Abstract: This article compares urban planning dealing with historic buildings in Berlin and Stockholm. It examines some cases of preservation, demolition and reconstruction of historic buildings. Different historic approaches in urban planning are subsumed under the slogans “architecture as wellbeing” and “the automotive city”. The policy cycle serves as a framework for a qualitative content analysis of debates on urban planning in both city councils. It results in the application of the slogan” architecture as wellbeing” could both result in demolition of historic buildings and their replacement with modern ones (the Hansa Quarter in Berlin and the demolitions in Nedre Norrmalm/Klara in Stockholm), and in restorations and reconstructions (from the 1970s on). The intention to build a modern city in the 1950s and 1960s could both result in a loosened city, as realized in the Hansa Quarter, in Vällingby and in most of the argumentation in Stockholm’s City Council in favour of hygienic housing and underground traffic, and in a densened automotive city, as it actually was implemented in Stockholm’s center. Today, while Berlin has opted for reconstruction in several cases, Stockholm is preserving the status quo achieved by the large-scale demolitions of the 1950s and 1960s.

Abstract: Active mobility in peri-urban areas is influenced by sprawl, limited public transportation, and reliance on private vehicles. This study redefines active mobility in peri-urban and low-density contexts from a territorial perspective informed by the Veneto Region and reframes micro-hubs as socially oriented, network-integrated elements rather than scaled-down urban hubs. This study adopts a qualitative, theory-driven methodology combining a multidisciplinary review of the active mobility concept with thematic analysis to identify mobility hub characteristics, followed by analytical synthesis, the classification of mobility hub types, and a set of social indicators for analyzing their performance. These methods are used to develop a framework for understanding mi-cro-hubs as socio-spatial components of active mobility networks. Results indicate that a network of minor roads and micro-hubs can support shifts toward active mobility when aligned with daily mobility patterns and supported by multi-level governance. The study outlines the socio-spatial roles of micro-hubs and defines them as nodes that link local networks and everyday mobility systems, distinguishing three roles: network, welfare, and civic. Socio-spatially integrated micro-hubs can be effective in reducing car dependence while providing transferable policy-oriented actions for similar peri-urban and low-density areas.

Abstract: Urban models circulate toward African cities with claims to universal applicability, yet they consistently produce outcomes that diverge from their initial promises. This article argues that the explanation lies not in local implementation failures but in the very mechanics of circulation. Building on the critical trajectory from policy transfer theory through policy mobilities to assemblage thinking, the article constructs an original analytical framework organised around the fragmentation matrix. This matrix identifies five families of fragments composing any urban model in circulation: conceptual, metric, iconographic, institutional, and narrative. Each family exhibits differential mobility, travelling through distinct channels and producing different consequences for the receiving context. Three types of legitimation arenas selectively structure this diffusion, generating what the article theorises as asymmetric fragmentation: the selective, hierarchised, and unequally operational circulation of heterogeneous components. Applied to the African continent, the framework reveals that model dysfunction is not a contingent failure but a structural feature of the circulation mechanism itself. The article concludes that overcoming this structural inadequacy requires reconfiguring the epistemic conditions under which urban knowledge is produced and legitimised.

Abstract: Urban regeneration has become a central focus in global urban studies, increasingly linked to the dual imperatives of sustainability and urban resilience. Chinese urban villages (Chengzhongcun) and Spanish Suelo Urbano no Consolidado (SUNC, Unconsolidated Urban Land) areas represent two contrasting forms of urban socio-spatial systems engulfed by urban expansion—both characterized by dense, historically rooted morphologies and incomplete infrastructure. While Chinese urban villages retain collective land ownership and self-built structures, SUNC areas preserve working-class housing typologies and community social structures within a sophisticated legal framework. As China shifts from a demolition–reconstruction model toward more sustainable regeneration approaches, this study compares Beijing's Cuigezhuang with Málaga's El Perchel through spatial analysis and stakeholder surveys. The research evaluates how differing planning systems foster or constrain sustainable development alongside social, spatial, and institutional resilience in regeneration processes. Findings demonstrate that Spain's incremental, participatory approach—anchored in Planes Especiales de Reforma Interior (PERI, Special Plans for Inner Urban Renewal) and land readjustment (equidistribution) mechanisms—significantly outperforms China's state-led demolition-based model in supporting long-term sustainability, heritage integrity, community cohesion, and spatial continuity. Spain's legally embedded participation and in situ rehabilitation strategies offer transferable lessons for China's evolving sustainable and resilience-oriented regeneration paradigm.

