Pub Date : 2026-01-10DOI: 10.1016/j.cities.2026.106779
Sungyop Kim, Julia C. Crowley
Floodplain development has been a chronic planning issue. This study analyzed the effects of various census demographic and socioeconomic characteristics of floodplain development by property type at the census block group level for the Kansas City metropolitan area. The methodology used a database of the area's properties in 100-year floodplains, and classified each property as residential, commercial, industrial, or public. Additional sociodemographic information was added to the database. Cragg's exponential hurdle model was employed to analyze the data. Results suggest that the majority of the development was residential. However, more than a quarter of the development was classified as either commercial, industrial, or public properties. This study found a broad floodplain development phenomenon in the study area and the suburbanization of floodplain development but with limited variations in demographic and socioeconomic characteristics. The study also found different development mechanisms in floodplains by property type.
{"title":"Understanding floodplain development: An analysis of demographic and socioeconomic factors associated with floodplain development in the Kansas City metropolitan area of the US","authors":"Sungyop Kim, Julia C. Crowley","doi":"10.1016/j.cities.2026.106779","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cities.2026.106779","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Floodplain development has been a chronic planning issue. This study analyzed the effects of various census demographic and socioeconomic characteristics of floodplain development by property type at the census block group level for the Kansas City metropolitan area. The methodology used a database of the area's properties in 100-year floodplains, and classified each property as residential, commercial, industrial, or public. Additional sociodemographic information was added to the database. Cragg's exponential hurdle model was employed to analyze the data. Results suggest that the majority of the development was residential. However, more than a quarter of the development was classified as either commercial, industrial, or public properties. This study found a broad floodplain development phenomenon in the study area and the suburbanization of floodplain development but with limited variations in demographic and socioeconomic characteristics. The study also found different development mechanisms in floodplains by property type.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48405,"journal":{"name":"Cities","volume":"171 ","pages":"Article 106779"},"PeriodicalIF":6.6,"publicationDate":"2026-01-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145939234","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-09DOI: 10.1016/j.cities.2026.106772
Libang Ma , Shoucun Zhao , Xiang Wang , Cui Cao , Qing Zhu
As the frontier zone affected by urbanization, the spatio-temporal evolution of rural settlements (RSs) in urban-rural transition zones (URTZs) serves as a crucial entry point for understanding urban-rural interactions. However, targeted research in this area remains insufficient. To this end, this study innovatively constructs a reverse-tracking analytical framework that traces causes from effects. Integrating methods such as landscape pattern analysis, spatial expansion measurement, and interface effect response, it systematically reveals the evolutionary patterns of RS in URTZs in Gansu Province. This study indicates that the landscape patterns of RSs exhibit trends towards scaling, complexity and spatial clustering; the rate of RSs expansion continues to slow, with expansion directions demonstrating high adaptability to the geographical environment, while differentiated expansion behaviors further drive landscape pattern formation; The response of RSs to the interface effects of URTZs directly influences their expansion dynamics and survival status, thereby feeding back into the evolution of landscape patterns. This study offers a fresh perspective on understanding the complexities of human-land relationships in URTZs, while also providing precise spatio-temporal information support for land management in these areas.
