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Built environment research consists of cognitive and affective, as well as behavioural, components. Existing built environment research utilises either strong qualitative or, more often, strong quantitative methodologies. Aims to discuss some of the philosophical issues that would be considered when undertaking academic research into the built environment. Considers the available research options or paradigms and suggests ways in which a researcher can make an informed and sensible decision as to how to proceed. The main dimensions of the debate about the relative characteristics and merits of quantitative and qualitative methodology are outlined, developing the argument that the use of a single methodology often fails to explore all of these components. The use of a mixed methods approach is suggested to counteract this weakness and to enhance research into the built environment.

The aim of this paper is to report on a study that was undertaken into the practice and process of briefing within the UK. The purpose of the study was to assess the nature and extent to which accessible environments for new public buildings are considered at the briefing stage of the design process.

A questionnaire was distributed to 2,017 design practices in the UK, resulting in a usable response rate of 961 questionnaires.

The analysis of the questionnaires showed that, while designers are keen to ensure that buildings and their environments facilitate social inclusion, there are significant barriers to achieving this, particularly due to a lack of understanding of disability and how a person with a disability interacts with a building, and how the regulations and legislation can support this interaction rather than just providing minimum standards.

The implications of the research are that designers and clients are procuring buildings that are not fully inclusive, thereby excluding people from fully participating in the activities that are undertaken in that building.

The paper provides an insight into the relationship between designers and users by demonstrating that, while designers are keen to ensure that buildings and their environments facilitate social inclusion, there are significant barriers to achieving this.

This study aims to identify and characterize the intended legacies of transgender women from Spain and Portugal who embarked on their gender transition at 40+ years.

Semi-structured interviews focusing on intended legacies were performed with seven participants (three Portuguese and four Spanish), aged 52–66 years. The interviews were submitted for thematic analysis.

The main findings show that all participants reported intended legacies: personal, to be remembered as a good person; broader, to support younger transgender persons to come out earlier in life and to guide and mentor other transgender persons; and composite, to contribute by being a positive role model and being happily engaged in contributing to others.

This understanding may help in developing adequate practices that promote involvement of transgender persons who are in middle to late life in supporting transgender persons rights and well-being.

The design and maintenance of the physical external environment facilitate people's ability to get out and about. In particular, effective design of the neighbourhood street can support older people's independence (such as being able to go shopping) and increase social interaction and community engagement, reducing reliance on care in the home. Interviews were conducted with 200 people aged 65+ to assess their preferences for a range of street attributes. A structured questionnaire was used, in conjunction with photo elicitation. The analysis identified the components of a street that make a person feel safe and influence their decision to go out, such as adequate seating and smooth pavements. The results found that if these components are absent, some older people limit outdoor activity for a range of reasons. The implications are that older people's quality of life can be significantly improved by good street design.

The aim of this paper is to report on a study undertaken into disabled people's experience of the built environment when attempting to access and stay in employment.

Narratives were collected using semi‐structured interviews with 38 disabled people, all of whom had experience of paid and unpaid work.

Analysis of the interview narratives shows that disabled people experience a range of barriers and enablers in the built environment both to gaining employment and to staying in employment, and an accessible environment contributes to a successful employment experience.

This is a small exploratory study of disabled people's experience of the workplace built environment. Future research could focus in more detail on whether specific design features reduce the requirement for reasonable adjustments.

The implications are that disabled people are experiencing discrimination when working environments present barriers and reasonable adjustments, as required by the UK Disability Discrimination Act 1995, and 2005, are not made.

This is exploratory research and provides an insight into the experience of disabled people of the physical workplace environment, presenting examples of good and poor practice.

The competitiveness of tourist destinations has been the subject of great research interest in recent decades. Nevertheless, and despite the diversity in the literature, studies focusing on the empirical validation of tourism destination models of competitiveness have still to be completed. Hence, this research project seeks to contribute to filling this shortcoming through the identification and evaluation of the factors underlying tourism destination competitiveness in Portugal. The study methodology adopted requires primary data that were sourced from a questionnaire deployed as a structured research instrument based upon the variables put forward by the Dwyer and Kim model (2003). Through recourse to structural equation models, the results report the existence of significant relationships between resources, supply and tourism destination management as the core and essential factors to the competitiveness of a particular tourist destination.

