In the face of growing urban problems such as overcrowding and pollution, we urgently need innovative ideas to build smarter and greener cities. Current urban development strategies often fail to address these challenges, revealing a significant research gap in integrating advanced technologies. This study addresses these gaps by integrating green technologies and artificial intelligence (AI), studying its impact on achieving smart and sustainable habitats and identifying barriers to effective use of these technologies, considering local variations in infrastructural, cultural, and economic contexts. By analyzing how AI and green technologies can be combined, this study aims to provide a vision that can be used to improve urban development planning. The results emphasize the significance of environmental responsibility and technological innovation in the development of sustainable urban environments and provide practical recommendations for improving the overall quality of life in cities through planning and urban planning.

This paper aims to advance the knowledge in the domain of youth entrepreneurship and empowerment in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The rationale is to address the gap in knowledge on entrepreneurship and youth empowerment in the UAE by analyzing strategies and initiatives that support empowering millennials to achieve sustainable development, with the aim of promoting youth entrepreneurship and supporting sustainable economic development. The primary research question guiding this study is: “What strategies and initiatives in the UAE foster the empowerment of the millennial generation for sustainable development?” This study relies on a mixed methodology that combines a descriptive approach, content analysis, and data meta-analysis, with the aim of exploring the relationship between youth entrepreneurship and sustainable development in the United Arab Emirates. with a focus on the future sustainability leaders (FSL) program. While the FSL program demonstrates its significance in promoting youth entrepreneurship and empowerment, it also reveals certain limitations in its design and implementation that may hinder sustainable economic development. To address these challenges and support youth entrepreneurship, the paper proposes three essential action-oriented approaches: promoting participatory diversity and engagement, managing entrepreneurship drivers, and ensuring access to essential support mechanisms. These recommendations are intended to guide multilateral agencies, voluntary sectors, and private entities in the UAE in designing, evaluating, and implementing effective youth entrepreneurship programs. This paper underscores the importance of continued discourse and critical input to refine existing theories and establish a normative framework for youth entrepreneurship and empowerment. Such efforts are crucial for poverty reduction, sustainable development, and the promotion of intergenerational equity.

The dairy industry is considered one of the most needed industries in almost every country; this is due to the continuous daily demand of its different products. Nevertheless, this industry consumes large amount of water, energy and material resources, and generates large quantities of liquid and solid wastes. In the sequel, under the pressure of fulfilling the 17 sustainable development goals (17 SDGs), it is important to address the sustainability of this sector in the world and particularly in developing countries. This study aims at assessing the impact of environmental, economic and social sustainability practices on the organizational performance of dairy industry in Palestine. To this end, a quantitative-research approach, based on a questionnaire for data collection, was adopted. Data has been collected from a convenient sample of 15 dairy factories working in West Bank in Palestine during a three-month period from March to May, 2023. Inferential statistical analyses were conducted as well. The results revealed that there is a difference between the median values of environmental and economic practices. In addition, the results showed that there is a medium relationship between sustainability practices and organizational performance. However, the economic practices proved to have the strongest impact then social practices; while, there is no impact of environmental practices on organizational performance. Furthermore, the results showed that this industry consumes larger amount of water as well as it generates large amounts of wastewater that mainly discharged to the drainage system without treatment for recycling or reuse. Several sound recommendations are given at the end of this paper. It worth mentioning that there are no previous studies conducted on the dairy industry sector in Palestine about sustainability assessment.

Innovation management and economic sustainability have become one of the business challenges to consolidate. given the above, the objective of the study is to determine the relationship between innovation and economic sustainability in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Latin America. through an empirical study, 2660 SMEs were examined, 1729 small and 931 medium-sized, located in 13 Latin American countries. the data obtained by applying a survey were processed using a non-linear canonical correlation analysis (NLCCA). The findings identify functional and operational risks in SMEs that weaken innovative potential, in addition to technical-operational barriers—lack of knowledge and low investment that limit economic sustainability, whose importance transcends towards transformations of business models and effectiveness of resources that promote business sustainability. contributions are suggested for the management of public policies aimed at strengthening innovation and economic sustainability to project the emerging economies of Latin America.

This study investigates the viability and sustainability of proposed landfill sites based on the uncapacitated facility location problem framework utilising the SmartPLS4 Structural Equation Modelling. Investigating the Cape Coast Metropolis, a stratified sampling method selected 400 samples out of which 320 valid respondents were used as the basis for the analysis. Through statistical analysis, significant correlations were identified among community acceptance, environmental impact, facility accessibility, site sustainability, and operational efficiency. However, no significant correlation was found between economic viability and site sustainability. Furthermore, the proposed indirect mediation pathway from operational efficiency to site sustainability via facility accessibility was also statistically insignificant. Employing the use of SmartPLS4 approach in studying the application of uncapacitated facility location problem framework, deepens the understanding of landfill viability and sustainability dynamics. This research contributes to the environmental sciences and sustainability by providing insights into landfill management strategies and emphasising the importance of community engagement and environmental performance in achieving sustainable outcomes. Future research could refine the model by including additional variables like technological advancements and regulatory frameworks, conducting longitudinal studies to track landfill dynamics over time, and undertaking comparative studies across different geographical regions. This could provide insights into management approaches’ applicability. Interdisciplinary collaborations are recommended to address the multifaceted challenges of landfill sustainability.

Sustainability is a top priority for municipal administrations, particularly in large urban centers where citizens rely on transportation for work, study, and daily errands. Public transportation faces a significant challenge beyond availability, performance, safety, and comfort: balancing the cost for the city with fare attractiveness for passengers. Meanwhile, bicycles, supported by public incentives due to their clean and healthy appeal, compete with public transit. In Curitiba, the integrated transport system has been consistently losing passengers, exacerbated by the pandemic and the rise in private vehicle usage. To address this, the city is expanding bicycle infrastructure and electric bike rental services, impacting public transit revenue, and prompting the need for financial compensation to maintain affordable fares for those reliant on public transport. Therefore, this study’s objective is to analyze the bicycle’s impact on public transportation, considering the impact of public policies on economic and social efficiency, not just ecological and environmental factors. Data from six main bus lines were collected and analyzed in two separate linear regression models to verify the effects of new bicycles in circulation, bus tariffs, and weather conditions on public transportation demand. Research results revealed a significant impact of bus tariffs and fuel prices on the number of new bicycles that are diverting passengers from public transportation. The discussion may offer a different perspective on public transport policies and improve city infrastructure investments to strategically change the urban form to address social and economic issues.