Urban Development Paradigm Research Articles

Exploring the Differences and Similarities between Smart Cities and Sustainable Cities through an Integrative Review

This study adopts an integrative review approach to explore the differences and similarities between smart cities and sustainable cities. The research starts by performing two systematic literature reviews about both paradigms and, after that, employs a thematic analysis to identify key themes, definitions, and characteristics that differentiate and connect these two urban development concepts. The findings reveal more similarities than differences between the two paradigms. Despite this, some key differences are identified. Smart cities are characterized by their use of advanced information and communication technologies to enhance urban infrastructure, improve public services, and optimize resource management. In contrast, sustainable cities focus on environmental conservation, social equity, and economic viability to ensure long-term urban resilience and quality of life. This study is important because it clarifies both concepts and highlights the potential for integrating smart and sustainable city strategies to address contemporary urban challenges more holistically. The findings also suggest a convergence towards the concept of ‘smart sustainable cities’, which leverage technology to achieve sustainability goals. Finally, this study concludes by identifying research gaps and proposing a future research agenda to further understand and optimize the synergy between smart and sustainable urban development paradigms.

Development Strategies for Urban Parks in Chongqing’s Main District: A New Paradigm for Urban Green Spaces

With the advent of the new concept of an “urban park” and the new paradigm of urban development, Chongqing Municipality has actively embraced this vision, integrating it with the city’s unique geographical and demographic conditions. The city has prioritized urban park construction as a key project for public welfare, aiming to address issues such as uneven geographical distribution, limited functionality, and mismatched supply and demand. This initiative seeks to optimize urban parks as vital public resources while protecting the ecological environment. Adhering to principles of functional priority, safety and comfort, shared development, and distinctive features, Chongqing has incorporated parks and other green open spaces into its basic urban planning. This approach aims to create beautiful, comfortable and age-friendly shared urban spaces. This study, grounded in the urban park development concept and the characteristics of a mountainous, multi-center city, constructs a model to measure urban park satisfaction in Chongqing’s main urban area. The model considers supply-demand matching and resident satisfaction. It aims to systematically review relevant policies, plans, and cutting-edge theories, analyze the urban park development in Chongqing, understand residents’ needs, and address issues related to supply-demand matching, multifunctionality, and quality construction. The findings provide insights into the development and conservation of urban parks in Chongqing and beyond, aiming to continually meet the public’s growing desire for a better quality of life and support high-quality development.

Analysis of the Role of Agile Governance in the Development of the Smart City Concept: A Qualitative Study of the Banyumas Regency Government, Indonesia

The smart city concept has become a new paradigm in urban development, offering innovative solutions to improve people's quality of life. Agile governance, with its flexibility and adaptability, is a promising approach in managing the complexity of smart city development. This research aims to analyze the role of agile governance in developing the smart city concept in the Banyumas Regency Government, Indonesia. This research uses a qualitative approach with a case study of the Banyumas Regency Government. Data was collected through in-depth interviews with relevant government officials, document analysis, and field observations. Data analysis was carried out using thematic coding and triangulation techniques to ensure the validity and reliability of the research results. The research results show that agile governance plays an important role in developing the smart city concept in Banyumas. Agile principles such as collaboration, iteration, and focus on customer value have been adopted in the planning, implementation, and evaluation processes of smart city programs. Agile governance allows governments to respond quickly to change, actively involve the public, and optimize the use of resources. Agile governance has proven effective in overcoming the challenges of complexity and uncertainty in smart city development. Implementing agile governance can increase the efficiency, effectiveness and sustainability of smart city programs. This research contributes to the development of agile governance theory and practice in the context of smart cities, as well as providing recommendations for other local governments who wish to adopt this approach.

Social and Spatial Inequalities during COVID-19: Evidence from France and the Need for a New Sustainable Urban and Regional Development Paradigm

This study examines the impact of social and spatial inequalities on the spread of COVID-19 and the efficacy of lockdown measures in French regions during the third wave (22 March and 3 May 2021), with a focus on population density and poverty. It based on data from French government websites, adopting quantitative methods including the Pearson Coefficient and One-Way ANOVA. The results indicate a significant correlation between population density and COVID-19 deaths in 92 departments (R = 0.695), which is stronger than the correlation between density and infection rates (R = 0.633, p < 0.001). In the 25 most affected departments, this pattern shifts, with a weaker correlation between density and deaths (R = 0.644) compared to density/infections (R = 0.716, p < 0.001). Although insightful, these statistics do not capture regional disparities. A minor correlation between poverty and death rates was recorded in French regions. Spatial observations showed that areas exceeding the national poverty average experienced higher infection/death rates. The lockdowns were effective, leading to a reduction (51.7%) in infections. The present results showed that there is a significant need for a new social contract based on a new urban and regional paradigm focused on socio-spatial equality and Sustainable Development Goals locally and globally, a vital task for policymakers, planners, and researchers.

