Pastoral regions in ecologically fragile zones face a distinct urbanization trajectory that differs markedly from conventional urban settings, yet their capacity to generate new quality productive forces (NQ) under ecological constraints remains poorly understood. This study focuses on 54 county-level units in Inner Mongolia’s pastoral areas and develops a multidimensional new-type urbanization (NU) evaluation framework encompassing population and cultural development, infrastructure, public services, ecological civilization, economic environment, and science and education. Drawing on panel regression models, system dynamics simulations, and machine learning algorithms, the study examines how NU shapes NQ across pastoral and semi-agricultural-semi-pastoral areas from 2014 to 2023. Results indicate that NU exerts a significant positive effect on NQ, with investment and consumption serving as the core mediating pathways, particularly pronounced in purely pastoral areas and Western Inner Mongolia. System dynamics simulations reveal that coordinated development strategies and population-culture-oriented pathways yield superior long-term NQ outcomes compared to single-dimension interventions. XGBoost combined with SHAP analysis identifies traditional village conservation, the presence of large-scale industrial enterprises, and green coverage rate of built-up areas as the most influential determinants. These findings highlight that sustainable productivity growth in pastoral urban systems requires a people-centered, ecologically bounded development paradigm that fosters a virtuous cycle between consumption expansion, technological innovation and efficient investment, offering evidence-based guidance for urban planning and ecological governance in grassland-dominated regions.

The purpose of the study is to identify current trends in the interaction of architectural universities with municipal structures, assess the effectiveness of such cooperation and determine the prospects for its development. The work uses a set of research methods, including a retrospective analysis of the historical foreign and Russian experience of interaction between architectural educational institutions and government authorities, the study of student projects carried out within the framework of academic disciplines, as well as an assessment of the results of cooperation between universities and municipalities based on real projects presented. Special attention is paid to the two-year experience of the Department of Architectural Design of IRNTU with the administrations of municipalities of the Irkutsk region. The types of joint initiatives are analyzed: course and diploma projects for specific territories, master classes with the participation of government representatives, public defenses of design solutions, student work competitions under the direct supervision of the regional architecture service (Department of Architecture of the municipality). The study identified key aspects of the effectiveness of interaction: for municipalities, for universities and students. The systemic partnership between universities and municipalities creates a synergetic effect: universities receive non-standard project proposals, universities receive the opportunity to modernize the educational process, and students receive practical competencies in demand in the labor market. It is argued that in Russia there is a steady trend towards building long–term partnerships between architectural universities and municipalities, from the implementation of individual projects to the development of systemic cooperation programs. The experience of IRNTU clearly demonstrates the expediency of developing partnership between educational institutions and local governments as an effective mechanism for solving urgent urban planning and architectural problems.

Efficient extraction of building footprints from aerial and satellite imagery is essential for urban planning, infrastructure management, and large-scale geospatial analysis. Traditional raster-based approaches provide limited geometric precision, while existing polygon-generation methods often rely on detecting and ordering small-scale building vertices, which can lead to incomplete structures, distorted shapes, and high computational cost. To address these limitations, this study proposes an Edge-Attentive Dual-Branch Frame Field Network (EA-DBFFN) for automated and high-precision building polygon extraction. The method is built upon frame field learning and introduces a dual-branch architecture that separately predicts building masks and edges. A Dual-Task Decoder enlarges and adapts receptive fields while applying spatial attention to enhance the representation of structural details. Fixed Sobel and Laplacian filters are incorporated to strengthen boundary detection. In addition, a Dual-Task Mutual Guidance Module promotes the exchange of complementary information between the mask and edge branches, improving geometric consistency and reducing boundary errors. Experiments conducted on the Inria Aerial dataset and the CrowdAI dataset demonstrate that EA-DBFFN achieves superior performance in region-based metrics, with an AP75 of 72.9% on CrowdAI, representing a 2.3% improvement over competing methods. Furthermore, EA-DBFFN produces geometrically higher-quality polygons, with the Max Tangent Angle error reduced by 6.4%, the Invalid Polygon Ratio reduced by 66.3%, and Edge Smoothness improved by 72.7% compared to the best competing method. The results show that EA-DBFFN provides an effective and computationally efficient framework for generating high-quality vectorized building footprints suitable for large-scale urban analysis.