Abstract: In the face of economic disparities, housing as a fundamental right highlights differences and social stratification. From the perspective of complexity, factors such as location, distance from development hubs, and designs that standardize needs accentuate weaknesses in its conception. The new realities of living in housing after the pandemic lead us to rethink new design approaches where housing and work can be combined. This research analyzes the case of the Ciudad Alegría Social Housing Program, located in the city of Loja, Ecuador. The diagnostic method determined that 24% of the homes have commercial projections as a survival strategy. While these spatial patterns reduce the levels of habitability in the homes, they also produce benefits such as proximity between home and work, savings in transportation costs, interaction with neighbors, and mixed uses. These facts reflect gaps in the architectural design process, which fails to consider both service providers and users in decision-making in the design of VIS programs, as well as the need for this phenomenon to be elevated to public policy.

Abstract: Agentic artificial intelligence—systems capable of reasoning, anticipating, and acting autonomously on behalf of citizens and institutions—is converging with electric and autonomous mobility and urban robotics to reshape how cities govern, move, and maintain their physical environments. This paper examines three interconnected vectors of AI-driven urban transformation: (1) the evolution of public-sector conversational AI from informational chatbots toward cognitive, agentic government; (2) the emergence of autonomous electric mobility—robotaxis, on-demand transit, and autonomous logistics—that is fundamentally altering urban spatial structure, cost, and connectivity; and (3) the deployment of intelligent robotics and city brain platforms that automate the physical management of urban space. We extend the mirroring hypothesis (Conway, Colfer and Baldwin) in two directions: dynamically, arguing that organizations and ecosystems converge toward the best strategic configurations that new technologies make possible; and ontologically, arguing that agentic AI introduces non-human agents as first-class participants in organizational architectures, requiring hybrid human-AI coordination structures. We further propose the concept of cumulative recursive hybridization—a dynamic in which the three vectors interact through data, regulatory, infrastructure, and talent feedback loops within specific urban ecosystems, generating compounding returns analogous to those observed during the Industrial Revolution. Drawing on comparative international evidence from over twenty governance chatbot deployments, the rapidly scaling autonomous mobility ecosystems of the United States and China, and emerging urban robotics landscapes, we find that advanced deployments concentrate in cities—not nations—that combine regulatory agility, talent ecosystem density, institutional willingness to redesign, and tolerance for experimental iteration. The paper concludes that the cities which will lead the next era of urban transformation are those that pursue simultaneous deployment across all three vectors, redesign their institutional architectures to mirror the possibilities of the agentic era, and actively orchestrate the cross-domain ecosystems in which cumulative innovation takes hold.

Abstract: Unused, underutilized, abandoned, and residual urban spaces are increasingly recognized as potential resources for adaptive reuse, ecological improvement, and urban resilience. In this study, such areas are approached through the overarching concept of waste space, a term used to capture both their condition of underutilization and their transformation potential. While existing research has largely focused on the definition, classification, and emergence of such spaces, their transformation potential under varying spatial and institutional contexts has received comparatively limited attention. Addressing this gap, the study operationalizes selected Social–Ecological Systems (SES) dynamics through spatial analysis in the metropolitan area of İzmir, Türkiye. Using district-level analysis across ten metropolitan districts, the research combines typological and morphological classification of waste spaces with four spatial indicators: Density Index, Location Quotient, Shannon Diversity Index, and Typology Dominance Index. The results show that waste spaces are unevenly distributed across İzmir and form distinct district-level configurations shaped by infrastructure expansion, post-industrial transformation, speculative vacancy, and fragmented urban growth. The study concludes that waste spaces cannot be addressed through a uniform regeneration logic. By linking SES dynamics with measurable spatial indicators, the proposed framework offers a context-sensitive basis for transforming waste spaces and supporting district-specific planning and policy decisions.