Walk further and access more! Exploring the 15-minute city concept in Oslo, Norway

The 15-minute city theory has recently become a popular paradigm in urban development. It claims that everyone should have access to the essential services, facilities and green spaces within a 15-minute walk. This article tests this concept in Oslo, Norway using a mixed-methods approach, based on a Geographical Information Systems (GIS) analysis of accessibility, review of relevant plans, interviews with planners and a case study of the Hovinbyen area. The objective was to find out to what extent Oslo is a 15-minute city, and discuss how this concept can be integrated in urban planning strategies more generally. The study shows that the central part of Oslo is already a 15-minute city, and that several areas are transforming in this direction. However, many suburban neighborhoods have low accessibility scores, and, according to the plans, will likely not change much in the future. This article argues that the 15-minute city concept cannot serve as the main development strategy, but such an analysis can be useful as a diagnostic study or to assist planning in rapidly changing areas or city extensions. The concept can therefore be considered as a flexible tool to support other planning strategies that share the same goals and ambitions. Any interventions that such accessibility analyses suggest should be contextualized and developed in combination with other qualitative assessments and in partnership with local communities.

Progress in Sponge City Research in Yunnan Province

As urbanization accelerates, the challenges faced by traditional urban drainage systems are becoming increasingly prominent. The concept of the "sponge city" has emerged as a new urban development paradigm, playing an increasingly important role in sustainable urban development, alleviating water disasters, and improving the urban water environment. This paper takes Yunnan Province as the research subject and delves into the progress of sponge city research in the region, as well as conducting a comprehensive assessment of the environmental conditions for implementing sponge city construction in Yunnan. The unique geographical and climatic characteristics of Yunnan Province make it an ideal area for implementing the sponge city concept. The paper not only examines in detail the pilot sponge city projects that have been initiated in the province, analyzing the implementation effects of these projects, but also proposes strategies and suggestions for future development based on these case studies. In terms of research methodology, this paper employs a variety of research methods, including literature review, field investigation, and data analysis, to ensure the scientific rigor and comprehensiveness of the research findings. The results show that the sponge city construction in Yunnan Province has achieved certain effects, such as significant progress in urban flood control, rational utilization of water resources, and improvement of the ecological environment. However, the study also identified some problems and challenges, such as gaps between the implementation of some projects and the expected outcomes, as well as difficulties in technology, funding, and policy encountered during the promotion process. Based on these findings, the paper provides targeted suggestions from multiple perspectives, including technological innovation, funding, and policy support, aiming to further promote the development of sponge city construction in Yunnan Province and nationwide. The study emphasizes that Yunnan Province should leverage its unique advantages and formulate appropriate sponge city construction standards and technical guidelines that align with local conditions. It also recommends enhancing interdisciplinary and interdepartmental cooperation to foster a deeper integration of scientific research with urban planning practices, maximizing the benefits of sponge city construction. Overall, this paper's research not only provides valuable experience and insights for the construction of sponge cities in Yunnan Province and other regions of China but also makes an important contribution to the theoretical research and practical exploration of sponge cities. Through an in-depth analysis and systematic study of sponge city construction in Yunnan Province, the paper showcases the tremendous potential and challenges faced by the sponge city concept in specific Chinese practices, holding significant theoretical and practical significance for guiding future urban development planning and management.

Exploring the Potential of Architectural Semiotic in Realizing the Smart City Concept

Smart City is an urban development paradigm that integrates information and communication technology to improve the quality of life of residents, efficient resource management and environmental sustainability. Architectural semiotic, as the embodiment of visual language in architecture, has an important role in creating a smart and sustainable environment. This research aims to explore the potential of architectural semiotic in realizing the Smart City concept. This research uses a qualitative approach with descriptive methods. The results of this research reveal that the potential of architectural semiotic in the Smart City concept can be optimized through steps such as literature study and concept analysis, use of modern technology, interdisciplinary collaboration, community participation, and development of design guidelines. By engaging architects, data scientists, engineers, and the public, and creating practical guidance, this research details how architectural semiotic can be effectively integrated in smart city development. It is hoped that these results will make a significant contribution in creating a smart, efficient, aesthetic and sustainable urban environment in accordance with Smart City principles.

