Sustainability rating system for highway design: a key focus for developing sustainable cities and societies in Nigeria.

Uchehara, Ikechukwu; Moore, David; Jafarifar, Naeimeh; Omotayo, Temitope

Abstract

A growing body of evidence suggests that continuous increases in global population and urbanisation wield pressure across biodiversity. Nigeria and a few other Asian nations will account for 35% of the urban increase in the future, and there is a scientific projection that further megacities will emerge. Besides, sustainable cities and societies are those that strive to leave a net-zero carbon footprint through smart urban planning and city management. So, in developing public transport scheme, it is essential to manage and implement sustainability assessment performance. In Nigeria, there is a sustainability literacy gap, due to a lack of measurable sustainability techniques, and this has resulted in social, economic and environmental dissatisfaction towards completed highways and roads in the cities. The roads and highways are considered an essential part of modern daily life and will play a key role in the development of sustainable cities. To bridge the knowledge gap, this study argues to develop a sustainability assessment rating system in evaluating highway and road designs in Nigeria. Thirty-six (36) sustainability indicators relevant in assessing highway design are identified along with the sustainability application framework. The findings contribute to gaining insight into climate change impact, and the benefits it makes in adopting an assessment rating system in highway development to decrease climate change catastrophe.

Citation

UCHEHARA, I., MOORE, D., JAFARIFAR, N. and OMOTAYO, T. 2022. Sustainability rating system for highway design: a key focus for developing sustainable cities and societies in Nigeria. Sustainable cities and society [online], 78, article number 103620. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scs.2021.103620

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Dec 12, 2021
• Online Publication Date: Dec 20, 2021
• Publication Date: Mar 31, 2022
• Deposit Date: Dec 14, 2021
• Publicly Available Date: Dec 21, 2022
• Journal: Sustainable Cities and Society
• Print ISSN: 2210-6707
• Electronic ISSN: 2210-6715
• Publisher: Elsevier
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 78
• Article Number: 103620
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scs.2021.103620
• Keywords: Highway design; Urban infrastructure; Urban planning; Public transport; Sustainability; Environmental impact; Climate change; Analytical hierarchy process; Carbon-emission; System thinking; Smart-green-rating-system; Sustainable cities
• Public URL: https://rgu-repository.worktribe.com/output/1550507