City Strategies Research Articles

Cultural heritage challenges and Smart city concept (a strategic planning tool in a strategic planning framework)

The Smart City concept is often debated in academic, corporate, and institutional spheres, highlighting its conceptual model variations and technological interests. Many cities have decided to implement the Smart City concept as another development strategy with the vision of growth and efficiency enhancement. Such strategy refers to an extra instrument, in many cases, for bridging technological-based solutions with urban development. However, a social aspect is increasingly considered as the missing piece in the Smart City concept. This paper examines the presence of socio-economic aspects in the Smart City conceptual model and the difference by its practical implementation, searching specifically for cultural heritage. The paper uses case studies to investigate the models of cultural heritage integration in different existing Smart strategies of the historical cities and cities significant for their cultural heritage. Case studies aim to provide an oververview of Smart strategies and Smart technologies, that support cultural heritage as one of the main aspects of its development and address its global challenges. The paper provides a critical view of Smart strategies based on technological innovations in historical cities, where the aspect of cultural heritage as an identity creator was neglected. The research addresses the overall position of the Smart City strategy in the strategic planning framework. It draws attention to coherence with other development strategies searching for cultural heritage objectives, in the case study of Nitra. The paper concludes with recommendations for positioning Smart City's strategy in strategic planning frameworks.

Typology of Manggarai slum area: the strategy of resilient city to fencing pandemic

Abstract The post-pandemic COVID-19 demands an increasingly massive planning transformation in adopting spatial principles. It is often found the configuration of urban space is often the driver of the distribution level of the number of cases. Several spatial variables, such as the irregularity of the building, building density, and the technical requirements of the building, are closely related to the assessment of the indicators of slum settlements. Manggarai Slum Area is one of the slum clusters that have the potential to become the epicentrum of COVID-19 in Jakarta. So, it is necessary to have a strategy for structuring slum areas without compromising the rules of adaptation to the pandemic. The phase is begins by classifying the typology of the level of slums. Followed by a SWOT analysis for identifying general strategic development and determining the strategy for each typology. Generally, residential areas are classified as priority 1 category A1 and A3 (heavy slums), only differing from the legality of the land. Buildings, facilities, utilities, and legal needs to be prioritized in this area. While in the priority 3 category C3 (low slum) classification in the form of a military housing area. The right strategy is the fulfillment of basic infrastructure

Стратегический подход к развитию туризма в малых городах

The article analyzes the problems and directions of implementing a strategic approach to the development of tourism in small towns. In the context of the development of the supporting spatial frame of the country, an objective need arose to study the tourism sector as a tool for economic growth and improving the well-being of the population of small towns. The aim of the work is to identify the features of applying a strategic approach to the development of the tourism sector in small towns by assessing their current state in Russia, as well as developing ways to improve the process of strategizing the tourism sector. General scientific methods of synthesis, analysis, systematization, statistical data processing are applied. The most successful urban practices of strategic development of tourism are considered: Ples, Suzdal, Torzhok. It is shown that in order to achieve economic growth, it is possible to turn the city into a tourist destination. Based on the study of scientific and expert opinions, as well as an analysis of the actual strategies of cities, the authors proposed a model to ensure the sustainable development of tourism in small towns, which includes the following strategic factors: strategy or master plan of the city; comfortable urban environment; project and cluster approach; territory brand; involvement of government, business and local community; socially responsible tourism and ecology. The types of tourism are summarized, and recommendations are developed for the formation of strategic factors for ensuring the sustainable development of the tourism sector. An important direction should be a strategic approach to the development of small towns in order to ensure the interconnection and interconnection of the main documents of strategic planning and socio-economic development at all levels. The practical value of the study is that the developed recommendations can be used by local governments at the stages of development and implementation of urban tourism development strategies.

Az okos város fogalom megjelenése a magyar közép- és nagyvárosok fejlesztési dokumentumaiban

Recently, there has been a tremendous spread of the term “smart city” in theoretical works as well as in urban planning practices. This study investigates the impact of this process in the Hungarian context. The main goal of the paper is to analyse specific policy documents of the thirty-one most populous towns in Hungary. The sample excludes the capital city, Budapest, which differs significantly from these towns in size and in the grade of international embeddedness. The majority of the scrutinised documents were written in the same time period and in the same structure, which makes them a good basis for comparison. The results show that the term “smart city” started to appear in urban development plans in 2014. This is when most of the documents still in force today were written. The term was used in many different ways, however. In some cases, policy documents presented a detailed “smart city vision” for the future. In five municipalities, the local government even approved a smart city strategy. In many other towns, policy documents only referred to the “smart city” either with regard to a specific project or in very broad terms. Moreover, documents in 40% of the examined towns do not mention the term at all. For factors influencing the emergence of the term (or its absence), geographical location does not show a clear relevance, and settlement size seems to play a role only in the five most populous cities. However, the results suggest some correlation with central urban functions.

