Era Of Urbanization Research Articles

Urban sprawl and thermal response in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, 2000–2020

The urban heat island (UHI) environment is closely related to the daily life of residents, and the impact of UHI is further expanding in the era of rapid urbanization, which is particularly obvious in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei urban agglomeration and Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA). To explore the connection between UHI and urban expansion, this study takes GBA as the study area, based on Google Earth Engine platform and Landsat satellite data. The urban-rural temperature difference method was used to analyze the heat island zoning in the GBA from 2000 to 2020, and the direction and type of urban expansion in the GBA were investigated by standard deviation ellipse and LEI, to explore the link between the type of urban expansion and the heat island region through geospatial analysis methods. The results of the study show that: (1) The proportion of the area of strong and extreme heat islands in the GBA was 37.64% in 2000; 38.61% in 2005; 47.07% in 2010; 55.76% in 2015; and finally 59.69% in 2020. The proportion of the area of heat island regions in the period from 2000 to 2020 showed an overall increasing trend, with the largest increase in heat island regions in the period from 2015 to 2020. (2) The intensity of urban expansion in the GBA is 32% in both 2000–2005 and 2005–2010, which is significantly higher than the 9% in 2010–2015, and then increases to 24 per cent in 2015–2020. The speed of movement of urban centroids decreases in 2000–2015 and increases in 2015–2020. The direction of urban expansion in the first 5 years is dominated by the northeast, and the direction of urban expansion in the latter 15 years is generally dominated by the southwest, and the type of urban expansion is dominated by the fringe type, with the enclave type of expansion accounting for a smaller proportion. (3) Pearson correlation analysis further confirms that there is a significant positive correlation between urban sprawl and the urban heat island effect, with a correlation coefficient of 0.78 and a p-value of 0.041. There is a high degree of spatial consistency between the distribution of built-up urban areas and the distribution of heat island areas in GBA, and the direction of the evolution of the urban heat island areas is the same as the direction of the evolution of the built-up urban areas in general, and the thermal response of the marginal expansion to the ground surface temperature is stronger than that of enclave expansion. The thermal response to the surface temperature is stronger than that of the enclave type of expansion.

Empowering Cities through Eventful City Planning: A Toolkit for Enhancing Destination Competitiveness

ABSTRACT In an era of urbanization and global economic competition, cities are striving to enhance their competitiveness on a transnational scale. By leveraging events as strategic tools for economic, social, and cultural development, cities can boost their destination competitiveness. This paper proposes a toolkit aimed at guiding cities, particularly those in developing countries, in their transition towards becoming vibrant “eventful cities.” The toolkit identifies Critical Success Factors (CSFs), including the vision of the city, relationships with/within stakeholders, programming of events, strategies for marketing, and the monitoring of outcomes. These CSFs are derived from a literature review and analysis of event strategy documents from various cities. The Delphi method, coupled with fuzzy theory to address uncertainties, is utilized to facilitate decision-making and generate actionable solutions. The urban planning toolkit and a practical handout offer cities a comprehensive approach grounded in theoretical insights and practical experiences, enabling them to navigate uncertainties and strengthen their competitiveness on global stage through strategic event-based development.

Social networks and societal position are key drivers of the spiritual well-being of the parents of migrants in rural West Bengal

ABSTRACT India has been upholding the traditional custom of multigenerational co-residence and is well known for its spiritual legacy. However, the era of globalization and urbanization has reshaped family structures, with adult migration influencing older parents’ spiritual journeys. The study investigates the differences in spiritual well-being among parents of migrants and non-migrants and the influence of social-familial position and social network on spiritual well-being using a cross-sectional survey conducted by 500 elderly parents. The study revealed that the mean score of spiritual well-being was significantly lower among parents of migrants compared to parents of non-migrants. Social networks enhance the spiritual well-being of elderly parents considerably. Social networks enhance spiritual well-being, particularly for parents of migrants, to a greater extent than among parents of non-migrants. Moreover, the study found that household decision-making roles emerged as a significant predictor of spiritual well-being, with more substantial effects observed among parents of migrants compared to non-migrants. Policymakers and social services providers should focus on strengthening social network structures for elderly parents, especially for parents of migrants. This could foster more robust social networks and empower older individuals to participate in household decision-making processes, which will ensure better spiritual well-being in the context of adult-child migration.

