Urban Regeneration Strategies Research Articles

Alternative micro-regeneration strategies for urban villages in China? Social entrepreneurship-based artistic intervention in Aohu Village in Shenzhen

Recent shifts in China’s urban village regeneration strategies have transitioned from comprehensive, large-scale redevelopment to nuanced, incremental micro-regenerations, incorporating artistic interventions as a dynamic mechanism for fostering urban governance innovation. This paper examines the transformative impact of social entrepreneurship based artistic intervention within the micro-regeneration of urban villages, particularly through a case study of Aohu Village in Shenzhen. It highlights how a local artist and villager catalyzed the village’s bottom-up regeneration by mobilizing his social networks to attract artists and organize art events, significantly boosting Aohu Art Village’s profile and contributing to social innovation. This approach not only drew attention from local government but also demonstrated the potent influence of artistic intervention on neighborhood regeneration and local governance. Unlike conventional, top-down planned art villages, Aohu retains its original community fabric through community-led regeneration while also addressing challenges such as rising rents and potential displacement of artists. The case study of Aohu Art Village illustrates the critical role of social entrepreneurship in urban village regeneration, emphasizing the necessity of a balanced understanding of artistic intervention, community engagement, and sustainable urban regeneration in China’s evolving urban landscape.

Confiscated assets into public heritage

The research, as result of an agreement with the Calabria Region, aims to consolidate a corpus of investigations developed over the years by the Landscape_inProgress Laboratory, which examines the forms produced by criminal actions in urban transformation processes by studying property confiscated from the mafias. The investigation proposes a different approach to provide the opportunity to develop strategies for urban and architectural regeneration of cities, bringing out a “third public heritage” to be “re-injected” into urban and territorial policies. A matter to be “rewritten” for new life cycles. The “Impronte a Sud_WelfareLab” project, implemented in Reggio Calabria for Consorzio Macramè on a confiscated asset, is a best practice that combines management, functional, and urban processes with an aesthetic and architectural metamorphosis.

Key Factors Influencing Urban Regenerative Strategies in Public Open Spaces: A Case-Study in Lhasa

Abstract In the last decades, significant efforts have been made in urban construction to achieve rapid economic development. However, with climate change on the agenda, there is a growing recognition of the importance of urban sustainable development and of its potential impacts on residents. Reflection reveals that many policies, measures, and tools are inadequate; therefore, public open spaces are regarded as a potential target of urban regeneration strategies. This study explores users’ perceptions of public open spaces through participatory methods. The developed methodology is applied to specific areas of Lhasa, the major city of the Tibet region, which was selected as a test-bed site. The survey involved a selected pool of participants and emphasized the coverage of different types of public open spaces. Investigate factors including personal background, overall satisfaction, user evaluation, usage preference, and willingness to change, analyze key factors based on quantitative survey results. Subsequently, identify the key regenerative design elements that require highlighting. The findings indicate that comfort and safety are emphasized by users of all types of public open spaces. Additionally, their initial impression upon entering a space significantly influences their overall satisfaction with it. Besides, although individual background differences play a role, they are not sufficient to significantly influence the user’s evaluation of the space. However, variations in the purpose of space use result in differences in user evaluations and needs, impacting their attitudes based on the type of space. Finally, urban regeneration design strategies are proposed for various types of public open spaces and users.

Regional Cultural and Artistic Connections and Urban Regeneration Strategies Seen in European Festivals

Regional Cultural and Artistic Connections and Urban Regeneration Strategies Seen in European Festivals

Dominant discourses framing the reuse of industrial heritage in the context of mega-events: a relationship matrix approach

The reuse of industrial heritage sites has become increasingly prevalent in the context of hosting mega-events. This paper aims to investigate this trend, specifically in the context of Olympic Games or World Expos, and its impact on urban regeneration strategies. It introduces a methodological tool, namely, the relationship matrix, to identify key factors from ‘best practices’ criteria for managing industrial sites and planning mega-event legacies. We use this matrix to address two research objectives, namely, to determine the role of industrial heritage reuse in mega-event urban projects and to evaluate whether this creates a favourable environment for place-making. This matrix enables us to compare and analyse the Shanghai 2010 World Expo and the London 2012 Summer Olympic Games as illustrative case studies. While guidelines and strategies for mega-events and industrial heritage have evolved towards a proactive people-centred approach, our findings still reveal a bias towards material renewal in dominant discourses during the planning phase. This bias often overlooks or even excludes the memories and experiences of local communities.

