A Case Study Driven Integrated Methodology to Support Sustainable Urban Regeneration Planning and Management

Eduardo Natividade-Jesus,Arminda Almeida,Nuno Sousa,João Coutinho-Rodrigues

doi:10.3390/su11154129

Abstract

Urban regeneration involves the integrated redevelopment of urban deprived areas, covering physical, socio-economic and environmental aspects of cities, and it is concerned with interventions on early/inner-ring suburbs and historic centers, which are under pressure from population growth and sustainable development policies. The planning and management of urban regeneration interventions usually depend on the city and regional context. Although these interventions involve multiple issues and stakeholders, common characteristics can be identified, thus appealing for a holistic vision and coordination among the various dimensions of the problem. Based on the above context, and on the experience from a large-scale urban regeneration project, this article introduces an integrated methodology to support the planning and management of urban regeneration interventions. The methodology proposes a flexible baseline that can be adapted to urban regeneration projects of different contexts and dimensions, and defines steps, the corresponding stakeholders, and the teams’ engagement, in an integrated framework to plan and oversee urban regeneration actions towards more sustainable and resilient interventions.

Highlights

Urban regeneration (UR) is a process of urban intervention which encompasses the reconstruction of old areas and assorted intervention actions on buildings and their nearby servicing urban space infrastructures
It is a topic of rising importance, with recognized social, economic and environmental repercussions, albeit some authors recognize that little attention has been paid to user needs and expectations or to managing regeneration in sustainable ways [1]
The University of Coimbra has been engaged with the city council to plan the regeneration action and three departments of the university developed a detailed physical survey of the buildings, economic activity and residents

Summary

Introduction

Urban regeneration (UR) is a process of urban intervention which encompasses the reconstruction of old areas and assorted intervention actions on buildings and their nearby servicing urban space infrastructures. UR is nowadays a crucial factor in city policies and management, environmental protection, life quality improvement and sustainable development. As of late, it ceased being a mere field of study and grew into an integrating part of the new urban policies. According to the Leipzig Charter [2], urban regeneration has gained prominence and a central role as an integral part of planning practice and urban governance. As noted by Sanz [3], “urban regeneration is not about new urban theories. It is a practical subject, rooted in the public realm that justifies urban planning”

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