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Special Issue "Urban Regeneration and Sustainable Urban Development"

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A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Sustainable Urban and Rural Development".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (1 August 2020).

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Miguel Amado
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Department of Civil Engineering, Architecture and Georesources, University of Lisbon, 1049-001 Lisbon, Portugal
Interests: methodologies for the sustainability of the built environment; integration of sustainability principles in regional and urban planning, architecture and sustainable construction; housing policies and programs; regeneration of informal settlements on developing countries; sustainable urban planning and architecture; global, regional and local governance; city-regional development; community planning; urban development; energy efficiency in urbanism and architecture
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Prof. Dr. Francesca Poggi
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Cisc.Nova—Interdisciplinary Center of Social Sciences, FCSH-UNL, Av. de Berna, 26-C, 1069-061 Lisbon, Portugal
Interests: sustainable city models; public policies; urban planning; GIS; urban regeneration; sustainable urban design; public spaces; bioclimatic design; urban heat island; green buildings; parametric design—BIM; sustainable construction, eco-building; net-zero energy building; passive house; solar energy in built environment; building-integrated photovoltaics; energy efficiency; building rehabilitation

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Edition addresses the theme of urban regeneration and sustainable urban development as a response to the impact of increased cities, which impose the need to control the boundaries of today's urban areas in a context that preserves the diversity and complexity of corporate globalization and the sustainability of life in urban areas.

Cities are the most complex mechanisms to manage because they deal with all the complexity that results from human activities and the pressure they exert on natural resources, which requires new ideas, technological advances, and adequate responses to human needs.

On the other hand, the reference and identity promoted by the built environment of cities require that the preservation of the image and the public space also be an element of transformation and adaptation to the new requirements of human activities.

The focus on the role of urban regeneration and its potential for a sustainable urban development model creates the opportunity for contributions that combine theoretical reflections with case studies or applications of proof-of-concept solutions on urban regeneration to generate context for the marking of a new benchmark.

Prof. Dr. Miguel Amado
Prof. Dr. Francesca Poggi
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 papers will be 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. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly 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 1900 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 regeneration
sustainable development
heritage
public space
urban design
governance

Published Papers (14 papers)

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Research

Open AccessArticle

Economic Valuation of the Renewal of Urban Streets: A Choice Experiment

Yuhan Shao

Xinyu Xu

Like Jiang

and

Romain Crastes dit Sourd

Sustainability 2020, 12(12), 4808; https://doi.org/10.3390/su12124808 - 12 Jun 2020

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 791

Abstract

Examination of users’ preferences and needs can provide an additional and strong basis for decision making, which is applicable in the case of urban street renewal. In this study, a choice experiment on street renewal plans in Shanghai was conducted using an online survey (N = 546), and people’s willingness to pay (WTP) for a set of street attributes was estimated, including bicycle lane separation, pedestrian path width, green looking ratio and recreational and commercial amenities. By comparing WTPs, the results show that people had greater preferences for adding resting facilities than any other attributes in this scene, and they also give some examples of prices of street attributes in a street renewal scene. The gender, age and occupation of participants had a significant effect on WTPs. Females showed greater WTP for setting separate bicycle lanes and improving greening and amenities, and the age of street users had a positive effect on WTP through the payment for street renewal. The reasoning section of the survey indicated the concern on the cost–benefit ratio, the need to renew and overall impression when choosing, and only a few participants were unwilling to pay anything for street improvement. This kind of economic valuation can estimate the values that people place on street attributes that are otherwise not measurable in design and planning practice; it can help us understand public preferences for street renewal and support decision making. Full article

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

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Open AccessArticle

New Towns’ Planning and Construction in the Pre-Urbanization or Post-Urbanization Period: A Case Study of the New Towns’ Development Process of Beijing

and

Sustainability 2020, 12(9), 3721; https://doi.org/10.3390/su12093721 - 04 May 2020