The article is devoted to the study of territorial planning prerequisites for the development of tourism and recreation in the Central ecological zone of Lake Baikal. The paper discusses the theory of adaptation of recreational systems to the applied aspects of sectoral territorial planning on the example of Kabansky district of the Republic of Buryatia. The research considers the main tasks of organizing tourism in the environmental context of the territory: the study of the attractiveness factors of natural and anthropogenic complexes for recreational purposes, taking into account the landscape, ecological and aesthetic qualities of natural territories as a basis for the placement and layout of environmental and recreational functions in the territory, the study of socio-economic, historical, cultural and planning pre-requisites for the development of tourism as a typological subsystem of the established settlement. The results of the study consider the landscape, historical, cultural, functional, technical and infrastructural factors of the territorial organization of the settlement of Kabansky district. The analysis of the essential structure of environmental and recreational activities, resources and prospects for the development of the tourist and recreational system in the current context of land use is carried out. The features of the landscape planning organization and the tasks of adaptive development of recreation and tourism in the lower reaches of the Selenga River as a recreational area are also considered. The defining principles of sustainability are: the integration of environmental protection and ecotourism, the formation of a core tourist activity in human settlements, increasing the functional diversity and connectivity of the territory through the development of internal recreational networks.

As a result of the research of the Architecture Department of South Ural State University on the urgent problem of environmental architecture, it was found that in the context of global greening of construction and the transition to a paradigm of sustainable development, the analysis of the relationship between environmental strategies and architectural concepts is of particular scientific and practical importance. A comprehensive approach has been applied as a methodological basis, including a comparative analysis of modern domestic and foreign projects, as well as the subsequent systematization of architectural and planning techniques determined by environmental imperatives. The study revealed a stable causal relationship between environmental strategies and architectural solutions, manifested in the formation of specific facade plastics, aerodynamically optimized volume configuration, rational spatial organization, etc. Specific principles of adaptive geometry, integration of bio-climatic elements, functional planning flexibility and adaptability, hierarchical organization of the shell, which set a new vector for the synthesis of architectural aesthetics and ecological efficiency, have been identified and classified. Based on the analysis, strategic directions for the inclusion of environmental aspects in the architectural design process have been identified. These principles are universal in nature and can be adapted for the design of high-rise buildings in various climatic and urban planning contexts. The prospects for the transformation of the architectural process through the use of digital technologies, in particular, artificial intelligence and predictive modeling, for the practical formation of new-generation high-rise buildings that meet the criteria of ecological regeneration and sustainable urban development are formulated.

Abstract With the progressive developments in digital humanities and smart city initiatives, there is a surging demand for the digitization of historical city maps, necessitating efficient and cost-effective georeferencing technologies. Existing methods often fall short in user-friendliness for non-technical personnel, highlighting the urgent need for low-barrier, batch processing solutions. This study proposes a framework for grouping modern urban maps based on cartographical characteristics, utilizing a manually constructed external reference grid system to generate conjugate Ground Control Points (GCPs) for batch georeferencing within these groups. Experimental results indicate that for urban maps at scales between 1:5,000 and 1:20,000, this method can maintain the root mean square error (RMSE) between 25.96 m and 66.25 m, significantly lower than errors associated with existing methods based on internal feature matching. By standardizing the construction of an external reference system, this approach effectively addresses the technical challenges associated with the lack of corresponding control points in unbuilt areas of historical urban planning maps. It provides a replicable batch georeferencing approach for non-technical users, significantly enhancing the efficiency of digitizing paper map archives and their precise temporal and spatial alignment with modern Geographic Information Systems (GIS).

The transformation from Building Information Modeling (BIM) to City Information Modeling (CIM) poses a major challenge for achieving holistic digital urbanism. While BIM delivers object-based, detailed models of individual structures, scalability and semantic structure always fail when multiplied and transferred in scale and complexity for urban systems. This paper addresses BIM integration in CIM for the construction of a multi-scale, semantically interoperable urban digital twin platform. In a comparative analysis of early pioneers of digital twins – namely Virtual Singapore, Helsinki 3D City and Dubai Digital Twin – our research identifies best practices and common pitfalls related to data standardization, semantic mismatches and computational scalability. Considerable attention has been given to semantic interoperability as a crucial condition for effective data translation at different scaled levels from micro (building scale) to macro (city scale) models. The paper derives a BIM-to-CIM integration framework based on case-based Modeling that demonstrates how individual BIM models constructively inform broader-based CIM platforms for long-term sustainable district planning and management. platforms for long-term sustainable district planning and management. The resulting framework facilitates robust data-driven urban planning and unlocks interoperability between separate modeling spaces, establishing a stable foundation for potential smart city use cases.

