Sustainable Urban Renewal Research Articles

Measuring physical disorder of architectural façades for informing better urban renewal using deep learning and space syntax

With the emergence of human-centered urban development goals and the increasing pursuit of a better quality of life, the architectural façades of cities are receiving growing attention. However, during the process of urban development, architectural façades often experience physical disorder. This phenomenon tends to be overlooked in targeted urban management practices or lacks cohesive urban renewal planning at a macro scale. This oversight can negatively impact the livability and attractiveness of a region. This study aims to quantify the architectural façades encountered daily by urban residents by measuring the physical disorder of architectural façades to inform better urban renewal using deep learning and space syntax. First, streetscape images of architectural façades were collected using the Baidu Maps Street View service. Subsequently, an evaluation system for architectural façades was developed, and machine learning was employed to conduct high-resolution measurements and assessments of these façades. Simultaneously, street network data is extracted and analyzed using space syntax to quantify the accessibility of architecture on each street. Finally, by integrating the analysis of architectural façades and accessibility, the study identifies priority areas for building renewal, thus providing a decision-support tool for sustainable urban renewal planning. Overall, the paper presents an innovative method that combines image data, deep learning, and space syntax-derived architectural accessibility for a quadrant analysis. It offers designers and decision makers new perspectives and enhances the livability of residents by focusing on the physical condition of architectural façades, thereby making urban renewal practices more human-centered and better aligned with the actual needs of city dwellers.

Energy justice and sustainable urban renewal: A systematic review of low-income old town communities

Improving living conditions, quality of public services and social safety nets in blighted and underdeveloped urban areas also are important aspects of urban renewal. In another way, achieving sustainable urban development requires more improvements. Equity, sustainability, and universality are core principles of sustainable development and should be integrated into urban renewal strategies. For instance, urban renewal in old town areas presents multiple challenges, including balancing public investment needs, social justice considerations, and environmental impacts. Studies have shown that inequalities often arise during implementation, disproportionately affecting low-income residents in old town areas. While energy justice is a key concept for reducing these inequalities during renewal process, however existing frameworks lack a multi-dimensional approach. This study proposes a comprehensive evaluation framework that combines sustainable development with energy justice principles during the renewal of old town areas. This framework aims to achieve equitable and sustainable development outcomes in renewal of old urban areas by systematically examining the unequal impacts on low-income groups and proposing equitable energy services and inclusive policies. The proposed equity evaluation framework includes two key components: 1) Main factors in existing renewal strategies, which include equitable access to energy resources, sustainable energy systems, affordability, and public participation. 2) Criteria for refining energy justice evaluation framework, which include accessibility, energy efficiency, community participation, and policy coordination. The research emphasizes the importance of fairness in providing affordable, reliable, and sustainable energy opportunities within urban renewal initiatives. This focus can provide rational perspective and reference for decision makers, thereby empowering vulnerable groups, giving equitable energy access and contributing to achieve sustainable urban development.

Opportunities and Challenges in the Implementation of Modular Construction Methods for Urban Revitalization

The urban landscape is undergoing significant transformations due to economic shifts, urban planning initiatives, technological advancements, and sociopolitical changes. Almost 89% of the U.S. population is projected to reside in urban areas by 2050, which increases a pressing need for innovative and efficient urban revitalization strategies. Modular construction is an extensively researched topic with potential promise for addressing these challenges; however, there is a lack of comprehensive understanding of its specific opportunities and challenges within the context of urban revitalization. This paper explores the potential of modular construction methods as a viable solution in densely populated areas with limited space and competing land uses. This study employs a systematic literature review using PRISMA and mixed methods analysis with NVivo to identify the opportunities and challenges associated with implementing modular construction in urban settings. The findings highlight the advantages of modular construction, including reduced construction time, enhanced quality control, and improved sustainability. However, challenges such as land scarcity, restrictive zoning laws, and the need for innovative planning and collaboration among stakeholders are also emphasized. This paper provides valuable insights for policymakers, urban planners, and developers to effectively leverage modular construction methods for sustainable and efficient urban renewal efforts.

