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The study examines the effects of heat islands on Putrajaya City and evaluates the planned city features effect since climate policies were not deliberatively considered during the planning process. The aim of this study is to explore the effect of air temperature on the different urban forms and residential areas in the completed construction precincts of Putrajaya Boulevard. The investigation was performed using a mobile survey method with a data logger three times a day, during the morning, noon, and afternoon time, for three days during the hottest month in July 2012. It was found that there is no significant difference in variation of the air temperature between the different city features, and urban typology blocks, and the maximum air temperature was 37 °C. Hence, the temperature has remained constant since before the city was built. Therefore, the climate aspect was not considered during the planning process for reducing the temperature and improving environmental comfort. It is, therefore, necessary to establish a strategy and policy that will reduce the high air temperature before the master plan is completed.

Waste materials pollution has instigated a serious environmental problem for decades, therefore new initiatives have been taken around the world to recycle wastes into construction materials in recent years. This study applied the compressive strength as one of the key parameters to examine the characteristics of materials, it was conducted to investigate the efficiency of adding different waste materials to cement mortar mixture as partial replacement with sand. Crumbed rubber, expanded polystyrene (foam), shredded wastepaper, and shredded plastic bags were selected to examine the efficiency of adding them to cement mortar. These waste materials were mixed individually with cement, sand and water proportionally. The produced mixture of each waste materials was casted in standard cubes and cured in water for different ages 3, 7 and 28 days. The compressive strength of the cured cubes was tested, the results showed that over all tested ages, plasticbased mortar provided the lowest compressive strength variance values by -7.4, -6.7%, and -5.4% in comparison with tested reference mortar. Rubber-based mortar showed the highest variance by -58.5 % at 3 days, -58.3% after 7 days and -55.5 % after 28 days. Foam comes next to Plastic-based mortar then Paper-based mortar by -13.7 & -37 % after 3 days, -11.3 & -34 % after 7 days and -14 & -26 % after 28 days respectively. In comparison to ASTM C129, the results rangessupported the possibility of using cement mortar mixed with shredded plastic, foam and shredded wastepaper in producing non-loadbearing concrete masonry units.

A city’s human scale can be achieved if people recognized the four Cardinal Directions (CDs) anywhere within the city. As a reflection of the theory of ‘prospect and refuge,’ this paper investigates the problem of losing a city’s human scale, by studying the impact of the form of the street paths on maintaining and perception of the four CDs. The paper highlights the problem of a non-designed street network and the heterogeneity of its texture. The paper explores the impact of such random street networks on achieving the human scale of cities. Kharga City in Egypt located on (25.4390° N, 30.5586° E) is an example of cities suffering from non-designed street networks. Therefore, the paper relied on the inferential statistics approach by surveying a sample of residents in Kharga City, with the assumption that, the main reason for that problem was the various curves existing in the street paths, which had different shapes, sizes, diameters, and directions. Moreover, the lack of a typical street network pattern had aggravated the problem. Analysis and results confirmed the hypothesis of the research, hence basic recommendations were made. The most important of which is, the need to avoid random curves in street directions, and to follow the orthogonal grid pattern, mainly in the design of street networks, in order to ensure a city with human-scale, that is easy to recognize its correct mental map.

A city’s human scale can be achieved if people recognized the four Cardinal Directions (CDs) anywhere within the city. As a reflection of the theory of ‘prospect and refuge,’ this paper investigates the problem of losing a city’s human scale, by studying the impact of the form of the street paths on maintaining and perception of the four CDs. The paper highlights the problem of a non-designed street network and the heterogeneity of its texture. The paper explores the impact of such random street networks on achieving the human scale of cities. Kharga City in Egypt located on (25.4390° N, 30.5586° E) is an example of cities suffering from non-designed street networks. Therefore, the paper relied on the inferential statistics approach by surveying a sample of residents in Kharga City, with the assumption that, the main reason for that problem was the various curves existing in the street paths, which had different shapes, sizes, diameters, and directions. Moreover, the lack of a typical street network pattern had aggravated the problem. Analysis and results confirmed the hypothesis of the research, hence basic recommendations were made. The most important of which is, the need to avoid random curves in street directions, and to follow the orthogonal grid pattern, mainly in the design of street networks, in order to ensure a city with human-scale, that is easy to recognize its correct mental map.

Access to mortgage financing is a significant challenge in developing countries, including Uganda, hindering the growth of the housing sector. This study explores the perceptions of bank credit professionals regarding clients’ awareness, attitudes, and challenges related to mortgage eligibility terms in the Greater Kampala Metropolitan Area. Employing a qualitative approach, indepth Key Informant Interviews were conducted with six credit professionals from two major financial institutions. The findings reveal that over 75% of applicants fail to meet the stringent eligibility criteria, with key barriers identified as high interest rates averaging around 21%, substantial down payment requirements of 20% to 30%, and rigid collateral stipulations. Credit professionals suggested strategies to alleviate these challenges, including relaxing eligibility conditions, accepting alternative collateral, and encouraging self-financing through investment returns. The study highlights the urgent need for enhanced stakeholder collaboration to improve mortgage accessibility and affordability. Policy implications include reducing interest rates, revising eligibility criteria, and strict measures against corruption within financial institutions. Implementing these recommendations is vital for making mortgage financing more attainable for housing developers in the GKMA, thereby fostering a more inclusive housing market in Uganda.