Port cities face increasing pressure due to their significant role in global greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution, impacting both environment and public health. This study conducts a systematic bibliometric review of 220 Scopus-indexed publications from 2014 to 2025 to map the evolving scientific landscape of urban emissions in these maritime hubs. Findings reveal a "productivity paradox": while research output has surged by 660%, the average citation impact has declined by 96%, indicating thematic fragmentation. The analysis identifies a critical disconnect between technical maritime engineering—such as port electrification and "cold ironing"—and urban spatial governance frameworks. Furthermore, advanced digital tools like artificial intelligence for real-time monitoring remain underutilized. Theoretically, this study advances urban environmental governance by positioning emission mitigation as a central variable in municipal spatial growth rather than a localized technical issue. The review calls for a paradigmatic shift toward "Integrated Port-City Governance" to align maritime decarbonization with resilient urban planning. By bridging environmental engineering and spatial policy, this research provides a strategic foundation for transforming port cities into low-carbon, sustainable urban ecosystems.

The architectural and electronic reconstruction of the mausoleum of Sheikh Nur al-Din Basir (d.1249) destroyed in the late nineteenth century in Samarkand and an important Temurid monument is included in this essay. The study is interdisciplinary following the integration of the archival research, architectural drawing, cartography, and up-to-date geodetic research as the scientific basis of a 3D reconstruction of the mausoleum and its historical landscape. In addition to the reconstruction of the architectural image of the monument, the study showcases how it would fit in the urban fabric of Temurid Samarkand and how it would be incorporated in the fortified citadel of Amir Temur. The reconstruction has also shown the relevance of digital technologies in conservation of heritage, history of urban planning and marketing cultural tourism. Connecting the studies of architectural heritage to the modern techniques of planning and built environment, this paper will give a new understanding of how digital reconstructions may be used as the means of both academic study and sustainable management of cultural heritage.

This paper contends that recognition justice remains underdeveloped within spatial justice theory and planning practice. Our argument is grounded in a review of existing spatial justice theories and an ethnographic analysis of an urban redevelopment plan in Bogotá, Colombia. We distill three principles of socio-spatial justice from the literature. We then review how these established theories of redistributive and procedural justice have been criticized for failing to account for everyday experiences and epistemic injustices, and for being top-down and undemocratic. We assert that socio-spatial justice approaches fall short in addressing the more invisible, situated, and continuously emerging forms of injustice that accompany urban renewal processes intended to be just. In response, we propose two additional principles of ‘experiential justice’ to enhance urban planning theory and practice: to analyze diverse experiences of injustice in situated, real-world, and empirical contexts, and to examine injustice in the often invisible, informal, and nuanced bottom-up experiences of its victims. We demonstrate the relevance of this experiential approach through the ethnographic case study of the Fenicia Triangle, where an innovative land management plan and participatory process diverged from Bogotá’s tradition of expropriation and forced displacement, aiming to exemplify ‘just’ urban planning. Although it addressed distributive and procedural justice, our ethnographic findings reveal that an understanding of ‘experiential justice’ is essential to deepen recognitional justice by transcending technical, financial, and participatory objectives and by acknowledging the significance of home versus house, public versus community spaces, and the experience of waiting.

Urban redevelopment in Lagos, Nigeria's informal settlements such as Makoko, Ajegunle, Badia East, Otodo Gbame, and Kibworth, posed significant mental health risks to residents. Existing literature highlighted the neglect of mental health considerations in urban planning, particularly in informal settlements. This study examined the mental health impacts of redevelopment, exploring associations between redevelopment characteristics and anxiety, depression, and access to mental health services. A mixed-methods approach combined a survey of 500 residents with 30 qualitative interviews. Results showed a high prevalence of anxiety (63.4%) and depression (56.8%). Redevelopment pressures, insecure tenure, displacement, and limited access to green spaces and mental health services exacerbated mental health issues, while community ties provided some resilience. The findings underscore the importance of integrating mental health considerations into urban planning, ensuring tenure security, improving access to green spaces and mental health services, and promoting community engagement. The study informs more inclusive and sustainable urban development practices in Lagos and similar contexts, emphasizing the need for mental health-sensitive policies. The recommendations prioritize community-led development and mental health support services to mitigate the negative impacts of redevelopment. Overall, the study highlights the critical need for mental health considerations in urban planning to promote healthier and more resilient communities in informal settlements.