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 823

Abstract

Social background and planning objectives differentiate two kinds of development modes for new towns. One starts in the period of post-urbanization and post-industrialization and is committed to improving living conditions and dispersing urban central areas. The other begins in the stage of pre-urbanization and pre-industrialization with the purpose of promoting the development of urbanization and industrialization. However, academics have not given enough attention to researching the relationship between the different modes and their respective social backgrounds. This paper first proposes these two kinds of development modes and analyses how their different social contexts and institutional backgrounds lead to different planning and construction characteristics. Then, taking Beijing as an example, this paper presents a complete review of the development and transformation history of the planning and construction of China’s new towns with different urbanization levels and in an institutional context. The whole history and transformation process can be considered a demonstration and evolution of the two different development modes. Accordingly, by analyzing the respective characteristics and transformation processes in different periods, this study reveals the impact of social background on the new towns’ development and the problems caused by different development modes. Full article

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

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Open AccessArticle

Evolution of Policy Concerning the Readjustment of Inefficient Urban Land Use in China Based on a Content Analysis Method

and

Sustainability 2020, 12(3), 797; https://doi.org/10.3390/su12030797 - 21 Jan 2020

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 836

Abstract

In a 21st century context characterized by the inefficient use of urban construction land, to optimize land use structure and transform resource utilization methods, it is necessary for the Chinese government to improve land use efficiency. Promoting the readjustment of inefficient urban land use has become essential. The purpose of this paper is to sort through the policies addressing the readjustment of inefficient urban land use in China, identify the promulgation date, longitudinal hierarchy, and horizontal composition of the relevant policies, and summarize the evolutionary trend of such policies. This study aims to provide a reference for the adjustment and improvement of relevant policy systems in China. The content analysis method was used in this study, and NVivo 12 software was used to compare and verify the analysis process. The results show the following: (1) A large number of relevant policies have been promulgated, with a total of 12 items from 1988 to 2012, increasing to six items annually on average from 2013 to 2019. The Communist Party of China Central Committee, the National People’s Congress of the People’s Republic, the State Council and relevant ministries promulgated 13.46%, 11.54%, 28.85%, and 46.15%, respectively, of the relevant policies. (2) The existing policies are mostly issued in the form of notices, opinions, management regulations, etc.; therefore, their level of effectiveness is low, and the role of norms is weak. (3) Finally, the policy content experienced stages of initial exploration, basic establishment, and continuous improvement. It also covered aspects such as Standard Control, Market Configuration, Overall Planning, Incentive Mechanisms, Income Distribution, and Supervision Evaluation. The system for policies addressing readjustment of inefficient urban land use has basically been perfected, although post approval supervision still needs to be strengthened. Therefore, the process of readjusting inefficient urban land use should be optimized, new modes of readjustment should be constantly explored, and inefficient land use should be addressed across the entire territory. Full article

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

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Open AccessArticle

The Impact of Urban Form and Spatial Structure on per Capita Carbon Footprint in U.S. Larger Metropolitan Areas

Ivan Muñiz

and

Andrés Dominguez

Sustainability 2020, 12(1), 389; https://doi.org/10.3390/su12010389 - 03 Jan 2020

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 1015

Abstract

Different studies have estimated cities’ contribution to total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions at between forty and seventy percent. According to the so-called Compact City Approach, high density and centrality should lead to low GHG. This study compares the effect of the urban density and spatial structure (monocentrism, polycentrism, and dispersion) of the main U.S. cities on their greenhouse gas emissions from mobility and housing. The estimated models include control variables in order to improve the statistical adjustment, these variables are grouped into three categories: basic controls as temperature and Gross Domestic Product (GDP); historical-demographic controls since 1900; and geographic-urban planning controls. The results detect an environmentally positive effect, albeit a moderate one, associated with monocentric and polycentric spatial structures as compared to dispersed structures. Within the tradition of urban planning, these results can be used as an argument to stop the dispersed decentralization of cities. However, the efficacy of some policies encouraging density should be accompanied by specific policies which increase the energy efficiency of housing and promote the use of public transport. Full article

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

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Open AccessArticle

What Is the Critical Factor and Relationship of Urban Regeneration in a Historic District?: A Case of the Nanluoguxiang Area in Beijing, China

Yuqi Zhang

Sungik Kang

and

Ja-Hoon Koo

Sustainability 2019, 11(23), 6772; https://doi.org/10.3390/su11236772 - 29 Nov 2019

