Sustainable Urban Regeneration Research Articles

Walking in Tandem with the City: Exploring the Influence of Public Art on Encouraging Urban Pedestrianism within the 15-Minute Community Living Circle in Shanghai

As a new urban model, the 15-min city has gradually become a touchstone with which to measure the future sustainability of cities. With a time-limited planning of urban living circles, urban residents can be allowed to access basic daily needs, such as food, health and education, while walking or cycling, thus reducing motor traffic and carbon dioxide emissions and contributing to the improvement of people’s well-being and the environmental climate. Within the temporal and spatial confines of the 15-min living sphere, governmental authorities and community bodies commonly integrate public art installations into public spaces to enrich spatial dynamics, cultivate cultural identities, enhance environmental aesthetics, elevate service quality, and foster communal interactions. This study aims to probe into the impact of public art on encouraging urban pedestrianism within the specific context of the 15-min community living sphere along the Suzhou River in northern Shanghai. Drawing upon Stimulus–Organism–Response (SOR) theory, a theoretical framework is constructed to unravel the mechanisms by which public art influences residents’ propensity for walking, encompassing the attributes of public art, perceived value, and walking intention. Employing Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA), the model is analyzed to scrutinize the proposed hypotheses. Through this research, we establish and substantiate a novel and pertinent theoretical perspective for advancing human-centric and sustainable urban regeneration. The findings underscore that integrating public art within the framework of constructing 15-min community living spheres contributes to catalyzing proactive urban pedestrianism by enhancing its value proposition.

Urban regeneration and placemaking: a Digital Twin enhanced performance-based framework for Melbourne’s Greenline Project?

ABSTRACT This paper explores the integration of Urban Digital Twin (UDT) technology in Melbourne’s Greenline Project, focusing on a performance-based framework that aligns with Sustainable Development Goals and city-specific sustainability objectives. Recognising the complexities of urban ecosystems while anchoring on human-centric ‘placemaking’ – a participatory process involving the planning, design, and management of public spaces – the key capabilities and challenges in developing, implementing and applying UDTs and related technologies to achieve these objectives are reviewed and synthesised. Challenges in data collection and/or access, their use and integration into decision-making processes and capturing the dynamic interaction between physical and virtual environments, including updating UDT models are highlighted. The review emphasises the role of urban planners and stakeholders in driving UDT development and applications by better understanding and stating objectives, leveraging interdisciplinary collaboration for effective technology application, crucial for robust data management, analytics, and community contribution. International examples illustrate the potential utility of Digital Twins in enhancing urban planning, design, and operational management. The paper presents a preliminary framework to guide the further development of the Greenline Project and inform future research that is needed for improved and effective deployment and use of UDTs in other urban revitalisation projects. Practitioner pointers Urban planners have a central role in directing Urban Digital Twin technologies to address socio-economic and sustainability challenges facing cities and communities. Interdisciplinary collaboration, skills development, user-friendly technologies and sharing of real-time spatial data will drive innovation and support sustainable urban development. Developing performance frameworks will enhance planning and design practice, project monitoring and management and communications related to sustainable urban regeneration.

Type division and spatial differentiation characteristics of cities in China: on the perspective of sustainable urban regeneration

ABSTRACT Sustainable urban regeneration is an inevitable requirement for promoting high-quality urban development in developing countries. Affected by different natural conditions, cultural background, economic development and other aspects, different cities have different goals and ways of implementing sustainable urban regeneration. Considering that cities in developing countries generally face the problems of overpopulation, financial constraints and urban sprawl, the urgency of classifying and guiding different cities to carry out sustainable urban regeneration in an orderly manner has become increasingly prominent. Therefore, taking China as an example, this study puts forward a city type division method from the perspective of sustainable urban regeneration, taking ‘county-level administrative division’ as the basic unit, divides cities into five types, and analyzes their spatial differentiation characteristics further. The results show that: (1) there are significant regional differences in the content and characteristics of urban regeneration in China, which are consistent with the distribution characteristics of the ‘Hu line’; (2) There is a mismatch between ‘administrative planning objectives’ and ‘urban development status’ in some cities in the northeast and central and western regions; (3) There are significant differences in the basis for coordinating urban regeneration especially among different economic sectors, provinces and urban clusters, and the orientation of urban regeneration policies in some cities needs to be adjusted and optimized. The results provide scientific reference and feasible ideas for China and other developing countries to formulate sustainable urban regeneration policies and promote sustainable and coordinated urban development.