The purpose of this paper is to examine access for disabled people to emergency rest centres (ERCs) provision in the UK. ERCs are premises used for the temporary accommodation of evacuees during an emergency situation. They form an important part of emergency response, by providing a focal point for receiving people and providing food, shelter, information and support.

Three case studies of ERCs that were established in different local authority areas within the Yorkshire and Humber region in the UK, during a flooding event on 25 June 2007, were used to determine the level of accessibility and inclusion of disabled people at these centres.

While uncovering many instances of good practise, the results from the research identified lessons to be learnt, in particular the main barriers to access were: facilities and elements that did not comprise part of the building's normal operation, such as the provision of bedding, medical assistance and effective communication; and facilities that would not normally be expected to be used to the extent, or duration, whilst the ERC was in operation, such as the adequate welfare facilities. The research found that the civil protection legislation within the UK contains limited guidance for those with responsibility for ERC provision, and little impetus for emergency planners to consider the needs of disabled people.

The paper has broad implications for local authorities and national government representatives. It identifies a need for those with responsibility for emergency planning and response to strengthen their knowledge of disabled people, and to adopt a more holistic approach to the provision of emergency planning and response.

The study of access issues in ERC situations, as far as the authors are aware, has not been studied previously.

This research aims to examine the impacts of the Russia–Ukraine war on the welfare of Indonesian palm oil producers and consumers.

The research uses time-series data from 2000 to 2022 for inferential, simulation and descriptive analyses, coupled with a world vegetable oil trade model in the form of a system of simultaneous equations. The two-stage least squares (2SLS) estimation method with 37 simultaneous equations is used to estimate parameters.

The research results show that the Russia–Ukraine conflict has led to an increase in the welfare of Indonesian palm oil producers and consumers. A combination of domestic policies (replanting, export tax, mandatory biodiesel and domestic market obligation) has boosted Indonesian palm oil industry players welfare after the Russia–Ukraine conflict. On the other hand, it caused a decline in the welfare of cooking oil and biodiesel producers due to the surge in raw material costs and the decline in selling prices. Therefore, market differentiation for palm oil derivative products into international markets is required.

The results of this research provide empirical evidence to the Indonesian government regarding the importance of policies that regulate the demand and supply of palm oil compared to increasing palm oil production. The results of this research emphasize that the development of policies for the Indonesian palm oil industry needs to pay attention to global vegetable oil market fluctuations as well as the importance of holistic policies from the on-farm to the off-farm level to ensure that producers and consumers experience increased welfare.

The peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/IJSE-06-2024-0531

The aim of this chapter is to show the limits of the European policy model and to support the existence, through straightforward empirical analysis, of an inverse relationship both in the short run and in the long run between trust in institutions and unemployment. The empirical methodology relies on dynamic panel data techniques allowing measuring in a single equation both the long-run relationship and the short-run speed of adjustment among variables. This connection appears to be valid both in the Eurozone considered as a whole and in particular in peripheral countries, where the macroeconomic dynamics have been, under this respect, much more divergent from the average. This outcome allows proofing that to consolidate the European process of integration in the long run, institutions should have as main objective not only inflation but especially unemployment.

This paper aims to examine the adjustment experiences of academically successful international students in living and learning in a private Malaysian higher education institution (HEI).

A total of 53 international students participated in a mixed-method study, where they completed a survey (close- and open-ended questions). Also, 12 international students were interviewed.

The findings diverge from other studies, in that issues with respondents' English language proficiency were minimal, but for some of the students, social and cultural adjustment was problematic. However, these students were proactive in improving their situations. These findings indicate foci for university improvement in study and living experiences for all students.

The study is limited to one group of academically successful students at a private university in Malaysia.

There are benefits to HEIs and international students in enabling students to reflect upon and share their successful strategies. These not only enable students to recognise and value their achievements but also contribute to the development of more inclusive practices that will enhance future students' adjustment and overall learning experience.

The study contributes to the literature with its focus on academically successful students at a private university in Malaysia, both of which are areas of limited research coverage.