Urban Governance最新文献

{"title":"Advancing smart public administration: Challenges and benefits of artificial intelligence","authors":"Aboud Barsekh-Onji ,&nbsp;Zacarias Torres Hernandez ,&nbsp;Edgar Oliver Cardoso Espinosa","doi":"10.1016/j.ugj.2025.06.003","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ugj.2025.06.003","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) into public administration presents a fundamental transformation for global governance paradigms, offering significant potential alongside profound challenges. This paper provides a comprehensive theoretical review examining the multifaceted dimensions of AI adoption in the public administration sector. It analyzes the complex interplay between AI capabilities and established administrative theories, explores the uneven global landscape of AI implementation strategies and hurdles across diverse national contexts (including the US, EU, Asia, and developing nations), and assesses the impact of emerging technologies like Large Language Models (LLMs). Key challenges critical for responsible AI governance are investigated in detail: the need for transparency and Explainable AI (XAI) to address algorithmic opacity; methodologies for mitigating bias, particularly originating from training data; frameworks for establishing accountability for AI system failures; and the specific infrastructural, talent, and resource barriers hindering adoption in developing countries. The review highlights inherent tensions between AI-driven efficiency gains and core public values such as equity, accountability, and transparency. It underscores the necessity of robust human oversight, ethical guidelines, and context-aware strategies for trustworthy AI integration. Synthesizing these findings, the paper proposes foundational elements for an intelligent governance framework aimed at leveraging AI as a catalyst for modernization while upholding democratic principles. Ultimately, this review contributes a structured analysis of the critical factors shaping the present and future of AI in public administration, laying groundwork for achieving an ’intelligent state’ that harmonizes technological innovation with ethical and equitable governance.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":101266,"journal":{"name":"Urban Governance","volume":"5 3","pages":"Pages 279-292"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145134875","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Spatial legibility and sustainability: A design research approach to Park Street’s urban morphology (1757-2020)","authors":"Shilpi Chakraborty,&nbsp;Shiva Ji","doi":"10.1016/j.ugj.2025.06.005","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ugj.2025.06.005","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The application of space syntax analysis benefits heritage conservation efforts, but there is still no standardized method for integrating it with sustainability planning. However, recent studies suggest the possibility of using spatial attributes to guide urban design decisions. Therefore, this study explores a new approach for linking spatial configuration with urban sustainability using the Design Research Methodology framework. After examining the spatial attributes of Park Street (1757–2020) to be significant for urban morphology and legibility, insights were derived from segment map analysis. The spatial structure was first analyzed using an integrated spatial analysis framework. Spatial legibility is determined by a combination of intelligibility and choice measures. As part of the study, an experiment was conducted to validate the relationship between spatial configuration and urban movement patterns. The results indicate that with enhanced spatial legibility, walkability, and sustainability improve in historic urban environments. This was an important contribution to understanding the role of spatial attributes in urban planning. This framework could support urban planners and policymakers as an analytical tool for assessing quantitative and qualitative spatial attributes in heritage preservation and recommending sustainable urban design strategies to preserve historical significance, rather than relying solely on conventional planning methods.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":101266,"journal":{"name":"Urban Governance","volume":"5 3","pages":"Pages 386-403"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145134880","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Evaluation of Brazilian cities from the perspective of smart cities: An analysis of cluster and information technology initiatives","authors":"Lucas Felipe Barros Xavier ,&nbsp;Ana Paula Henriques Gusmão de Araújo Lima ,&nbsp;Fernando Henrique Taques","doi":"10.1016/j.ugj.2025.08.004","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ugj.2025.08.004","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The theme of smart cities has gained increasing relevance due to the phenomenon of rapid urbanization and the adoption of Information Technologies (IT) to optimize the urban system. However, there is no clear and universal consensus on the definition of smart cities. In this context, the research aims to analyze and classify smart cities in Brazil and identify the IT initiatives employed for this purpose. To this end, data from the Connected Smart Cities Ranking (RCSC) for the year 2020 are used and the K-means algorithm is used to classify cities into clusters. From eleven indicator themes, the evidence suggests the three groupings, exposing different behaviors regarding infrastructure, maturity and number of projects related to the use of IT tools for smart cities. In this way, the work allows the identification of the main initiatives employed by the administration in order to improve social well-being and, thus, serves as a reference for decisions related to urban management.