Versatile Smart Carts: Redefining the Retail Experience

Abstract: This paper presents a smart shopping cart module that can be fastened on any traditional cart to make it smart cart. In this era of rapid urbanization and the expansion of automation and smart technologies this module proves to be invaluable. Traditional billing involves manual scanning of each product, which is more prone to errors. Misidentified items, incorrect labelling, and price discrepancies are very common issues. This research paper delves into the innovative concept of Smart Billing Cart module and their potential to revolutionize the way of shopping. The study ventures into the design and functionality of Smart Shopping Cart module, which could be used with any traditional cart to make it smart cart. This accelerates billing process and would also reduce time which is wasted in long queues for billing. Customers can complete their shopping faster and more conveniently.

Tourism as an Opportunity or the Danger of Saturation for the Historical Coastal Towns

In the era of urbanization, small towns confront challenges in sustaining and preserving their essence and population. Historical towns have discovered their potential in tourism development, yet this opportunity often escalates into overtourism, particularly in renowned cruising destinations. This paper focuses on examples of coastal historical towns dependent on tourism revenue and faced with an excessive influx of tourists in the Mediterranean Region. The objective is to examine various cases across diverse geographical, cultural, and policy contexts to evaluate their success in achieving a balance between economic development and genius loci. This analysis seeks to identify the factors that contributed to the attainment of this equilibrium. Therefore, we selected case studies throughout the Mediterranean coast—from Saint Paul de Vence and Èze at the Azure Coast, Dubrovnik and Kotor in the Adriatic Sea, to Nafplio and Monemvasia in the Aegean Sea. The selected examples range from towns that are almost entirely depopulated to those that are suffocating from the influx of tourists. Observations on the spot and review of policies led us to the conclusion that the geography of the area and cultural values represent comparative (dis)advantages that can be influenced and shaped by policies from the time of the pre-tourist phase to the phase of overtourism. Even though the success of an early policy and the effects of investments aligned with it might be uncertain, pre-tourist policies turn out to be the most successful when it comes to balanced tourist-resident development. Determination of authorities to not only see economic benefit but also genius loci and quality of life of residents is crucial, too.

Recipe Recommendation System

In the era of rapid urbanization and busy lifestyles, individuals often face the challenge of preparing meals with the limited ingredients available at home. To address this issue, we present a sophisticated Recipe Recommendation System based on ingredients, leveraging the power of Python, flask, and MongoDB. The proposed system aims to revolutionize the way people approach cooking by providing personalized and efficient recipe suggestions tailored to the ingredients users already have. The proposed system employs advanced algorithms to match user-provided ingredients with a vast and diverse recipe database. By considering factors such as ingredient availability, the system generates real-time, tailored recipe recommendations. The integration of machine learning techniques ensures accurate ingredient matching and enhances the system's ability to adapt to individual users' tastes and needs

Impact of climatic changes on fish biodiversity and their conservation (India)

