NEOM and the New Paradigm of Urban Development: Challenges, Innovations, and Global Implications for Sustainable Futures

Purpose The population living in urban areas of the world continues to grow rapidly. It is, thus, a great priority for the planning practice to embed sustainability concept in their urban development endeavors. Currently, development and expansion of urban systems stress the need to control consumption of resources, especially non-renewable ones. There is also a need to reduce related environmental impacts, while stimulating a sustainable pathway for the population and urban growth. Methods Strategic environmental assessment (SEA) is useful for policy design to build an integrated method for supporting the development of a sustainable society. It undertakes territorial assessments and describes urban flows and impacts related to them by using a variety of tools, including material flow accounting (MFA). This study employs MFA, as it fits well within the scope of SEA and supports the growing environmental attention in the urban metabolism approach. Although helpful, MFA has not been systematically applied in the urban development context; for this reason, this paper proposes the integration of SEA and MFA. Results and discussion Integration of SEA and MFA generates a new framework for sustainable development planning. The framework is structured in phases oriented to the continual improvement based on the Deming cycle (i.e., plan, do, check, act), a key management approach mainly used in businesses for improving the effectiveness of an organization. It can also be implemented at the urban system level. In order to maintain normative compliance, each process (urban planning, strategic environmental assessment with urban metabolism approach, participatory processes) is standardized in line with a common and mandatory approach. While the processes are integrated among them, highlighting the reciprocal contact points, the results are combined in a holistic perspective. The framework, hence, transforms the voluntary MFA tool into a mandatory process. Conclusions The proposed SEA-MFA framework has the potential to unify and standardize the processes of categorizing and quantifying data in order to improve the understanding of urban metabolic principles and scale effects. It also supports management and policy development and meets the requirements of different stakeholders. The framework, thus, generated a novel approach for sustainable urban development planning by providing solutions for specific policy problems and ensuring urban ecological balance and sustainable urban futures.

We present ‘city life-courses’ as a novel conceptual framing that can aid understanding of urban transitions and strengthen urban practice. The core aim is to reorient discussions within urban studies by highlighting the need to move beyond debates over ‘urban theory’ to develop conceptual framings that bridge high-level philosophical and theoretical understandings of cities with the ‘means of implementation’ by which we can achieve sustainable urban futures. We illustrate the value of this framing by applying it to the specific problem domain of urban health. A city life-course perspective emphasizes, first, the multi-dimensionality of urban transitions, and that future health risks in towns and cities will emerge through complex interactions between demographic change, urban spatial development, economic development, climatic and environmental transformations, and the ideas and practices of governance. Second, it foregrounds the multi-temporality of urban transitions, and that the structural processes shaping urban health unfold through various change-rates and over a range of timeframes. Anticipating how such processes will interact in complex, non-linear ways over multiple spatial and temporal scales will enhance our capacities to anticipate urban health risks and to effect interventions to secure healthy and sustainable urban futures. To demonstrate how this conceptual framing may be employed to think about and respond to complex urban challenges in novel and productive ways, we develop a four-fold typology of city life-courses based on the varying demographic and developmental characteristics of cities.

African cities are at the crossroads of rapid urbanisation and global environmental change. Navigating these complex and colluding problems requires a strategic sustainable development approach. However, sustainable development strategies actualise when there is a demonstration towards comprehensive understanding of, and action towards the urban development realities. The purpose of this chapter is threefold: first, it provides a theoretical foundation to ground the analysis and arguments in the subsequent chapters. Second, it provides a contextual understanding of the urban development experiences, realities and trends in Africa in relation to sustainable development. Third, it introduces the subsequent chapters for the book and describes how the various chapters are developed to tell a compelling story of Africa's urban future. In doing this, the chapter provides a framework for rethinking sustainable urban futures in Africa. It reflects on the environmental, cultural, social, economic, spatial, institutional and political realities that have defined and continue to shape Africa's urban development fortunes, and highlights the limitations in the current research on urban Africa.