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":101266,"journal":{"name":"Urban Governance","volume":"5 3","pages":"Pages 293-302"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145134876","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"From policy to platforms: Analysing public engagement with Singapore's smart nation initiative through social media discourse","authors":"Reza Shaker","doi":"10.1016/j.ugj.2025.04.001","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ugj.2025.04.001","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study examines the complex dynamics of smart city initiatives in Singapore through social media discourse, focusing specifically on the period following the Smart Nation program launch in 2014. Employing a mixed-methods approach combining computational text analysis with qualitative interpretation, we analyse Twitter and TikTok content to uncover how digital platforms mediate public engagement with urban technological initiatives. Our analysis reveals three key findings: First, public engagement with smart city initiatives shows platform-specific patterns that align with key Smart Nation policy implementations, demonstrating the increasing importance of platform-specific communication strategies in urban governance. Second, sentiment analysis, validated against smart city satisfaction indices, indicates generally positive public reception but reveals important variations across different demographic groups and policy areas. Third, social network analysis exposes a centralised communication structure dominated by institutional voices, raising questions about inclusive participation in smart city development. These findings extend platform urbanism theory by demonstrating how different digital platforms create distinct urban technological publics while highlighting the role of state actors in shaping platform dynamics. Comparative analysis with other Asian smart cities reveals distinctive features of Singapore’s institutional approach to smart city implementation. The study contributes to ongoing debates about citizen participation in smart city development while offering practical insights for policy makers navigating the challenges of platform-mediated urban governance.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":101266,"journal":{"name":"Urban Governance","volume":"5 2","pages":"Pages 142-154"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144490382","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Institutional Capacities and Urban Management: Barcelona and the COVID-19 Crisis","authors":"Miquel Salvador ,&nbsp;David Sancho","doi":"10.1016/j.ugj.2025.05.001","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ugj.2025.05.001","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The increasing systemic crisis presents substantial challenges for local governments, particularly in responding to urgent economic and social issues. This paper studies the key factors that promote effective public action in times of crisis, focusing on the role of institutional capacities. Specifically, it analyzes three critical institutional capacities: Analytical, Organizational Management, and Collaborative. The authors propose a system of indicators for assessing each of these capacities, providing a comprehensive framework for understanding their impact on crisis management. The model is tested through a detailed case study of how the municipality of Barcelona and its local economic development agency, Barcelona Activa, responded to the local economic crisis triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic. The results highlight the positive influence of all three institutional capacities on the design, execution, and effectiveness of anti-crisis measures implemented by the local government. Furthermore, the analysis shows that while a fully deterministic relationship between institutional capacities and crisis management success cannot be conclusively established, the study suggests a significant potential causal relationship that warrants further investigation. These findings contribute to the broader field of urban governance by offering insights into the mechanisms through which local governments can enhance their resilience in the face of complex systemic crises.