Abstract: Population ageing intensifies the need for built environments that support healthy and independent living while reducing preventable risks. This review examines how archi-tectural design, safety measures, and corporate security can function as an integrated, layered system for creating age friendly environments across public spaces, housing, and intergenerational community settings. Drawing on an integrative synthesis of re-cent research, international standards, and guidelines, the review analyses how uni-versal design principles, injury prevention strategies, and governance routines inter-sect to sustain mobility, reduce harm, and protect data, devices, and operational con-tinuity. The findings indicate that gaps in any layer, such as inaccessible layouts, poor-ly maintained safety systems, or weak cybersecurity, can undermine overall effective-ness, compromise trust, and affect older adults’ autonomy. Conversely, when accessi-bility, safety, and corporate security are coordinated from design through to operation and maintenance, environments are more likely to remain reliable, equitable, and re-sponsive over time. This review concludes that age friendly environments require not only barrier free architecture and proportionate safety measures, but also robust gov-ernance structures that ensure accountability, lifecycle maintenance, and responsible data practices. Integrating these domains provides a foundation for resilient, trust-worthy, and health promoting environments that enable older adults to remain active, socially connected, and secure.

Abstract: Commercial streets are the most vibrant public spaces in rapidly urbanizing cities, and their livability has studied limited in the context of Indian urban environments. Existing national and international street assessment frameworks largely emphasize technical design compliance and walkability indicators while giving limited attention to the sociability and vibrancy that characterize commercial streets. This study develops a Composite Street Livability Index (SLI) to evaluate commercial street environments by in-tegrating physical, functional, and experiential dimensions. The methodology adopts a mixed-methods approach combining physical street audits, perception surveys, and behavioural observations. Five key dimensions of livability are identified from national and international frameworks: safety and security; accessibility and connectivity; comfort and amenities; sociability and vibrancy; management and aesthetics. The framework is applied to the commercial street of Thyagaraya Road, T.Nagar, located in Chennai, one of the most active retail districts in India. The results reveal an overall Street Livability Index score of 80.2 out of 100, indicating relatively high livability despite notable spatial variations across the six street nodes. Safety and security (27.8%) and accessibility and connectivity (24.2%) contribute the largest shares to the overall index, reflecting the dominance of pedestrian infrastructure and mobility conditions in shaping street performance. Safety and security recorded the highest qualitative rating (4.07/5), highlighting the corridor’s strong commercial activity and social interaction. However, lower scores in comfort, amenities, and management dimensions indicate the need for improved environmental quality and street maintenance. The proposed index demonstrates the value of integrating infrastructure and social activity indicators to assess commercial streets comprehensively and provides a context-sensitive evaluation tool for planners and policymakers to support people-oriented street transformation in Indian cities.

Abstract: Population ageing is creating increasing demand for residential environments that support safety, independence, and well-being for older adults. However, existing design guidelines remain fragmented and often lack measurable spatial indicators applicable in architectural evaluation. This study proposes the Elderly Residential Environment Evaluation Matrix (EREEM), an integrated framework based on six environmental design principles: safety, accessibility, autonomy, privacy, social interaction, and adaptability. An expert survey involving 36 specialists was conducted to evaluate an initial set of 54 spatial indicators, showing high reliability (Cronbach’s α = 0.978). The indicators were subsequently refined into 24 operational indicators and applied in field assessments of four residential environments in Vietnam. The results confirm the reliability and applicability of the EREEM framework, highlighting safety and accessibility as foundational conditions for age-friendly residential environments. The study provides a systematic evaluation tool bridging environmental gerontology and architectural design, supporting sustainable and age-friendly residential development in ageing societies.