Investigating the mechanisms of sustainable urban land renewal: A perspective of spatial development rights

Urban renewal, as an important means of promoting sustainable urbanization in the stock era, is essentially a process of redistributing land appreciation benefits caused by spatial development rights. However, current literature mostly analyzes the traditional two-dimensional renewal model from the perspective of market mechanisms, which leads to the inability of urban land renewal mechanisms to adapt to sustainable urban development. Therefore, taking Shenzhen as an example, our study aims to understand the spatial mechanism of urban land renewal from a three-dimensional perspective of spatial development rights. Using geographically weighted regression and two-stage least squares regression, we found that the objective of value analysis has shifted from the common minimum unit of land to local space. Moreover, affected by the surrounding environment and various supporting public service facilities, the existence of spatial heterogeneity leads to significant differences in the value of the different functional space within same geographical ranges. The influence intensity of economy, society, and environment shows a decreasing pattern in space from the center of the region to the outer circle of the region. We not only construct a sustainable urban land renewal framework based on three-dimensional spatial property rights, but also distinguish the mechanisms and endogenous issues for different functional spaces. Our study could make a great difference in adjustment of urban land development rights and value acquisition.

Evolution Process of Urban Industrial Land Redevelopment in China: A Perspective of Original Land Users

The crucial role of urban industrial land redevelopment in sustainable urban renewal has garnered widespread attention. While some scholars have explored the interest game among stakeholders in industrial land redevelopment, they primarily focus on the government-led model. Moreover, there remains a research gap concerning the impact of government intervention on the redevelopment of industrial land. This article utilizes evolutionary game theory to investigate the interest game between local governments and original land users in the model of urban industrial land redevelopment dominated by original land users. We establish evolutionary game models considering incentives and the combination of incentives and regulations, explore the interest balance strategy, and examine the impact of positive incentives and mandatory regulations on industrial land redevelopment. Furthermore, we employ a numerical simulation to unveil the impact of initial strategies and parameter adjustments on game strategy. The research results are as follows: (1) Under the original land user-led redevelopment model, only two evolutionary stability strategies exist: either the original land users implement industrial land redevelopment with positive responses from local governments, or neither party advances the process. (2) Government intervention is pivotal in facilitating the redevelopment of inefficient industrial land as economic subsidies and punitive measures motivate more participants to adopt proactive strategies. (3) The increase in government support positively correlates with the likelihood of industrial land redevelopment implementation by original land users. (4) The interests and costs of original land users emerge as crucial parameters influencing strategic decisions. This study enriches the understanding of the interests of core participants in industrial land redevelopment and provides valuable insights for sustainable urban renewal.

Experimental Analysis of the Influence of Seasonality on the Temperature Regime of Extensive Roofs in Central Europe

Current building envelope greening systems are not just areas covered with vegetation. Today’s systems can maximise the functional contribution of vegetation to a building’s performance and become part of a sustainable urban renewal strategy. The impact of the vegetation layer directly affects the building in its immediate vicinity, from the outside, while also having a significant impact on the indoor environment. Green roofs are the most widespread vegetated structures worldwide. This paper aims to demonstrate the behaviour of the temperature regime of an extensive green roof over a production hall and an administrative area in comparison to that of a roof without vegetation cover. In evaluating the results, a period with weather representative of winter and summer was selected to show the importance of seasonality. The fact that this is a new building, and that the extensive roof is not fully covered with vegetation, is very well reflected in the results, as the absence of a vegetated area significantly affects the temperature of as well as the heat flux through the roof structure. The dark colour of the substrate absorbs significantly more solar radiation than the light surface of the waterproofing, resulting in an increase in temperature and heat flux into the structure.

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.

Classification and Spatial Differentiation of Subdistrict Units for Sustainable Urban Renewal in Megacities: A Case Study of Chengdu

Sustainable urban renewal is an important approach to achieving high-quality urban development. The elements of megacities are diverse, and their structures are complex. It is critical to carry out the scientific classification of grassroots governance units based on the concept and needs of urban renewal to promote targeted sustainability evaluation and achieve the precise application of renewal design and planning. This study takes the jurisdiction of Chengdu City as an example and constructs a hierarchical dimension composite classification. For this classification, 128 grassroots governance units are divided into nine types, according to their obvious spatial differences. Based on the properties of these types, suggestions for evaluating and implementing urban renewal are proposed: (1) high-density central areas generally face the dilemma of complex and rigid needs and administrative weaknesses, so the development of public participatory governance is an urgent issue; (2) in transitional suburban zones, areas on and between the development axes are significantly different, indicating that extra attention should be paid to the fairness of the renewal of semi-urbanized areas; (3) outer areas are generally marginalized in urban renewal processes and destructive redevelopment behaviors should be avoided.