Investigating the Potential of Remote Sensing for Sustainable Urban Renewal and Regeneration: A Review

Today, urban design is a major issue in terms of sustainability. Urban renewal and generation are crucial for maintaining a sustainable environment for future generations. Remote sensing (RS) has become a valuable tool for managing urban areas, as well as powerful tool for urban development. With continuous advancements in technology and analysis techniques, its impact is likely to grow even further in real-estate industry. This review explores the use of remote sensing in urban renewal and regeneration. The study emphasises research activities in urban planning, land use mapping, and environmental monitoring utilising remote sensing methods. The study found that remote sensing can help decision-makers and stakeholders create long-term strategies that consider environmental, social, and economic factors for sustainable development.

Sustainable Renewal in Urban Areas: Looking Beyond the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission

Urbanisation is a continuous process of growth by which the cities accommodate the shifting populations. A city must continually address concerns related to housing, employment and the balance of demand and supply of basic infrastructure services. The act of planning for urban growth and transformation is termed Urban Renewal. While urban renewal started after World War 2 in Europe, it was not until the 1980s that issues of sustainability were addressed through urban renewal. Sustainable urban renewal enables a balance of physical, social, economic, and ecological improvements in cities. This paper presents case studies of some exemplary urban renewal projects implemented around the world focussing on physical, social, cultural, economic or ecological development of an area. It traces the evolution of the concept of urban renewal in the Indian context with a focus on the biggest scheme launched by the Indian government under the aegis of JNNURM. It further analyses the performance of JNNURM on the sustainability platform. The paper concludes by proposing that the learnings from JNNURM should be used to devise the next phase of urban renewal programs in India and that all future schemes should be based on sustainable urban regeneration principles. It also proposes that effective implementation of any UR scheme requires the strengthening and empowering of the urban local bodies as well as contextualising the issues while engaging the community in the process of planning and implementation.

Assessing the Environmental Performances of Nature-Based Solutions Implementation in Urban Environments through Visible and Near-Infrared Spectroscopy: A Combined Approach of Proximal and Remote Sensing for Monitoring and Evaluation

The implementation of Nature-based Solutions (NbS) in urban environments is gaining momentum as a means to address environmental challenges and promote sustainable development. However, effective monitoring and evaluation are essential to assess the performance of NbS interventions and to guide decision-making. This research paper introduces a combined approach of proximal and remote sensing, based on visible and near-infrared spectroscopy, to monitor and evaluate NbS implementation in urban areas. The study focuses on the case of the UPPER (Urban Productive Parks for Sustainable Urban Regeneration) project and aims to establish urban Productive Parks as a novel NbS approach in the town of Latina (Italy). Field-based proximal sensing techniques (i.e., near-infrared spectroscopy, NIR) and satellite-based remote sensing data from the Sentinel-2 mission are employed. By integrating these techniques, the study enables comprehensive and multi-scale monitoring of vegetation health and assessment of vegetated areas. Various band ratio indices are calculated to assess vegetation coverage, water content, and urbanization. Temporal variations in these indices are analyzed to evaluate the effectiveness of NbS interventions and their impact on the urban environment. The combined approach of proximal and remote sensing demonstrates the potential for comprehensive and multi-scale monitoring of NbS in urban environments. The research findings contribute to the existing knowledge on NbS monitoring and evaluation, providing valuable insights for sustainable urban development and evidence-based decision-making.

DEVELOPING SUSTAINABLE URBAN REGENERATION (SUR) EVALUATION METHOD FOR THE MALAYSIAN CONTEXT

Sustainable urban regeneration (SUR) represents an advanced and comprehensive approach to urban regeneration, aiming to integrate the three key pillars of sustainable development. While various global framework exist for measuring sustainable urban regeneration performance, a dedicated method tailored to the specificities of the Malaysian context remains absent. This study addresses this gap by developing SUR evaluation method for Malaysia, utilising indicators as a means to gauge sustainability performance. A self-administered questionnaire was employed to solicit assessments from key experts regarding potential SUR criteria and indicators. The resulting data were analysed using the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) to establish weightage based on priority scales. Results from the study identified ten (10) fundamental criteria and thirty-three (33) indicators, each assigned respective weightage, pivotal in achieving sustainable urban regeneration. This study contributes to the improvement of sustainability performance of urban regeneration initiatives in Malaysia by introducing a novel evaluation method. As a way forward, it is recommended that the practicality and capability of the proposed evaluation method be assessed through real-life case study in Malaysia.