{"title":"Unveiling the dynamics: Tracing rural settlements evolution in urban-rural transition zones","authors":"Libang Ma , Shoucun Zhao , Xiang Wang , Cui Cao , Qing Zhu","doi":"10.1016/j.cities.2026.106772","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cities.2026.106772","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>As the frontier zone affected by urbanization, the spatio-temporal evolution of rural settlements (RSs) in urban-rural transition zones (URTZs) serves as a crucial entry point for understanding urban-rural interactions. However, targeted research in this area remains insufficient. To this end, this study innovatively constructs a reverse-tracking analytical framework that traces causes from effects. Integrating methods such as landscape pattern analysis, spatial expansion measurement, and interface effect response, it systematically reveals the evolutionary patterns of RS in URTZs in Gansu Province. This study indicates that the landscape patterns of RSs exhibit trends towards scaling, complexity and spatial clustering; the rate of RSs expansion continues to slow, with expansion directions demonstrating high adaptability to the geographical environment, while differentiated expansion behaviors further drive landscape pattern formation; The response of RSs to the interface effects of URTZs directly influences their expansion dynamics and survival status, thereby feeding back into the evolution of landscape patterns. This study offers a fresh perspective on understanding the complexities of human-land relationships in URTZs, while also providing precise spatio-temporal information support for land management in these areas.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48405,"journal":{"name":"Cities","volume":"171 ","pages":"Article 106772"},"PeriodicalIF":6.6,"publicationDate":"2026-01-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145939233","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-08DOI: 10.1016/j.cities.2025.106733
Wan-Chen Hsu , Nuan-Ching Huang , Tzu-Yuan Chao , Yi Sun , Susan C. Hu
As populations age globally, creating supportive environments for aging in place becomes increasingly critical. However, existing research typically examines environmental dimensions and their associations with aging outcomes independently, overlooking how features interact across levels to collectively shape the lived experiences of older adults. To address this limitation, this study employed network analysis to examine the multilevel contributions of environmental features to aging-in-place experiences. We interviewed 308 long-term older residents in Taipei, assessing 31 environmental experience features across housing, neighborhood, and community levels. Gaussian graphical models and centrality analysis were employed to estimate pairwise partial correlations and identify the most influential and bridging features. The network revealed complex environmental connections, with community-level environmental quality showing the highest centrality. Four factors served as multilevel bridges: community safety, environmental maintenance, community vitality, and historical-cultural atmosphere. Among these, community safety showed the strongest cross-level connectivity. Our findings enhance traditional factor analysis, a dimension-reduction approach, by uncovering feature interconnections and cross-level interactions that advance aging-in-place theory. While the network reveals correlational relationships, highly central features emerge as critical leverage points. These features provide empirical direction for strategic interventions and guide future causal investigations to enhance supportive aging-in-place environments.
{"title":"Mapping environmental determinants of aging in place through network analysis: insights from Taipei","authors":"Wan-Chen Hsu , Nuan-Ching Huang , Tzu-Yuan Chao , Yi Sun , Susan C. Hu","doi":"10.1016/j.cities.2025.106733","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cities.2025.106733","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>As populations age globally, creating supportive environments for aging in place becomes increasingly critical. However, existing research typically examines environmental dimensions and their associations with aging outcomes independently, overlooking how features interact across levels to collectively shape the lived experiences of older adults. To address this limitation, this study employed network analysis to examine the multilevel contributions of environmental features to aging-in-place experiences. We interviewed 308 long-term older residents in Taipei, assessing 31 environmental experience features across housing, neighborhood, and community levels. Gaussian graphical models and centrality analysis were employed to estimate pairwise partial correlations and identify the most influential and bridging features. The network revealed complex environmental connections, with community-level environmental quality showing the highest centrality. Four factors served as multilevel bridges: community safety, environmental maintenance, community vitality, and historical-cultural atmosphere. Among these, community safety showed the strongest cross-level connectivity. Our findings enhance traditional factor analysis, a dimension-reduction approach, by uncovering feature interconnections and cross-level interactions that advance aging-in-place theory. While the network reveals correlational relationships, highly central features emerge as critical leverage points. These features provide empirical direction for strategic interventions and guide future causal investigations to enhance supportive aging-in-place environments.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48405,"journal":{"name":"Cities","volume":"171 ","pages":"Article 106733"},"PeriodicalIF":6.6,"publicationDate":"2026-01-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145927004","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-08DOI: 10.1016/j.cities.2025.106753
Tereza Kubištová , Arie Stoffelen
Cultural and creative cities are increasingly central to urban development agendas in both Western and Eastern Europe. However, significant disparities persist in how cities leverage cultural and creative industries for economic growth and social cohesion. This study investigates the role of path dependency, among others in institutional capacity and governance frameworks, in shaping these divergent trajectories. Using data from the Cultural and Creative Cities Monitor between 2015 and 2019, we conduct a comparative quantitative analysis of 196 European cities. Principal component analysis and Kruskal-Wallis tests reveal statistically significant differences in both economic and socio-cultural performance between Western European cities and those in the Former Eastern Bloc. Drawing on the theoretical lens of Evolutionary Economic Geography, the study highlights how institutional legacies and governance structures condition cultural and creative industry outcomes, while also identifying cases of emerging path creation in select Eastern cities, such as Brno and Bratislava. The findings suggest that although historical constraints persist, targeted investment and adaptive governance can foster convergence and inclusive urban transformation.