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.

Examining changes in groundwater PFAS contamination from legacy landfills over a three-year period at Australia's largest urban renewal site

Understanding groundwater contamination from legacy landfills, including fate and transport of Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), is a critical challenge for sustainable urban renewal. We analysed groundwater within and surrounding legacy landfills at Fishermans Bend for PFAS and complementary hydrochemical indicators. Sampling in 2017 revealed extensive PFAS contamination from the landfills. We re-examined concentrations after a 3-year period, to assess natural source attenuation and evolution of the contaminant plumes. Total PFAS (∑38PFAS) ranged from 88 to 973 ng/L, with relatively high concentrations (mean = 500 ng/L, n = 4) in samples directly within the waste mass of a large legacy municipal and industrial landfill (Port Melbourne Tip). Two samples on the boundary of a former construction and demolition waste landfill also had elevated PFAS concentrations (∑38PFAS = 232 and 761.5 ng/L). Down-gradient of the landfills, groundwater showed reductions in total PFAS, though still maintained considerable loads (∑PFAS = 107.5–207.5 ng/L). Long-chained PFAS showed greatest reductions relative to chloride concentrations down-gradient of the landfills, consistent with sorption as the predominant removal mechanism. The dominant mass fractions detected were similar in 2017 and 2020 (median: PFOS > PFHxS > PFHxA > PFOA); comprising the widely known, persistent ‘legacy’ PFAS. Re-sampled bores returned similar concentrations of these PFAS in 2017 and 2020 (median %RPDs of 0.0, 9.3 and 15.4, for PFOS, PFOA, and PFHxS, respectively). However, there were marked increases in concentrations of certain PFAS in three bores - including a previously un-impacted background site. The results show limited attenuation of legacy landfill PFAS contamination in groundwater over a 3-year period.

How does urban renewal affect residential segregation in Shenzhen, China? A multi-scale study

Increasing residential segregation is emerging as a hindrance to urban sustainability. Urban renewal projects that claim alignment with sustainable development goals still lack comprehensive studies of their impact on social segregation, as evidenced by the ongoing scholarly debate over whether urban renewal has a positive or negative effect on social segregation. This paper explores the dynamics of urban spatial segregation, analyzes the role of urban renewal on segregation, and bridges the gap in existing research by considering dynamic changes, multiple spatial scales, and diverse renewal types. Using multi-source data – house price data, planning permit data and points of interest –stepwise regression models are combined with t-test methods to examine the impact of multiple types of urban renewal on local and regional residential segregation in Shenzhen. Our findings are as follows: 1) Income-based segregation in Shenzhen increased from 0.77 to 0.81 across neighborhoods, from 0.62 to 0.73 across sub-districts, and from 0.58 to 0.67 across districts between 2000 and 2020, therefore increasing at all scales but with more pronounced growth of segregation observed between units at larger scales; 2) Urban renewal can lead to greater income similarity amongst residents of a sub-district, by attracting more high-income people to move in, but this can lead to increased residential segregation of high- and low-income people at the macro-scale. 3) When assessing the impact of urban renewal on segregation, it is recommended to consider the variations in outcomes resulting from temporal changes, spatial scales, the types of renewal, the types of segregation, and the stages of urbanization. Understanding this process can help promote socially sustainable urban renewal projects.

Constructing an ideal home: Affective atmosphere creation as a public participation strategy for urban village renovation

The public participation process in the renovation of urban villages should not only ensure procedural justice but also guide the affective integration of residents. This paper explores the public's perception of the participation space and the process of affective construction based on a visual study of the Luofeng village renovation in Guangzhou. The aim is to elucidate how the space can be employed to create an affective atmosphere as a strategy for the renovation. The study reveals that participants focused on visual symbols carrying the narrative of daily life, evoking a positive emotional response to these elements. The public participation space successfully establishes a homey atmosphere and achieves the affective reproduction of residents through the creation of its physical environment, residents' embodied practices within it, and negotiated interactions among different subjects. Drawing on the case study, we advocate for the public participation process in urban village renovation to consider residents' embodied affective experiences. It provides a practical model that surpasses mere representation, with the intention of offering a reference for sustainable urban renewal.

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.