India, having numerous rivers, is enriched with varieties of flora and fauna in and around it. The total catchment area of the river basin is about 2.5 lakh km2 or 81% of the total geographical area of India. All over India, there are remarkably diverse ranges of aquatic life. 950 freshwater and 1570 marine fish species, a total of 2500, are found which occupies 1.5% of the world's total fish species. Fish is full of nutrition and a prime source of aquatic food. But in this fast-developing urbanization era: anthropogenic activities, industrialization, population, elevated air temperature, global warming, drought, flood, pollution, and monsoonal ups and downs equally put pressure on the climate, ecosystem, society, and economy, increasing pressure on all livelihoods and food supplies, including those in the fisheries and aquaculture sector. The actual properties of climates are being changed very rapidly. Fish availability in the monsoonal season is more than in the summer season. Therefore, the present study aims to determine the present status of fish biodiversity of river Gandak and the significant role of climate change on them. The study was conducted from January 2022 to August 2022 in Gandak river. Overall, 25 individuals of fishes were recorded and characterized which belonging to 12 families, Cyprinidae (32%) was most abundant, followed by Channidae (12%), then Bagridae, Siluridae, Cobitidae, Ambassidae with 8%; Notopteradae, Heteropneustidae, Claridae, Belontidae, Belonidae, Nandidae occupied only 4%. families. Aspidoporia morar and Puntius species, Labeo calbasu and Labeo bata were in good quality while Labeo rohita and Catla catla were not found in good amounts. A good number of ornamental fishes were also recorded. But after these surveys, it was seen that there was a significant decline in their population that also affect other depending organisms along with local fishermen directly or indirectly. So, the need of the hour is conservation which involves restoration of habitat, cleaning of rivers, sewage treated water, mass awareness program to people for water conservation, sustainable use of river water and its resources and these will help the fishermen in livelihood and earning along with the nutritional need of the society.

A Neighbourhood Unit for Equitable Resilience

The early twentieth-century concept of the neighbourhood unit aimed to use spatial planning to redress problems associated with that era of urbanization in the US and Europe, including car traffic, pollution, and social alienation. We ask how this influential and controversial concept might be adapted to address today's most vexing urban challenges: climate change hazards and widening inequality. Drawing on a diverse array of global case studies, we argue that the neighbourhood can be a unit for 'equitable resilience', but only if we reconceptualize neighbourhoods in significant ways. First, 'neighbourhood' must be defined more capaciously to include not just the middle-class enclaves envisioned by Clarence Perry and other early neighbourhood planning advocates, but also places that are home to disadvantaged residents, from mixed-income communities to public housing, informal settlements, and manufactured home parks. Second, for neighbourhood interventions to bring lasting equitable resilience, they must be linked to analysis and action on wider spatial and political scales. Finally, to ensure resilience will be equitable, neighbourhood scale interventions must link built environment changes to institutional changes that improve conditions in the domains of livelihoods, environmental safety, governance, and security from displacement. In short, to be units for equitable resilience, neighbourhoods must help residents build the power to act in the face of climate change and other threats.

Advancing Flood Risk Assessment through Integrated Hazard Mapping: A Google Earth Engine-Based Approach for Comprehensive Scientific Analysis and Decision Support

This study utilises a comprehensive, multi-layered approach to assess flooding susceptibility in a specific area, integrating diverse environmental datasets such as JRC Global Surface Water, Landsat 8 images, and SRTM elevation data. Employing the GEE FMA, a powerful tool leveraging Google Earth Engine capabilities, the analysis covers water occurrence, permanent water, elevation, distance to water, topographic hazard score, and vegetation indices (NDVI and NDWI). The Water Occurrence layer establishes a foundational understanding of water-body distribution’s correlation with flood vulnerability, while Permanent Water refines this understanding. Distance to Water measures proximity for targeted risk evaluation, and Elevation identifies vulnerable regions based on topography. The GEE FMA synthesises these layers into a Flood Hazard Susceptibility map, categorising vulnerability into Very Low, Low, Medium, High, and Very High. This nuanced understanding is crucial for prioritising interventions. The GEE FMA’s rapid processing speed makes it an invaluable tool for short-term decision support in flood hazard disaster management, offering insights for informed decision-making and resilient infrastructure development. The Topographic Hazard Score provides information on how topography influences flood risk, while the Wetness Hazard Score categorises moisture conditions for identifying flood-prone locations. Decision-makers rely on these values for quick and precise flood susceptibility assessments. In an era of climate uncertainties and urbanisation, the GEE FMA emerges as a reliable tool for decision-making, mitigating flood impacts, and developing effective flood risk management strategies.

