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Urban Regeneration and Local Development

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A special issue of Land (ISSN 2073-445X). This special issue belongs to the section "Urban Contexts and Urban-Rural Interactions".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 May 2023) | Viewed by 28393

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Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Michelangelo Savino

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Guest Editor

Department of Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering, Università Degli Studi di Padova, Padua, Italy
Interests: urban design planning urban regeneration

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In recent years, we have been recording an increasing number of strategic urban regeneration interventions. In metropolitan areas, as well as in small and medium-sized cities, plans and projects have determined interesting changes in dismissed areas (such as waterfront, dismissed railyards, brown- and greyfields, declining public housing neighbourhoods, and so on).

Interesting contemporary architectures (redefining the image of the modern cities), new solutions for urban organization (renovating planning patterns), new models of intervention (achieving urban resilience and climate change adaptation), support for innovative activities to settle down in the regenerated neighbourhood (improving jobs but also favouring mixed uses), and new public-private and also non-profit partnerships (with interesting solution for financial support to the urban renewal strategies) are the common lines of most of the recurring regeneration programs. However, the most innovative side of the recent regeneration processes is the goal for social integration, citizenship involvement, and social capacity building, asking for the innovation of new (sometimes very exploratory) approaches.

It is time for a first assessment of some of these processes to understand how they really affect local development; do they really impact local communities? In midterm, can we really recognize an improvement of quality of life in these regenerated neighbourhoods? Are gentrification, real estate market trends, and eviction dynamics really under control? What about social relations: Have they truly improved to a better cohesion? Have they been a real trigger for insurgent economies? Behind glassed façades reflecting glittering promenades and attractive public places, can we find a more integrated community and a more just urban organization?

Recalling the strategic purpose of urban regeneration to be a strategy for improving urban life conditions, supporting local development, and improving community empowerment, this Special Issue would like to explore and assess regeneration attempts across the world, to analyse their tendencies and suggest some recommendations for correcting and readdressing regeneration approaches to a better social and economic impact, far beyond the recovering of built-up and declining parts of the city.

Prof. Dr. Michelangelo Savino
Guest Editor

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Keywords

urban regeneration
local development
recovering dismissed areas
contrast to social unease
community empowerment
new approaches to design
new patterns of planning
innovative urban design

Published Papers (11 papers)

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Research

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27 pages, 3437 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Effects of Urban Sprawl on Electricity Consumption: Empirical Evidence from 283 Prefecture-Level Cities in China

by Qiangyi Li, Lan Yang, Shuang Huang, Yangqing Liu and Chenyang Guo

Land 2023, 12(8), 1609; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12081609 - 15 Aug 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1736

Abstract

Under the urban development trend of sprawl, improving energy use efficiency is a proper way to promote green and low-carbon construction in cities. This paper uses panel data from 283 prefecture-level and above cities in China from 2008 to 2019 to measure the urban sprawl index, and analyze the spatial-temporal evolution law of urban sprawl and electricity consumption. The relationship between urban sprawl and electricity consumption is empirically examined, and the differential effect of urban sprawl on electricity consumption is analyzed. Finally, the impact of urban sprawl on electricity consumption based on a spatial perspective is explored in depth by establishing a spatial error model. We found the following: (1) The levels of urban sprawl and urban electricity consumption are on the rise. The spatial distribution of urban sprawl is more dispersed, and cities with high electricity consumption levels are mostly concentrated in the eastern coastal areas. (2) Urban sprawl exacerbates electricity consumption, and this conclusion is still robust after a series of robustness tests were conducted and endogeneity issues were taken into account. In terms of the influence mechanism, urban sprawl mainly affects electricity consumption by changing the allocation of land resources, increasing the dependence on private transportation, and inhibiting green technology innovation. (3) The incremental effect of urban sprawl on electricity consumption is more pronounced in cities with high sprawl levels, weak environmental regulations, and low green innovation levels, as well as in west cities. (4) Urban sprawl and electricity consumption both have a significant positive spatial correlation. Electricity consumption of cities is not only related to their own regions but also influenced by the adjacent regions, and the spatial correlation is mainly reflected in the random error term. This paper deepens the understanding of the basic laws of urban sprawl affecting urban low-carbon development, which also has implications for new urbanization strategies and green development. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Urban Regeneration and Local Development)

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16 pages, 1365 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Optimizing Urban Stock Space through District Boundary Reorganization: Hangzhou’s Administrative Adjustment

by Fei Chao, Chen You and Wen Jin

Land 2023, 12(5), 959; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12050959 - 26 Apr 2023