Abstract:

Unregulated Housing (UrH) is a widespread urban phenomenon in Morocco, largely driven by rapid population growth and accelerated urbanization. It has expanded mainly on the outskirts of cities and within housing developments that already benefit from basic infrastructure and superstructure services. In response to this challenge, public authorities have adopted several urban planning instruments, particularly the Land Management Plan (LMP). According to Law No. 12-90 on urban planning, the LMP seeks to regulate urban expansion, improve the architectural and aesthetic quality of the built environment, and preserve the overall coherence of developed areas. As a legally binding planning document, the LMP establishes strict land-use regulations, and any breach of these rules constitutes an offence. Traditionally, detecting such violations requires on-site inspections by control officers, followed by the preparation of official reports submitted to the competent legal authorities. However, recent advances in aerial image acquisition and processing technologies provide powerful tools to improve and facilitate the monitoring of urban planning compliance. This paper proposes a conceptual framework that integrates artificial intelligence with urban planning regulations to enable the automatic detection of urban planning offences using RGB orthophotos covering areas subject to a Land Management Plan, relying on deep learning techniques.

Abstract: Smart city governance increasingly relies on AI-enabled planning systems, digital twins, vulnerability scoring tools, and capital investment prioritization platforms to allocate climate-resilient housing and infrastructure investments. Yet existing smart-urbanism and adaptation frameworks under-specify how such systems should encode (i) well-being, (ii) equity, and (iii) climate uncertainty in the decision logic that translates urban data into ranked projects and funded portfolios. This paper develops a governance-centered framework, Caring Urban AI, through a replicable conceptual synthesis that integrates research on (a) climate risk decision-making under deep un-certainty, (b) built-environment pathways relevant to psychosocial well-being, and (c) algorithmic accountability and fairness for public-sector decision infrastructures. The framework specifies a five-layer architecture linking (1) urban form and infrastruc-ture, (2) climate exposure and environmental resources, (3) psychosocial mediators of well-being, (4) algorithmic design choices (data, objective functions, equity constraints, uncertainty handling, documentation), and (5) institutional governance (procurement, auditing, participation, redress), with explicit feedback loops. The primary outputs are: (i) the five-layer Caring Urban AI architecture operationalized as auditable decision infrastructure; (ii) eight mechanism-based propositions that render the framework empirically testable via audits and quasi-experimental policy evaluations; and (iii) an operational specification guide illustrating objective-function forms, equity con-straints, robustness logic, and documentation artifacts for prioritization workflows. The analysis concludes that aligning Urban AI with SDG 11 requires treating well-being-supportive living conditions as a decision objective, constraining optimiza-tion with equity conditions, and institutionalizing auditability and contestability to prevent distributive and psychosocial harm in climate-resilient investment planning.

Abstract: Urban regeneration frequently encounters a critical trade-off: whether to accelerate planning and implementation of design solutions or safeguard participation. To address this challenge, the paper introduces the concept of the governance “grey zone”—an informal yet institutional interface that flexibly reconfigures the relationship between planning and design to transcend the impasse. This perspective is grounded in an analysis of the recent urban regeneration of Hsinchu City, where a weekly, mayor-led coordination forum with external consultants functioned as an informal yet institutional organizational hub. This forum broke down departmental silos, unified multiple design teams under shared principles, and expedited implementation of numerous projects—all while maintaining public scrutiny and inclusivity. The study draws on interviews with high-profile administrators, planners, and designers involved in Hsinchu’s regeneration, as well as official documents. Elaborating on this, the paper finally advances a set of implications regarding urban regeneration scholarship with attention to aspects of urban design governance.

