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Land
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Smart City and Architectural Design
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Smart City and Architectural Design

A special issue of Land (ISSN 2073-445X). This special issue belongs to the section "Land Planning and Landscape Architecture".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 January 2024) | Viewed by 5531

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Elisabetta Maria Venco

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Civil Engineering and Architecture—DICAr, University of Pavia, 27100 Pavia, Italy
Interests: urban planning; disaster and risk management; healthy city; advanced urban planning for risks reduction; territorial and urban flexibility and resilience; nature-based solutions (NBS); environment analysis and assessment; evaluation
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Chiara Garau

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
DICAAR, Department of Environmental, Civil Engineering and Architecture, University of Cagliari, 09123 Cagliari, Italy
Interests: smart cities; participatory processes; cultural heritage; urban governance and urban policies
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Emanuele Giorgi

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Architecture, Art and Design—EAAD, Tecnológico de Monterrey, Monterrey, Mexico
Interests: vulnerable communitites; technology resources; architecture and urban design; social architecture
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The rapid and sometimes unexpected socio-demographic, cultural, economic, technological, and environmental transformations alongside the growth in global population and of urban complex agglomerations (characterized by a multilayer structure of elements and interactions) implicate profound changes in human life: our society is facing many challenges that need citizens, stakeholders, governments, and the urban environment to be smart, resilient and flexible. In a such various and dynamic context, “smart cities” can reach their social, economic, technological, environmental, or cultural goals using advanced knowledge information, communication patterns, and digital data strategies, tools, and techniques, considering the heterogeneity of data as a strength and a driving force for the “smartness” enhancement and development. The concept of the “smart city” shows interesting challenges and opportunities even in contexts with radically different socio-environmental characteristics: with appropriate consistencies, the development of the "smartness" concept can positively impact both the historic centers of consolidated cities and vulnerable communities in developing countries.

The goal of this Special Issue is to collect papers (original research articles and review papers) with theoretical and methodological advances and operational and applied studies to provide insights into the broad concept of smart cities in relation to urban and spatial planning, urban and architectural design, innovative technologies, and policies that can improve future approaches to the issue of “smartness”, sustainability and flexibility at the local (building and block) and urban scale.

This Special Issue will welcome manuscripts that link the following themes but are not limited to:

  • Urban sustainability;
  • Urban resilience;
  • Urban regeneration;
  • Urban flexibility;
  • Healthy city;
  • Smart solutions for climate change in the urban environment;
  • Smart Cities;
  • Smart people and smart citizens;
  • Urban design;
  • Building efficiency;
  • Smart energy management;
  • Energy Community;
  • Vulnerable Communities;
  • Urban Vulnerabilities.

We look forward to receiving your original research articles and reviews.

Dr. Elisabetta Maria Venco
Dr. Chiara Garau
Prof. Dr. Emanuele Giorgi
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Land is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • urban and spatial planning policies
  • sustainable and smart planning
  • urban life quality
  • urban environment
  • digital transition
  • smart cities

