Amman, the capital of Jordan, has been growing rapidly, particularly in its city centre. This has led to the spread of high-density buildings and a loss of green spaces. As a result, the city's ecosystem services have been significantly reduced, making it more vulnerable to climate-related disasters such as floods and heatwaves. This study examines the current state of green space and green infrastructure (GI) in downtown Amman, using historical and recent maps from 1918 to 2020 to understand how urban development has affected the environment. The findings show that the amount of green space per person is far below the World Health Organization's recommended level, highlighting the decline of natural areas and the lack of green infrastructure in urban planning. The study emphasises the importance of green infrastructure in enhancing cities’ resilience to climate risks, while also noting that Amman has not done enough to implement it. This research provides valuable insights into how urban growth impacts green space and resilience in cities of the Global South, urging policymakers to prioritise green infrastructure to better manage disaster risks and promote sustainable urban development.

This meta-analysis compares the thermal user comfort performance of three of the most important Building-Integrated Photovoltaic (BIPV) façade systems: Double Skin Façades (DSFs), semi-transparent BIPV façades, and ventilated opaque BIPV cladding systems. A total of 24 peer-reviewed papers were systematically examined on the basis of operative temperature drop, PMV scores, and comfort hours in a variety of climate contexts. DSFs exhibited better thermal control and climate responsiveness, registering up to 4.5°C of temperature drop and more than 82% comfort hours. Ventilated opaque systems were effective in hot-arid climates with high retrofiting potential, but semi-transparent BIPV façades were better suited for daylighting but less stable thermally. The results indicate that DSFs are the best overall, although the choice of system should be based on climate, design requirements, and performance objectives. Recommendations involve hybrid façade solutions and increased focus on passive thermal design in BIPV applications.

A digital transformation of the construction industry is now in place to improve efficiency, quality, sustainability, and competitiveness. Although numerous studies have reported the advantages of digital construction technologies, their adoption within the Egyptian construction industry remains limited. This study investigates the drivers, barriers, and perceived benefits influencing the adoption of digital construction technologies in the Egyptian construction industry. The survey was conducted with 228 construction professionals (architects, engineers, project managers) to determine how the use of digital tools such as Building Information Modeling (BIM) and Artificial Intelligence (AI), can influence the performance of the project. The results show that the main factors that prompt the use of digital include quality improvement, increased precision, and gaining a competitive edge. The main barriers found to be the most significant are the high costs, deficient infrastructure and a lack of skilled staff. In addition, the study outlines various advantages of digital tools, such as cost-saving, better quality of the project, higher safety, and higher productivity. The study will be significant to the current body of literature as it will determine the important determinants that influence the acceptance of digital technologies in the Egyptian construction sector. It provides specific suggestions on how to overcome the barriers to adoption, including building strong infrastructure, providing financial incentives and capacity-building measures. The findings can be of great use to the policymakers, practitioners, and other stakeholders in the industry that aims to accelerate digitalization and to enhance the sustainability and competitiveness of construction projects in Egypt.