Innovative perspectives on urban heritage. Towards the integrated regeneration of mass housing neighbourhoods

Introduction: Many 20th-century residential neighbourhoods exhibit a high degree of obsolescence both in terms of new technical demands and social and environmental requirements. However, current regeneration processes often lack cohesive vision, revealing sectorial biases and inconsistencies in quality interpretation. Methodology: This research proposes a comprehensive review on two levels: (1) integrated studies on urban rehabilitation and regeneration, and (2) a focus on Andalusian neighborhoods as a case study. Results: Drawing from a wide range of literature references, the research highlights the diverse approaches. Detailed case studies, particularly from Andalusia, illustrate the large applications of urban regeneration strategies and studies. Discussions: The research highlights that while residential neighbourhood regeneration has been extensively studied, there's a notable gap in recognising them as heritage assets. The study emphasises the necessity of integrating heritage considerations into urban regeneration processes. Conclusions: The research underscores the complex interplay between heritage conservation and urban regeneration, advocating for a holistic approach that respects historical contexts while meeting contemporary needs.

Vulnerated Urban Areas under Regeneration: Strategies to Prevent Neighborhood Expulsion in Barcelona or How to Improve without Expelling?

This article explores the negative effects of gentrification, especially in vulnerable areas of contemporary cities, by focusing on five case studies of the city of Barcelona. This relevant question is addressed here following a double strategy (quantitative and qualitative). In an attempt to engage on a debate around the scope and limitations of current urban regeneration interventions, the phenomenon of gentrification is quantified throughout time drawing from official statistics. At the same time, the voices of local entities’ representatives are included to introduce a level of representation on the phenomenon. The results suggest that, even though urban regeneration strategies are absolutely necessary, especially in the more vulnerated areas, it is necessary to include more comprehensive approaches and tools that take into consideration not only the physical and urban effects of rehabilitation, but also the economic and social aspects. Thus, it may be necessary to engage in a more consequential discussion not only on how vulnerability and regeneration are theorized, measured and dealt with, but also on some less studied dimensions of the socio-urban phenomenon, such as the social capital and the social infrastructure of neighborhoods.

Urban Regeneration Assessment in Castilla and León (Spain): A Comparative Study of Proposals in Homogeneous Residential Neighborhoods Built Up during Developmentalism

Urban regeneration is perceived as an efficient solution addressing multiple problems in today’s cities, offering answers to the social, economic, physical, and environmental challenges faced by consolidated fabrics. This paper utilizes the assessment tool developed in the Urban Regeneration Strategy of Castilla and León to conduct a comparative analysis of proposals formulated since 2014 in neighborhoods built after the Spanish Civil War in this region. The aim is to validate the effectiveness of this methodology to establish the quality and sustainability of these initiatives and to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the cases analyzed. The results obtained endorse the operability of this evaluation process since it makes it possible to assess the scope of the planned measures at an early stage. This makes it possible to introduce improvements during the implementation phase or in future interventions, which will have a positive impact on their outcome. In any case, it is necessary to complement this study with analyses at later stages in order to establish an overall diagnosis of the real relevance of these operations.

Potential of Former Mill Race Corridors for Urban Regeneration Strategies—A Case Study from Podolínec in Prešov Region (Slovakia)

In the past, mill races were part of the urban structure of many towns in Slovakia. As regulated and artificially created waterways, they served to drive mills, rollers, or hammers. With the use of new sources of energy, they lost their functions, and most of them were dried, filled, or buried underground. In our research, we examine the former mill race corridor in Podolínec (Prešov region, Slovakia) and its potential to contribute to urban regeneration strategies. The research steps included the following, namely 1. Identification of the route of the mill race corridor according to historical sources, 2. survey of its current state and its spatial preservation in the urban structure, 3. evaluation of the possibilities of its new uses, which could increase the quality and attractiveness of urban public spaces. The research results show that the fragments of the corridor of the extinct mill race are still identifiable in the urban fabric, and in the cadaster, they are in public ownership and suitable for new uses. The fragments of the corridor of the extinct mill race in Podolínec represent a potential for strengthening the blue and green infrastructure, pedestrian and cycling greenways, and a potential for the presentation of cultural heritage values, which could contribute to the improvement of the qualities of the urban environment.