This study investigated the technological transformation and regeneration of Lagos Island Central Business District (CBD) and its implications for identity, heritage, and spatial transformation. The purpose critically examined how spatial, social, and symbolic elements of this historic core were reshaped to align with Lagos megacity aspirations. A qualitative design was adopted, engaging residents, urban planners, and key stakeholders through semi-structured interviews, focus group discussions, and field observations. Thematic analysis, facilitated by NVivo software, was used to refine narratives and identify tensions between modernization, heritage preservation, and inclusive urban design. Findings suggested that while regeneration promoted infrastructural and economic growth, it also threatened indigenous identity, disrupted social networks, and contributed to the displacement of vulnerable groups. The study concluded by advocating a context-sensitive approach to CBD regeneration which integrated cultural memory, local participation, and socially inclusive planning. Theoretically, the research contributed to urban regeneration discourse in African cities, particularly the intersection of heritage, identity, and redevelopment under global competitiveness. Practically, it offered policy insights for designing CBDs that balanced modernization with cultural continuity. Nonetheless, the study underscored the importance of culturally responsive planning in shaping equitable and sustainable futures for historic urban cores.

The article is devoted to the formation of a market for affordable and comfortable housing at the regional level, focusing on the problems of aging housing stock and insufficient rates of renovation and construction of housing, which creates additional pressures on the infrastructure and reduces the quality of everyday urban services and the comfort of urban space involved in the lives of citizens. The key aspects of urban planning policy necessary to create favorable living conditions for the population are considered. The authors emphasize the importance of integrated urban planning policy as a modern mechanism for the systematic development of urban areas, aimed at maintaining a balance between the interests of the population, authorities, and business and based on the integration of economic, structural, environmental, and socio-demographic factors. Modern urban construction policy is focused on the formation of a favorable investment climate, and the formation of a truly convenient and attractive area for living. The role of the national development goals of the Russian Federation aimed at providing comfortable housing and an environmentally friendly environment is highlighted, and a number of practical steps are proposed to improve the situation, including strengthening cooperation between the state, business and local communities. The formation of an effective regional construction complex is considered as the basis for the integrated development of territories and the sustainable development of urban space. Synchronization of investment, urban planning, housing and social programs will ensure effective integrated development of the territory, which together will make it possible to bridge gaps between individual housing projects and contribute to the formation of a unified approach to the development of not only cities, but also regions as a whole.

Urban areas are increasingly exposed to water-related challenges, including flood risk and water scarcity, amplified by climate change, population growth, and extensive soil sealing. Addressing these pressures requires integrated stormwater management (SWM) strategies that balance hydraulic, environmental, and social objectives. This study introduces a novel, replicable Key Performance Indicator (KPI)-based assessment framework for 36 green–blue and grey sustainable stormwater management systems (SWMSs), designed to enable cross-typology, multiscale comparison. Six KPIs, encompassing flood regulation, water consumption, water quality, air quality, environmental amenity, and biodiversity potential, are derived through a critical synthesis and harmonisation of the literature and complemented with new parameters and sub-parameters to address existing methodological gaps. The framework structures evaluations into six analytical tables and one summary table, ensuring transparent, systematic, and comparative assessment of heterogeneous solutions. Application to a pilot project in Rome demonstrates how integrating KPI evaluation with parametric hydraulic modelling provides actionable insights for solution selection. It also facilitates identification of potential synergies between performance dimensions, enhancing its value as a decision-support tool in preliminary design. Overall, the study demonstrates the research value of multi-scalar, performance-based approaches for urban water planning, highlights the transferability of resilient stormwater strategies in climate-sensitive contexts, and identifies promising avenues for future research, including multi-sectoral integration, trade-off analysis, and cross-platform application.