Analysis of the Current Status and Trend of Domestic Eco-city Research based on CiteSpace

In today's era of rapid urbanisation and increasingly prominent ecological and environmental problems, creating a good living environment and building eco-cities to implement sustainable development has become the key to urban development in China. Based on the literature statistics and Citespace data analysis, this paper analyses the research papers on eco-city in CNKI database during 2001-2021, and analyses and summarizes the current situation and trend of eco-city research in China. The study shows that: ① the research and construction of eco-city still has great value. ② The research hotspots of eco-city have five major aspects: ecological civilisation, urbanisation/ urbanisation, indicator system, eco-city construction and sustainable development. ③ The directions of ecological civilisation construction, eco-city construction and sustainable development still occupy a place in the future direction of research and development. ④ The cooperation of scholars in the field of eco-city research is not close enough. ⑤ The field of eco-city research is in the stage of multidisciplinary cross-discipline, covering a wider range of dimensions. The research perspective, research content, and research methods and technical means are all characterised by obvious multidisciplinary intersection.

Predicting land cover driven ecosystem service value using artificial neural network model

Understanding the synergies and trade-offs of major cities' ecosystem services is vital to mitigating regional ecological and environmental risks and enhancing human well-being in this era of rapid urbanization and global climate change. This study aimed to assess and predict the land use- and land cover (LULC)-driven ecosystem service value (ESV) dynamics in Arkansas’s capital city, Little Rock. Historical LULC data were derived by applying support vector machine learning algorithms to Landsat satellite imagery. The benefit transfer method was utilized to identify nine types of ecosystem services and their corresponding economic values. A cellular automata artificial neural network model was used to simulate future potential LULC and ESV patterns. Vegetation accounted for more than 94% of total ESV over the past two decades. However, a 38.40% expansion of built-up areas resulted in a 45.28% decrease in vegetated areas, which reduced total ESV from $3619.73 × 106 to $2563.81 × 106 during 2003–2023. By 2033, the city’s urban area will expand to 72.75% of the total area and will witness further declines of 30.35 km2 in vegetation, 19.30 km2 in barren soil, and 1.69 km2 in waterbody areas. Consequently, the ESVs of these natural landscapes will decline by $708.58 × 106, $44.87 × 106, and $15.69 × 106, respectively. Provisioning services will be most affected, followed by supporting, regulating, and cultural services. The study findings provide reference information to policymakers and the local government for use in adopting sustainable land management policies, thereby promoting the ecological value of Little Rock.

Securing the smart city: A review of cybersecurity challenges and strategies

In the era of rapid urbanization and technological advancement, the emergence of smart cities promises innovative solutions to urban challenges. However, the integration of various technologies into urban infrastructures also exposes cities to unprecedented cybersecurity threats. This review presents a comprehensive review of the cybersecurity challenges faced by smart cities and explores the strategies to mitigate these risks. Smart cities leverage interconnected networks of sensors, devices, and systems to enhance efficiency, sustainability, and citizen services. Yet, this interconnectedness creates a complex attack surface vulnerable to cyber threats. One of the primary challenges is the diverse range of IoT devices deployed across smart city infrastructures, often lacking robust security mechanisms. These devices are susceptible to exploitation by cybercriminals for malicious activities, such as data breaches, sabotage, and surveillance. Moreover, the interconnected nature of smart city systems amplifies the potential impact of cyberattacks, posing significant risks to critical infrastructure, public safety, and privacy. Threat actors can exploit vulnerabilities in interconnected systems to disrupt essential services, manipulate data, or even cause physical harm. As smart cities rely on data-driven decision-making, the integrity and confidentiality of data become paramount concerns. To address these challenges, various cybersecurity strategies have been proposed and implemented. These strategies encompass a multi-layered approach, integrating technical solutions, regulatory frameworks, and collaboration among stakeholders. Technical measures include encryption, authentication mechanisms, intrusion detection systems, and secure software development practices. Additionally, implementing robust access controls and network segmentation can limit the scope of potential attacks. Furthermore, regulatory initiatives play a crucial role in enhancing cybersecurity standards and promoting compliance among smart city stakeholders. Establishing clear guidelines for data protection, privacy rights, and incident response protocols is essential to safeguarding citizens' interests. Collaboration among government agencies, private sector partners, academia, and cybersecurity experts fosters information sharing and collective defense against emerging threats. Securing smart cities against cybersecurity threats requires a concerted effort to address the multifaceted challenges posed by interconnected technologies. By implementing comprehensive strategies encompassing technical measures, regulatory frameworks, and collaborative approaches, smart cities can mitigate risks and foster a resilient and secure urban environment for all citizens.

