Cities最新文献

Coal resource-based cities (CRBCs) face a complex transformation of the urban system due to the adjustment of the global energy structure and the need for sustainable development worldwide. Considering the urban system as the combination of urban carriers and urban loads, this study proposed a framework to illustrate the evolution of CRBCs using resources and environmental carrying capacity (RECC). Taking 30 CRBCs in China as research objects, the EWM-TOPSIS method and the Geographically and Temporally Weighted Regression (GTWR) model were introduced to assess the comprehensive performance and identify the influencing factors from 2011 to 2020. With most CRBCs becoming more sustainable in the past decade, the results showed two evolutionary paths: urban carrier expansion and urban load reduction. Furthermore, urban conditions and evolutions were spatially agglomerated, and the natural resources sustainability in urban carriers and the environmental pollution in urban loads were the main factors affecting the two paths mentioned above, while the declining population was the major challenge for the shrinking CRBCs. These findings offered valuable insights to guide the sustainable transformation of CRBCs in different situations.

For cities to utilise their maximum liveability potential, their transport infrastructure and overall service provision need to function seamlessly. To this end, urban street eco-systems should be characterised, organised and utilised effectively. But is this happening on a mass scale across the globe? Are our urban street classification schemes forward-thinking and ready to respond to the emerging sustainability and resilience challenges cities face nowadays? This paper aims to answer these questions by examining and decoding the prevailing “formal street classification scheme model” through conducting a detailed worldwide review of formal national street classification plans. Out of 196 countries investigated, 128 official street classification plans were identified, analysed and evaluated. We also used an Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) with 20 experts coming from different fields (i.e., academics, policymakers, practitioners) to enhance our results and contribute to developing an index evaluating urban street classification under the prism of sustainability. The outcomes of our work signify that conventional pro-automobile approaches still prevail, thus shaping car-centric conditions, which undermine the role of sustainable modes and reduce the ability of cities to innovate and succeed. It is demonstrated that the road to achieve sustainability and completeness in urban transport systems, considering these car-led plans, is still uphill. Based on that, multi-dimensional classification systems prioritising public and active transport, while appreciating street's urban aspect should be promoted in the future.

The reuse of urban abandoned areas, which is constantly increasing, is necessary for urban sustainable development. This paper seeks to examine whether temporary use adopting participatory processes is an appropriate tool for the reuse of urban abandoned areas, while studying the implications for social capital by taking advantage of the social dynamics of space, reinforcing sustainable urban development. We focus on the case of the “Old Hospital” of Alexandroupolis, in Greece, a long-term abandoned area in the inner city. Adopting a socio-spatial perspective through the approach of Lefebvre and Remy, it highlights that temporary use of urban abandoned areas strengthens the socio-spatial dynamics, in conjunction with the logics of space production and appropriation, spatial practices, representations of space and representational spaces. The qualitative survey with local government and stakeholders shows how the production of space applies “top-down” governance and captures visionary scenarios of reuse via temporary use. The quantitative survey with locals identifies weak social capital, which poses obstacles to urban development and community's acceptance of the reuse scenarios. We suggest new logics of space production, through participatory governance for the temporary use of the urban abandoned areas that could enhance social capital and sustainable development, exploiting the social dynamics.

Compacting mature cities is necessary to maintain a sustainable urban structure. This trend is also being considered as a countermeasure for shrinking cities and is being addressed in various regions of developed countries. However, optimizing city size in response to a declining population is unprecedented and requires further examination. A key challenge in this context is encouraging existing residents in areas where shrinkage is desired to relocate to the city center. Given their right to reside in the area, it is necessary to encourage voluntary relocation rather than forced exclusion. Therefore, this study explores the possibility of migration promotion measures that incorporate a behavioral economics perspective. Psychological trends, including Prospect Theory and Sunk Cost thinking, were identified. In addition, the younger generation and those approaching retirement were found to be desirable for promoting resettlement. The findings of this study can guide municipalities in pursuing compact city policies for the redevelopment of city centers and promoting migration. From an academic perspective, this study demonstrates that behavioral economics can be applied to residents living on the fringe of conurbations in a society with a declining population.

The heterogeneous structure of cities generates critical challenges in the definition and implementation of sustainable urban transitions. This difficulty is intensified by an insufficient understanding of how different urban types perform for distinct sustainability dimensions and indicators. In this study, this knowledge gap is investigated in a highly representative Euro-Mediterranean city (Valencia) through: (1) a landscape-based approach leading to the characterization of urban-landscape types via the combination of three geospatial layers, and (2) the assessment of those urban-landscape types with a comprehensive sustainability index deducted from several international, national, and local indices. Results reveal firstly that urban-landscape types can help us identify areas with common morpho-functional patterns that differ from conventional districts or quarters. Secondly, a comparative analysis of these urban-landscape types reveal that they partially display different sustainability profiles and, consequently, might accommodate distinct policies and plans. Thirdly, the incorporation of spatial, metabolic, and mobility dimensions in the proposed index permits addressing transversal issues affecting environmental, social, and economic sustainability. By linking the form and functioning of the city with its sustainability profiles through a landscape-approach, this study is expected to assist planners and policymakers in the design of sustainability transitions adjusted to the specificities of different urban configurations.