Related Special Issue

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

19 pages, 6125 KiB  
Article
Integrating Health and Smartness—New Sustainable Paradigms for the Urban Environment: A Case Study in Lianshi Town (China)
by Caterina Pietra and Elisabetta Maria Venco
Land 2024, 13(4), 405; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13040405 - 22 Mar 2024
Viewed by 645
Abstract
The concepts of healthy cities and smart cities are popular in emerging research in the 21st century. This study focuses on the existing interrelations between the two notions in terms of socio-spatial quality, technology, and innovation, particularly regarding industrial sites that no longer [...] Read more.
The concepts of healthy cities and smart cities are popular in emerging research in the 21st century. This study focuses on the existing interrelations between the two notions in terms of socio-spatial quality, technology, and innovation, particularly regarding industrial sites that no longer have a role and constitute ‘urban voids’ with high volumetric concentrations. The fast expansion of cities and the de-industrialization phenomena have resulted in such void-producing blights that compromise public health; environmental quality; and social, economic, and living conditions. Therefore, the authors intend to emphasize the relevance of citizens’ and communities’ engagement in shaping new healthy and smart urban environments. The present method relies on a literature review to describe the current theoretical and practical dimensions of such topics, identifying synergies and trade-offs. After this, a case study in China is presented to support the discussion. The site, a former granary, is located in Lianshi, a traditional water-edge town in the central area of the Yangtze River Delta. The proposed example enhances solutions that meet healthy and smart requirements, transforming the former industrial area into a social catalyst, acting as an effective motivator for urban development. One such theoretical approach is exemplified by a project that won a national architecture competition in 2018, the ‘Taihu Cultural Heritage Rehabilitation Competition’. The latter is then validated through practical solutions in a real-world context by analyzing the ‘Cuckoo’ project developed in 2021 for the same area. Overall, the integration of healthy and smart elements is proposed by the authors as an effective method to achieve more holistic and sustainable city development from both theoretical and practical points of view. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Smart City and Architectural Design)
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19 pages, 1634 KiB  
Article
Exploring the Coordinated Development of Smart-City Clusters in China: A Case Study of Jiangsu Province
by Guoqing Shi, Bing Liang, Taotao Ye, Kexin Zhou and Zhonggen Sun
Land 2024, 13(3), 308; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13030308 - 29 Feb 2024
Viewed by 850
Abstract
As urbanization has accelerated, China has started to build smart cities, which have formed smart-city clusters. It is critical to coordinate development within smart-city clusters to enhance the efficiency of city-cluster construction. From the perspective of demographic economics, this study innovatively constructed an [...] Read more.
As urbanization has accelerated, China has started to build smart cities, which have formed smart-city clusters. It is critical to coordinate development within smart-city clusters to enhance the efficiency of city-cluster construction. From the perspective of demographic economics, this study innovatively constructed an evaluation system for the coordinated development of smart-city clusters and utilized the coupled coordination degree model to conduct an in-depth study of smart-city clusters in Jiangsu Province. The results show that there are clear differences in the development between the three regions of Jiangsu Province: Southern Jiangsu, Central Jiangsu, and Northern Jiangsu. The development within Jiangsu Province is imbalanced, where the overall development trend is high in the southern region and low in the northern region. The main driving factors include geography, the Matthew effect, game thinking, and industrial structure. Accordingly, the results suggest the following recommendations for the coordinated development of smart-city clusters: strengthening cross-regional cooperation, promoting data sharing and interoperability, deepening synergistic industrial development, and expanding innovation capacity. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Smart City and Architectural Design)
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19 pages, 1039 KiB  
Article
Navigating Climate Change Challenges through Smart Resilient Cities: A Comprehensive Assessment Framework
by Hamed Khatibi, Suzanne Wilkinson, Lukuba N. Sweya, Mostafa Baghersad and Heiman Dianat
Land 2024, 13(3), 266; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13030266 - 20 Feb 2024
Viewed by 864
Abstract
The rapid increase in the global population is contributing to the urgent challenges we face in ensuring the sustainability of our planet. This demographic shift, which gained momentum in the 1990s, is closely linked to a surge in natural disasters, both in terms [...] Read more.
