazakhstan (KZ) and the EU, indicating the need for transformation to meet the requirements of the pandemic era.

The purpose of this study is to understand how the level of readiness for artificial intelligence (AI) affects the overall performance of companies, determine the role of organizational flexibility in adapting to new technologies and business models and assess the importance of lean sustainability and value creation for technology-focused companies.

Technology companies working in technoparks in Istanbul were determined, and a questionnaire was applied to senior employees such as experts, engineers and managers working in these companies. The results were processed with a sample of 456 units. SmartPLS program was used for analysis.

As a result of the analyzes, it is supported by hypotheses that AI readiness and organizational flexibility have positive effects on lean sustainability and value creation.

When evaluated in terms of the limitations of the research, it would not be correct to evaluate the results of the analysis in general, since the data were collected from technology-focused companies in technoparks in Istanbul.

Examining the variables that make up the research model in technology-oriented companies helps to understand the critical factors for the future success of companies. At the same time, this research is important for companies to make more informed decisions in their strategic planning, technological transformation processes and value creation strategies.

This research topic offers a unique approach in terms of bringing together topics such as AI readiness, organizational flexibility, sustainability and value creation. These issues play an important role in the strategic planning of technology-focused companies, and when considered together, they are important in terms of examining the critical factors that affect the future success of companies.