{"title":"Path dependency and creative convergence: A comparative study of cultural and creative cities in Europe","authors":"Tereza Kubištová , Arie Stoffelen","doi":"10.1016/j.cities.2025.106753","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cities.2025.106753","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Cultural and creative cities are increasingly central to urban development agendas in both Western and Eastern Europe. However, significant disparities persist in how cities leverage cultural and creative industries for economic growth and social cohesion. This study investigates the role of path dependency, among others in institutional capacity and governance frameworks, in shaping these divergent trajectories. Using data from the Cultural and Creative Cities Monitor between 2015 and 2019, we conduct a comparative quantitative analysis of 196 European cities. Principal component analysis and Kruskal-Wallis tests reveal statistically significant differences in both economic and socio-cultural performance between Western European cities and those in the Former Eastern Bloc. Drawing on the theoretical lens of Evolutionary Economic Geography, the study highlights how institutional legacies and governance structures condition cultural and creative industry outcomes, while also identifying cases of emerging path creation in select Eastern cities, such as Brno and Bratislava. The findings suggest that although historical constraints persist, targeted investment and adaptive governance can foster convergence and inclusive urban transformation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48405,"journal":{"name":"Cities","volume":"171 ","pages":"Article 106753"},"PeriodicalIF":6.6,"publicationDate":"2026-01-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145939232","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-07DOI: 10.1016/j.cities.2025.106767
Andrii Galkin , Tibor Schlosser , Antonio Comi , Joris Beckers
This study examines the in-store and online purchasing behaviour of foreign city users (FCUs) in Bratislava, using a mixed-method quantitative approach that combines binary logit models with machine-learning classifiers, including support vector machines (SVM), random forests, and artificial neural networks. FCUs, defined as non-native residents such as international students, migrant workers, and refugees, display distinctive shopping patterns compared to locals, influenced by factors such as age, mobility resources, and product type. The analysis shows that FCUs are significantly less likely to shop online, particularly for essential goods, while younger FCUs are more inclined to purchase discretionary items online. The increased reliance of FCUs on physical retail for essentials tends to concentrate passenger trips in accessible districts (often walkable and transit-served, but in some contexts also around car-oriented shopping centres) whereas local higher uptake of online shopping generates more dispersed last-mile delivery flows. Beyond freight implications, this pattern helps policymakers calibrate the local retail mix and ensure its multi-modal accessibility (not only passenger trips). Policy recommendations include maintaining accessible retail in FCU-dense areas, improving multilingual e-commerce access, and strategically locating parcel collection infrastructure. The study underscores the need for demographic-sensitive retail and freight planning to support inclusive, sustainable, and resilient cities.
{"title":"Foreign city users and in-store versus online retail channel choice: Urban logistics and planning implications","authors":"Andrii Galkin , Tibor Schlosser , Antonio Comi , Joris Beckers","doi":"10.1016/j.cities.2025.106767","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cities.2025.106767","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study examines the in-store and online purchasing behaviour of foreign city users (FCUs) in Bratislava, using a mixed-method quantitative approach that combines binary logit models with machine-learning classifiers, including support vector machines (SVM), random forests, and artificial neural networks. FCUs, defined as non-native residents such as international students, migrant workers, and refugees, display distinctive shopping patterns compared to locals, influenced by factors such as age, mobility resources, and product type. The analysis shows that FCUs are significantly less likely to shop online, particularly for essential goods, while younger FCUs are more inclined to purchase discretionary items online. The increased reliance of FCUs on physical retail for essentials tends to concentrate passenger trips in accessible districts (often walkable and transit-served, but in some contexts also around car-oriented shopping centres) whereas local higher uptake of online shopping generates more dispersed last-mile delivery flows. Beyond freight implications, this pattern helps policymakers calibrate the local retail mix and ensure its multi-modal accessibility (not only passenger trips). Policy recommendations include maintaining accessible retail in FCU-dense areas, improving multilingual e-commerce access, and strategically locating parcel collection infrastructure. The study underscores the need for demographic-sensitive retail and freight planning to support inclusive, sustainable, and resilient cities.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48405,"journal":{"name":"Cities","volume":"171 ","pages":"Article 106767"},"PeriodicalIF":6.6,"publicationDate":"2026-01-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145939228","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Social enterprises are increasingly recognized for their potential to foster social inclusion and sustainable tourism by embedding economic activities within local communities. While existing literature often focuses on the measurable impacts of these initiatives, less attention has been paid to how social enterprises construct and narrate their own roles within complex territorial contexts. This study adopts an interpretive approach to study how the social enterprise Variabile K, based in Herculaneum, Italy, frames its mission and practices as tools for transforming the city's tourism model. Through a thematic analysis of qualitative interviews with enterprise members, the paper identifies five key dimensions: the contradictions of Herculaneum's landscape, the dual nature of tourism, the enterprise's commitment to community-based tourism, the role of collaborative networks, and future opportunities and challenges.