Green and blue spaces: crucial for healthy, sustainable urban futures

Due to the increasing and rapid economic and population growth over the past years, urban areas have become the focus of carbon-emission-reduction policies. Meanwhile, they are also continuously subjected to environmental pressure from urban development. Therefore, this study used the STIRPAT model to develop an index to capture the environmental pressure from urban development based on a panel dataset of 284 prefecture cities from 2006 to 2022 in mainland China. Subsequently, a fixed effect model and a quantile regression model were used to test the impact of the environmental pressure from urban development on the level of urban carbon emissions. The results showed a notable relationship between the environmental pressure from urban development and the level of urban carbon emissions. More specifically, for every one-unit increase in the index, the urban carbon emission level increased by 1.4%. This result was found stable after a series of robustness tests. Furthermore, quantile regression showed that before the 50th percentile, the environmental pressure from urban development had a positive impact on the level of urban carbon emissions, whereas after the 50th percentile, it had a negative impact. Finally, heterogeneity analysis indicated that, compared to in large cities, the positive impact of the environmental pressure from urban development on urban carbon emission levels was more significant in small-sized, medium-sized, and megacities. Therefore, it is recommended to continuously optimize the context for business and trading and promote the industrial structure. Carbon emission reduction targets should be differentiated based on development levels of cities. While implementing carbon emission reduction measures in urban areas, population and other conditions should be taken into account.

Introduction The Arab world contains 22 countries with a total population of 362.5 million people. The prevalence of diabetes around the world has reached epidemic proportions. It already affects nearly more than 350 million people and is predictable to grow to more than 550 million people by 2035. The prevalence of diabetic kidney disease (DKD) in Arab countries is not well studied. The aim of the study was to review and present the prevalence of DKD among the Arabian population. Materials and methods We reviewed most of the published data − since the 1980s − in different Arabic countries regarding the prevalence of diabetes and DKD. Results The Arab countries with the highest prevalence of T2DM are: the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (31.6%), Oman (29%), Kuwait (25.4%), Bahrain (25.0%), and the United Arab Emirates (25.0%). The lowest prevalence was found in Mauritania (4.7%) and Somalia (3.9%). Arab countries with high prevalence of micro-albuminuria included UAE, KSA, Bahrain, and Lebanon while KSA, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Egypt represented countries with the highest prevalence of macro-albuminuria. Low prevalence of DM and DKD was found in Iraq and Tunisia. These differences could be attributed to the genetic predisposition and the change in lifestyle. The cumulative incidence of PTDM at 12 months post-transplant was 17.6% in Sudan, 27% in KSA, 27% among the Egyptian liver transplants, 22.2% among the Egyptian kidney recipients, and 33% in Bahrain. There is no data available regarding diabetic kidney disease in renal transplant recipients in Arab countries. Conclusion Diabetic nephropathy is not an uncommon complication of diabetes (types 1 and 2) in Arab countries. Rapid economic growth in some Arabic speaking countries improved the infrastructure, but carries with it the burden of risk factors of DM. Large prospective collaborative studies are critically needed to explore this medical and socioeconomic problem among the Arab people before and after renal transplantation.

Urbanization is progressing apace, as are the opportunities and challenges it presents for sustainable development. This chapter analyzes the connection between innovation, technology, and sustainability within smart cities and urban development. It looks at the developing terrain of smart city intervention and questions surrounding what smart cities could bring toward sustainable urban futures. This study presents a critical assessment description of smart cities from literature and case studies by identifying the key drivers, including smart infrastructure and governance innovations with digitalization combined with citizen engagement. This paper also studies the socioeconomic, environmental, and ethical dimensions of deploying smart city interventions that range from inclusivity to privacy or resilience. The chapter integrates results from academic, industry, and policy studies to offer tangible recommendations for how innovation can drive sustainable urban development through evidence-based solutions for policymakers, designers of cities of the future, and project developers.

Urban planning scholarship continues to confront the enduring tensions between modernist and postmodernist paradigms, yet comparative evaluations of their tangible impacts on urban form, social equity, and environmental sustainability remain limited. This study aims to address this critical gap by systematically examining the spatial and social implications of these divergent approaches. Utilizing a qualitative comparative case study methodology, the analysis focuses on two paradigmatic examples: Letchworth Garden City, an embodiment of modernist urbanism principles, and Downtown Beirut, a representation of postmodern urbanism. This study employs a qualitative comparative methodology grounded in theoretical discourse analysis and case study interpretation. Through a detailed investigation of spatial organization, social inclusivity, and ecological outcomes, the study elucidates each paradigm's distinct advantages and shortcomings. Findings indicate that modernist frameworks, exemplified by the Garden City model, are most effective when applied in new urban developments where comprehensive planning from a blank slate is feasible. Conversely, as illustrated by the Collage City concept, postmodernist approaches are better suited to existing urban contexts with rich historical identities, embracing complexity and layering. The study concludes that recognizing this contextual distinction is vital for advancing hybridized planning strategies that integrate the order and functionality of modernism with the pluralism and adaptability characteristic of postmodernism, thereby fostering equitable, resilient, and sustainable urban futures.