What can a midsized, semi-arid city teach us about human-made forests?

Research has shown that urban tree canopy (UTC) provides a multitude of ecosystem services to people in cities, yet the benefits and costs of trees are not always equitably distributed among residents and households. To support urban forest managers and sustainability planning, many studies have analyzed the relationships between UTC and various morphological and social variables. Most of these studies, however, focus on large cities like Baltimore, MD, Los Angeles, CA, and New York, NY. Yet, small and midsized cities are experiencing the most growth globally, often having more opportunity to alter management strategies and policies to conserve and/or increase canopy cover and other green infrastructure. Using both a linear and spatial regression approach, we analyzed the main drivers of UTC across census block groups in Fort Collins, CO, a midsize, semi-arid city projected to undergo significant population growth in the next 20-30 years. Results from Fort Collins indicated that block groups with older buildings and greater housing density contained more UTC, with 2.2% more canopy cover for every 10 years of building age and 4.1% more for every 10 houses per hectare. We also found that distributional inequities may already be developing within this midsized city, as block groups with more minority communities were associated with lower UTC. We compared the drivers of UTC in Fort Collins to other cities located in different climate regions, or biomes, and in various stages of urban development. Based on these results, we suggested future urban forest management strategies for semi-arid cities like Fort Collins.

Exploring the Multisensory Interaction between Luminous, Thermal and Auditory Environments through the Spatial Promenade Experience: A Case Study of a University Campus in an Oasis Settlement

This paper aimed to develop a multisensory approach in a university campus, based on quantitative and qualitative approaches, investigating sense walk experiences (thermo-visual sound walk) under interactions of luminous, thermal, and auditory environments. The study was conducted in October 2021, in Chetma university campus in Biskra city, southern Algeria, which remains a famous oasis settlement of arid regions over the country. A comparative and correlation analysis was performed between the physical dimensions collected through a walking experience in three campus routes (outdoor, semi-outdoor and indoor). In addition, a multisensory survey of the walking experience on perceptual dimensions was evaluated in parallel to the empirical contribution. The paper shows that walkers’ thermal levels were balanced between neural and slightly hot in different spatial aspects. The glare was almost unperceived regarding the luminous conditions in the study site. The auditory experience reveals that the conducted points were generally quiet and well placed for educational requirements. Findings also show a strong relationship between the physical dimensions of the luminous and auditory environment. Furthermore, the findings suggest that the thermal and luminous environments are more perceptible than the auditory environment for the walkers of the outdoor and indoor routes. In contrast, the semi-outdoor route is often perceptible by the perceptual dimensions of the luminous and auditory environments. The findings on sensorial thresholds and spatial adaption are essential for the educational practices’ architectural and urban strategies for the Saharan cities and oasis settlements.

TERRITORIAL BRANDING AS A FACTOR OF SOCIO-ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF THE REGION

The article deals with the issues of territorial branding as a tool for the strategic development of cities and regions. In the context of global globalization processes there is a rigid competition between territories for resources: human, financial flows, tourist flows. Understanding this issue by territorial communities, authorities in Ukraine led to the development and approval of marketing strategies of individual Ukrainian cities. The creation and widespread distribution of Ukrainian territorial brands will enable domestic cities, both large and small, rural areas and regions, followed by a chosen strategy, solve their social and economic tasks. The purpose of the article is to analyze the basic methodological principles that are used in the Ukrainian practice of territorial branding and its impact on socio-economic development. It is determined that the geographical position and global geopolitical role of the territory, natural resource potential of the territory, national-cultural features of the country and its regions, current visual policies and symbols of the territory are affected. Investigated that in today Ukraine there are clearly formed brands of territories that already make their positive contribution to the socio-economic Development of cities, rural areas and regions in general.