ABSTRACT As of 2026, visual impairment remains a critical global developmental priority, affecting an estimated 2.2 billion people, with over 1 billion cases being preventable or yet to be addressed. The shift from traditional medical models to Community-Based Inclusive Development (CBID) is essential for achieving equitable access, yet significant challenges persist. Systemic barriers remain prevalent, as specialized eye care is often concentrated in urban hubs, leaving rural populations with a significant "diagnostic gap." Furthermore, socio-economic stigma and the continued use of a charity-based lens rather than a rights-based framework often lead to the exclusion of the visually impaired from mainstream livelihood programs and educational progress. Inaccessible digital infrastructure and a lack of standardized funding for Organizations of Persons with Disabilities (OPDs) further complicate the delivery of consistent, long-term rehabilitation services. To address these hurdles, modern strategies are increasingly focusing on the integration of assistive technology and participatory governance. Leveraging AI-powered diagnostics and smart navigation tools has begun to decentralize care, moving services directly into the community. Current strategies also emphasize the importance of legislative alignment, such as enforcing global digital accessibility standards to ensure that e-commerce and government services are natively inclusive. By adopting an intersectional approach that involves visually impaired individuals in the design of community policies—from climate adaptation to urban planning—CBR can effectively transition from a model of reactive care to one of proactive empowerment. Ultimately, the successful inclusive development of the visually impaired relies on dismantling physical and social barriers through robust policy enforcement and the scaling of community-driven, technology-enabled interventions. Keywords: Community-Based Rehabilitation, Inclusive Development, Visual Impairment, Digital Accessibility, Assistive Technology, Disability Rights.

Utilizing MODIS LST data from 2003 to 2024, in conjunction with multi-source remote sensing data including DEM, land use, NDVI, and nighttime lights, this study conducts a remote sensing quantitative assessment and spatiotemporal characteristic analysis of the urban heat island (UHI) effect in Yinchuan City. An improved urban-rural dichotomy approach was adopted to select rural background areas, and elevation correction of land surface temperature was performed based on the zonal ordinary least squares (OLS) regression to eliminate systematic errors caused by topographic differences. The results show that: (1) From 2003 to 2024, the overall intensity of the UHI in Yinchuan City showed a slight downward trend, while the UHI area continued to expand, presenting the characteristics of “decreasing intensity and expanding scope”; (2) The UHI exhibited concentrated and contiguous distribution in summer, and the cold island phenomenon was significant in winter, reflecting the typical seasonal contrast between summer and winter; (3) The global Moran’s I value increased from 0.39 to 0.82, indicating a significant enhancement in the spatial agglomeration of the UHI; (4) The standard deviation ellipse analysis revealed that the centroid of the UHI migrated toward the westward as a whole, which was consistent with the main axis of urban construction. The research results reveal the long-term evolution law and spatial pattern characteristics of the UHI effect in Yinchuan City, and provide a scientific reference for ecological planning and thermal environment regulation of cities in arid regions. These findings enhance the understanding of long-term urban thermal environment dynamics and provide important scientific support for sustainable urban planning, climate adaptation, and ecological management in arid regions. The study contributes to the quantitative monitoring of urban environmental sustainability and supports sustainable development goals related to climate action and sustainable cities.

Urban heat islands (UHIs) amplify the effects of climate change in cities, disproportionately affecting vulnerable populations. Social stratification, including income, race/ethnicity, housing tenure, and occupation, shapes differential exposure to extreme heat, mediates adaptive capacity, and contributes to inequities in health outcomes. Vulnerable populations residing in low-quality housing or neighborhoods with limited greenness face higher indoor and outdoor heat exposure, leading to increased cardiovascular, metabolic, respiratory, and mental health risks. This review examines the mechanisms linking urban heat, social stratification, and health, highlighting measurement strategies, data gaps, and methodological challenges. It further explores policy and intervention strategies, including equity-oriented urban planning, access to cooling, and community engagement, to mitigate heat-related health disparities. Addressing urban heat inequality requires interdisciplinary approaches that integrate social, environmental, and policy dimensions to promote climate justice and protect public health. Keywords: Urban Heat Islands (UHI), Social Stratification, Climate Justice, Health Inequities, and Adaptive Capacity.