The rapid increase in the global population is contributing to the urgent challenges we face in ensuring the sustainability of our planet. This demographic shift, which gained momentum in the 1990s, is closely linked to a surge in natural disasters, both in terms of their frequency and severity. The quest for resources and improved quality of life, including the need for housing and essential services, has compounded these challenges. With the world’s population projected to double by 2050, and approximately two-thirds of this population expected to reside in urban areas, we are facing a complex web of interconnected issues that will significantly magnify the impacts of climate change-induced disasters. It is imperative that we build resilient cities capable of withstanding and adapting to these changes. However, the growing complexity of urban services and the necessity for integrated management raise questions about the preparedness of these resilient cities to comprehend and address the multifaceted challenges posed by climate change. In response to these critical concerns, this study endeavors to address the intersection of resilience and climate change. We propose the development of a Smart Resilient City Assessment Framework, comprising two core components: resilience re-evaluation and smartness evaluation. Each component consists of eight essential steps. The culmination of these steps results in a semi-quantitative index that accurately reflects the city’s position regarding resilience and smartness in the face of climate change-related disasters. To demonstrate the framework’s practicality and suitability, we present results from a hypothetical scenario focusing on water supply management, a critical aspect of climate change adaptation. The framework equips city managers with the necessary tools to re-evaluate their cities’ resilience, evaluate their capacity to address climate change-induced challenges, and make informed decisions on integrating resilience and smart solutions to pave the way for a more sustainable and climate-resilient future. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Smart City and Architectural Design)
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20 pages, 1547 KiB  
Article
Understanding the Housing Preferences of Older Adults: Insights from a Study on Micro-Housing in Salt Lake City, U.S.
by Ivis García
Land 2024, 13(2), 171; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13020171 - 01 Feb 2024
Viewed by 1003
Abstract
The main objective of this research was to investigate what older adults think about the idea of living in micro-housing as an affordable housing option in Salt Lake City. By conducting interviews with 20 individuals over 65 years old, we discovered that they [...] Read more.
The main objective of this research was to investigate what older adults think about the idea of living in micro-housing as an affordable housing option in Salt Lake City. By conducting interviews with 20 individuals over 65 years old, we discovered that they prefer Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) and micro apartments. Participants expressed concerns about tiny homes. The participants highlighted the importance of having a sense of community and access to amenities when choosing their housing. Additionally, they still preferred single-family homes because of space and financial factors. These findings offer insights for housing developers, architects, and policymakers who aim to create cities that are both sustainable and livable for people of all age groups. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Smart City and Architectural Design)
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16 pages, 1010 KiB  
Article
How to Encourage Public Engagement in Smart City Development—Learning from Saudi Arabia
by Ibrahim Mutambik, Abdullah Almuqrin, Fawaz Alharbi and Majed Abusharhah
Land 2023, 12(10), 1851; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12101851 - 28 Sep 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1053
Abstract
The concept of the smart city is well-established, and governments across the world are either planning, or already implementing, strategies to transform existing cities to smart status. However, governments cannot act alone. If the implementation of these smart city strategies are to be [...] Read more.
The concept of the smart city is well-established, and governments across the world are either planning, or already implementing, strategies to transform existing cities to smart status. However, governments cannot act alone. If the implementation of these smart city strategies are to be successful, public engagement is a key factor. This raises the question of how best to ensure public engagement. Currently, the various external factors that influence willingness to support, and actively participate in, the development of smart cities are not well-understood, as there are few studies which examine the issue. This is of significance across the globe, but is of particular significance in Saudi Arabia, which has announced an ambitious smart city development plan. The aim of this research is to explore this issue—that is, it seeks to identify the key variables that influence the intention to participate in smart city development, and explores how they ultimately affect engagement behaviours. To achieve this, the study used a quantitative methodology, based on data from residents of 10 Saudi cities, each of which is part of the Kingdom’s 2030 smart city plan. The data were analysed, using structural equation modelling (SEM), in order to test the reliability and predictive value of a model which hypothesised a positive relationship between five external variables: information availability, perceived benefits, social norms, behaviour management, and social responsibility and engagement behaviour. The results showed that information availability has a direct and positive effect on an individual’s engagement behaviour, while perceived benefits, responsibility and social norms have an indirect effect on engagement, by positively impacting the attitude of residents. Practical implications, based on these findings, are discussed. The study contributes important insights to the literature, as it is one of the few studies to explore such a model in the context of smart cities. It therefore acts as a useful foundation for further research. However, the focus on Saudi cities may be considered a limitation in terms of generalisability, and other external variables could usefully be explored in future research. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Smart City and Architectural Design)
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