Nimesha Sahani Jayasena, Daniel W.M. Chan and Mohan Kumaraswamy
The widespread lockdown restrictions brought by the global COVID-19 epidemic inculcated a culture of “work-from-home”. However, most rural areas lack reliable and effective…
Abstract
Purpose
The widespread lockdown restrictions brought by the global COVID-19 epidemic inculcated a culture of “work-from-home”. However, most rural areas lack reliable and effective community amenities including transportation, health and education, thereby impeding healthy living and productive employment. Therefore, the underlying goal of this research is to investigate the development of smart infrastructure (SI) in non-urban areas. However, governments' resource limitations must be addressed to develop SI, which urges the research on the potential for public-private partnerships (PPP) to supplement public sector resources when necessary.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper examined and evaluated the “benefits and enablers” and “barriers” to deploying PPPs to create SI in non-urban areas, using a thorough literature review, five expert interviews and analytic hierarchy process (AHP)-based questionnaire responses. The AHP technique and content analysis were used to analyse the results and generate the conclusions.
Findings
The availability of a favourable investment climate and legal framework were identified as the significant factors among the “benefits and enablers” of adopting PPP in SI developments in non-urban areas, while low community acceptance of the private sector involvement, and community culture and values were identified as the significant factors among the “barriers”. These highlight the significance of removing barriers connected to community culture and “values”.
Originality/value
The findings and conclusions of this study provide a strong foundation to support the growth of SI in non-urban settings, facilitating more sustainable development that is more evenly distributed in the post-COVID-19 future.
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Nimesha Sahani Jayasena, Daniel W.M. Chan and Mohan Kumaraswamy
Rising human aspirations leading to rapid urbanisation, amidst climate changes and other environmental pressures have aggravated the needs for better-focused sustainable urban…
Abstract
Purpose
Rising human aspirations leading to rapid urbanisation, amidst climate changes and other environmental pressures have aggravated the needs for better-focused sustainable urban development in general as well as for smart and sustainable cities in particular. Indeed, smart infrastructure (SI) development is a prerequisite for smart cities (SCs). However, inadequate funding and expertise for such SI development pose profound challenges that may be partially addressed by mobilising private finance and efficiencies through collaborative public–private partnership (PPP) models. This paper provides a holistic review and analysis of the relevant literature, as a basis for proposing such PPP models for developing SI.
Design/methodology/approach
A systematic literature review helped to fulfil the aim of this paper in the first phase of the underlying longer-term study. Authoritative search engines like Scopus and Web of Science indexed articles were reviewed and analysed, 85% of these being journal articles.
Findings
SCs that necessarily include SI are important in overcoming current urban challenges in developing and developed countries. Given shortfalls in traditional procurement and funding models, special PPP models are required for SI development. After identifying the relevant needs, drivers, barriers and challenges in different countries, a general indicative framework is developed to illustrate how the various interacting force fields can be harnessed to develop the envisaged PPP models that can complement non-PPP procurement models.
Originality/value
PPP for SI development is a relatively new, hence, under-researched topic. This desktop review and analysis provide a useful launching pad for the development of SI through overcoming the potential challenges in traditional procurement and financial models.
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Hadi Sarvari, Daniel W.M. Chan, Abeer Imad Sahib, Nimesha Sahani Jayasena, Mansooreh Rakhshanifar and Ghufran Al-Gburi
The average lifetime of a building in Iran is only one-quarter of the reported global average lifespan. A major reason why buildings in Iran have shorter service life is…
Abstract
Purpose
The average lifetime of a building in Iran is only one-quarter of the reported global average lifespan. A major reason why buildings in Iran have shorter service life is attributed to the inappropriate selection of the facility repair and maintenance (R&M) methods. Hence, selecting the appropriate R&M methods is critical in upholding or even extending the lifespan of the building. The purpose of this paper is to determine the main criteria for selecting the suitable R&M methods of commercial real estate (CRE) in Iran as a major challenge encountered by the Iranian construction industry.
Design/methodology/approach
The total number of identified criteria (related to the selection of the suitable R&M methods) is 16, which is divided into five clusters (referred as main criteria in this study): human resources; flexibility and technical capability; safety and risk; cost of maintenance; and facilities and technology. To analyze the identified criteria, the expert opinions were collected through both face-to-face interviews and distribution of Delphi survey questionnaires. A total of 12 industrial experts in the construction industry were invited to participate in a Delphi survey to solicit their perceptions and opinions on the identified criteria in this research.
Findings
The findings indicated that, among the five main criteria, the cost of maintenance is the most important criteria for selecting appropriate R&M methods of CRE in Iran. In addition, the criterion of facilities and technology was recognized as the least important among the main criteria.
Originality/value
The research, significantly, justified the configuration of non-compliance with the practice and its deliverables and developed a diagnostic study on the grounds of failure in the Iranian construction industry regarding the issues which are threatening the expected and desirable outcomes. The research achievements and suggested effective recommendations can serve as a useful policy and consultative instrument for the relevant stakeholders in the construction industry engaged in building R&M work.
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Nimesha Sahani Jayasena, Harshini Mallawaarachchi and Lalith De Silva
Rapid changes in the environment escalate the requirement of environmental sustainability assessment within built environment. The purpose of this paper is to model the…
Abstract
Purpose
Rapid changes in the environment escalate the requirement of environmental sustainability assessment within built environment. The purpose of this paper is to model the environmental sustainability of facilities management (FM) functions in apparel industry in Sri Lanka.
Design/methodology/approach
A comprehensive literature review was carried out in order to identify the importance of sustainability assessment for FM, sustainable FM functions and their environmental sustainability indicators. Subsequently, a questionnaire survey was carried out to determine a relative weight of the sustainable FM functions and environmental sustainability indicators through the analytical hierarchy process analysis.
Findings
Energy management was identified as the most significant FM function in terms of environmental sustainability in apparel industry with a relative performance of 49.12 per cent. Subsequently, the functions of water management (29.39 per cent), maintenance management (11.98 per cent) and waste management (9.64 per cent) obtained the second, third and fourth ranks while asset management (7.85 per cent) was the function which had the least performance score. Relative weights for the environmental sustainability indicators were also determined.
Research limitations/implications
In respect of the apparel industry, the developed model can be utilised for assessing the environmental sustainability of FM in broader term.
Originality/value
No proper mechanism was found to assess the sustainability of FM in apparel sector since very fewer research studies were focussed on achieving environmental sustainability in different industries. Hence, the assessment of environmental sustainability of FM in apparel industry is an emerging necessity in the present day, which was addressed in this research.
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Boeing Laishram, Ganesh Devkar, Yongjian Ke and Ahmed Abdel Aziz