Abstract: Sustainable housing finance has emerged as a critical tool for achieving inclusive, resilient, and environmentally responsible urbanization in developing economies, yet access to affordable, climate-resilient housing remains limited. Rapid urbanization, weak institutional frameworks, high borrowing costs, and underdeveloped mortgage markets exacerbate housing deficits, particularly for low-income populations. Recent developments in financial deepening, including the expansion of banking services, fintech innovations, and microfinance programs, provide new opportunities to address these challenges, but integration with sustainability objectives remains uneven. This review synthesizes existing literature and practical experiences to examine innovative mechanisms that can enhance sustainable housing finance, including green mortgages, ESG-linked lending, climate risk-adjusted finance, blended financial instruments, and digital financial technologies. The analysis identifies persistent gaps in the alignment of affordability, environmental sustainability, and financial viability, highlighting the need for context-specific solutions that mobilize both domestic and international capital. Policy frameworks that incentivize sustainable practices, capacity building for financial institutions and developers, and the adoption of data-driven and technology-enabled solutions are emphasized as essential for scaling impact. The review argues that sustainable housing finance should be understood as a strategic nexus of finance, social equity, and environmental resilience capable of accelerating progress toward SDG 11 while stimulating local economic growth.

Abstract: Public participation in planning, though a foundational democratic principle, faces implementation challenges across diverse planning systems worldwide. This study examines participatory planning practice in Ireland and Serbia – two contexts shaped by distinct planning traditions yet confronting similar tensions between democratic ideals and practice realities. Through comparative analysis of four local land-use planning instruments (Development Plans and Local Area Plans in Ireland; Spatial Plans and General Regulation Plans in Serbia), the research investigates how institutional design, power relations, and democratic commitments embedded within planning systems fundamentally shape participatory outcomes. Beyond external pressures such as neoliberalisation and democratic decline, the study demonstrates that the internal dynamics of participation, seen in the quality of dialogue, distribution of knowledge, strength of civic networks, and negotiation of power among stakeholders, ultimately determine whether participatory processes enable genuine democratic engagement or reproduce existing hierarchies. Methodologically, the research triangulates statutory regulations, public hearing documentation, and non-statutory participation records across multiple planning scales. Employing a four-dimensional analytical framework, including informing, consultation, collaboration, and monitoring, the analysis traces information dissemination strategies, consultation mechanisms, collaborative practices, and transparency structures. Findings reveal that, while both systems remain largely at the informing and consulting levels, critical differences emerge: Ireland demonstrates multi-channel, immersive approaches, feedback-oriented consultation, and structured collaborative experimentation, whereas Serbia exhibits statutory-minimal information provision, objection-based adversarial procedures, and exceptional rather than systematic collaboration. The study advances comparative European planning scholarship by identifying how planning cultures, legislative frameworks, and institutional responsiveness generate divergent participatory outcomes even under similar global pressures, offering practical insights for strengthening inclusive urban governance across varied institutional contexts.

Abstract: The reuse of treated wastewater for agricultural irrigation is increasingly recognized as a strategic response to the growing challenges posed by climate change and freshwater scarcity. The paper outlines the development of EU regulations on using treated wastewater for irrigation, focusing on Italy. It highlights Regulation (EU) 2020/741, which sets minimum standards and water quality classes for agricultural reuse, and discusses its integration into national law. The aim of the paper is to present a case study of the wastewater treatment plant operated by GIDA S.p.A. in the Municipality of Prato, Tuscany. A quali-quantitative survey was conducted with a sample of local agri-food producers located in proximity to the plant, aimed at assessing their irrigation needs, current water sources, and attitudes toward the use of reclaimed water. Results indicate a general willingness to adopt treated wastewater for irrigation. The case of Prato is further contextualized within two ongoing municipal frameworks: the development of a local food policy strategy and the “Prato Circular City” program, which positions cir-cular economy principles at the core of urban planning. Through the integration of policy analysis and empirical data, this study provides valuable insights into peri-urban agricultural environments in Central Italy.

Abstract: This study explores how the Fes Medina's traditional courtyard house design has influenced urban form and has developed from its roots in the Andalusian and Islamic eras to a Westernized city in the 19th century. The study analyzes privacy, climate moderation, and socialization and poses the question of how courtyard houses of the city create the structure and hierarchy of the city. It employs a multi-scalar analysis, including a historical overview of the city, micro-scale spatial arrangements of individual houses, and meso-and-macro-scale mappings of the structure of neighbourhoods. The research shows that while individual courtyard houses agglomerate into dense fabrics in the three medinas to provide a seamless continuity between the private interiors and the public realm, they are also generative elements that provide evaporative cooling and cross-ventilation to improve thermal comfort and facilitate social order. The conclusion of this study is that the urban form of the Fes Medina reflects the socio-cultural and domestic values of the city, and it advocates for a re-evaluation of contemporary applications of courtyard house designs to address issues relating to privacy and environmental sustainability.