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1165

Abstract

Since China is the largest developing country in the world, its urban reconstruction has significance for countries undergoing rapid urbanization. The recent development of its central cities has gradually changed from large-scale incremental expansion to stock optimization. District boundary reorganization has become a new trend in reforming China’s administrative division of central cities. From the perspective of scalar reorganization and regional reconstruction, the adjustment of urban administrative divisions can be regarded as a regional construction strategy initiated by city governments to reshape the spatial structure, improve the governance relationship, and enhance the cities’ competitiveness. This study takes Hangzhou, an important central city in eastern China, as a case study to illustrate two ways in which a central city can optimize its urban spaces through district boundary recombination: scale recombination and regional recombination. The findings demonstrate two advantages of district boundary reorganization for China’s central cities: it eases the integration of new city districts and urban areas and promotes balanced development within the city. In the future, more Chinese cities will likely choose to reorganize their district boundaries. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Urban Regeneration and Local Development)

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24 pages, 2035 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Leading or Constraining? Development of New-Type Urbanization under Economic Growth Targets

by Boxi Deng and Fanglei Zhong

Land 2023, 12(4), 916; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12040916 - 19 Apr 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1503

Abstract

As an overarching goal, economic growth targets have a strong leading and constraining effect on the behavior of local governments. China’s new-type urbanization strategy emphasizes balanced development across population, economic, social, space, ecological and income-gap dimensions and relies on multifaceted government policies. Therefore, setting reasonable economic growth targets has an important impact on the process of new-type urbanization. This paper uses panel data from 30 provinces between 2005 and 2020 to empirically examine the impact of economic growth targets on the new-type urbanization process. The results reveal an inverted U-shaped relationship between economic growth targets and new-type urbanization, with public expenditure and land finance acting as a mediator and a moderator through fiscal expenditure. The mechanisms of influence are as follows: economic growth target—infrastructure construction, regional innovation, energy structure, and financial development—population development, economic quality, ecological civilization, and income gap—new-type urbanization. Heterogeneity analysis shows that the inverted U-shaped relationship is significantly present in the western and central regions of China and before 2014. This paper not only clearly illustrates the institutional mechanism of urbanization in China but also highlights its government-led and “land-for-security” approach, which has important implications for urbanization in other regions of the world. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Urban Regeneration and Local Development)

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33 pages, 26031 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Space Accessibility and Equity of Urban Green Space

by Bo-Xun Huang, Wen-Ying Li, Wen-Juan Ma and Hua Xiao

Land 2023, 12(4), 766; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12040766 - 28 Mar 2023

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 3902

Abstract

Urban green space is an essential form of infrastructure for cities, providing a significant spatial guarantee for sustainable urban development, an essential ecological, social, and cultural function, and an important symbol of urban modernisation and civilisation. However, with the development of cities, urban problems are becoming more serious, such as the increase in impervious surfaces and urban heat islands and the decrease in urban green space and liveability. Therefore, this study integrates the theories and methods of landscape ecology and spatial syntax with GIS technology to construct a comprehensive model for examining the spatial accessibility of green spaces based on remote images and landscape pattern indices, using Fuzhou City as the study area. The study then incorporates demographic variables to explore the characteristics of an equitable distribution of urban green space at the street scale. The results show that the accessibility of green space in the urban areas of Fuzhou decreases from the centre to the periphery. From north to south, there is a trend of ‘low-high-low’, with the northern region exhibiting the lowest accessibility, followed by the southeastern region, and then the western region. In terms of spatial equity in green space, Fuzhou has a more significant share of surplus green space provision, both in terms of the number of streets and area. This shows that the surplus of green space in Fuzhou is greater than the deficit and that the distribution of space is fair. We hope this study will not only help people gain a deeper understanding of green space but also provide a reference for their rational planning and management, thereby improving the accessibility and equity of urban green space as well as their quality and configuration. We also expect it to provide valuable theoretical and technical support for the planning of ecological functions and sustainable development. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Urban Regeneration and Local Development)

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24 pages, 2818 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Coupled and Coordinated Development of the Tourism Industry and Urbanization in Marginal and Less Developed Regions—Taking the Mountainous Border Areas of Western Yunnan as a Case Study

by Pengyang Zhang, Lewen Zhang, Dandan Han, Tingting Wang, He Zhu and Yongtao Chen

Land 2023, 12(3), 640; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12030640 - 8 Mar 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1818

