| Author: | Adenle, Yusuf Adetunji |
| Title: | A spatial data framework for assessing campus in Nigerian higher institutions through social media analytics |
| Advisors: | Chan, Edwin (BRE) |
| Degree: | Ph.D. |
| Year: | 2021 |
| Subject: | Universities and colleges -- Environmental aspects -- Nigeria Campus planning -- Environmental aspects -- Nigeria Sustainability Social media Data mining Hong Kong Polytechnic University -- Dissertations |
| Department: | Department of Building and Real Estate |
| Pages: | xvii, 264 pages : color illustrations |
| Language: | English |
| Abstract: | Sustainable campus development has gained several policymakers and urban planners' attention within the past decades, with different campuses of higher education institutions (HEIs) across the world claiming to be sustainable or have adopted initiatives of becoming sustainable. Also, different scholars at universities, non-governmental, country-level in addition to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNDP) have established toolkits, ratings, models, and frameworks for the appraisal, evaluation, monitoring, and tracking the level of environmental, social, economic, and institutional sustainability in the campuses of HEIs. HEIs decision-makers can utilize the outputs of such campus sustainability appraisal (CSA) to evaluate the accomplishment of their policies and campus-wide action plans, improvement in campus, livability, quality of life (QOL), and direction for future development in different parts of the world. However, the different tools for assessing sustainability in campuses of HEIs cannot be utilized in all institutions across the globe due to factors such as regional variation. A comprehensive review of extant literature also reveals a knowledge gap on the sustainability impacts of the physical environment and spatial settings of campuses of HEIs, unlike the socio-economic dimensions. Therefore, this research aims at developing an innovative campus-wide, spatial, and environmental-dimension sustainability indicators framework for the appraisal and visualization of sustainability performance within the campuses of HEIs in Nigeria (a paradigm shift from the existing studies and approaches). The goals are to (i) set up performance-based spatial indicators via social media user-generated content (UGC) to appraise campus-wide sustainability and advance QOL and livability and (ii) visualize the outcomes using spatial technology. A literature review also reveals that studies utilizing social media data and or big data analysis tool to ascertain the peculiar sustainability indicators of the geographical locations where CSA techniques are being implemented has not been conducted before. This is despite the fact that some of the sustainable development goals (SDGs) target information and communication technology (ITC). Besides, despite the challenges of the absence, inadequate of or restrained access to necessary information for CSA exercise in the global south, integrating spatial techniques and software into environmental-dimension indicators with campus-wide and spatial attributes has not been extensively utilized. Specifically, the research objectives are as follows: (1) identifies the campus sustainability categories that reflect and match the nature of Nigeria HEIs campuses (2) identifies indicators appropriate to appraise the identified categories (3) establishes a practical measurement mechanism to appraise each sustainability category and spatial-based indicator (4) determine and verify the relative importance of each category and indicator and assign them the appropriate weight (5) propose a framework that represents the linkage among the attributes (categories and indicators) in the form of a spatial data infrastructure model based on the Nigeria campus sustainability challenges (6) test the proposed model by applying it to appraise a selected campus in Nigeria via spatial strategy concept. To achieve the stated goals and objectives, the following research activities and tasks were carried out. First, a comprehensive review of extant literature was conducted to determine the contemporary and up-to-date studies on sustainable campus development. This review process was followed by an extensive analysis of the extant CSA tools leading to (i) identifying their strengths, weaknesses, and absence of their utilization in Nigeria, and (ii) identifying various environmental-dimension sustainability attributes with campus-wide and spatial indicators as a base case for the proposed model. This research phase resulted in an elementary catalog/checklist of campus-wide sustainability attributes that are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound indicators. The proposed framework integrating and relating the identified campus-wide sustainability attribute and indicators in a hierarchical linkage was developed by considering the needs of campus neighborhoods of HEIs in Nigeria and its sustainability goals based on a novel big data analysis/social media approach. The proposed framework and the identified attributes and indicators were verified and validated by local experts. After that, the experts were consulted to prioritize each category and indicator, and the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) was utilized to assign weights. Measurement components of each campus-wide and spatial-dimension indicator were established to allow for CSA exercise using geographic information systems (GIS) technology spatial strategy and analysis toolkits for sustainability analysis. Based on spatial data that include vector data, raster data, aerial/satellite imagery, attributes data, and metadata, the proposed framework, was test-run and validated using one of the campuses of HEIs in Nigeria. Sustainable campus planning and spatial strategy principles and policies were recommended. Finally, inputs and feedback on the final model was received from both local and international experts. The outcomes of the study is of enormous benefit to HEIs in Nigeria in many ways relating to but not limited to (i) enhancing campus livability, QOL and encourage the rise in human health via the adoption of environmentally friendly developmental policies and actions (ii) promoting campus sustainability and livability practices via the adoption and modification of the proposed model for sustainability appraisal, and (iii) improving the efficiency of campus-wide environment developmental policies. |
| Rights: | All rights reserved |
| Access: | open access |
Copyright Undertaking
As a bona fide Library user, I declare that:
- I will abide by the rules and legal ordinances governing copyright regarding the use of the Database.
- I will use the Database for the purpose of my research or private study only and not for circulation or further reproduction or any other purpose.
- I agree to indemnify and hold the University harmless from and against any loss, damage, cost, liability or expenses arising from copyright infringement or unauthorized usage.
By downloading any item(s) listed above, you acknowledge that you have read and understood the copyright undertaking as stated above, and agree to be bound by all of its terms.
Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item:
https://theses.lib.polyu.edu.hk/handle/200/11578