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 934

Abstract

Although investigations and evaluations are being carried out, there is little research on the relationship between urban regeneration factors, in which various stakeholders participate, and various projects are underway simultaneously. Therefore, this study aims to understand the critical factors and influence relationship among factors in urban regeneration projects in the Nanluoguxiang area, where such projects have been carried out for the historical and cultural preservation in Beijing, China. The implications of this study are as follows: First, both factor public space environmental improvement and building restoration and improvement were analyzed as the most important factors. Second, the elements of the public space environmental improvement and the building restoration and improvement were closely related, influenced by policies and plans, guidelines and criteria, investigation and research, and the subsidy support project. Third, despite the fact that the project was promoted with the aim of revitalizing culture, it was analyzed that the influence of cultural elements on other factors was very minimal because of excessive commercialization. Full article

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

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Open AccessArticle

A Study on the Characteristics of New Towns and the Redevelopment of Project-Canceled Areas: A Case Study of Seoul, South Korea

Hyunjung Lee

Sustainability 2019, 11(20), 5733; https://doi.org/10.3390/su11205733 - 16 Oct 2019

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 694

Abstract

This study examined regeneration issues from the perspective of urban regeneration and the characteristics of areas that have been the subject of public policy failure, namely new towns and redevelopment of project-canceled areas. These areas are in need of improvement, particularly in regard to old housing and poor infrastructure. It is imperative that infrastructure conditions that may be difficult to focus on in the private sector are improved. Therefore, the public (Seoul Metropolitan Government (SMG)) needs to play an active role, with a particular focus on providing significant administrative power and finances to these areas in order to reduce the effects of policy failure and make continuous efforts to reverse the failed policy. The public should actively work to resolve distrust and conflict in the public policy and make restorative efforts through new policies. Full article

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

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Open AccessArticle

Investigate the Conduction Path of Stakeholder Conflict of Urban Regeneration Sustainability in China: the Application of Social-Based Solutions

Yiming Wang

and

Pengcheng Xiang

Sustainability 2019, 11(19), 5271; https://doi.org/10.3390/su11195271 - 25 Sep 2019

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 931

Abstract

Urban regeneration, as an important way to enhance urban sustainable development capacity, is advancing at a high speed in China. However, urban regeneration involves various stakeholders, and there are frequent conflicts between these stakeholders due to the vast differences in their interests. When conflicts among stakeholders are not effectively controlled, they can have serious negative social and economic impacts, such as increased pressure on the government to maintain stability, increased costs to developers and reduced willingness of property owners to participate. These are all critical factor affecting the sustainability of urban regeneration. Therefore, this paper explored the mechanism underlying stakeholder conflict conduction in urban regeneration. Next, a literature review and case study were conducted to identify key conflict factors. Then, the factors of stakeholder conflict were assessed using questionnaire survey. Finally, the structural equation model (SEM) was used to analyze the pathways of stakeholder conflict conduction in urban regeneration; and 35 conflict conduction paths were found. Based on Pareto’s Law, 7 of the 35 stakeholder conflict paths were identified as critical paths with coefficients between 0.245–0.364. Empirical results revealed that different types of conflict factors have different impacts on stakeholder conflict conduction, among which interest distribution and stakeholder coordination were the critical factors to be considered. The findings provide alternatives Social-Based Solutions (SBS) for resolving stakeholder conflicts and provide practical guidance for integrating stakeholders, which is important to ensuring the sustainability of urban regeneration. Full article

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

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Open AccessArticle

What Determines the Success of Culture-Led Regeneration Projects in China?

and

Sustainability 2019, 11(18), 4847; https://doi.org/10.3390/su11184847 - 05 Sep 2019

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 984

Abstract

Culture-led regeneration projects (CRPs) have been identified as an effective means for enhancing the sustainable development of cities. Related topics have been investigated; however, relatively little information is known about what factors are critical for achieving success in these kinds of regeneration projects. Based on a literature review and five case studies, this study contributes to the body of knowledge by identifying 25 critical success factors (CSFs) for managing CRPs in China. A questionnaire survey was designed to evaluate the relative importance of these factors from practitioners’ and researchers’ perspectives. In addition, a factor analysis was carried out to group these CSFs into five categories, namely government policies and culture-led regeneration strategies, stakeholder management and financing support, technical solutions for CRPs, social security, and industry development. The results demonstrated that cultural value management, integrating cultural development with urban planning, adopting sustainable development principles, reconstructing the city image and brand, and the availability of culture-led planning methods played the most important roles in the success of CRPs. The findings of this study can help practitioners enhance their regeneration project performance. Full article