Abstract

Promoting the coupled and coordinated development of China’s tourism industry and urbanization is of great significance for its marginal and less developed regions. Taking a typical marginal and less developed region, the mountainous border areas of Western Yunnan as the research object, this study analyzed the spatial and temporal characteristics of the coupling coordination degree of the tourism industry and urbanization, as well as their influencing factors, in this region from 2010 to 2019 using the coupling coordination model, spatial gravity model, and panel Tobit model. The study results show the following. (1) The development level of the tourism industry and urbanization in the study region had significantly increased, but there was an obvious polarization phenomenon in its spatial distribution. (2) The coupling coordination degree of the tourism industry and urbanization showed a good development trend of steady growth, and the areas were ranked according to the average annual growth rate as follows: West Yunnan > Southwest Yunnan > Northwest Yunnan. (3) The regional differences in the coupling coordination degree had expanded, reflecting an “agglomeration phenomenon” and “distance decay effect”, and the tourism industry lagging (obstructed) subtype was dominant. (4) The industrial structure, transportation accessibility, capital effect, consumption capacity, and talent support had significant positive effects on the coupling coordination degree, but the role of openness to the outside world was not obvious. This study can provide a useful reference for further studies on the marginal and less developed regions of China. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Urban Regeneration and Local Development)

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32 pages, 7505 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Impact Factors and Management Policy of Digital Village Development: A Case Study of Gansu Province, China

by Ping Zhang, Weiwei Li, Kaixu Zhao, Yi Zhao, Hua Chen and Sidong Zhao

Land 2023, 12(3), 616; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12030616 - 4 Mar 2023

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2624

Abstract

(1) Background: Along with the maturity of smart cities, digital villages and smart villages are receiving more attention than ever before as the key to promote sustainable rural development. The Chinese government has made great efforts in promoting the digital development of villages in recent years, as evidenced by policies intensively introduced by the central and local governments, making China a typical representative country in the world. (2) Methods: This paper evaluates the performance and geographic pattern of rural digital development by the Geographic Information System (GIS) in Gansu, a less developed province in western China, and analyzes the driving mechanism of rural digital development using GeoDetector, providing a basis for spatial zoning and differentiated policy design for the construction, planning and management of digital villages based on the GE matrix. (3) Results: First, the development of digital villages shows a prominent geographical imbalance, with 79 counties divided into leader, follower and straggler levels. Second, digital villages show unsynchronized development in different dimensions, with the village facilities digitalization index in the lead and the village economy digitalization index lagging behind. Thirdly, the development of digital villages is characterized by significant spatial correlation and spillover effects, with cold and hot counties distributed in clusters, forming a “center-periphery” structure. Fourth, the factors show significant influence differentiation. They are classified into all-purpose, multifunctional and single-functional factors by their scope of action, and into key, important and auxiliary factors by their intensity of action. Fifth, the interaction and driving mechanism between different factors is quite complex, dominated by nonlinear enhancement and bifactor enhancement, and the synergistic effect of factor pairs helps increase the influence by 1–4 times. (4) Conclusions: It is suggested that the government develop differentiated policies for zoning planning and management based on the level of digital development of villages in combination with the factor influence and its driving mechanism and promote regional linkage and common development and governance through top-level design. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Urban Regeneration and Local Development)

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24 pages, 5648 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Living on the Edge—Mismatches and Expectations in a Changing Landscape

by Sofia Morgado

Land 2023, 12(2), 386; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12020386 - 31 Jan 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1350

Abstract

This paper deals with the confrontation between the forms of urbanisation of Lisbon, Portugal, that extends its fringes over the Alcântara Valley. This same Valley—topography and hydrography—plays as determinants of the occupation that will assume distinct narratives. This gradual process is explained through three narratives about (1) the urbanisation of the margin driven by industrialisation and the construction of a stigmatised periphery, (2) the imposition of large capacity infrastructures far beyond what is local, (3) the system of open spaces and landscape projects and the urban brink that the valley claims. The debate focuses on the answers that the urban and landscape project, necessarily going through urban planning and its practical and theoretical scopes, i.e., Urbanism and urban planning thinking, especially in a broad present seeking to discuss both sides of the coin: on the one hand, an urban rehabilitation with public space for all, on the other hand, a qualified and central space that attracts real estate investment that may bring effects contrary to those expected. The article seeks to contribute (1) to a broader perception of the superimposition of processes that transformed the Alcântara Valley, (2) to a fuller dissemination of the urbanistic experiences in the city of Lisbon since this city is still vastly underrepresented in the international (primarily Anglo-Saxon) literature, (3) to deepen the debate between urban rehabilitation, urban regeneration, consequences and opportunities practiced is still trying to cope with. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Urban Regeneration and Local Development)

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21 pages, 736 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Climate Shocks and Local Urban Conflicts: An Evolutionary Perspective on Risk Governance in Bhubaneswar

by Debadutta Parida, Kristof Van Assche and Sandeep Agrawal

Land 2023, 12(1), 198; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12010198 - 7 Jan 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1980