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":101266,"journal":{"name":"Urban Governance","volume":"5 2","pages":"Pages 256-265"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144490637","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The rise of a peri-urban giant from the shadows of an African metropolitan area: A spotlight on Kasoa, Ghana","authors":"Charles Yaw Oduro ,&nbsp;Theodora Oduro","doi":"10.1016/j.ugj.2025.02.007","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ugj.2025.02.007","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Existing research neither adequately situates peri‑urbanisation within the context of metropolisation nor presents a multi-dimensional analysis of the phenomenon in a single study. Also, morphological patterns and drivers of peri‑urbanisation are not adequately understood. This paper seeks to shed light on the rise of Kasoa, Ghana, as a consequence of its close proximity to the ever-expanding Greater Accra Metropolitan Area (GAMA) by answering these questions: What is the impact of GAMA on the socio-demographic dynamics, local economy and livelihoods at Kasoa and its immediate environs? What are the morphological patterns, drivers and environmental impacts of Kasoa's growth? What are the sustainability implications and planning response to the growth of Kasoa and GAMA? The study relied on demographic data from census reports, land use/land cover analysis using <em>Landsat</em> data, and geospatial analysis of morphological patterns of growth using <em>Google Earth</em> images. These analyses were supplemented by other secondary data culled from previous studies. The study found that the growth of Accra has greatly transformed the size and composition of Kasoa's population and its local economy from agriculture-based to informal sector-based with no measures to support households that previously depended on agriculture to find alternative livelihoods. It is also revealed that Kasoa's physical growth has produced several negative environmental impacts, and that this growth has followed clear morphological patterns that are consistent with the spreading pancake, village magnet and ribbon development models. The study recommends that the Municipal Assembly liaises with other municipalities and the Central Regional administration to prepare regional and municipal spatial development frameworks to guide the formulation and implementation of structure and local plans. This should facilitate the coordination of local and regional efforts at managing urban growth in a holistic manner.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":101266,"journal":{"name":"Urban Governance","volume":"5 2","pages":"Pages 203-221"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144490030","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Lying flat city and rat race city: Chinese cities’ land development strategies","authors":"Nannan Xu","doi":"10.1016/j.ugj.2025.05.010","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ugj.2025.05.010","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>A characteristic feature of China’s urbanization is the active role of city governments in organizing and financing land development. Through this process, local governments capture trillions of yuan in land value annually, channeling these revenues into urban infrastructure—a phenomenon widely known as land finance. While existing studies have extensively documented the socio-economic effects of land finance, less attention has been paid to its institutional origins, particularly how local governments shaped its development. This article adopts a historical institutionalist approach to examine the formation of land and infrastructure development institutions in Chongqing and Beijing since the late 1990s. By comparing these two contrasting cases, the study reveals what efforts city governments could make to create an active land development strategy, and how the strategy could remain passive without these efforts. This article argues that entrepreneurial municipalism best characterises Chinese city governments’ strategic efforts in land development. Key efforts include: setting ambitious urban development goals, centralising land management authority, and providing political and economic support to public asset corporations of land and infrastructure development. Revealing these efforts might help cities in other developing countries to devise their land development strategies for capturing land value in rapid urbanisation and industrialisation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":101266,"journal":{"name":"Urban Governance","volume":"5 2","pages":"Pages 155-168"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144490636","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Refugee camps enacting agency: The case of Al Nasr refugee camp, Amman, Jordan","authors":"Nour-Lyna Boulgamh","doi":"10.1016/j.ugj.2025.05.011","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ugj.2025.05.011","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Today's realm of urban studies and planning is heavily marked by a dividing paradox. While substantial rapid urbanization is happening extensively in the global south, the urban planning theories implemented remain extensively entrenched in the developed world, constantly repeating the reprehensible narrative of “underdeveloped” nations' following the footsteps of the “developed” nations' urban growth management strategies. One counter-response to reject such a dichotomy is to ask what we, scholars, practitioners, and urban planners, can learn from the existing urban growth models and policy approaches in developing nations. (<span><span>AlSayyad &amp; Roy, 2004</span></span>, <span><span>Sanyal, 1990</span></span>). This paper traces such a route by delving deeper into a pivotal theme of third world urban research: informal refugee camps and how their urbanization processes construct and contribute to enacting agency. By deploying an interview-based grounded theory approach, this study analyzes the unique informality of refugee camps as a mode of metropolitan urbanization rather than as the binary “other” to the formal sector (<span><span>Connolly and Wigle, 2017</span></span>, <span><span>Roy, 2005</span></span>) and interrogates