Directions of land degradation in the greater Istanbul metropolitan area: A view from four decades

AbstractIn an era of dynamic urbanization, especially in densely populated regions such as the Greater Istanbul Metropolitan Area, land degradation (LD) is a widespread and multifaceted phenomenon. Hence, there is a need for monitoring LD to track the direction of urban sprawl and respond rationally. In this context, the purpose of this study was to investigate the magnitude and directions of LD in Istanbul from 1984 to 2022. The originality of the study lies in the development of the CAI_A index, which is a quantitative measure of the degree of anthropogenic impact. This study utilized Landsat 5 and Landsat 8 satellite imagery from 1984, 2002, and 2022, employing a maximum likelihood classification method to determine land cover and land use changes. The results show that the area of LD by anthropogenic activity has increased by an average of nearly 40 percentage points in each district of Istanbul over the past four decades, significantly impacting both natural and semi‐natural areas. Furthermore, a noteworthy observation was made regarding forests in the northern part of the study area, which demonstrated stability and resilience to LD. The results of the study are important for the urban environment because they facilitate a better understanding of the impact of human activities on mitigating LD in the context of climate change, among other things. Moreover, the results identify specific areas in need of targeted monitoring and remedial actions regarding LD.Research Highlights Istanbul's urbanization has been consistent since 1984. Urban expansion primarily contributes to agricultural land degradation. Land degradation clusters near settlements and on the southern coast. State forests are crucial for preserving natural areas and resisting degradation. Forest services are threatened by fragmented urban expansion.

Türkiye'de idari kapasitenin kentsel yaşanabilirlik üzerindeki etkisi: coğrafi ağırlıklı regresyon

In an era of urbanization, urban livability is a critical concern. This study explores the relationship between administrative capacity and urban livability in Türkiye's 81 provinces. Recent global attention to administrative capacity highlights its role in governance and societal progress. The research emphasizes the importance of enhancing administrative capacity for positive outcomes, including improved urban livability, and examines the impact of provincial administrative capacity on urban livability geographically. A robust administrative capacity is crucial for effective public institutions, from local to international levels. Recent research shows it fosters better institution performance, economic growth, democracy, policy effectiveness, conflict prevention, counterterrorism, and local democracy. Among such contributions administrative capacity is also key to a city's success, attracting residents and businesses, enhancing urban livability. In order to reveal such dynamic, the study covers all 81 Turkish provinces, testing geographic variations in the impact of administrative capacity on livability. It uses provincial administrative capacity and Forbes Magazine's livability index in global and geographical regression models. The results confirm a strong relationship between provincial administrative capacity and urban livability. Geographically, this impact varies across regions. In conclusion, the research reveals the importance of administrative capacity in shaping urban livability. Policymakers and urban planners should focus on enhancing administrative competence to improve residents' quality of life, fostering informed decision-making and policy formulation for livable cities.