Urbanisation patterns in Central America have rapidly changed from open neighbourhoods to gated communities. Fear of crime is one of the leading motivations for gating; a common assumption is that residents protect themselves from the outside. This research argues that gated communities also affect those living outside their gates in the adjacent neighbourhoods. This qualitative research examines the Greater Metropolitan Area of Costa Rica through eight case studies, open neighbourhoods from extreme to zero poverty located next to gated communities. Data were collected through walks, focus groups, in-depth interviews and observations; a comparative structure of the eight case studies was done through thematic analysis. The findings suggest that physical and symbolic barriers exacerbate fear of crime for those outside the gate; non-porous edges affect mainly neighbourhoods in serious, moderate and mild poverty; however, effects of intangible boundaries such as exclusion are more substantial in those in extreme, serious and moderate poverty. This work concludes that local planning policies normalise gating, resulting in disparities in infrastructure and fear of others. Furthermore, gated communities help to fuel the feedback loop of fear of crime, as they might intensify fear towards the outside but receive nurture from it simultaneously.

Lubumbashi, the economic hub of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, thrives on its mining sector but faces challenges from rapid, unregulated population growth and urban expansion. This has led to a dichotomous urban landscape, combining well-planned colonial districts with haphazardly developed areas lacking infrastructure. This study examines Lubumbashi's urban evolution and related challenges through a desktop survey, contributing to literature on urbanization, economic development, environmental sustainability, and resource extraction in sub-Saharan Africa. It also introduces theoretical frameworks such as “resource urbanism.”

Key challenges include disorderly land governance, natural vegetation degradation, transport privatization, electrification issues, sanitation deficiencies, and pollution. Although provincial and city governments are working to improve urban organization, their efforts often lack comprehensive consultation and cohesive strategy, focusing primarily on the city center.

The study highlights the complex interplay between historical legacies and contemporary issues, emphasizing the urgent need for integrated urban planning. Addressing socio-spatial disparities, environmental concerns, and community resilience requires collaboration among government entities, local communities, and stakeholders to ensure sustainable and equitable development for Lubumbashi.

Despite walking being common among older adults, international evidence suggests its prevalence is lower compared to other age groups. Land use mix (LUM) is believed to encourage walking, but in the context of Brazilian and other Latin American cities, empirical evidence for this association for older age groups is lacking. Moreover, existing studies for this cohort usually employ a cross-sectional design, weakening the robustness of conclusions. This study addresses these gaps by investigating the impact of LUM on utilitarian walking in Brazil using a longitudinal approach with 566 older adults. Logistic regression analyses reveal significant positive associations between walking and two LUM measures (entropy and objective NEWS diversity), indicating that land use diversity plays a crucial role beyond local accessibility and non-residential availability, even within the context of Brazilian cities. Therefore, the attractiveness of walking for transportation among older adults can be amplified through a combination of diverse amenities, closer proximity to residential areas, and an equitable distribution of land uses coupled with more locally integrated street layouts that allow easy access to nearby surroundings. Practical steps include participatory local street design and development planning to enable grid intensification, avoidance of monofunctional zones and planning incentives for multifunctional developments.

Place-based policies (PBPs) for innovation have profoundly influenced multi-scalar place-builders to bring supra-regional and intra-regional resources into specific spaces to establish so-called ‘regional innovation systems’. Drawing on worldwide debates on PBPs, particularly the criticism of ‘one-size-fits-all’ approaches and the ‘innovation paradox’ in regional innovation policies, we argue that the impacts of PBPs are not a binary issue; rather, they are a complex configuration rooted in regional contexts or intervened with multi-layered innovation systems. A two-dimensional typology with four PBP propositions – investing, demonstrating, interacting, and integrating – is conceptualised. Furthermore, we take a representative PBP – high-tech industrial development zones in China – as a case study and use fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis to examine the conditional configurations in real-world policy making, acknowledging the multifaceted and complex interactions within innovation systems. The results indicate that supra-regional pipelines, such as global investments, interact with or adapt to specific regional contexts when introduced to localities. In certain propositions, national platforms can act as a bridge, channelling external resources to targeted territories, which can realise innovation transformations that are not exclusively rooted in specific regional conditions. This paper has implications for configurational PBP making in lagging regions. Ultimately, we call for further in-depth qualitative research on the relationship between the nature of innovation development and regional context.

Urban regeneration is a complex and multifaceted phenomenon, and a field of public policy with profound impacts on people and places. While the literature acknowledges global and local forces of change, there is a predominant focus on the global – specifically, on globalisation and Europeanisation – with less attention given to the intricate interplay between global and local forces. Drawing on the urban regeneration literature combined with insights from urban governance, this paper scrutinises four decades of urban regeneration in Lisbon through a systematic examination of policy documents and interviews with policymakers, planners and other civil servants. This examination of the governance of urban regeneration in Lisbon reveals, first, some of the key factors influencing change and continuity between the distinct urban governance policy phases. Second, our findings underscore the influence of local planners in the face of global forces. Situated at the “coalface” of decision-making and implementation, these individuals played an active role in shaping the direction and pace of change of urban regeneration policy. Thirdly, our findings also indicate the limitations of local planners in withstanding global forces of change. Through a comprehensive longitudinal analysis, we aim to contribute to the existing literature on urban regeneration governance by delving into the drivers, trajectories, and pace of change, as well as the dynamics surrounding resistance against change.