Multi-source data-driven estimation of urban net primary productivity: A case study of Wuhan

Amidst urban expansion, numerous ecological challenges have surfaced, notably the swift alterations in the net primary productivity (NPP), presenting complexities in discerning their scale and spatial distribution. Leveraging meteorological data, multi-modal remote sensing datasets, field sampling data, and a digital elevation model (DEM), this research amalgamates field assessments, model simulations, and cutting-edge remote sensing techniques to craft a city-scale NPP estimation model for vegetation rooted in the Carnegie-Ames-Stanford Approach (CASA). This improved CASA model facilitated the computation of monthly NPP for Wuhan over 2017–2020. Our analysis divulged NPP spatiotemporal trends and distribution nuances in Wuhan, and assessed meteorological influences on the same. Salient conclusions encompass: (1) Wuhan's annual NPP maximum between 984.40 and 1310.51 gC/(m2 a), averaging from 316.78 to 430.32 gC/(m2 a), and culminating in totals from 170.15 to 231.60 × 1010 gC/a. (2) Monthly NPP trajectories in Wuhan exhibited a unimodal pattern: ascending from January to June, peaking in July–August, and tapering off through September-December, with a spatial distribution characterized by lower NPP values centrally and higher values peripherally. (3) Regionally, temperature markedly influenced NPP over precipitation. This research underpins urban ecological planning, offering empirical insights and strategic guidance for fostering a sustainable coexistence between humans and their environment, and charting future urban development paradigms.

Integrated Sustainable Cities, Among the Great Challenges of The Future

This study aims to outline a new model of sustainable urban development starting from the concept of ‘green city’. The need to adopt a new paradigm in urban development is necessary both in view of the accelerated evolution of population growth at urban level and the rapid degradation of environmental factors and living conditions in these areas.

The Hubs of Transformation Dictated by the Innovation Wave: Boston as a Case Study

Cities have become nodes of global networks, standing at the intersection points of the flows of capital, goods, workers, businesses, and travelers, making them spots where innovation, progress and economic development occur. Design emerges as an essential feature in this process, which this manuscript defines as the ‘laboratorization of cities’, a cutting-edge urban development paradigm that emphasizes cities as dynamic laboratories for innovation and experimentation. This study explored the spatial hubs of transformation within the knowledge economy, providing an overview of the current models of innovation spaces before focusing on the innovation district of one of the cities that are riding the innovation wave, namely Boston, USA. Information was gathered from observations, exploratory interviews with key stakeholders, and on-desk data. The study has significant implications, spanning from informing global urban development strategies to impacting regional economic planning and national policies. It provides valuable insights into how design, innovation, and urban development are interconnected, potentially reshaping how cities and regions approach their growth in the current knowledge-driven era. Useful lessons can be drawn from the case study analysis, allowing to define valuable tools for policymakers, a forward-looking perspective on the future of the laboratorization of cities and the evolving role of design, providing a roadmap for cities aiming to position themselves as global innovation hubs.

Smart urbanism, citizen-centric approaches and integrated environmental services in transit-oriented development in Jakarta, Indonesia

This research elucidates the intricate landscape of citizen preferences within Jakarta's Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) domain, navigating through environmental services integration and smart city initiatives. With Jakarta experiencing exponential urbanization, TOD is a pivotal strategy to amalgamate residential, commercial, and recreational spaces, seamlessly coupled with effective public transportation systems. However, achieving optimal urban living within TODs demands a deep understanding of Jakarta's citizens' diverse and nuanced preferences and needs. This study fills significant gaps in the existing literature by investigating citizen preferences' heterogeneity and willingness to pay (MWTP) for integrated environmental services in TODs. Employing advanced methodologies like the Random Parameter Logit (RPL) and the Latent Class Model (LCM), this research offers a granular insight into citizens' varied preferences and their financial commitments toward enhanced environmental services. The insights derived have been crucial in formulating pragmatic recommendations for refining TOD management strategies and policies in Jakarta, ultimately contributing to urban landscapes' equitable and sustainable development. Through a detailed exploration of preference heterogeneity and the integration of smart city concepts within TOD frameworks, this study paves the way for more inclusive, innovative, and citizen-centric urban development paradigms.

