The sector’s centrality is not accidental. Construction and facilities management sit squarely within SDG 9, the goal of industry, innovation, and infrastructure, and the editorial highlights how transformative technologies such as artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things are reshaping the sector’s efficiency and sustainability profile. Recent studies have affirmed measurable gains from these technologies, from energy optimization in smart buildings to predictive maintenance in infrastructure networks, yet the editors caution that much remains to be uncovered about their comprehensive potential and limitations. Digitalization, paired with adherence to ISO standards, is emerging as a leading practice for the future of facilities management, and the editorial calls for further research to test the full scope of these strategies against broader sustainability goals.

The five publications span an unusually wide technical territory. They include bioenergy projects converting cellulosic urban waste feedstock into sustainable aviation fuel, gender equality in smart sustainable cities, modular integrated construction as a development strategy, stakeholder dynamics in sustainable waste management, energy-driven circular design in the built environment, decision-making in the adaptive reuse of industrial buildings as hotels, electric vehicle consumer behavior and purchase intentions, and the adoption of biomimicry in the United Arab Emirates construction industry. The collection comprises one Policy and Practice Review, one Literature Review, and three Original Research Articles, offering conceptual, empirical, and review contributions to the field.

Among the original research articles, Maelissa and colleagues tackle a persistent gap in road infrastructure delivery: the systematic incorporation of social value. Although project social value is increasingly recognized as crucial to sustainable road infrastructure aligned with the UN SDGs, few comprehensive models guide its integration. The team proposes a conceptual model grounded in stakeholder and sustainability theories, identifying five key factors—community engagement, government involvement, sustainability practices, organizational performance, and design—represented by 38 indicators. The model emphasizes the interactions among these factors to produce social outcomes, merging the social and technical dimensions of sustainability while offering practical guidance for policymakers and practitioners in infrastructure planning and delivery.

The Policy and Practice Review by Munonye introduces the Smart Circular City, a framework that brings together technology, the circular economy, and urban metabolism to improve how materials and energy flow through historic buildings. By reusing resources and considering the entire lifecycle of structures, cities can extend building lifespans, reduce waste, and lower carbon emissions while fostering culturally rich urban areas. Digital tools such as digital twins and real-time monitoring systems help turn historic buildings into vital parts of sustainable urban systems, optimizing their use while preserving cultural values. Strategies like adaptive reuse and energy retrofitting aim to balance conservation with environmental performance, though the review notes that governance faces challenges from disconnected policies and economic limitations. Successful European cities demonstrate that combining policy coordination, cross-sector collaboration, and community engagement is crucial for advancing circular initiatives, and future strategies recommend embedding cultural value in digital assessments and encouraging circular retrofitting.

A second original research article, by Kyambade and colleagues, examines health and sanitation projects in Uganda, where poor governance, inconsistent service delivery, and aging infrastructure often cause projects to fail after their initial phases, hindering progress toward SDG 3 and SDG 6. The study reveals that responsible leadership improves sustainability performance directly and enhances project resilience, which in turn positively impacts sustainability. Resilience partly mediates the connection between responsible leadership and sustainability performance, indicating that effective leadership boosts sustainability both directly and through improved adaptability. By linking responsible leadership, resilience, and sustainability performance in one framework, the study strengthens relational leadership theory and provides valuable insights for sustaining health and sanitation projects in developing countries.

The third original research article, by Gajanayake and colleagues, turns to India’s urban housing sector, where circular economy strategies are not being adopted as quickly as other sustainability concepts like energy efficiency and green buildings, particularly in the Global South. Although the circular economy aligns with the SDGs, it is not explicitly mentioned in the SDG framework. Drawing on data from a focus group of construction practitioners in India, the findings show that practitioners focus on resource efficiency, low-carbon materials, clean energy, green building performance, and waste management. While primarily linked to environmental benefits, these efforts also connect to health, job creation, urban resilience, and partnerships. The study reveals an overlap between circular economy and green building ideas, with limited focus on advanced circular strategies, suggesting the industry needs a more comprehensive approach to sustainability supported by clear policies, professional skill development, stakeholder collaboration, and technological innovation.

The Literature Review by Malifete and colleagues examines green financing in South Africa’s construction industry, where effective use faces several operational barriers. The authors surveyed 44 professionals from public and private sectors, analyzing their perceptions of challenges and opportunities. Key barriers included a lack of knowledge about green products, inadequate sustainability training, and high costs of green materials. The main enabling factors are long-term investment planning, increased awareness of green financing, development of green financial products, and better collaboration among stakeholders. The team proposes a framework outlining the barriers and enabling conditions that affect organizations’ readiness to engage with green financing, adding evidence from South Africa and offering practical ideas for enhancing skills and partnerships to support sustainable construction.

Collectively, the five publications highlight the breadth and significance of current research at the intersection of construction, sustainability, and urban resilience. The editors emphasize that the findings offer fresh perspectives for research, policy, and practice, and they hope the collection will inspire new ideas in a field where the stakes are rising. As Lok and colleagues argue, focusing on construction in the post-pandemic period can help build the systems, practices, and structures that make cities better able to withstand future crises, testifying to the essential role that smart technologies and innovation play in advancing the UN SDGs within the built environment.

Subject of Research: Construction and facilities management research maps how the built environment can advance UN Sustainable Development Goals and urban resilience after the pandemic.

Article Title: Editorial: Role of construction in achieving UN Sustainable Development Goals to urban resilience in the post-pandemic context

Article References: Lok, K. L., Chen, C., & Smith, A. J. (2026). Editorial: Role of construction in achieving UN Sustainable Development Goals to urban resilience in the post-pandemic context. Frontiers in Sustainable Cities, 8, Article 2002041. https://doi.org/10.3389/frsc.2026.2002041

Image Credits: AI Generated

DOI: 10.3389/frsc.2026.2002041

Keywords: construction, UN Sustainable Development Goals, urban resilience, circular economy, green financing, smart cities, post-pandemic, sustainable infrastructure, Editorial, Role, achieving, Sustainable