The Strategy Smart City Development Concepts in Indonesia

The government ability to manage the potencies and assets owned through digital technology is the key to developing a smart city. Standardization of public services procedur through ISO is the early stage in digitalizing the government services. This paper focuses on analyzing the implementation of the smart city concept in Indonesia and identifying the relevant, innovative strategies applied as a reflection of the transformation of urban areas. This paper aims to determine the effectiveness of digital public service facilities in improving the community's welfare. The paper employed a qualitative approach with a case study. The data gathered from journal articles, e-books, official government data and websites, the latest online news portals, and the data of relevant others agencies. The results show that the smart city concept development initiative in several cities and districts in Indonesia is increasing, in line with information and communication technology. Accordingly, the smart city strategy developed relies on ICT-in public services. Therefore, the processes require massive campaigns for the community to get used to it. In addition, having good communication and collaboration among all stakeholders in society creates a dynamic of sustainable urban development framed in smart city project design applied

The review of evaluation practices, focusing on challenges in the Hungarian small and medium cities

There is an emphasized attention in the policies of the Hungarian Government on the smart city developments. Ten cities, including Tata, are selected as host settlements for smart city pilot developmental projects. The international evaluation systems can provide a good basis for comparative analysis however there is a need for a well-structured efficient local evaluation system on smart intervention. Smart governance needs to be put through for achieving the best available citizen-centred results. It is desired from the local and central governmental institutions to provide enabling environment which can function as an intermediate engine of digital developments for the social and smart interventions.
 As a complex digitization developmental program focusing not just on the infrastructural development but also on the improvement of the human abilities, the Hungarian Government launched the comprehensive Digital Welfare Program. The monitoring of the executed programs and the reasonable, effective measurement of the impacts of the developmental programs are inadequate for policy and decision makers to evaluate the results and to disclose the basis of the required further interventions. We intend to reveal the relevant literature review of the international practices, the convenient possibilities of social and economic evaluation and reporting. We analyse these processes in detail in Hungarian context based on a case study about the Hungarian city of Tata, however these smart city strategies – programmes - projects are in the preparation phases or at the beginning of implementations. Following these, we formulate the possible future sequences of the research.

A dimensional perspective-based analysis on the practice of low carbon city in China

The rapid urbanization process in China has resulted in a large number of carbon emissions. Practicing low-carbon city (LCC) strategy is considered as a key pathway towards carbon reduction, and a dimensional analysis on LCC performance can identify weak areas of a city's low-carbon development, from which tailored LCC measures can be developed and adopted to better guide LCC practice. Existing studies tend to pay more attention upon the overall performance analysis of LCC practice, with less attention upon dimensional examination of LCC performance. This study therefore aims to examine the LCC practice in China from a dimensional perspective, thus the research questions are designed as how to evaluate and enhance the LCC performance in China from a dimensional perspective. Five specific dimensions are identified to investigate LCC performance via literature review and experts discussion, for which evaluation indicators are established to measure the dimensional LCC performance and entropy weight method and Topsis method are used to calculate the dimensional LCC performance score. An empirical study is conducted to identify the weak area of LCC performance in 35 sample Chinese cities. The main findings are as follows. Optimization of industrial structure is the short area of cities in Northeast and Western China in terms of their low-carbon performance; adjusting of energy structure and increasing carbon sink level are the weak areas of Northern Chinese cities; whilst improving energy efficiency is the shortcoming of cities in Central and Western China. Besides, those cities who are not under the LCC pilot scheme should improve their low carbon management ability. This study enriches the research discipline of low-carbon city development and provides a basis for examining and enhancing LCC performance across the whole country of China.

Analysis on the characteristics of spatio-temporal evolution and aggregation trend of early COVID-19 in mainland China

To analyze the spatio-temporal aggregation of COVID-19 in mainland China within 20 days after the closure of Wuhan city, and provide a theoretical basis for formulating scientific prevention measures in similar major public health events in the future. Draw a distribution map of the cumulative number of COVID-19 by inverse distance weighted interpolation; analyze the spatio-temporal characteristics of the daily number of COVID-19 in mainland China by spatio-temporal autocorrelation analysis; use the spatio-temporal scanning statistics to detect the spatio-temporal clustering area of the daily number of new diagnosed cases. The cumulative number of diagnosed cases obeyed the characteristics of geographical proximity and network proximity to Hubei. Hubei and its neighboring provinces were most affected, and the impact in the eastern China was more dramatic than the impact in the western; the global spatio-temporal Moran’s I index showed an overall downward trend. Since the 10th day of the closure of Wuhan, the epidemic in China had been under effective control, and more provinces had shifted into low-incidence areas. The number of new diagnosed cases had gradually decreased, showing a random distribution in time and space (P< 0.1), and no clusters were formed. Conclusion: the spread of COVID-19 had obvious spatial-temporal aggregation. China’s experience shows that isolation city strategy can greatly contain the spread of the COVID-19 epidemic.