Multidimensional Spatial Driving Factors of Urban Vitality Evolution at the Subdistrict Scale of Changsha City, China, Based on the Time Series of Human Activities

Urban vitality is an important reflection of a city’s development potential and urban quality. This study used exploratory spatio-temporal big data such as social media check-ins to portray the spatio-temporal evolution of urban vitality at the subdistrict scale in Changsha, a city in central China, from 2013 to 2021, finding that urban vitality in Changsha exhibited central agglomeration and outward circling expansion over time, and then we used Geodetector and spatial regression analyses to explain the interactive effects and spatio-temporal heterogeneity of the spatial elements of subdistrict form, subdistrict function, and subdistrict economy on urban vitality. The results show the following: (1) The subdistrict form and subdistrict function dimensions had a significant effect on urban vitality, and the effect of the economic dimension of the subdistrict was not significant. (2) The interaction effect of the density of entertainment and leisure facilities and the density of business office facilities in subdistrict function was the dominant factor in the change of urban vitality. (3) Under the spatio-temporal effect, land use diversity and park facility density had the strongest positive effect on urban vitality; road density and shopping facility density had the weakest effect. The study aimed to provide a reference for the optimization and allocation of spatial elements of subdistricts in sustainable urban development and urban renewal, in order to achieve the purpose of urban vitality creation and enhancement.

Evaluating and Analyzing Urban Renewal and Transformation Potential Based on AET Models: A Case Study of Shenzhen City

With the development of the urban economy and population growth, the demand for urban construction land continues to rise. Addressing the challenges of land protection and ecological security calls for the exploration of new approaches. This study emphasizes a sustainable solution by emphasizing in-depth exploration of existing land resources, moving away from the traditional “expanding the pie” model of urban development. Specifically, we selected land parcels in Shenzhen city from 2010 to 2020 that met the criteria for urban renewal and transformation as evaluation units, further categorized into residential, industrial, and commercial land for transformation. From multiple perspectives, including geological conditions, building conditions, agglomeration, social factors, and the degree of completeness of public facilities, we constructed an evaluation system comprising 23 indicators to quantify the potential for urban renewal of these units. Through the AET (AHP-EWM-TOPSIS) model analysis for assessing the potential of urban renewal and transformation, we classified the transformation parcels into different potential levels based on the optimized solutions from the model. Finally, we validated the results using the planned land units implemented in Shenzhen from 2010 to 2020, achieving an accuracy of 81% in matching the spatial distribution of potential levels with the actual situation. The comprehensive evaluation results from the model provide a basis for optimizing and enhancing sustainable urban renewal. This research contributes to the formulation of informed decisions and strategic urban development planning, enabling a more cautious and resource-efficient approach to address the challenges of urban expansion.

Exploring the Key Factors Influencing Sustainable Urban Renewal from the Perspective of Multiple Stakeholders

A successful urban renewal policy, process, and project implementation should advocate sustainable development from economic, social, and environmental perspectives. As different stakeholders have different interests and insights into the importance of the environment, housing, social wellbeing, and economic concerns, they often have different ideas concerning how to develop urban renewal strategies and implement projects. Although previous studies have focused on the opinions of governments and academics, fewer studies have considered the direct beneficiaries of urban renewal—the residents. This study examined the key factors that influence sustainable urban renewal from the perspective of multiple stakeholders, including local governments, residents, developers, and designers. Social network analysis (SNA) and the reliability interval method (RIM) were integrated to form a SNA-RIM analytical framework to analyze the importance of the influencing factors. The results showed that the adjustment of the regional industrial structure, employment opportunities, and environmental qualification improvement had the most significant influence on sustainable urban renewal from economic, social, and environmental perspectives, respectively. In addition, different types of stakeholders do not value sustainability indicators in the same way. Local governments place more emphasis on return on investment, employment opportunities, and environmental qualification improvement, whereas residents focus on per capita income growth rate, public service facilities, and convenience of municipal infrastructure. Developers are most interested in the land value growth rate, public service facilities, and effective land use space, whereas designers attach the greatest importance to the adjustment of regional industrial structure, public service facilities, and effective land use space. Therefore, this study can help urban planners and decision makers balance the interests, seek common benefits for different types of stakeholders, and improve sustainable and inclusive urban renewal.