Cooperative planning under pro-development urban agenda? A collage of densification practices in Zurich, Switzerland

Like in many cities and regions worldwide, densification is the current urban development paradigm in Switzerland. Although considered one of the main policy mechanisms for sustainable land use, densification strategies are mainly employed by the private sector, causing adverse social effects. Additionally, profit-oriented urban planning challenges the traditionally exercised norm of cooperative planning. By analysing multiple case studies of densification projects in Zurich, this paper elucidates the nature of cooperation in contemporary urban planning: Is cooperation perceived as genuine inclusion of the weaker parties, or is it dominated by the negotiations between the powerful ones? To address such questions, we examine the main cooperative mechanisms and bottlenecks to achieve effective cooperation; the dominant alliances in planning; and the ways these actors identify compromises. The research reveals an elite-driven and pro-development collaboration approach among public authorities, landowners, and developers with minor integration of less powerful actors, despite the continuous effort to advance (formal and informal) planning instruments to secure social inclusion. Consequently, the study offers some directions for refining contemporary Zurich's mainstream planning approach to address the challenges posed by the neoliberal discourse and practice, hence, being relevant for similar socio-spatial settings confronting a pro-development urban agenda.

Climate Urbanism as a New Urban Development Paradigm: Evaluating a City’s Progression towards Climate Urbanism in the Global South

Climate change impacts, the resulting spatiotemporal changes, and growing uncertainty exert pressure on city leaders and policy makers to create climate adaptive development strategies worldwide. This article introduces climate urbanism as a new development paradigm that advocates for a climate adaptive urban development process, safeguarding urban economics and infrastructure, and ensuring equitable implementation of related strategies. The objective of this article is to determine how far a climate vulnerable city in the Global South has progressed toward climate urbanism. The study employs Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines to develop a conceptual framework. Afterward, the analytical hierarchy process (AHP) and indexing are used to develop a multicriteria decision analysis (MCDA) method to assess the selected climate sensitive factors related to climate urbanism. Findings reveal that the city of Khulna’s climate urbanism index score is 0.36, which is extremely low and denotes subpar urban performance. ‘Climate Conscious Governance’ and ‘Climate Smart Infrastructure’ contribute little, while ‘Adaptive and Dynamic Urban Form’ and ‘Urban Ecosystem Services’ contribute even less. The binary logistic regression analysis reveals the significant indicators of (transformative) climate urbanism. The article provides a critical lens for stakeholders to evaluate climate urbanism and promote urban sustainability in the face of climate change.

PERAN TAMAN HUTAN HUJAN TROPIS INDONESIA TERHADAP IKLIM MIKRO (Studi Kasus di Taman Hutan Hujan Tropis Indonesia Kawasan Kantor Gubernur di Kota Banjarbaru Provinsi Kalimantan Selatan)

In line with the increasing population and the community's need for city facilities and infrastructure, urban development continues to increase. The paradigm of urban development should have changed and needs to be designed early towards the city with a better, more balanced way of life and still paying attention to environmental quality. The level of environmental comfort decreases as a result of the imbalance between built-up space and green open space (RTH) with the three main functions of urban vegetation being structural function, environmental function and visual function. RTH has a role in shaping the comfort of the urban climate through ecological functions, namely as a regulator of air temperature and humidity, so that it can be used as input in improving the quality of the microclimate by improving the quality of urban RTH so as to minimize the decline in environmental quality. The purpose of the study was to analyze the influence of vegetation structure and the role in improving the microclimate at each Tropical Rainforest Miniature RTH location in the Governor's Office area in Banjarbaru City. Banua Botanical Garden as a research site located in the Banjarbaru City Area, South Kalimantan Provincial Government Office Complex. The influence of vegetation structure on Location I which is dominated by lawns/grasses and shrubs with horizontal and columnar header shapes with low header density. Meanwhile, in Location II, the shape of the canopy is columnar and horizontal with a medium canopy density and has a tree height of 3-4 meters, slightly reducing the air temperature around the RTH. For Locations III and IV, they have a pyramid-shaped and spherical header shape that acts as a counterweight to increasing air humidity and decreasing air temperature. The role of the Tropical Rainforest Miniature RTH in the Governor's Office area in Banjarbaru City in improving the microclimate based on air temperature at locations I, II, III and IV, namely 30.1°C, 29.2°C, 28.0°C and 27.3°C. It can be seen that location III and location IV have the lowest temperature because they have characteristics of vegetation structures that can lower air temperature. For humidity parameters, it will adjust to air temperature conditions as well as wind speed will adjust to the vegetation structure in the RTH.

Localising the SDGs in African Cities: A Grounded Methodology

This article’s starting point is the recognition that urban Africa faces a set of economic, social, political and infrastructural challenges sufficiently specific to its context to warrant its own (hitherto modest) repertoire of the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) localisation roadmaps. Drawing on field-based comparative research across Cairo and Dar es Salaam, and focusing on SDG 6 (water and sanitation) and SDG 11.2 (mobility), the article develops a research methodology that helps to detect fissures between the general SDG framework and microscopic realities on the ground in African cities. Although each of the two cities has a specific set of urban realities and development paradigms, the paper develops a localisation process that is applicable across both geographies (and beyond) based on the similar prevalence of urban informality in African cities, which the current SDG framework insufficiently, or at times inaccurately, factors in. The methodology comprises three key components: 1) a top-down policy analysis of SDG responses at national and city levels; 2) grounded field research of local practices at a neighbourhood level; and 3) revising the SDG targets and indicators through a proposed ‘Toolkit for Localising’.