Findings indicate that Variabile K challenges the dominant “hit-and-run” tourism model by promoting experiential, relational, and locally embedded activities. Through partnerships with schools, local businesses, and third-sector organizations, it fosters a participatory tourism model that enhances social cohesion and expands economic opportunities for residents. Nevertheless, structural limitations—such as weak institutional support, inadequate infrastructure, and exclusion from mainstream tourism circuits—continue to hinder its development.
While social entrepreneurship offers a promising alternative for sustainable tourism, its consolidation requires greater policy recognition, institutional alignment, and long-term investment. The case of Variabile K contributes to broader debates on social innovation in tourism, emphasizing the importance of locally grounded, inclusive strategies for urban regeneration and cultural valorization.
{"title":"Social entrepreneurship as a driver for social inclusion and sustainable tourism: The case of Herculaneum, Italy","authors":"Salvatore Monaco, Antón Freire Varela, Ciro Prospero, Fabio Corbisiero","doi":"10.1016/j.cities.2025.106759","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cities.2025.106759","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Social enterprises are increasingly recognized for their potential to foster social inclusion and sustainable tourism by embedding economic activities within local communities. While existing literature often focuses on the measurable impacts of these initiatives, less attention has been paid to how social enterprises construct and narrate their own roles within complex territorial contexts. This study adopts an interpretive approach to study how the social enterprise Variabile K, based in Herculaneum, Italy, frames its mission and practices as tools for transforming the city's tourism model. Through a thematic analysis of qualitative interviews with enterprise members, the paper identifies five key dimensions: the contradictions of Herculaneum's landscape, the dual nature of tourism, the enterprise's commitment to community-based tourism, the role of collaborative networks, and future opportunities and challenges.</div><div>Findings indicate that Variabile K challenges the dominant “hit-and-run” tourism model by promoting experiential, relational, and locally embedded activities. Through partnerships with schools, local businesses, and third-sector organizations, it fosters a participatory tourism model that enhances social cohesion and expands economic opportunities for residents. Nevertheless, structural limitations—such as weak institutional support, inadequate infrastructure, and exclusion from mainstream tourism circuits—continue to hinder its development.</div><div>While social entrepreneurship offers a promising alternative for sustainable tourism, its consolidation requires greater policy recognition, institutional alignment, and long-term investment. The case of Variabile K contributes to broader debates on social innovation in tourism, emphasizing the importance of locally grounded, inclusive strategies for urban regeneration and cultural valorization.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48405,"journal":{"name":"Cities","volume":"171 ","pages":"Article 106759"},"PeriodicalIF":6.6,"publicationDate":"2026-01-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145939230","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-06DOI: 10.1016/j.cities.2025.106766
Yookyung Lee , Byunghak Min , Seungwoo Han
As South Korea faces unprecedented demographic decline, marked by the world's lowest fertility rate and rapid population aging, immigration has begun to feature in local political discourse. This study analyzes more than two decades of official council proceedings across administrative districts to examine whether demographic conditions influence rhetorical engagement with immigration, and whether such discourse exhibits ideological polarization. Using computational text analysis, the findings show that lower total fertility rates and population stagnation are associated with increased references to immigration, but not with greater partisan divergence in sentiment. Rather than serving as a site of ideological contestation, immigration tends to be addressed in pragmatic terms, often linked to labor shortages and regional sustainability. These results suggest that under conditions of centralized immigration policy, limited migrant presence, and acute demographic pressure, immigration can acquire salience in local politics without becoming a polarizing issue. This study contributes to broader debates on political demography and political responsiveness.