Developing indicators for sustainable urban regeneration in historic urban areas: Delphi method and Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP)

This paper presents a comprehensive evaluation model comprising indicators spanning four dimensions: social, economic, environmental, and governance. Extensive indicators were gathered from the literature and subsequently subjected to a rigorous screening, validation, and finalization process by a panel of 25 international experts through a Delphi survey. The relative weights assigned to each indicator were determined utilizing the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP). The findings reveal that the social dimension carries the greatest significance in achieving sustainable urban renewal (SUR), closely followed by the environmental dimension. In terms of assessment categories, the highest priority and weight (0.1186) were attributed to "building and land use," while "economic viability" (weight=0.1049), "policymaking" (weight=0.0982), "community involvement" (weight=0.0882), and "housing provision" (weight=0.850) were also identified as significant areas. The paper emphasizes that these proposed indicators can serve as valuable tools to inform the review and enhancement of urban planning guidelines and policies at the local, state, and national levels, fostering sustainable urban regeneration.

Micro-Museum Quarter as an Approach in the Culture-Led Urban Regeneration of Small Shrinking Historic Cities: The Case of Sombor, Serbia

Demographic and economic shrinkage has become a common trend in the current urbanisation environment, especially for small cities in developed countries. The desired socio-economic redevelopment of these cities has been significantly affected by the functional, organisational, financial, and professional constraints caused by both shrinkage and city size. Paradoxically, this slow development has enabled better preservation of their historic cores, urban heritage, and traditional culture. Nevertheless, the aforementioned local constraints have a profound impact on sustainable urban regeneration, and successful examples are still quite rare. This research presents an inspiring case—a small museum quarter in Sombor, Serbia. Museum quarters are a relatively new concept in culture-led urban regeneration; all known examples are located in big cities. Hence, this research tries to create an innovative methodological link between two theoretical fundaments: the role of cultural heritage in shrinking small cities and its expression through a museum quarter as one of the concepts of culture-led urban regeneration. An analytical framework for the aforementioned single case study is derived by forming this link. The main findings underline that the museum quarters in shrinking small cities should be developed in a micro-format to rationally address and the limited local resources. Furthermore, in contrast to museum quarters in big cities, they should be physically detached from the main retail street to enhance their separate identity and should be internally balanced in both spatial and functional aspects, meaning that the key museum/cultural institutions are equally dispersed throughout the quarter and clearly interconnected by a pedestrian-friendly open public space.

Urban courtyards as local points of sustainable urban regeneration challenges to community participation in urban courtyard-related projects in Polish Cities

Urban courtyards as local points of sustainable urban regeneration challenges to community participation in urban courtyard-related projects in Polish Cities

Adaptive Reuse of Heritage Buildings for Sustainable Urban Regeneration: Two Case Studies from India

In the era of globalization, developing existing cities into smart cities while providing a higher quality of life to the citizens is one of the strategies in many countries. In the process, many traditional settlements and cultural heritage are being demolished without respecting their values. In fact, these heritage buildings could be easily re-used. However, a proper approach is essential in ensuring their relevance in urban regeneration projects. Undeniably, cultural heritage should be preserved with their values. One of the ways to do so is through adaptive re-use, i.e., reusing the existing building for contemporary use, making it a part of sustainable architecture. Appropriately, the reuse of heritage buildings or materials therein saves much of the embodied energy. This will help improve access to clean energy and encourage adoption of low-carbon energy assets. The concept of adaptive reuse of different buildings has been successfully implemented in many countries. This paper examines the issue of multifaceted challenges in adaptive reuse, emphasizing the need for informed decisions based on in-depth assessments. The paper seeks to understand the compatibility of new functions with the physical and historical integrity of heritage structures, the conservation of embodied energy inherent in these buildings, and the pivotal role of stakeholders in driving successful adaptive reuse projects. It employs a mixed-method approach using case studies, stakeholder surveys, and heritage building analyses to determine best reuse solutions. The study shows how adapting old buildings saves energy and the environment by comparing them to new buildings. It concludes revealing the current efforts to provide ways of such reuse of heritage buildings based on several sustainable benchmarks and valuable considerations.

지속가능한 도심재생을 위한 유휴산업시설 활용 공공건축물 건축계획의 방향설정 : 도심재생 유휴산업시설 사례분석을 바탕으로

지속가능한 도심재생을 위한 유휴산업시설 활용 공공건축물 건축계획의 방향설정 : 도심재생 유휴산업시설 사례분석을 바탕으로

Toward a sustainable urban regeneration? Urban heritage between neoliberal forces and community preferences