Enhancing disaster management in smart cities through MCDM-AHP analysis amid 21st century challenges

In the era of rapid urbanization and technological progress, smart cities offer a promising solution to multifaceted global challenges, leveraging advanced technologies to optimize resources and enhance the quality of life; however, this interconnectedness also exposes them to novel vulnerabilities, particularly in the face of natural and man-made disasters, necessitating inventive strategies to ensure resilience against cyber threats and extreme weather events. This article delves into the exploration of smart cities’ diverse aspects and the categories of disasters they face, followed by an analysis of strategic mitigation approaches and their underlying criteria; it subsequently introduces the Multi-Criteria Decision-Making methodology, particularly Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP), as a robust tool for systematic evaluation and prioritization of disaster management strategies in the increasingly complex landscape. The study’s analysis of relative weights underscores the pivotal role of resilience enhancement and communication redundancy as primary considerations in evaluating disaster management strategies for smart cities, while other criteria such as accuracy and timeliness, scaleability and adaptability, cost-effectiveness, ethical and privacy considerations, and training and skill requirements assume varying degrees of importance in supporting roles, providing valuable insights into the decision-making process. The assessment of alternative strategies highlights their prioritization in effective disaster management for smart cities, with notable emphasis on citizen engagement and education, early warning systems, and data analytics; further strategies such as integrated communication systems, resilient infrastructure design, drones and robotics, artificial intelligence algorithms, and IoT-enabled sensors and monitoring exhibit varying degrees of significance, offering insights into their roles and potential contributions to disaster management strategies based on their weighted sums. This research has practical significance, guiding stakeholders like urban planners, policymakers, and disaster management professionals to enhance smart city resilience and prioritize strategies based on critical factors, ultimately enabling effective disaster management in smart cities amid 21st-century challenges.

Образ жизни современного человека как фактор риска развития урологических заболеваний: от профилактики к лечению.

Introduction. Over the past decades, in the era of urbanization, man is faced with a large number of risk factors that become an integral part of his daily life. Thus, high levels of stress, unbalanced nutrition, physical inactivity, irregular sex life leads to an increased risk of developing a number of diseases, including the organs of the genitourinary system. This review is devoted to assessing the role of various drugs and dietary supplements in maintaining urological health. Materials and methods. The search for the necessary literature for the review was carried out in the PubMed database, in the Russian scientific eLibrary eLibrary.ru and in the search engine « Google Scholar». Results. From the point of view of pathophysiology, useful and effective drugs and complexes are a whole line, ranging from the Vitaprost®, used in the treatment of prostatitis in men, to the biologically active supplement Urinal® Nephro, used to facilitate the removal of concretions and improve the functional state of the urinary system. Some of dietary supplements proved to be useful for male fertility and sexual life of men improvement, providing a complex antioxidant effect on the state of the reproductive system, as well as having an anti-inflammatory effect. Conclusion. In the conditions of growing urbanization, men should not forget about the available opportunities for maintaining urological health, which, along with eliminating or minimizing risk factors, will help not only preserve, but also increase the potential of a modern person, unwittingly drawn into the cycle of inevitable social dangers for his own physical well-being.

Multi‐scalar interactions between mismanaged plastic waste and urban flooding in an era of climate change and rapid urbanization

AbstractMismanaged plastic waste (MPW) and urban flooding are typically considered distinct environmental challenges. However, there are notable links between growing quantities of MPW and the rising incidence of floods in cities. A majority of people now live in cities, especially along coastlines and in estuaries where residents are both vulnerable to flooding and significant sources of plastic waste. Predicted increases in the frequency and severity of heavy rainfall associated with anthropogenic climate change coincide with rising global quantities of MPW, much of which is discharged into water bodies and the sea. Given the urgent and expanding nature of these issues, understanding impacts of urban floods on solid waste management and vice versa is crucial. Social‐ecological systems (SES) thinking calls for a holistic approach to the relationships and interactions between human actors and environmental systems which can result in dynamic and emergent outcomes. In this review paper, we make a first step towards better understanding of the interactions between urban flooding and MPW by synthesizing emerging quantitative and qualitative research on particular aspects of such interactions. More research is needed which explicitly focuses on and elaborates the nature of these interactions, and also to consider potential relations across scales (from global to local) and over both long and short timeframes. We conclude that an SES approach can make visible novel possibilities for interventions which are context specific and sensitive to the interactions between urban floods and MPW.This article is categorized under: Science of Water > Water and Environmental Change Human Water > Water Governance Engineering Water > Planning Water