{"title":"Demographic decline, pragmatic talk: Local immigration discourse under demographic pressure in South Korea","authors":"Yookyung Lee , Byunghak Min , Seungwoo Han","doi":"10.1016/j.cities.2025.106766","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cities.2025.106766","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>As South Korea faces unprecedented demographic decline, marked by the world's lowest fertility rate and rapid population aging, immigration has begun to feature in local political discourse. This study analyzes more than two decades of official council proceedings across administrative districts to examine whether demographic conditions influence rhetorical engagement with immigration, and whether such discourse exhibits ideological polarization. Using computational text analysis, the findings show that lower total fertility rates and population stagnation are associated with increased references to immigration, but not with greater partisan divergence in sentiment. Rather than serving as a site of ideological contestation, immigration tends to be addressed in pragmatic terms, often linked to labor shortages and regional sustainability. These results suggest that under conditions of centralized immigration policy, limited migrant presence, and acute demographic pressure, immigration can acquire salience in local politics without becoming a polarizing issue. This study contributes to broader debates on political demography and political responsiveness.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48405,"journal":{"name":"Cities","volume":"171 ","pages":"Article 106766"},"PeriodicalIF":6.6,"publicationDate":"2026-01-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145939229","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-05DOI: 10.1016/j.cities.2025.106757
Ashpreet Kaur , Mary Alice Haddad
Why are some municipalities diverting nearly 80 % of their municipal solid waste while others are putting everything into landfills? This article seeks to investigate the factors that explain variation in municipal solid waste diversion rates among cities that have publicly committed to ambitious climate action goals. It finds that cities that make a public commitment to reducing emissions, such as joining Cities Race to Zero, Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy, ICLEI, or C40, commonly have zero waste plans and goals. Many of these cities are also home to universities and are often located in states with beverage container and food waste laws. However, none of these factors had a measurable influence on the extent to which cities diverted their waste from landfills. Using an original dataset of the 132 cities in the United States that had signed the Cities Race to Zero challenge (a global initiative in which participating municipalities pledge to reach net zero emissions by 2040 or sooner), we used OLS regressions to test which factors affected a city's waste diversion rates. We found that having a higher per capita income, proximity to the ocean, and being in California were the only factors that had a statistically significant effect on increasing a municipality's waste diversion rate.
{"title":"Do zero waste pledges and goals increase municipal waste diversion rates?","authors":"Ashpreet Kaur , Mary Alice Haddad","doi":"10.1016/j.cities.2025.106757","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cities.2025.106757","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Why are some municipalities diverting nearly 80 % of their municipal solid waste while others are putting everything into landfills? This article seeks to investigate the factors that explain variation in municipal solid waste diversion rates among cities that have publicly committed to ambitious climate action goals. It finds that cities that make a public commitment to reducing emissions, such as joining Cities Race to Zero, Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy, ICLEI, or C40, commonly have zero waste plans and goals. Many of these cities are also home to universities and are often located in states with beverage container and food waste laws. However, none of these factors had a measurable influence on the extent to which cities diverted their waste from landfills. Using an original dataset of the 132 cities in the United States that had signed the Cities Race to Zero challenge (a global initiative in which participating municipalities pledge to reach net zero emissions by 2040 or sooner), we used OLS regressions to test which factors affected a city's waste diversion rates. We found that having a higher per capita income, proximity to the ocean, and being in California were the only factors that had a statistically significant effect on increasing a municipality's waste diversion rate.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48405,"journal":{"name":"Cities","volume":"171 ","pages":"Article 106757"},"PeriodicalIF":6.6,"publicationDate":"2026-01-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145939231","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-03DOI: 10.1016/j.cities.2025.106698
Diego Maximiliano Macall , Xavier Gabarrell Durany , Sergio Villamayor-Tomas , David Romero i Sànchez
As the world's population continues to urbanize, cities are uniquely positioned to lead a new wave of agricultural innovation by integrating the productive components of their food systems directly into their infrastructure. This study empirically measures the potential total production of three of the most consumed vegetables that can be attained through rooftop greenhouse (RTG) production in Barcelona. Three production scenarios are posited. Scenarios 1 and 2 are underpinned by a revenue-maximizing logic. While in Scenario 3, production is guided by Barcelonan vegetable consumption. Results show that on 65 ha of rooftop area, or 0.64 % of the total 101.4 km2 area over which Barcelona spans, a considerable amount of the vegetables Barcelonans consume could be produced. In illustration, in Scenario 3, a total of 5878 t of tomato, 507 t of bell peppers, and 78 t of lettuce can be produced within RTGs in Barcelona. Moreover, a comprehensive discussion on how to provide the water necessary for this urban horticultural system is also undertaken. Barcelona's food system could be significantly enhanced from implementing RTGs throughout the city. However, the city's citizens need to be consulted about their thoughts about altering the city's skyline to implement such a system.