The paper discusses a relationship between the neoliberal forces shaping contemporary urban transformations and the social sustainability of recent regeneration projects focused on urban heritage. Analysing two post-transitional cases, based on two different approaches, the paper will provide an insight into the dominant processes influencing both practices, as well as their anticipated/announced social sustainability and its achieved level. The first case is from Serbia - the Power Plant “Power and Light” - which was the first one generating alternating current in Belgrade. Located in the Dorcol area, this ex-industrial setting is situated close to the city center. Since 2005, the entire area has undergone a significant transformation into a luxurious residential and commercial complex, initiated by private investors and directed by city authorities in order to change the previous urban image. The second case, the Contemporary Art Center in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, represents different approach. Created in 1997, the center is a non-governmental organisation of public interest. In 1995 the Municipality of Plovdiv obtained the right to locate the center within the remains of the ancient baths of Rome, which were rebuilt under the Turkish Empire. As the 16th century monument, the building belonged to the municipality and in 2004, the three-year period of support started, provided by the association Art Today (the Swiss cultural program), as well as the National Heritage Fund in Bulgaria. The analysis will be based on the selected principles of social sustainability, simultaneously highlighting the problems of heritage (re)use and regeneration in a challenging global environment of uncertain financial flows and shifting local governmental priorities, which could put on hold or totally ignore the aspect of social sustainability.

The Role of Community Participation and Social Inclusion in Successful Historic City Center Regeneration in the Mediterranean Region

Historic city center regeneration in the Mediterranean region is often seen as a tool for economic development and tourism promotion. However, the success of regeneration initiatives is not only dependent on financial investments and physical interventions but also on the social, cultural, and environmental sustainability of the projects. Community participation and social inclusion are two important factors that can contribute to the long-term success of historic city center regeneration in the Mediterranean region. This paper provides an overview of the existing literature on community participation and social inclusion in historic city center regeneration and explores their role in successful regeneration projects in the Mediterranean region. The paper argues that community participation can foster a sense of ownership and collective identity among local residents and can provide valuable knowledge and resources for the planning and implementation of regeneration initiatives. Social inclusion, on the other hand, can help to ensure that the benefits of regeneration are distributed fairly and equitably among all members of the community, including marginalized and vulnerable groups. The paper provides case studies of successful historic city center regeneration projects in the Mediterranean region, including Valencia (Spain), Palermo (Italy), and Chania (Greece), to illustrate the importance of community participation and social inclusion in achieving sustainable and inclusive urban regeneration. The paper concludes by highlighting the need for more research and policy attention to be paid to these critical factors in historic city center regeneration initiatives in the Mediterranean region.

Modern Industrial Heritage as Cultural Mediation in Urban Regeneration: A Case Study of Gunsan, Korea, and Taipei, Taiwan

Modern industrial heritage in East Asia shares the social and historical background of industrial and cultural products shaped during the colonial times around the 20th century—a period of political upheaval and rapid social transformation. Gunsan (Korea) and Taipei (Taiwan) share the historical characteristics of modern industrial facilities built during the Japanese colonial period. Moreover, these facilities are controversial and complex objects regarding which the notions of conservation of historical heritage and liquidation of colonial heritage coexist and are subjects of mediating the creation of modern cities in East Asia and transition to creative modern urbanization. The complexity surrounding these modern industrial facilities warrants an in-depth analysis of the methods of utilizing them as cultural heritage sites for cultural mediation, and Gunsan and Taipei are good examples for comparison. Here, we examined cultural urban regeneration utilizing modern industrial facilities formed from similar historical and social backgrounds in Taiwan and Korea. This is a comparative study of historical and cultural belts utilizing industrial buildings in Gunsan’s original city centre and Songshan Cultural and Creation Park in Taipei. Finally, we proposed implications for local residents, cultural communities rooted in the region, and user-centered cultural content for sustainable cultural urban regeneration.

Stretching the boundaries of cultural policies for inclusive and sustainable urban contexts: the case of Issy-les-Moulineaux in France

Cultural policies can be a strategic key to shaping more inclusive and sustainable urban regeneration processes, especially exploiting the acceleration promoted through transition dynamics. The City of Issy-les-Moulineaux, for its recent and deep investment in culture, sustainability and innovation in a non-conflictual and socially homogeneous urban dense context, is a valuable demonstrator of the role and forms in which institutional cultural policies at the urban scale can produce a shift of values, acceleration or simplification of decision-making processes towards inclusive and sustainable ways of life. The presentation of examples of cultural policies and regeneration programmes aims to contribute to the identification of some innovation trajectories in this direction, looking especially at the management of cultural policies or spaces and their flexibility and openness to inhabitants. Conclusions sketch the potential of strengthening some regime-niche traits of cultural policies in Issy and creating a permanent experimental environment in the governance (and approach) to cultural policies that reshape from rigid to fluid, thus increasing the anti-fragile nature of public policies and practices.