서울특별시 도시재생전략계획 변경이 호텔 부동산에 미치는 영향

This paper investigates the effects of the Seoul Metropolitan Government’s urban regeneration strategy plan revision on the hotel real estate market, focusing on legal scrutiny and support measures. The introduction outlines the significance of Seoul’s urban regeneration policy and introduces the potential implications of the revised strategy plan on the real estate market. Particularly emphasized is the role of hotel real estate in local economies and the tourism industry, highlighting the necessity for legal regulations and support measures. The paper is structured into three main sections. Firstly, it provides an overview of the current status and characteristics of Seoul’s hotel real estate market, including investment trends, price fluctuations, and key influencing factors. Secondly, it discusses the Seoul Metropolitan Government’s urban regeneration strategy plan and its amendments, elucidating their implications for the hotel real estate market. Lastly, it delves into the anticipated impact of these changes on the market and proposes corresponding strategies. This includes analyzing the effects of current real estate regulations and predicting the repercussions of the revised urban regeneration plan on the hotel real estate market. Additionally, it suggests legal and supportive measures to ensure sustainable growth and development in Seoul’s hotel real estate sector. In conclusion, the paper proposes policies aimed at revitalizing and sustaining growth in Seoul’s hotel real estate market. Recommendations include easing real estate regulations, enhancing investment attractiveness, strengthening public-private cooperation, and bolstering legal protection for investors. These proposals aim to foster sustainable development and contribute to the economic and tourism vibrancy of the region.

The dynamics of EU cultural policies in post-socialist urban regeneration strategies: a case study of Timișoara – European Capital of Culture 2023

ABSTRACT This research explores the Europeanisation processes that take place in the post-socialist Eastern European space, focusing on the case of Timisoara, Romania. In the analysed case, the adoption of EU cultural policies is instrumental in driving economic growth and urban development. The study focuses on how EU cultural policies integrate into the urban regeneration strategies, aiming to make cities more attractive to the creative classes who usually have higher consumption capacities and are key actors in urban development. Timișoara’s designation as one of the cities to hold the European Capital of Culture title in 2023 and its hosting of the Art Encounters Biennial amplify these dynamics by bringing upfront the capitalist market logic within the cultural field. In this context, there is also observed a subtle withdrawal of state’s responsibility in the act of educating and mediating the public, while private institutions are increasingly taking over this role. Overall, the paper showcases the shift towards a neoliberal orientation within the local cultural strategy while also underlining its effects within the two mega-events analysed.

Cultural heritage tourism and urban regeneration: The case of Fez Medina in Morocco

After Morocco gained independence in 1956, the country's historic cities, including Fez, Marrakesh, and Meknes, experienced rapid urban growth, decay, and the destruction of their rich cultural and architectural heritage. The rise in urbanisation, redevelopment projects, and tourism has raised concerns related to the urban gentrification and social sustainability of local communities. In addition, the influx of large-scale foreign investments and the conversion of traditional Moroccan houses into riad hotels have sparked tensions over land use, economic shifts, and the ongoing exploitation of historic cities. This research presents a case study of the world heritage city of Fez in Morocco, where these dynamics are particularly significant, as efforts are made to balance conservation and modern needs. The main question to be addressed is how can the surviving historic centres be regenerated while ensuring social sustainability for their inhabitants? The primary objective of this study is to explore the multifaceted urban regeneration strategies in Fez, focusing on urban planning, conservation efforts, economic revitalisation, and social development. Employing a mixed-method approach, this study draws on desk research, content analysis, fieldwork, observations, and qualitative interviews with key stakeholders. The findings suggest that the previous strategies focused on physical development and riad hotels to boost cultural tourism and tourist accommodation, exacerbating the gentrification and socioeconomic stratification of the local community. This study emphasises the “Ziyarates Fez” project, which provides an innovative approach to rehabilitating and reusing traditional houses for tourism accommodation without displacing local occupants. Furthermore, this project represents a holistic strategy for balancing economic and social sustainability in urban regeneration. This paper contributes to the expanding body of research on sustainable urban regeneration in historic cities. These results are anticipated to benefit academic research and the implementation of regeneration strategies in historic cities in Morocco and worldwide.