Flooding Problem and Optimization Strategies in High-density Coastal Cities from the Perspective of Green Development: The Macau Peninsula as an Example

Taking Macao, a high-density coastal city, as an example, this paper discusses and analyzes the current urban problems and the causes of waterlogging. Based on the green development perspective, applied planning strategies such as shaping a resilient and safe protective substrate, using facade greening, and constructing multi-level green space are proposed under the premise of protecting the current situation. It reduces the impact of disaster occurrence and provides a reference for the sustainable development of high-density cities in Macau.

Gender in the Australian innovation ecosystem: planning smart cities for men

The affinity for tech-driven solutions of ‘smart cities’ has been critiqued at length, as has the gender disparity in technology firms. This paper draws these literatures together along with our own data on Australia’s innovation economy – one that includes its spaces (incubators, accelerators and co-working hubs), events (‘hackathons’), and places (innovation districts). These three components are ubiquitous among smart city strategies across all levels of government. In this paper we examine the gendered landscape of the innovation economy and the strategic urban agenda to which it is tied. The paper draws on data collected through interviews conducted with women entrepreneurs around their experiences in Australia’s innovation economy. Drawing from policy documents and further interviews, our discussion mirrors their vignettes with an examination of the three innovation economy components using case studies from Australian smart city planning. In doing so, we illuminate how the gendered experiences of women in the innovation economy are entwined with the smart urbanism imperatives of high-growth, technology-focus, and the attraction of ‘talent’. Existing attempts to grapple with discrimination in the innovation economy are shown to reinforce gendered hierarchies, resulting in ‘smart cities’ designed for men. We argue that the gendered nature of the tech industries that underpin the innovation economy has implications for who the smart city is for.

A kingdom of new cities: Morocco’s national Villes Nouvelles strategy

Morocco is one of the most active countries in the world in building new cities from scratch. Nineteen new cities are presently underway across the kingdom as part of a national city-building strategy, launched to manage uncontrolled urbanization and to support economic growth. Morocco’s city building is illustrative of the global trend in which states are creating urban mega-projects as part of national development strategies, but also reflects the unique local forces shaping new city building in the kingdom. This article provides the first overview of Morocco’s new city strategy and projects, which we contextualize within the kingdom’s recent extensive urban investments shaped by economic liberalism and persistent state authoritarianism. While new city building in Morocco is driven by the state and presented as a cohesive strategy in official discourse, it is characterized by ambiguity and confusion, introduced through the ‘hybrid’ role of city-building actors, an undefined policy status, and a lack of coordination among new city projects underway. By critically analyzing the national strategy’s forms of ambiguity, we examine the state’s modes of speculative interventions that maintain a ‘useful fuzziness’, raising issues of accountability, transparency, and disconnect in national development visions.

Urban Security Challenges: A Review of Crime Prevention Strategies Adopted by Residents in Greater Port Harcourt City, Rivers State, Nigeria

The vulnerability to the insecurity of cities, and how best to address them, have been subject to considerable discussions. With the rising crime rate in cities in Nigeria, households have provided for their security, particularly with structures in the building, streets and neighbourhoods. Observation of streets and houses in Greater Port Harcourt City Area show high fences (some with the addition of razor wires), gates to streets manned by security personnel, use of CCTV, electrified gates and fences, burglary proofing of windows, doors and even roofs. This research reviews strategy adopted by residents in curbing crime across different neighbourhoods of Greater Port Harcourt City. The study utilizes a survey research methodology based on data obtained from four hundred and ninety–eight (498) respondents drawn from four neighbourhoods selected purposively (three from planned neighbourhoods in the inner city and one large neighbourhood in the peri-urban area). The study followed a multi-stage framework. Five streets in the inner city and fifteen streets in the peri-urban area were randomly selected in the study neighbourhoods. This was followed by the selection of twenty houses on each street using the systematic sampling method. In each house, one household head was randomly picked for questionnaire administration. The results revealed that the use of urban design elements to control crime between the inner-city neighbourhoods and the neighbourhoods in the urban periphery of the city differed significantly. The inner-city made greater use of natural surveillance to control crime whereas the peri-urban area utilized target hardening. State actors and non-state actors were used for crime control across the neighbourhoods; however, income status was a key determinant of preference. The high income was favourable to the formal instrument of state power, the police while the low income preferred the non-state actors, the local vigilante. This study recommends an integrated crime prevention strategy for the entire city; adequate funding of security by the Government, the provision of amenities and street furniture, the use of neighbourhood plans that promotes defensible space in emerging areas, the introduction of technology and community policing in crime prevention will achieve far greater long-term security for the Greater Port Harcourt metropolis. Keywords: Urban security, Crime prevention, Neighbourhood, Greater Port Harcourt City.