Rural sustainable development: A case study of the Zaozhuang Innovation Demonstration Zone in China

Sustainable development is the central theme of modern global development. With the arrival of the urban era, the vulnerability and instability of rural areas have significantly increased, and rural sustainable development faces serious challenges. To address these issues, the study took the Zaozhuang Innovation Demonstration Zone in China under the National Sustainable Development Agenda as a case, combined with 2016–2020 economic and social and land use data, and applied Granger causality test method to explore the theoretical and practical pathways of “innovation-driven rural sustainable development”. The results showed that rural sustainable development and economic sustainability displayed a trend of synergistic change, with “explosive” growth from 2018 to 2020. The social sustainability steadily increased from 2016 to 2020. Ecological and spatial sustainability continuously declined during the study period. Moreover, the rural innovation capacity of the Zaozhuang Innovation Demonstration Zone displayed rapid growth during 2016–2020. Although the rural innovation capacity of the Zaozhuang Innovation Demonstration Zone has rapidly improved, it has a weak driving effect on rural sustainable development and economic sustainability. There are two primary challenges that must be overcome to ensure the rural sustainable development of the Zaozhuang Innovation Demonstration Zone. The first challenge is the imbalance among the multi-dimensional relationships in the process of rural sustainable development, and the second challenge is the weakening of rural innovation capacity to drive rural sustainable development. To overcome these challenges, this study proposed a systematic pathway for rural sustainable development in the Zaozhuang Innovation Demonstration Zone from multi-dimensions, such as policy actions, technologies, projects, and institutional guarantees, and formed a universal and representative “Zaozhuang model”. This study expands the theoretical foundation of rural sustainable development and provides theoretical and practical support for innovation-driven rural sustainable development.

Knowledge infrastructures, conflictual coproduction, and the politics of planning: A post-foundational approach to political capability in Nepal and Thailand

In an era of rapid urbanisation, understanding how marginalised groups shape and are shaped by planning has never been more urgent. Here, we focus on the political capability of marginalised groups, centring analysis on the control (or lack of control) that they have over their livelihoods and environment. Focused on the politics of participatory planning that surround the Kirtipur and Baan Mankong Housing Projects in Nepal and Thailand, we develop a post-foundational approach to explore how the political capabilities of informal settlers and their representatives are bound up in the realisation of conflict. Crucially, our analysis reveals the discourses, alliances, and expertise – referred to as knowledge infrastructures – that are mobilised by constituted and constituent forms of power to construct and contest urban development. Building upon this framework, we demonstrate how technocratic knowledge infrastructures support hegemonic encroachment discourses that, in turn, condition the emergence of insurgent knowledge infrastructures. In doing so, we show that the political capabilities of informal settlers are fundamentally tied to how these insurgent knowledge infrastructures support participatory planning processes conducive to political subjectivisation. Ultimately, we reveal how participatory planning generates struggles for equality and rights that shape the urban as an arena of conflictual coproduction.

Analysis of the creation of idle community space under the background of urban renewal in China

In the era of rapid urbanization, the existing buildings in old communities can no longer meet the living needs of residents, and the community space urgently needs to be updated. The article explores the use of micro updates to create community space and combines participatory creation to analyse the principles of community space creation, including spatial social power, knowledge interaction power, critical thinking power, and local inclusiveness. From the construction mode and process perspective, this paper analyses the renovation case of basement 302 of Wangjing Huajiadi in Beijing. Starting from the needs of residents, problems encountered, and conflicts encountered, and by creating a skill exchange space, a community construction mode of co-creation and symbiosis has been summarized.