Urgency, Feasibility, Synergy, and Typology: A Framework for Identifying Priority of Urban Green Infrastructure Intervention in Sustainable Urban Renewal

Urgency, Feasibility, Synergy, and Typology: A Framework for Identifying Priority of Urban Green Infrastructure Intervention in Sustainable Urban Renewal

DEMYSTIFYING SUSTAINABLE DISTRICT-LEVEL INDUSTRIAL BUILDING RENOVATION: A TAXONOMY FRAMEWORK AND THE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIES

ABSTRACT With the progress of urbanization, most people live in cities and adjacent urban areas. Meanwhile, the transformation and development of cities and their industries leaves behind a large volume of old building blocks and requires renovating some urban spaces. Notably, urban renewal plays an important role in the sustainable development of cities. As a typical task of urban renewal, the renovation of industrial buildings involves the protection of the industrial heritage and the adaptive reuse of the existing building spaces. Yet, the complex nature of district-level industrial building renovation work spells challenges to effective urban renovation and sustainable city renewal. Although a few studies were devoted to the renovation of industrial buildings, very limited research focused on the renovation of existing industrial urban areas. In particular, the cooperation of different work disciplines to orchestrate sustainable district-level industrial building renovation and strategies to facilitate effective administration of such a way of urban renewal remain to be clarified. To close such a gap, this research employs an approach of multi-case study to conceptualize sustainable district-level industrial building renovation. Four case projects from the Big Bay Area cities, including Dongguan, Foshan, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, are investigated and analyzed due to specific local policies of renovation and their rapid urbanization. Based on the knowledge disciplines of urban planning, industrial heritage reservation, and building renovation, a taxonomy framework is introduced, and the relevant sustainable development strategies are identified. The framework demystifies sustainable district-level industrial building renovation regarding the key aspects of sustainable management to achieve sustainable urban renewal and their hierarchical relations and enhances the knowledge body of industrial building renovation by broadening the scope to the urban scale. Furthermore, the proposed strategies can provide practical implications to sustainable urban renewal with industrial building renovation.

Strategic Approaches to Realize Sustainable Neighborhoods in Urban Renewal: A Case Study of Banan, Chongqing, China

Due to the lack of effective impact assessment, urban renewal in China is facing many challenges and dilemmas. Residents’ perceptions are important for the sustainability of urban renewal. This study evaluated the impacts of urban renewal on the economic, social, and environmental sustainability of a neighborhood via a case study of Banan, Chongqing, China. According to the analysis of the questionnaires and in-depth interviews and with local residents, Banan’s urban renewal led to both positive and negative impacts. This study proposed strategic approaches to realizing sustainable neighborhood during urban renewal in China according to impacts. Based on the analysis, strategies for creating sustainable neighborhoods during urban renewal were developed, including balancing of economic, social, and environmental interests, satisfying residents’ needs, and enhancing innovation. The impact of urban renewal in Banan was evaluated based on the economic, social, and environmental sustainability of a neighborhood, and the findings will be useful for policy makers and researchers engaged in sustainable urban renewal to refine their strategy.

Multicriteria Model for Determining the Best and Low-Cost Methods of Industrial Heritage Transformation and Utilization under Fuzzy Inputs

The renovation and utilization of industrial heritage are important issues in the field of sustainable urban renewal. The renovation of industrial heritage is influenced by various factors such as the value of a heritage site, its location, the positioning of renovation, and the cost of renovation. Most existing studies focus on the concept of renovation and the establishment of heritage management techniques. However, a low cost in the context of urban sustainability has a greater impact on renovation. Therefore, this paper takes Beijing Xinhua 1949 Cultural and Creative Industrial Park as an example, incorporates the cost–benefit ratio into the plans for a low-cost construction, and proposes a method to evaluate the performance of holistic low-cost construction during the whole life cycle of industrial heritage renovation and utilization. This study uses the AHP method to create an evaluation index system and fuzzy TOPSIS(FTOPSIS) to rank the solutions so as to establish a comprehensive evaluation system to thus evaluate industrial heritage renovation projects that are difficult to fully quantify, with the aim to obtain performance evaluation conclusions. The results of this study suggest that the definition of a low-cost renovation should not be limited to a reduction in investment costs but should also pay equal attention to the cost–benefit ratio before and after renovation, and that functional and spatial sustainability is another feasible strategy for achieving the sustainable renovation of industrial heritage.