This comprehensive review critically examines current methodologies and optimization strategies for designing indoor thermal environments in educational buildings amid the challenges of global climate change and energy demands. The paper evaluates existing research methods, such as numerical simulations, data-driven models, and field measurements, revealing significant limitations in addressing the complex and dynamic nature of educational environments. It highlights the overemphasis on energy efficiency while neglecting user comfort and individual differences, such as students’ physiological and psychological needs. The review underscores the necessity of integrating human-centered design strategies, climate adaptability, and interdisciplinary approaches to improve building performance and enhance student well-being. Future research should focus on developing multimodal data fusion frameworks, applying AI-based optimization, and incorporating emerging technologies like BIM and IoT for dynamic management. By advocating for more adaptable and sustainable thermal environment strategies, this study provides a foundation for advancing educational building design in response to climate change and energy crises.

Improving living conditions, public services, and social safety nets in the aging residential areas is a core component of community renewal. Age-friendly development calls for integrated improvements in accessibility, safety, comfort, and aesthetics, which are essential for meeting the mobility needs of older adults and people with disabilities. Vertical transportation upgrades, especially elevators and barrier-free design, are critical interventions, yet the lack of a systematic evaluation framework has limited a comprehensive assessment of their effectiveness. This study aims to establish a comprehensive evaluation framework that tightly integrates age-friendly development with vertical transportation improvements, providing detailed guidance to support the renewal of aging residential communities. Methods: We adopted the PRISMA 2020 systematic review methodology, performing a structured search of the Web of Science Core Collection from 2014 to 2024. After applying rigorous inclusion and exclusion criteria, 61 studies were selected for in-depth analysis. Results: The review identifies four core dimensions—accessibility, safety, comfort, and aesthetics—that directly influence vertical transportation renovation outcomes. Key factors include step-free access such as ramps and slope compliance; elevator availability and reliability; lighting and anti-slip safety; waiting and riding comfort; and clear wayfinding through signage legibility. Innovation: Based on these findings, we propose an operational framework that not only defines these dimensions but also links them to measurable evaluation indicators and provides a step-by-step usage protocol. This framework enables policymakers and practitioners to design evidence-based renewal strategies, ensure equitable mobility for vulnerable groups, and promote sustainable, inclusive communities. The findings of this study can serve as a reference for future policy formulation, design practices, and empirical research on sustainable and age-friendly community renewal.

As global urbanization accelerates and the challenges of an aging population and climate change intensify, the need for sustainable and inclusive urban design has never been more pressing. This study examines the intersection of low-carbon strategies and age-friendly walking environments, focusing on how collaborative approaches can optimize community spaces for elderly mobility while meeting sustainability goals. A comprehensive literature review, systematically conducted according to the PRISMA guidelines, examines the role of walking networks, green spaces, and public facilities in creating low-carbon, accessible, and health-enhancing environments. The research reveals a gap in integrating low-carbon goals with elderly mobility needs, stressing the importance of collaborative governance in urban planning. This collaborative synergy—combining community input, urban policy, and low-carbon design solutions—can create environments that not only reduce emissions but also enhance elderly well-being. By exploring the synergies between these elements, the study proposes a framework for collaborative urban planning that ensures both environmental sustainability and the well-being of elderly populations. The results suggest that integrating low-carbon principles with age-friendly design can simultaneously reduce carbon emissions and improve the quality of life for elderly residents. Future research should focus on refining this framework and addressing the barriers to effective collaboration in urban planning.

Urban walking spaces are shaped by both relatively stable visual–spatial features and dynamic contextual exposures, yet the independent emotional effects of these exposures remain unclear. This study develops a causal screening framework to examine the adjusted effects of high pedestrian flow and high background wind speed on pedestrian emotion. Using 9552 participant-location observations collected along a 1.0 km walking route in Changsha, China, pedestrian emotion was expressed as a baseline-referenced emotional response (BRER). Propensity-score trimming established treatment-specific overlap before applying partially linear regression, double machine learning, and causal forest estimation. High flow showed a stable negative adjusted effect with broader empirical support and some heterogeneity, whereas high wind also showed a negative estimate but was treated as exploratory because of limited independent exposure support. Overall, dynamic social and meteorological exposures may retain adjusted effects on pedestrian emotion beyond the observed visual–spatial environment, with stronger evidence for pedestrian flow. Urban walking-space design should therefore strengthen its capacity to buffer transient social and meteorological pressures.