Abstract: This article critically analyses Lisbon's Green Participatory Budget (GPB), launched in 2020 in the symbolic context of the city's designation as European Green Capital. Rather than treating the GPB as a radical democratic innovation, the article situates it as a thematic and digital reconfiguration of Lisbon's long-standing participatory budgeting process, active since 2008 and already incorporating environmental dimensions. Drawing on critical urban studies, political ecology, and literature on participatory governance, the analysis explores the democratic and justice implications of digital participatory climate governance. The article identifies several structural limitations in the design and implementation of GPB, including technocratic control, digital exclusion, restricted deliberation, private sector involvement, and limited attention to issues of distributive and climate justice. Particular attention is given to how participation is framed in procedural rather than political terms, with limited mechanisms to assess inclusion, empower disadvantaged groups, or address the risks associated with green gentrification. Beyond these internal limitations, the article argues that the most significant limitation of Lisbon's GPB lies in its lack of continuity. Despite the mobilisation of financial resources, institutional effort and public expectations, the GPB was not renewed after 2021, nor were its results systematically evaluated or incorporated into long-term governance strategies. This discontinuation compromises the potential of participatory climate governance as a learning process and raises broader questions about symbolic policy-making, institutional memory, and democratic accountability in urban climate action.

Abstract: Urban renewal, driven by investments in urban space, has transformed the urban landscape and significantly impacted changes in land use and the physical appearance of the urban environment. Incorporating GOS to change the appearance of cities is an important strategy for urban development, by utilizing them as central points of building orientation. Changes in the land use of GOS into other functions that have a negative impact on the urban environment have been widely studied by researchers, but not much research has been done on changes in land use around GOS which function as the central point of urban orientation. This research will examine changes in land use patterns around the Karebosi Field Complex GOS on a building plot unit scale using a survey research approach with descriptive analysis. The research was conducted in Makassar City, and data analysis was carried out in 2023. The GOS sample was selected through purposive sampling, the Karebosi Field Complex GOS was deliberately chosen as the research subject because of its area and optimal and dynamic activities, as a leading landmark that contributes to Makassar city branding. It was found that changes in land use based on building plot units, some of which have taken place three times, 89 percent of the land plots around GOS have changed function, all land function changes have become land with commercial functions, the two land plot units that have not changed function are Makassar District Court Office and Church Building. Centrifugal force occurs when government building land is pushed away from the city core and replaced by commercial building land as a manifestation of centripetal force which is attracted to enter the city core area and function as a central business district.

Abstract: The Air-front Smart City (ASC) concept is proposed to address the stagnation of industries in developed countries and stimulate economic growth in developing countries while maintaining a higher quality of life for people and contributing to decarbonization and overall United Nations SDGs in an existing study. However, no studies have been conducted to assess ASC policies. Therefore, this study integrates the integrated accessibility index into the quality of life (QOL) and quality of business (QOB) evaluation models to assess the startup ecosystem in Aichi, Singapore, and Munich within the ASC concept. The study uses survey data conducted in Aichi to estimate monetary values of QOL and QOB component indicators, calculates the integrated accessibility indices, and estimates QOL and QOB. Furthermore, the study sets scenarios to assess the impacts of living and business urban policies in Aichi. Additionally, the study using Aichi parameters compares the startup ecosystem in Singapore and Munich. The result shows that the key drivers of startup attraction are corporate tax rate, economic growth, and safety; enhancing these indicators directly increases startups' QOB, business partners, and residents' QOL. It was found that QOB in Singapore is comparatively higher, whereas QOL is higher in Aichi.