Urban Regeneration: A Rethink
A special issue of Urban Science (ISSN 2413-8851). This special issue belongs to the section "Urban Planning and Design".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 28 February 2026 | Viewed by 717
Special Issue Editor
Interests: urban and rural design; new cities and neighborhoods planned by the state; ideology in planning; brutalist architecture; heritage preservation; urban regeneration
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Urban regeneration is a broad term encompassing complex processes aimed at revitalizing deteriorated areas within cities, and these processes can take various forms: demolishing and reconstructing dilapidated areas; densifying existing buildings and integrating new populations into the additional housing units; structurally rehabilitating rundown buildings; enhancing public spaces; introducing new, attractive functions into disadvantaged neighborhoods; increasing the appeal of such areas through cultural content such as festivals or fairs; or improving public transportation links to these neighborhoods to “bring them closer” to bustling urban centers. These and other interventions are considered more environmentally sustainable than urban sprawl and new development on greenfields.
Today, countries approach urban regeneration in diverse ways. In neoliberal economies, such projects are often left to be financed by private capital. In countries with stable or declining populations, regeneration focuses on improving existing housing and adapting it to climate principles, as well as enhancing public spaces. In countries facing immigration and public distrust in the government, regeneration involves the challenge of renewing neighborhoods inhabited by populations with cultures that differ from the dominant one. Aging populations also pose new challenges, especially regarding communication and public participation in a digital age.
This Special Issue aims to highlight urban regeneration from a variety of perspectives and contribute to the academic discourse by addressing regeneration methods, and examining the relationships between urban regeneration and economics, society, culture, and ideology. In particular, this Special Issue seeks to question commonly held “truths” about urban regeneration and, where possible, propose new ways to explore the topic and foster critical, renewed thinking.
Dr. Hadas Shadar
Guest Editor
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 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.
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Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1600 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
- disadvantaged populations
- gentrification
- urban densification
- high-rise development
- infill housing
- public space rehabilitation
- narrative reconstruction of urban spaces
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