Abstract

In this paper, we explore the complex entanglements between ongoing land conflicts and climate shocks, and their implications for risk governance paths and evolution. We focus on ways in which concepts of shock and conflict can be incorporated into social–ecological systems thinking and applied to risk governance practice in a southern cities context. Through a qualitative inquiry of two slum redevelopment projects in Bhubaneswar city in India, we trace the origin and evolution of conflict around land tenure and eviction in informal settlements, as well as its interaction with local manifestations of climate shocks. Climate policies, as responses to climate shock and intended to mitigate climate risk, are observed as constructed, interpreted, framed, and used strategically by formal actors to further urban development objectives, while the local knowledge systems, risk perceptions, and adaptations are ignored in practice. This study helps to re-think the complexities of climate risk governance in southern urban spaces where multiple risks overlap and interact within the diverse realities of informality and vulnerability. A singular focus on one type of risk, on the formal order to manage that risk, is likely to overlook other risks and opportunities. Hence, shocks are likely to produce more unanticipated effects, conflicts function as the unobserved middle term, and the formal policies and plans to mitigate climate risk contribute to the creation of new risk. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Urban Regeneration and Local Development)

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17 pages, 5047 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Are Cave Houses a Sustainable Real Estate Alternative?

by Maria-Francisca Cespedes-Lopez and Raul-Tomas Mora-Garcia

Land 2022, 11(12), 2185; https://doi.org/10.3390/land11122185 - 1 Dec 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2672

Abstract

The high level of energy consumption of buildings has outlined the need for more sustainable and environmentally friendly constructions, which has led to cave houses now being more highly valued. This study looks to study whether sustainable constructions, such as cave houses, have an economic impact with regard to other construction types in the real estate market in Granada. Moreover, this study looks to determine whether energy rating is a relevant characteristic for the price of cave houses and whether the price determinants vary according to whether the house in question is a cave house or a single-family one. To develop this study, a final sample of 61,573 properties was used. A regression model estimated by ordinary least squares was performed. This study shows that cave houses are being marketed at higher prices than single-family houses. It was noted that energy rating is not an important characteristic for estimating the price of a cave house. Finally, in this type of housing, refrigeration equipment is not one of the determining characteristics for the price. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Urban Regeneration and Local Development)

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17 pages, 3203 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Equity Study on Urban Park Accessibility Based on Improved 2SFCA Method in Zhengzhou, China

by Yang Yang, Ruizhen He, Guohang Tian, Zhen Shi, Xinyu Wang and Albert Fekete

Land 2022, 11(11), 2045; https://doi.org/10.3390/land11112045 - 15 Nov 2022

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2239

Abstract

The distribution of urban parks is closely related to the opportunities of daily use by residents as well as the performance of the park system. The question as to whether parks are distributed equitably within cities is therefore becoming the focus of attention. However, only a few studies have explored a comprehensive and systematic procedure for urban park accessibility analysis and equity evaluation. In this study, by applying an improved two-step floating catchment area (2SFCA) method and K-means cluster analysis, based on the application of multi-source data, we provide insights into an equity study on park accessibility at the neighborhood scale and urban ring scale in the central urban area of Zhengzhou. These results suggest that the spatial access to parks in Zhengzhou is generally unevenly distributed among neighborhoods, and both the mean and standard deviation of accessibility show an increase from the center to the periphery. The cluster analysis reveals a set of four types of neighborhoods, including a high-supply medium-demand medium-accessibility type (HMM), a low-supply medium-demand low-accessibility type (LML), a high-supply low-demand high-accessibility type (HLH), and a medium-supply high-demand low-accessibility type (MHL), each with different characteristics and causes. The spatial distribution of the accessibility types exhibits both similarities and differences between the urban rings. The findings of this study could serve as a tool for identifying areas in which parks are underserved and the ways in which they differ from other areas, which can guide urban planning to address specific inequities. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Urban Regeneration and Local Development)

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Review

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20 pages, 334 KiB

Open AccessReview

Challenges, Experience, and Prospects of Urban Renewal in High-Density Cities: A Review for Hong Kong

by Yidi Wang, Ying Fan and Zan Yang

Land 2022, 11(12), 2248; https://doi.org/10.3390/land11122248 - 9 Dec 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 5614

Abstract

Redevelopment in Hong Kong must be accelerated in response to urban decay and land shortages. However, due to a lack of incentives and effective policy tools under Hong Kong’s floor area ratio regulations, there has been limited public–private partnerships in the urban renewal process, reducing both the public welfare and the efficiency of land use. We review the evolution of Hong Kong’s density schemes for addressing urban redevelopment issues to identify the most important barriers to private sector involvement. We also summarise the international experience and identify viable policies, compare cases in Hong Kong with successful transfer of development rights (TDRs) examples, point out TDRs’ shortcomings, and propose targeted policy optimisation strategies. On a practical level, this study has implications for the creation of targeted density policies to address Hong Kong’s ageing infrastructure and facilitate the urban transformation of Hong Kong and similar high-density cities so that they can continue to support sustainable urban growth. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Urban Regeneration and Local Development)

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