Community Quality Evaluation for Socially Sustainable Regeneration: A Study Using Multi-Sourced Geospatial Data and AI-Based Image Semantic Segmentation

The Chinese urban regeneration movement underscores a “people-oriented” paradigm, aimed at addressing urban challenges stemming from rapid prior urbanization, while striving for high-quality and sustainable urban development. At the community level, fostering quality through a socially sustainable perspective (SSP) is a pivotal strategy for people-oriented urban regeneration. Nonetheless, explorations of community quality assessments grounded in an SSP have been notably scarce in recent scholarly discourse. This study pioneers a multidimensional quantitative model (MQM) for gauging community quality, leveraging diverse geospatial data sources from the SSP framework. The MQM introduces an evaluative framework with “Patency, Convenience, Comfort, and Safety” as primary indicators, integrating multi-sourced data encompassing the area of interest (AOI), Point of Interest (POI), Weibo check-ins, and Dianping data. The model’s efficacy is demonstrated through a case study in the Gusu district, Suzhou. Furthermore, semantic analysis of the Gusu district’s street view photos validates the MQM results. Our findings reveal the following: (1) AI-based semantic analysis accurately verifies the validity of MQM-generated community quality measurements, establishing its robust applicability with multi-sourced geospatial data; (2) the community quality distribution in Gusu district is notably correlated with the urban fabric, exhibiting lower quality within the ancient town area and higher quality outside it; and (3) communities of varying quality coexist spatially, with high- and low-quality communities overlapping in the same regions. This research pioneers a systematic, holistic methodology for quantitatively measuring community quality, laying the groundwork for informed urban regeneration policies, planning, and place making. The MQM, fortified by multi-sourced geospatial data and AI-based semantic analysis, offers a rigorous foundation for assessing community quality, thereby guiding socially sustainable regeneration initiatives and decision making at the community scale.

Revitalizing urban spaces: Ten key lessons from the “Viaduc des arts” adaptive reuse and placemaking

This study focuses on the adaptive reuse and placemaking of the Viaduc des Arts, an obsolete viaduct in Paris, and examines its impact on the city's economic, urban, cultural, and sustainable identities. It aims to showcase unconventional solutions applied to create an elevated linear park and a coherent commercial identity under the vaults while enhancing the district's imageability and attractiveness.Employing a mixed-methods approach, this study analyzes various action modes in architectural and urban regeneration, highlighting ten valuable lessons learned from the Viaduc des Arts rehabilitation. These lessons provide crucial insights into effective urban regeneration and placemaking strategies, emphasizing the need to update objectives and employ appropriate methodologies for future projects. The Viaduc des Arts serves as a paradigmatic case study, demonstrating the successful transformation of an obsolete viaduct into a commercial, vibrant cultural, and urban space, underscoring the importance of updating urban regeneration objectives.

Opportunities for Biodiversity Conservation via Urban Ecosystem Regeneration

Conservation traditionally focuses on at-risk species and relatively intact ecosystems. As the human population and our global impact have risen, many more species and ecosystems are at risk and fewer intact ecosystems remain, with urbanization being a major contributing factor. Cities and their inhabitants are here to stay, and the prevalence of urbanization, often in the vicinity of areas of high conservation value, requires reconsideration of the conservation value of urban ecosystems and urban green spaces. Our aim is to explore the practical aspects of such actions. Urban ecosystem regeneration will require the incorporation of strategies for urban ecosystem regeneration into an overall conservation policy. The novel paradigm of urban ecosystem regeneration, advocated here, maximizes the capacity of urban spaces to support biodiversity while reducing undesirable outcomes and enhancing human wellbeing. The potential for cities to exacerbate biological invasion, climate change, and other ecosystem-degrading factors requires particular attention in devising a strategy for conservation in urban spaces, made essential by the predicted further spread of cities across the globe.