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

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Open AccessArticle

Exploring the Diverse Expectations of Stakeholders in Industrial Land Redevelopment Projects in China: The Case of Shanghai

and

Sustainability 2019, 11(17), 4744; https://doi.org/10.3390/su11174744 - 30 Aug 2019

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 963

Abstract

In China, while large-scale industrial land redevelopment has played a significant role in promoting economic growth, it has also triggered a series of unsustainable problems. To date, few studies have explored the expectations of stakeholders in industrial redevelopment projects in China. Gaining an in-depth understanding of the diverse expectations among core stakeholders is an essential step towards realizing social sustainability. This study aims to analyze these diverse expectations in industrial land redevelopment projects. For this purpose, 19 factors were identified and compared across the following core stakeholders: local governments, consulting experts, the general public, and original land users of state-led redevelopment and land user-led redevelopment projects, using questionnaires and interviews conducted in Shanghai, China. The findings show there to be tremendous differences between the expectations of different stakeholder groups in terms of economic, social and environmental aspects. Major differences were also found between the expectations of original land users across different project types. Moreover, the negative externalities, the balance between industrial and residential space, the diverse needs of original land users in different project types, and the barriers to stakeholders’ participation, in industrial land redevelopment in China were discussed. The findings of the current paper are conducive to optimizing stakeholder participation in industrial land redevelopment so as to enhance social sustainability. Full article

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

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Open AccessArticle

Shandong’s Yintan Town and China’s “Ghost City” Phenomenon

Qianyi Wang

Ran Li

and

Kee Cheok Cheong

Sustainability 2019, 11(17), 4584; https://doi.org/10.3390/su11174584 - 23 Aug 2019

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1224

Abstract

Although much research has been devoted to urbanization and city growth, urban dynamics also include city decay and renewal. Extant theories and models have been developed to explain these dynamics. They do not, however, fit the experience of China’s “ghost cities”. These cities have been characterized as state-built but minimally inhabited, testimony to planning failure by the monolithic Chinese state. The goal of the article is to provide in-depth insights to China’s ghost city phenomenon and its effects to residents from local stakeholders’ perspectives. A review of Shandong’s new Yintan city reveals many ghost city attributes, but its development trajectory was at odds with this stereotype. Yintan’s lack of success was attributable to too little, not too much, state intervention, reflecting limited state capacity to develop and manage the new city by Rushan, the nearby small city seeking to capitalize on the central government’s development imperatives. These distinctive features notwithstanding, generic key drivers of city growth can help explain Yintan’s lack of development, in a sense, reconciling the city’s experience with extant research elsewhere. Full article

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

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Open AccessArticle

AHP-TOPSIS-Based Evaluation of the Relative Performance of Multiple Neighborhood Renewal Projects: A Case Study in Nanjing, China

and

Sustainability 2019, 11(17), 4545; https://doi.org/10.3390/su11174545 - 21 Aug 2019

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 1059

Abstract

With the rapid development of urbanization worldwide, there is a large volume of neighborhoods that need to be renewed with various problems such as poor building performance, few public facilities, congested road traffic, unequal living standards, disappearing community culture, and deprived environments. Performance evaluations are considered to be useful tools for ensuring the outcomes of sustainable renewal. Although many research works have assessed the performances of urban renewal projects, evaluations, especially for neighborhood renewal projects, are often overlooked. Besides, it is also hard to find a general standard that is suitable for evaluating the performance of any neighborhood renewal project with a lack of related regulations or codes. Thus, this paper intends to build a framework to assess the relative performances of multiple neighborhood renewal projects through a hybrid AHP-TOPSIS method. A case study in Nanjing, China, is used to show how this framework could be applied to decision-making in order to pursue sustainable neighborhood renewal. The results are expected to provide references for sustainable renewal in each neighborhood. Suggestions related to the findings are proposed to further improve the performances of neighborhood renewal projects, such as establishing a multiple principle–agent framework, providing a sustainable funding system from both the public and private sector, and implementing multiprogram management measures. Full article

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

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Open AccessArticle

A New Framework for the Regeneration Process of Mediterranean Historic City Centres

Ali Tanrıkul

and

Şebnem Hoşkara

Sustainability 2019, 11(16), 4483; https://doi.org/10.3390/su11164483 - 19 Aug 2019