governments' role in defining the parameters of informality (<span><span>Azuela, 1978</span></span>). This paper revolutionizes the urbanization theory by arguing that refugee camps are an intrinsic organic component of metropolitan urbanization that proclaims agency. Given the global scale of displacement and the prevalence of refugee camps, the study not only contributes to the theoretical landscape by shifting the narrative from viewing refugee camps merely as crises to recognizing them as powerful governance nodes but also holds practical implications for policymakers, urban planners, and humanitarian organizations working in refugee settings. Through investigating the case study of Al Nasr refugee camp in Amman, Jordan, and interviewing 15 refugees accompanied with walk-photography and video footage of the camp, the study investigates the informal urban character beyond the existent pejorative connotations. It explains how the camp activates urbanization and contributes to Amman and Jordan's broader economic and social dynamics. Through exploring themes of governance, authority, and citizenship participation, this monograph articulates the urban dichotomies presented in the camp. It reconfigures notions of territoriality and physicality, considering the inter-spatial and intra-spatial informal ambiguity it entails.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":101266,"journal":{"name":"Urban Governance","volume":"5 2","pages":"Pages 182-190"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144490276","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Urban governance and political influence in contemporary urban settings of midsized cities in Nigeria","authors":"Etido Essien ,&nbsp;Ezekiel Elisha Jesse","doi":"10.1016/j.ugj.2025.05.003","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ugj.2025.05.003","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The influence of urban governance on cities poses an enormous challenge to the developing regions. Especially in Nigeria, where there is limited empirical research on the impact of the relationship between local, state, and national governments on the implementation of city goals and the rule of law in urban governance. This creates a knowledgeable gap in urban literature in Africa. This study used a survey-driven data approach to seek and develop a scientific understanding of city governance in Nigeria. The analysis used extensive primary data collected in Sokoto, Akure, Calabar, and Umuahia, representing Nigeria's four major regions thereby making the study’s dataset more holistic. Our findings show enormous challenges in funding cities, such as urban politics, a fall in oil prices, a short tenure system, and state-milking city funds. We highlight the effects of a lack of stakeholder theories, such as segregated urban formation, urban unemployment, and low economic turnover. Although states have introduced different skill acquisition programs to empower the urban population, segmented urbanism often creates a wide gap between the rich and the poor, raising doubts about the direction of urban governance in Nigeria.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":101266,"journal":{"name":"Urban Governance","volume":"5 2","pages":"Pages 169-181"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144490330","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Addressing environmental degradation and socioeconomic inequities through sustainable urban planning in Pakistan","authors":"Muhammad Khalid Anser ,&nbsp;Muhammad Zaheer Akhtar ,&nbsp;Ishfaq Ahmad ,&nbsp;Muhammad Moinuddin Qazi Abro ,&nbsp;Imran Naseem ,&nbsp;Khalid Zaman","doi":"10.1016/j.ugj.2025.05.006","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ugj.2025.05.006","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Pakistan's rapid urbanization has led to deforestation, habitat loss, water and air pollution, and other environmental damage, adversely affecting the country's green development agenda. The financial disparity between urban and rural communities perpetuates healthcare, education, and basic service shortages. This study examines Pakistan's sustainable urban design projects to address environmental issues, enhance urban living conditions, and eliminate socioeconomic inequities. The study uses a time-series dataset from 1973 to 2022 to explore how green energy adoption, transportation planning, and urban growth affect air quality. The study used the Fully Modified OLS (FMOLS) regression approach for parameter estimates. The results show that renewable energy utilization, transportation planning, and urban population development severely influenced Pakistan's air quality. Community engagement and government subsidies considerably lowered social justice in Pakistan. However, social governance improved social justice in the nation. Urbanization causes environmental and social issues that need well-informed policies and strategiclc planning. The study concludes that coordinated, long-term urban planning is needed to balance development, sustainability, and social justice. Policymakers should emphasize sustainable infrastructure, community-driven urban initiatives, and institutional strengthening for long-term sustained growth.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":101266,"journal":{"name":"Urban Governance","volume":"5 2","pages":"Pages 266-277"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144490638","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}