The regeneration policy and housing issue. The Italian case read through the history of Foggia (IT)

Urban regeneration is aimed at improving settlement contexts, and indirectly at solving the housing issue. In Italy there is no national regulation on urban regeneration, but many policies from 2000 up to now have resorted to it with the aim of intervening and containing the housing problem. The work examines the city of Foggia, in southern Italy, an area in a demographic contraction, but equally characterized by “high housing tension”, indeed there are numerous eviction proceedings, in the private and public sector of the house, and, as a consequence, phenomena of illegal occupation housing, abandoned buildings, informal settlements. The research will look at how in the last 20 years various national public funding (among these, the last PNRR—Piano Nazionale di Ripresa e Resilienza derived from the Next Generation EU) and regional ones have resorted to urban regeneration strategies to address the problem, reporting failures, gaps and relevant issues.

Determinants of housing and environmental conditions in a medium-sized city in Osun State, Southwestern Nigeria

ABSTRACT The study examined the factors influencing housing and its environmental conditions as well as the relationships between residential building types and their environmental conditions in Inisa, Southwestern Nigeria. Data were obtained through a questionnaire survey of 800 (about 10%) respondents using a systematic random sampling technique. Results indicated that there is a significant variation between building types and housing conditions (χ2=81.834, df=2, p-value=0.000); and between environmental and housing conditions (χ2=73.776, df=1, p-value=0.000). The study also found that four variables (Number of Households in Building; House Ownership; Household Size; and Car Ownership) significantly contributed to the classification of respondents into membership groups of the ‘Poor Housing' group and ‘Good Housing’ group in the binary logistic regression. To improve the housing and environmental conditions of medium-sized cities in Nigeria, the study advocates the Physical Development Plan as a spatial base for urban economic revitalization and environmental regeneration strategies.

A child play‐and‐learn area contributing to urban regeneration: A case in Christchurch, New Zealand

AbstractThis study regards a Child Play‐and‐Learn Area (CPLA) in a library as a third place and investigates its relationships with visitors through the concept of place attachment. To understand the influence of the CPLA, the study examined the relationships among visitors' place attachment, servicescape and behavioural intentions involving place scales. A survey was conducted in a CPLA in Christchurch, New Zealand (The Imagination Station in the central library) and collected 406 questionnaires. The results indicate that the physical and social servicescape of the CPLA can enhance visitors' place attachment and influence their behavioural intentions in the library and the city. The findings suggest that community‐oriented places like CPLAs and libraries should be used as social infrastructure in urban regeneration strategies.

Modeling vibrant areas at nighttime: A machine learning-based analytical framework for urban regeneration

Enhancing vibrant areas at nighttime (VAN) is important for promoting urban regeneration. However, the process simulation of the potential impact of urban renewal initiatives on VANs has yet to achieve complete coupling with population mobility, economy, and land utilization. In this study, we developed a simulation framework to simulate the changes in VANs and reveal their potential interconnection with urban regeneration strategies. The research methods involved the use of overlaying multiple data sources, including satellite imagery, thermal and land use maps, and point of interest data, to obtain a collection of nightlife activities in Mianyang City. We were able to identify and grade VANs based on multisource big data, providing support for urban renewal planning, as well as determine the key driving factors and configuration patterns of environmental elements that impact VAN. We also developed a machine learning-based predictive model for urban regeneration and VAN redevelopment. These results show that a vibrant nightlife can be used to regenerate dilapidated urban areas, thus reducing urbanization. Moreover, the simulation method developed in this study has wide applicability in other regions for identifying potential improvements and guiding investment and revitalization efforts in a targeted and effective manner.

Enhancing Neighborly Relations through Participatory Regeneration: A Case Study of Shanghai

This study investigates neighborly relations affecting mechanisms in participatory regeneration, based on cases of three typical types of urban neighborhoods in Shanghai: traditional Lilong residence, work-unit compounds, and commodity estates. We find that participatory regeneration affects neighborly relations through the collaboration and the physical improvements of the communal space. Although collaboration and physical improvements positively contribute to the enhancement of neighborly relations in traditional residence and work-unit compounds, neighborly relations are similar between neighborhoods with and without participatory regeneration because they have intense existing neighborly relations. Although the physical improvement of the communal space tends to decrease neighborly relations, the overall neighborly relations in commodity estates with participatory regeneration are stronger than the comparison group due to the contribution of collaboration. This study emphasizes the vital role of collaboration as affecting neighborly relations in commodity housing and generates practical implications for urban regeneration strategies in commodity estates and in urban planning in future.