Using the Dual Concept of Evolutionary Game and Reinforcement Learning in Support of Decision-Making Process of Community Regeneration—Case Study in Shanghai

Under the digital revolution that spawned in recent years, AI support is raised in the context of urban design and governance as it aims to match the operation of the urban developing process. It offers more chances for ensuring equality in public participation and empowerment, with the possibility of projection and computation of integrated social, cultural, and physical spaces. Therefore, this research explored how scenario simulation of social attributes and social interaction dimensions can be incorporated into digital twin city research and development, which is seen as a problem to be addressed in the refinement and planning of future digital platforms and management in terms of decision-making. To achieve the research aim, this paper examined the evolution of social governance state and strain decision models, built a simulation method for the evolution of complex systems of social governance driven by the fusion of data and knowledge, and proposed a system response to residents’ ubiquitous perception and ubiquitous participation. The findings can help inspire the application of computational decision-making support in urban governance, and enhance the internal drive for comprehensive and sustainable urban regeneration. Moreover, they imply the role of the updated iterations of physical space and social interaction on social attributes.

Modelling and Assessing Sustainable Urban Regeneration for Historic Urban Quarters via Analytical Hierarchy Process

The push for urban development and the rapid increase in population have left many historic urban cores vulnerable and subject to deterioration. SDG-11 is often mentioned as the goal in UNDP regeneration, revitalization, and preservation projects regarding historic urban sites around the globe. The goal emphasizes 10 targets that are complex in nature and require closer inspection regarding their interconnectedness when being utilized in real-world scenarios. The current study explores the complexities of the decision-making process in planning urban regeneration projects concerning targets of SDG-11. The study uses a Multi-Criteria Evaluation (MCE) method to investigate how and to what significance the targeted criteria were used in planning for two UNDP urban regeneration project zones in Cyprus. These cases have a complex cultural and socio-political dynamic and pose high contextual significance for the region; therefore, many of these targets are critical in achieving more sustainable regeneration projects. The data collection was done by critically examining the projects’ documentation and conducting interviews with experts involved in the two projects. The data is controlled for internal consistency and anomalies. The study makes its case by comparing the different approaches implemented in these two projects and how effective they were in achieving SDG-11 targets.

More Circular City in the Energy and Ecological Transition: A Methodological Approach to Sustainable Urban Regeneration

Cities consume over 75% of natural resources, produce over 50% of global waste, and emit 60–80% of greenhouse gases. The scenario that by 2050 two thirds of the world population will live in cities, highlights how cities are still responsible for the growing consumption characterized by linear economic processes, with the production of various types of waste. In this unsustainable framework, the Circular Economy offers the opportunity to shape the urban system by means of rethinking the possibility to produce and use goods and services, exploring new ways to ensure long-term prosperity. The Circular City paradigm contains in fact all the principles of the Circular Economy: recovery, recycling, and sharing. In particular, Circular City also introduces actions related to the development of renewable energy communities, use of green materials, CO2 absorption approaches, and Proximity Cities. This work aims to develop a methodology to build a composite index (Circular City Index) capable of measuring the degree of implementation of urban policies that may enable an ecological transition of public assets. Circular City Index was applied to the military cluster of the city of Cagliari (Sardinia, Italy), a significant case study to guide circular policies in public properties for civil and military uses.

Sustainable Urban Regeneration Strategies in Korea’s Abandoned Mine Area Using Industrial Heritage

The purpose of this study was to establish sustainable urban regeneration strategies for the abandoned mine area by applying the industrial heritage in Taebaek city. To this end, this study first analyzed the urban regeneration strategies for abandoned mine areas in Western societies like the United Kingdom, Germany, Poland, the United States, and Spain. In addition, in-depth interviews were conducted with the concerned parties to analyze the abandoned mine areas in Taebaek city in line with the urban regeneration theoretical framework. The provision of urban regeneration strategies that apply the industrial heritage of the coal-mining areas involves the categories of urban regeneration like society, economy, environment, history, and cultural frameworks. The final findings deduced measures for two categories including the measures of activating Taebaek city as a cultural and also a leisure and sports city. The urban regeneration strategies to design Taebaek city as a cultural city include an EDM Festival by applying the dismal mood of the coal preparation plant industrial heritage in Taebaek city and Cheoram music and Lightning Road with industrial heritage. The urban regeneration strategies to design a leisure and sports city include a road bicycle racing contest by utilizing the geographical environment in Taebaek city which boasts high altitudes and Color Run. The two strategies of culture and leisure and sports contents deduced in the study can commonly utilize the industrial heritage of Taebaek city. Furthermore, as there is a continual demand for community participation, it is anticipated to apply it as the sustainable urban regeneration strategies of Taebaek city.