PurposeThis paper aims to explore the role of social and cultural sustainability in shaping smart urban development in the Arab Region, focusing on three cities, i.e. Sharjah Sustainable City (UAE), Lusail Smart City (Qatar) and SEKEM (Egypt). The research looks into how cultural aspects are integrated into the United Nations 2030 sustainable development goals (SDGs) and their relationship in the achievement of SDGs and sustainable city pillars.Design/methodology/approachBy following a mainly qualitative research approach and methodology of interviewing experts about the cities and carrying out an intensive literature review and case studies, this research analyzes the key cultural elements essential for the evolution of smart and/or sustainable cities. It highlights the importance of preserving cultural heritage, enhancing social cohesion and promoting inclusivity, all within the framework of the established sustainability standards.FindingsBy following a detailed approach to case studies and rigorous research methods, this study provides valuable insights for architects, urban planners, policymakers and researchers. The research highlighted the importance of engaging the communities and local population in the urban planning processes to ensure that the voices of potential residents are heard and that development projects meet the needs of the local population. The research also concluded that the formation of a social and sustainability index is crucial in the Arab Region.Research limitations/implicationsThe study’s utilization of secondary data and expert interviews may introduce biases, hence constraining the extent of analysis. Moreover, the concentration on a restricted set of towns may not adequately depict the variety of urban growth throughout the Arab region. Future studies would be enhanced by expanding their scope to include a wider range of case studies and utilizing mixed approaches to gain a more nuanced comprehension of sustainable strategies.Practical implicationsThe findings offer a foundation for thoughtful and sustainable urban planning in Arab cities. The research emphasizes the vital connection between cultural preservation and sustainability goals and the importance of the inclusion of cultural dimensions in sustainability frameworks to create more inclusive and resilient smart cities.Social implicationsThe study illustrates that incorporating cultural values into urban planning promotes social cohesiveness and inclusivity, hence enhancing the sustainability and resilience of communities. This method guarantees that urban development is both ecologically sustainable and culturally considerate, promoting the conservation of local identities and customs.Originality/valueThis study deepens the understanding of how cultural preservation and sustainability intersect in urban development. It provides important insights that can guide the development of smart cities, particularly in the Arab region, by ensuring that cultural values are integral to sustainable urban growth.

Facing climate risks has become a common problem for mankind and a topic of great importance for the Chinese government. To thoroughly implement the overall requirements for the construction of an ecological civilization and effectively improve the capacity of cities to adapt to climate change, China launched the pilot construction of “Climate Resilient Cities” in 2017. In this paper, 16 prefecture level cities in Anhui Province of China were selected as the research objects, and the multi-level grey system evaluation method was used to measure the climate resilience of these regions. We used the difference in differences method to evaluate the effect of the pilot policy of “Climate Resilient Cities.” The pilot policies of the “Climate Resilient Cities” showed a significant contribution to the regional climate resilience, and, after isolating the impact of other factors on the regional climate resilience, the pilot policies of the “Climate Resilient Cities” increased the climate resilience of the pilot cities by four percentage points. The pilot policies of the “Climate Resilient Cities” had a significant contribution to the urban infrastructure development and ecological space optimization, as well as non-significant impacts to the urban water security, emergency management capacity-building, and science and technology innovation initiatives.

This paper begins to build a conceptual framework that acknowledges the multiplicity of pathways towards different sustainable futures that often co-exist within a single city. There are three stages to the argument: the shift from the concept of a singular towards multiple models of what the sustainable city might become; the rejection of the simplistic use of models and the development of competing pathways to sustainable cities; and the recognition that a wide diversity of sustainable urban futures are likely to coexist within a single city. The analytical framework of social constructivist theory developed here usefully demonstrates the contingent and contextual nature of technological innovation and building design.