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 1356

Abstract

For thousands of years, cities have evolved with changing needs. Cities are like living organisms, which are exposed to transformations as a result of changing needs and requirements. City centres are one of the attractive, essential, and vital parts of the city that are also affected by these changes. Specifically, historic city centres, which refer to the origins of the city, will be discussed within this context. Urban design aims to shape our cities with better quality and provide better places for everyday life. In addition, urban regeneration can be utilized as generic public policy for solving problems and providing physical improvements for these cities. Although the problems that emerge in each city are similar, sometimes they change circumstantially. As a result, the planning, implementation, and management of urban regeneration projects as well as their sustainability can produce serious complications. This article focuses on the process of urban regeneration, historic city centres, and the Mediterranean region and aims to develop an applicable regeneration framework for historic city centres limited to the Mediterranean region. First, the main problems of these cities are described. Next, characteristics of historic city centres and associated problems of the Mediterranean region are explained. Subsequently, the concept of urban regeneration is clarified, and the processes involved are discussed. Finally, an applicable urban regeneration framework for historic Mediterranean city centres, developed by the authors, is explained with the goal to reduce social segregation while incorporating the contributions of views from both local inhabitants and stakeholders in the process. The methodology of the overall research presented in this article is mainly based on a critical review of primary and secondary documents from the literature through a comparative and exploratory approach. Full article

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

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Open AccessArticle

A Case Study Driven Integrated Methodology to Support Sustainable Urban Regeneration Planning and Management

Eduardo Natividade-Jesus

Arminda Almeida

Nuno Sousa

and

João Coutinho-Rodrigues

Sustainability 2019, 11(15), 4129; https://doi.org/10.3390/su11154129 - 31 Jul 2019

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 1848

Abstract

Urban regeneration involves the integrated redevelopment of urban deprived areas, covering physical, socio-economic and environmental aspects of cities, and it is concerned with interventions on early/inner-ring suburbs and historic centers, which are under pressure from population growth and sustainable development policies. The planning and management of urban regeneration interventions usually depend on the city and regional context. Although these interventions involve multiple issues and stakeholders, common characteristics can be identified, thus appealing for a holistic vision and coordination among the various dimensions of the problem. Based on the above context, and on the experience from a large-scale urban regeneration project, this article introduces an integrated methodology to support the planning and management of urban regeneration interventions. The methodology proposes a flexible baseline that can be adapted to urban regeneration projects of different contexts and dimensions, and defines steps, the corresponding stakeholders, and the teams’ engagement, in an integrated framework to plan and oversee urban regeneration actions towards more sustainable and resilient interventions. Full article

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

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Open AccessArticle

A Heritage-Based Method to Urban Regeneration in Developing Countries: The Case Study of Luanda

Miguel Amado

and

Evelina Rodrigues

Sustainability 2019, 11(15), 4105; https://doi.org/10.3390/su11154105 - 30 Jul 2019

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1292

Abstract

In developing countries, where political instability, former conflicts and social breakdown take place, heritage can be included in urban regeneration processes as a driver for economic development but also for social cohesion and cultural identity. This paper presents a heritage-based method for urban regeneration, developed for the city of Luanda (Angola), within the elaboration of its Metropolitan Plan (2016). Actions focus on the rehabilitation of buildings and public spaces, creating the conditions to implement effective financial mechanisms able to cover the costs of urban regeneration by results. Here, rehabilitation measures are combined with the implementation of mixed-use development models, addressing one of the key issues of urban regeneration: attracting private investments. From a practical perspective, the proposed approach focusses on the elaboration of heritage preservation, valorization and requalification strategies, moving from a geographical urban delimitation of Heritage Sets to a regeneration process based on a radius of influence that goes beyond the single building. From the regeneration of the built environment and public spaces in these Heritage Sets, the surrounding area is naturally affected. Strategic actions applied to Heritage Sets aim to produce a domino effect of regeneration that involves multiple spatial scales: from buildings and public spaces to neighbourhoods and, consequently, to the entire city. The implementation of this approach to several Heritage Sets delimited across the city, would, in the long-term, create a connected heritage network that results in an integrated urban regeneration process. Criteria for the delimitation of Heritage Sets are proposed, dealing with the concept of diversity, namely: time, historical, symbolic and functional diversity. The results from this study aim to support decision-makers in integrating heritage-based urban regeneration approaches into public policies and local planning practice. Full article

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

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