{"title":"A food system innovation: Vegetable production in rooftop greenhouses in Barcelona","authors":"Diego Maximiliano Macall , Xavier Gabarrell Durany , Sergio Villamayor-Tomas , David Romero i Sànchez","doi":"10.1016/j.cities.2025.106698","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cities.2025.106698","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>As the world's population continues to urbanize, cities are uniquely positioned to lead a new wave of agricultural innovation by integrating the productive components of their food systems directly into their infrastructure. This study empirically measures the potential total production of three of the most consumed vegetables that can be attained through rooftop greenhouse (RTG) production in Barcelona. Three production scenarios are posited. Scenarios 1 and 2 are underpinned by a revenue-maximizing logic. While in Scenario 3, production is guided by Barcelonan vegetable consumption. Results show that on 65 ha of rooftop area, or 0.64 % of the total 101.4 km<sup>2</sup> area over which Barcelona spans, a considerable amount of the vegetables Barcelonans consume could be produced. In illustration, in Scenario 3, a total of 5878 t of tomato, 507 t of bell peppers, and 78 t of lettuce can be produced within RTGs in Barcelona. Moreover, a comprehensive discussion on how to provide the water necessary for this urban horticultural system is also undertaken. Barcelona's food system could be significantly enhanced from implementing RTGs throughout the city. However, the city's citizens need to be consulted about their thoughts about altering the city's skyline to implement such a system.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48405,"journal":{"name":"Cities","volume":"171 ","pages":"Article 106698"},"PeriodicalIF":6.6,"publicationDate":"2026-01-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145885062","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-02DOI: 10.1016/j.cities.2025.106700
Jia Zhang, Nicholas A. Phelps, Julie T. Miao
The platform economy is increasingly digitally mediating a wide range of everyday practices, though its influence on spatial relationships of economic activities remains in the early stages of exploration. This study draws on data from 300 structured questionnaires collected from e-commerce businesses located in urban, suburban, and rural areas to identify and compare how e-commerce entrepreneurs interact with platform space and different physical places. Our analysis captures three distinct spatial interaction patterns of e-commerce firms in urban, suburban and rural areas. The power of platforms is geographically uneven. Platforms do not necessarily alleviate the challenges faced by rural areas. Nor do they only further concentrate activity in existing urban agglomerations. Instead, they further complicate the economic geographical landscape found between urban economic agglomeration and dispersion.
{"title":"The uneven power of the platform: Variations in E-commerce entrepreneurial behaviours in urban, suburban, and rural contexts","authors":"Jia Zhang, Nicholas A. Phelps, Julie T. Miao","doi":"10.1016/j.cities.2025.106700","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cities.2025.106700","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The platform economy is increasingly digitally mediating a wide range of everyday practices, though its influence on spatial relationships of economic activities remains in the early stages of exploration. This study draws on data from 300 structured questionnaires collected from e-commerce businesses located in urban, suburban, and rural areas to identify and compare how e-commerce entrepreneurs interact with platform space and different physical places. Our analysis captures three distinct spatial interaction patterns of e-commerce firms in urban, suburban and rural areas. The power of platforms is geographically uneven. Platforms do not necessarily alleviate the challenges faced by rural areas. Nor do they only further concentrate activity in existing urban agglomerations. Instead, they further complicate the economic geographical landscape found between urban economic agglomeration and dispersion.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48405,"journal":{"name":"Cities","volume":"171 ","pages":"Article 106700"},"PeriodicalIF":6.6,"publicationDate":"2026-01-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145885110","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
扫码关注我们
求助内容：
应助结果提醒方式：
京公网安备 11010802042870号