Purpose Drawing on a EU-funded research project on urbanisation in China and Europe (URBACHINA), the purpose of this inquiry is to explore the potential of foresight – through visionary scenarios and related participatory processes – in promoting learning and sustainable futures in China’s centrally planned context. Our research explores the use of backcasting, of Donella Meadows’ “levers” and Paul Raskin’s “proximate-ultimate drivers” and of archetypal worldviews to further our understanding of how we think about the future, and of the tension between transition scenarios and transformative, paradigmatic or deep change. Design/methodology/approach A review of recent foresight studies and literature provides an overview of the latest approaches: in particular the methods, scope, process, level of participation, themes discussed and wild cards considered. Building on this, the inquiry designs and implements a participatory, normative and qualitative scenario building to explore sustainable urban futures for China, adapting the elements of Joseph Voros’ basic foresight process to include a total of nine steps, with five workshops, two international surveys, an adapted backcasting step and internal consistency mechanisms. Findings The combination of a participatory iterative process with normative approaches to envisioning, helped question assumptions and deeply ingrained development models, as well as the narrow space for “alternatives” resulting from China’s centralised, top-down planning and decision-making. The experience confirms the power of scenario/storyline building in helping reflect and question strategic policy choices and enrich urban policy debates. The process successfully proposed a number of steps that ensured triangulation of the envisioning outcomes and additional learning also through backcasting. Finally, the research shows a clear link between the development of scenarios space, the debate on transition and transformative futures and archetypal worldviews, which were shown to be stable even after decades. Originality/value The URBACHINA approach to the specific challenge of sustainable urbanisation in China applies a strong normative component combined to more locally accepted exploratory methods and introduces a participatory approach to all key stages of scenario building. This represents an innovative contribution to the country’s foresight practice and the results help Chinese decision makers to reflect on the wider sustainability implications of their urban strategy. The inquiry deepens our understanding of the use of proximate and ultimate drivers of change and of the tension between transition and transformation pathways to our future.

Barriers and Facilitators in Physical Rehabilitation for Parkinson's Disease in the Arabian World.

China is one of the countries with fastest speed of development of urbanization and mechanization in the world. There are many problems, including serious traffic jam, aggravating environmental pollution, increased exhaust emission, lack of resources, increased gap between rich and poor, etc., affecting sustainable development of economy, society and environment. Meanwhile, these universal problems of 21st century have attracted wide attention of international society. Traffic, as the base and guidance of urban development, plays a decisive role in urban development. Consequently, attention has been paid to both urban sustainable development and sustainable development of urban traffic. In the work, evaluation index system of urban traffic sustainable development was built based on urban traffic sustainable development theory, and the weight of each index in evaluation was determined according to theoretical analysis and expert consultation. Extensional matter-element model was established using extension to evaluate urban traffic sustainable development condition, thus achieving the grade and possible development of urban traffic sustainable development in Beijing and providing scientific and rational basis for urban planning and construction department. The results show that urban traffic sustainability is in good condition, however, trending to common condition. Regulation and intervention should be carried out. In addition, evaluation index system and method of urban traffic sustainable development are scientific and rational, thus providing the relevant basis for decision of government department.

In many global south cities, the gradual declines in growth rates in large urban centers and capital cities are being countered by the rapid growth and expansion of small and medium-sized towns. Yet, urban sustainability research is heavily centered on the so-called megacities of the global south, overlooking the emergence of small and medium-sized towns at the confluence of urban transition and sustainability dynamics. Drawing on the case of Somanya, Ghana, this article explores the drivers and constituents of emerging environmental risks, querying whether these emerging sites of urbanization are transitioning to sustainable futures or replicating existing environmental problems in large cities. Coupling geographic information data and field-based interviews with residents, institutional representatives and local assembly members, we find that the urban growth of Somanya is linked with a decline in ecological resources, everyday bodily intersections with toxicity induced by the extractive sector, political ambivalence, and environmental infrastructure deficits – all layered on a constrained environmental planning regime. We conclude that current realities point toward unsustainable futures. Accordingly, we open avenues for a proactive cross-sector, integrated, co-designed local environmental development strategy that can position overlooked small and medium-sized towns toward sustainable and equitable urban futures.