Comparing Climate Politics and Adaptation Strategies in African Cities: Challenges and Opportunities in the State-Community Divide

Residents of African municipalities exhibit a lengthy and varied history of coping with conditions of pervasive precarity and uncertainty in the context of an unevenly present state. The climate crisis compounds these challenges. Based on case studies from across the continent, this introduction to the Special Issue on the Politics of Climate Action in Africa’s Cities presents research oriented around questions of “do-it-yourself” urbanism, sustainable development, and climate change adaptation and mitigation efforts undertaken by socio-economically vulnerable citizens. It offers insight into how the urban poor respond to ongoing urban climate crises, the variable roles of an absent, ineffectual, or inattentive state, and the unequal power relations undergirding sustainability discourse and practice. It draws on a cross-regional comparative perspective that centres conversations about urban theory and development in a (urban) world succumbing to mounting pressures from climate change, environmental precarity, and pervasive inequities.

Adapting microalgae-based strategies for sustainable green cities.

The adaptation of algae and microalgae as a renewable source in green cities will contribute to the overall environmental management. The cycle of microalgae growth reduces the carbon level, bioremediates wastewater and the final biomass can be transformed into important functional biomolecules. This perspective address the needs, benefits and challenges of implementing a microalgae green cities and its strategies.

Composting Strategy Instead of Waste-to-Energy in the Urban Context—A Case Study from Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

The waste-to-energy programs that have taken place in recent years present a daunting picture in terms of sustainable material management. The incineration of much organic and unorganized waste in metropolitan waste treatment facilities is not meet with sustainable development. The solution to this problem may be to increase urban composting programs in the future, which is a sustainable treatment option but also a serious technical challenge. Our research question is whether composting programs can play a key role in rapidly evolving urban ecosystems in Asia, due to the specificities associated with the waste rates outlined and developmental differences outlined. Instead of the waste-to-energy or waste-to-landfill strategies often used today, can central composting focusing on high organic matter content be a suitable alternative? Using the AHP method (Analytical Hierarchy Process), the following alternatives were examined to clarify the issue: Wastes are commingled and processed at the treatment facilities; Classification of organic and non-organic waste at source for composting; Totally separating waste at source before processing at the treatment facilities. We have found that the use of central composting (separation of organic and non-organic waste at source) strategies to support circular development is one of the most innovative development strategies in the fast-growing cities of Asia, in line with E.U. targets.

Entrepreneurship in smart cities: elements of start-up ecosystem

PurposeThe cities are distinctly engine of economic growth, which depends upon speed at which innovations are brought out and trigger entrepreneurship. Smart city initiatives are one of the opportunities to unleash innovation and entrepreneurship in developing countries like India. Entrepreneurial ecosystem research in smart cities is still in its nascent phase. Therefore, the study aims to bring out elements for a start-up ecosystem to promote entrepreneurship in smart cities.Design/methodology/approachFocus group discussion has been applied to gain a variety of insights and opinion from selected participants with diverse expertise.FindingsThe study proposes a framework for developing a start-up ecosystem in smart city. The findings suggest the technology infrastructure along with the elements of start-up framework as knowledge hub, public policy, entrepreneurship and city economy.Research limitations/implicationsThe study does not show the impact of smart city strategies over an extended period.Practical implicationsA robust entrepreneurial framework usually impact on utilization of technologies for economic activities and regional development. The innovators, policymakers, city administrators, entrepreneurs, venture capitalists and various stakeholders in society will get benefit from the outcomes of this study.Social implicationsThe evolution of smart cities is a social initiative with various stakeholders –such as governments, residents, businesses and entrepreneurs. The creation of start-up ecosystem in smart cities requires several levels of interventions such as new programs and institutional reforms.Originality/valueThe research explores pillars and constituents that describe a start-up ecosystem in smart cities and nurtures a collaborative culture of innovations and entrepreneurship.

Individualisation of cities as one of the factors of preserving human capital

This study examines the problem of individualisation, individualisation of cities and its relationship with human capital. The strategies of Russian cities put human capital in one of the key positions, but the use of outdated methods of attracting the population has practically exhausted itself. In this regard, the authors put forward a hypothesis about a close connection between the individualisation of urban strategies and the preservation of human capital. Foreign approaches to the individualisation of cities have been considered. A mechanism for implementing individualised strategies of Russian cities by creating a city brand has been proposed as well as the key points of this process have been highlighted. The characteristic features of the formation of the brand of territories for different types of cities have been determined. It has been concluded that the manifestation of their individuality will help Russian cities in preserving human capital, as well as in attracting resources for their development.