Toward smart buildings and communities in the Gulf States: Analysis of human and social dimensions in the transition to carbon-neutral cities using artificial intelligence

This chapter investigates the interaction between people and their built environments to understand the drivers of occupants' indoor comfort and related energy behaviors. The study surveys 2,600 participants divided into high and low consumer categories, examining the relationship between human indoor comfort perceptions, occupants' characteristics, and building features. The chapter concludes with an in-depth analysis of the relationship between comfort perceptions and consumption, consequence awareness, self-responsibility, habits, and norms. Furthermore, the chapter introduces a human-building interaction (HBI) concept mapping, which serves as a comprehensive and adaptable framework for guiding evaluation and planning processes in the field. By considering occupant comfort and energy use as fundamental elements in sustainable building design and operation, the introduced integrated framework aims to provide a reliable and flexible tool for analyzing and optimizing building performance. Ultimately, this framework can be utilized to develop targeted strategies that enhance the efficiency of energy policies and sustainability performance indicators, thereby facilitating the transition to net zero and carbon-neutral buildings.