Urban cybernotopics

The current linear model of global development is irrational: it is accompanied by clusters of global cyclic crises (economic, environmental, military, political). The western urban planning school cannot offer a way out of the unprecedented crisis of the industrial civilization because it is built on a linear subject-centered picture of the world, which object of study consists in attributive characteristics (properties) of individual items. Postindustrial development of our country requires a new paradigm of urban development – cybernotopics, which is built upon a nonlinear world view, using outstanding achievements of the school of Russian cosmism based on topocentrism, where the object of study includes qualitative properties of space and the whole.

"Pametni" gradovi - nova paradigma urbanog razvoja

The progress achieved in the field of ICT has caused a major change in the paradigm of urban development, and research directed towards the development of smart cities is characterized as a central interest of modern society. Smart cities are designed as a kind of panacea for the accumulated problems of urban development. Although this idea is rooted in the achievements of ICT, the contemporary understanding of the concept implies that the smart city goes beyond the mere application of technology. Moreover, the holistic perspective emphasizes the primacy of human and social capital as the supporting pillars of a smart city. Considering the above, the aim of this paper is to achieve a systematic insight into the evolution of the smart city concept, that is, to see the peculiarities of its conceptualization, key dimensions and indicators, as well as the relationship to similar concepts.

Nocturnal futures : a necessary reflection in times of uncertainty

This text serves as an epilogue of the special issue entitled Nocturnal Cities : Past, Present, and Future. The first part of the text below presents a series of research topics that are central to the interdisciplinary area of Night Studies, and whose objects of research and reflection can be referred to as ‘nocturnal urban futures’. The second half denounces the absence of ‘the night’ in the design of the so-called ‘15-minute city’, which is the main paradigm of ongoing urban development in many cities worldwide (especially from the Global North). The final section sheds light on the urgent community, institutional, industry and academic need for debating and discussing the role that the ‘nocturnal city’ should have in the construction of climate-neutral cities in the long-term future.

Green Urban Development—Concepts and Praxis

This paper focuses on the green urban development paradigm. Its inspiration is the work of the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI). It cites perspectives developed by GGGI HQ in Seoul, Korea, enriched by its praxis in Uganda. The latter is through the European Union (EU) funded project, greening urbanisation and industrialisation (2020-24). The argument is in five sections, beyond its introduction and conclusion. Firstly is the green policy impact with an urban bias. Secondly is the green practical impact, explicitly urban, from a responsive institutional perspective. Thirdly, the responsive description is taken to the smart city idea. Fourthly is infrastructure, specifically its shaping or reinforcing urban form. Finally is superstructure—in this case, green buildings. Each section is offered as a step towards a greater appreciation and potential application of green urban development.

Expropriation between a legal figure and an approach for urban development: global trends and Egyptian reflections

Expropriation of land is considered a crucial instrument of any development practice. The legitimacy of expropriation is essentially reinforced as it is employed for the public interest, often implied as infrastructure and public services. While in the private property on one side and the public interest on the other, urban development acts to be the art of getting the right balance. Despite urban development paradigms significantly affecting expropriation practices, most reviewed literature focused on legal aspects of expropriation. However, few were attentive to addressing the relation between expropriation and the urban universe. What are the current trends of the expropriation function and how extensively is it used for urban development? It can be elaborated as the study’s core question, while the research aims at mapping the development of the expropriation function and how extensively expropriation is used across time and space. Therefore, the study adopts a qualitative comparative approach to explore the global trends of expropriation for urban development and map convergence and deviations. The proposed criteria for comparison aim to discover how extensively expropriation is used, the legal changes and the institutional contexts. In addition, the applied part of the study uses a case study analysis method. A chronological timeline analysis of the Egyptian case was conducted to explore the nature of expropriation practices of Nasser’s time (1956–1970) to Mubarak’s time (1981–2011) in Egypt.Globally, expropriation practices have a heterogeneous nature. Certain features, however, are common enough to justify classifying practices for this study. The research comes up with a schematic mapping intending not to be comprehensive but flexible enough to be applied as a framework to analyse and compare other cases in different contexts. Finally, the research concludes by comparing and positioning the Egyptian case in the light of the global trends and provides principal lessons to planners, governmental parties, and policy-makers.