Problem, research strategy, and findings Traditional planning theories—rational, participatory, and codesign—lack explicit frameworks for human–artificial intelligence (AI) cocreation at scale. Cities now produce vast real-time information while confronting wicked problems that exceed human analytical capacity, yet existing paradigms offer no guidance for when AI should propose, when humans must authorize, or how to ensure accountability. We developed the symbiotic planning theory (SPT) through theoretical synthesis, and operationalize it via the CORE framework (Collaboration, Options, Refinement, Execution) with embedded safeguards: transparency, fairness constraints, contestation pathways, and time-bound reauthorization. We validated SPT through Gainesville’s (FL) micromobility program, which exemplifies the compliance trap: Vendors meet a 10% equity-zone deployment requirement, yet the equity zone generates only about 3% of trips versus 84% near campus. Our study—the program’s first systematic community engagement in 4 years—identified cost barriers, competing free transit, and payment exclusions. Community contestation imposed binding equity constraints; a deep reinforcement learning (DRL) model was retrained under those guardrails, and continued use was conditioned on outcome-based key performance indicators (KPIs) rather than deployment compliance alone. The framework introduces generative provocation (AI exposes bias in baseline optimization), model pluralism (systematic comparison of alternatives with documented selection rationale), and the equity gate (reauthorization halts when outcome thresholds are breached). Validation relied on a single-city case with nonrandom community inputs and constrained vendor telemetry, limiting causal inference and generalizability. Transferability to housing and climate adaptation is outlined conceptually but requires empirical testing. Framework scalability to resource-constrained agencies depends on interagency collaboration and procurement strategies not yet widely adopted. Takeaway for practice SPT offers a roadmap for accountable AI integration. Planners remain decision authorities: AI proposes, humans authorize. Planners can apply CORE with concrete artifacts: model cards, audit trails, equity-disaggregated KPIs, public dashboards, grievance workflows, and binding reauthorization tied to equity performance, not just deployment compliance.

Against the backdrop of high-quality urbanization in cities, the rapid expansion of metro networks has led to severe spatial mismatches in land use around station areas, which seriously restricts the full exertion of the comprehensive benefits of the transit-oriented development (TOD) model. Taking 139 operational metro stations in Xi’an in 2024 as the research sample, this study constructs a multi-objective land use optimization model with the richness of public services, transportation accessibility and population distribution balance as the three core maximization objectives. A hierarchically adaptive improved NSGA-III algorithm is proposed, with the following four key technical optimizations implemented: multi-dimensional adaptive reference point adjustment, design of real-integer hybrid coding genetic operators, construction of an enhanced multi-criteria environmental selection mechanism, and dynamic regulation of algorithm iteration. Experimental results show that the performance of the improved algorithm is significantly superior to that of the traditional NSGA-III algorithm: the values of the three core objectives are increased by 59.58%, 12.94% and 7.35% respectively compared with the original data; the algorithm achieves stable convergence after 25 iterations, with the convergence efficiency improved by 30%. The obtained Pareto optimal front features good uniformity (U = 0.92) and coverage (C = 0.95), and all the 80 non-dominated solutions meet all constraint conditions, with the solution set highly coupled with the urban functional zoning and spatial planning of Xi’an. This study proposes a zoned, prioritized and phased hierarchical land use optimization strategy for the areas around metro stations in Xi’an. The research findings provide a replicable research framework and methodological reference for the TOD practice and land use optimization of metro station areas in other rapidly urbanizing central cities in China and developing countries worldwide with the characteristic of rapid rail transit expansion.

ABSTRACT Public markets represent urban places capable of contributing to local economies but also spaces in which tourism sustainability can be compromised by visitor flows. This study explored heterogeneity in resident perceptions of tourism sustainability at the Mercato di Luino, a historic market in Northern Italy, with particular attention to the role of transportation-related issues. Using a sample of 742 residents and market users, we applied latent class analysis to identify distinct groups based on their perceptions of the socio-cultural, economic, and environmental dimensions of the shopping space sustainability. A distinctive feature of the study is the comparison of models in the absence and presence of transportation-related characteristics. Besides finding that residents can be classified into three latent classes segmented in terms of sustainability perceptions, the inclusion of transport-based predictors has strikingly altered class membership probabilities. The results showed that mobility issues experienced in market days can play a crucial role in shaping resident attitudes toward tourism sustainability in public open-air marketplaces, with implications for urban and tourism planning.