Planning and Design for Sustainability

Abstract

The special issue on “Planning and design for sustainability” contains two
papers that focus on sustainability issues of a middle-income and a low-
income nation. The two papers are “Techno-economic assessment of hybrid
renewable energy systems for residential complexes of Tabriz, Iran” and
“Passenger Transport Modal Mix by Incorporating Travel Behaviour: A Case
Study of Kathmandu Valley, Nepal”. These papers highlight the importance
of rigorous planning for infrastructural design in developing nations to
enhance global sustainability.
The paper “Techno-economic assessment of hybrid renewable energy
systems for residential complexes of Tabriz, Iran” by Khalil Aghapouramin
explores the feasibility of implementing hybrid renewable energy systems by
presenting a case study of a city in Iran. Full renewable energy transition is
likely to occur in multiple phases such that each successive phase will have
a reduced consumption of fossil fuels. Consequently, assuming 100% renew-
able energy transition over the next few decades or so, it can be expected that
the immediate future will have mass deployment of hybrid technologies as an
intermediary stage before full renewable transition is realised. Collaborations
among housing developers, academics and other relevant stakeholders are
essential to optimise the implementation of hybrid renewable energy systems
in commercial buildings.