This book presents multi-sector practical cases based on the author’s own research. It also includes the best practice, which could serve as a benchmark for the creation of smart cities. The global urbanisation index, i.e., the ratio of city dwellers to the total population, has been steadily increasing in recent years. It is highest in the Americas, followed by Europe, Asia and Africa. The city of the future will combine the intelligent use of IT systems with the potential of institutions, companies and committed, creative inhabitants. The administrative boundaries of today’s cities put certain constraints on their further growth, but in the future these boundaries will no longer be as relevant. Cities in Europe face the challenge of reconciling sustainable urban development and competitiveness – a challenge that will likely influence issues of urban quality such as the economy, culture, social and environmental conditions, changing a given city’s profile as well as urban quality in terms of its composition and characteristics.

These proceedings represent the work of contributors to the 7th European Conference on Social Media (ECSM 2020), supported by UCLan Cyprus, Larnaca on 2-3 July 2020. The Conference Chair is Dr Christos Karpasitis and the Programme Chair is Mrs Christiana Varda, from the University of Central Lancashire - Cyprus (UCLan Cyprus). ECSM is a relatively new, but well-established event on the academic research calendar. Now, in its 7th year, the key aim remains the opportunity for participants to share ideas and meet. The conference was due to be held at UCLan Cyprus, but unfortunately, due to the global Covid-19 pandemic it was moved online to be held as a virtual event. The scope of papers will ensure an interesting conference. The subjects covered illustrate the wide range of topics that fall into this important and ever-growing area of research.

This book presents fundamental and applied research in developing geospatial modeling solutions to manage the challenges that urban areas are facing today. It aims to connect the academics, researchers, experts, town planners, investors and government officials to exchange ideas. The areas addressed include urban heat island analysis, urban flood vulnerability and risk mapping, green spaces, solar energy, infrastructure management, among others. The book suggests directions for smart city research and outlines practical propositions. As an emerging and critical area of research and development, much research is now being done with regard to cities. At the international level and in India alike, the “smart cities” concept is a vital topic for universities and research centers, and well as for civic bodies, town planners and policymakers. As such, the book offers a valuable resource for a broad readership.

This book is devoted to sewage sludge, its sustainable management, and its use and implications on soil fertility and crop production. The book traces the main chemical and biological properties of sewage sludge, and covers topics such as sewage sludge biostabilization and detoxification, biological and thermochemical treatment technologies, emerging nutrient recovery technologies, the role of microorganisms in sewage sludge management, and the sustainable use of sewage sludge as fertilizer in agriculture. The book offers a valuable asset for researchers, scholars and policymakers alike.

Industrial and Municipal Sludge: Emerging Concerns and Scope for Resource Recovery begins with a characterization of the types of sludge and their sources and management strategies. This section is followed by specific chapters that cover Emerging contaminants in sludge (Endocrine disruptors, Pesticides and Pharmaceutical residues, including illicit drugs/controlled substances), Bioleaching of sludge [with an enriched sulfur-oxidizing bacterial community, Recovery of valuable metals (Bioleaching and use of sulfur-oxidizing bacterial community, and Biogas production by continuous thermal hydrolysis and thermophilic anaerobic digestion of waste activated sludge. In addition, the book includes numerous tables and flow diagrams to help users further comprehend the subject matter. - Includes numerous tables and flow diagrams to assist in the comprehension of new and existing sludge treatments and resource recovery technology - Covers biogas production by continuous thermal hydrolysis and thermophilic anaerobic digestion of waste activated sludge - Presents information on the recovery of valuable metals from sludge (bioleaching and the use of a sulfur-oxidizing bacterial community) - Includes opportunities and challenges in the biorefinery-based valorization of pulp and paper sludge

"A journalist travels the world and investigates current socioeconomic theories of happiness to discover why most modern cities are designed to make us miserable, what we can do to change this, and why we have more to learn from poor cities than from prosperous ones"--