Search Results (763)

Universities play a critical role in knowledge creation and technological innovation, serving as key drivers of regional development. However, existing research has paid limited attention to the mechanisms through which university innovation inputs translate into firm-level performance, particularly in the context of science and technology corridors in emerging economies. This study investigates how university innovation resources affect enterprise performance in the G60 Science and Technology Corridor within China’s Yangtze River Delta, one of the country’s most dynamic innovation regions. Using a panel dataset of 55 universities across nine cities from 2008 to 2017, we employ spatial analysis and fixed-effects panel regression models to examine the relationship between university innovation inputs and firm performance and further explore the mediating roles of local human capital and firm R&D investment. The results show that university innovation inputs significantly enhance enterprise performance, although excessive human resource inputs exhibit a negative effect on both short-term and long-term outcomes. Local human capital and firm R&D investment serve as key mediating mechanisms, with input and output resources influencing enterprise performance through distinct pathways. Heterogeneity analysis reveals that non-state-owned enterprises and small- and medium-sized enterprises derive greater long-term benefits from university resources. These findings contribute to the literature by clarifying the conceptual distinction between university innovation inputs and outputs, and by demonstrating the micro-level mechanisms—R&D investment and human capital—through which university-generated knowledge affects firm performance. The results also provide empirical evidence from an emerging economic context, extending the applicability of knowledge spillover and absorptive capacity theories. Policy implications include optimizing university human resource allocation, strengthening university–enterprise collaboration, and providing targeted support for non-state-owned enterprises and SMEs. Future research may extend the analysis to include institutional factors and university heterogeneity. Full article

Latin America faces growing challenges in the management of municipal solid waste (MSW). This is particularly evident in medium-sized and metropolitan cities where rapid urbanization, limited infrastructure, and high proportions of organic waste (40–70%) converge. This review synthesizes the most recent advances in organic waste management, valorization strategies, environmental performance, and policy frameworks in Mexico and Latin America. To provide a comprehensive overview, evidence from studies on informal recycling systems, route optimization, sustainable landfill siting, food waste valorization, life cycle assessments (LCAs), and biogas production is integrated. Techno-economic analyses of energy recovery from organic fractions are specifically reviewed. This review highlights that valorization of organic waste through composting, anaerobic digestion, food supplementation, and bioproduct generation can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 40–70% compared to landfilling, with AD–composting hybrids achieving the highest reductions of 60–70%. Community composting achieved moderate reductions, 30–50%, but at significantly lower cost and with greater social co-benefits. These alternatives for valorizing the organic fraction extend the lifespan of both confined and open landfills. It also contributes to mitigating the public health impacts related to open dumping, disease vectors, and contaminated leachate. In short, this review also highlights shortcomings in policy coherence, financial mechanisms, source separation, and technology adoption. A strategic framework is proposed that prioritizes decentralized treatment systems, the integration of informal recyclers, tax incentives, community-based waste separation, and planning based on Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). The findings point to a viable strategy for transitioning from landfill dependency to circular waste management systems that improve the quality of life for the population of Latin America and the Caribbean. Full article

Sóller, a highly touristic town in Mallorca, has been affected by gentrification problems related to the tourism industry. Recently, another gentrification process has appeared, affecting the retail fabric and leading to the disappearance of traditional locally owned shops and their substitution with tourist-focused stores. Using data from different sources, such as the City Hall documentary data, the Commerce Association archives and Google Street View images, this research highlights the gentrification process affecting two of the main commercial areas of the town. The results confirm that a commercial gentrification process, already identified in large cities such as Barcelona or Venice, can also affect medium-sized towns, creating a retail mutation that impacts local residents and their shopping capabilities. Full article

Mobility of the migrant population plays a crucial role in shaping urban spaces, neighbourhood change and socio-economic development. While extensive research has been conducted on the spatio-temporal dynamics of migration in large metropolitan areas, there remains a notable lack of understanding of the impact of migration on medium-sized cities, on their internal spatial distribution and socio-spatial differentiation. This study aims to fill this gap by examining the urban settlement patterns of migrants in two medium-sized Danish cities: Aalborg and Odense. The research explores the intra-urban spatial distribution of various migrant groups, considering their origins and residential preferences. Additionally, it analyses the social and structural pull-factor proxies that influence these patterns, including urban housing market dynamics and access to amenities and services. Through an exploratory spatial analysis and data visualisation approach, this study reveals detailed insights into the determinants of migrant settlement. The findings indicate a significant intra-urban concentration of certain migrant groups, especially in the city centres, which often correspond to areas with a higher concentration of essential amenities. By focusing on mid-sized cities and adopting a case-based, comparative methodology through an extensive data visualisation approach, this research enhances urban science knowledge by illuminating underexplored urban contexts and providing a fresh view on the interplay between migration, urban development and spatial planning in medium-sized cities. Full article

Rapid urbanization has promoted socioeconomic growth but has exacerbated spatial-structure imbalances. This study investigates 41 prefecture-level cities in the Yangtze River Delta (YRD) from 2010 to 2022. Using nighttime light data, we compute the Comprehensive Nighttime Light Index (CNLI) to track urbanization dynamics and delineate built-up areas. Furthermore, we apply random-forest recursive feature elimination with cross-validation (RF-RFECV) and a Shapley additive explanations (SHAP)-based interpretation framework to quantify the spatiotemporal evolution of urbanization drivers. The results indicate that urbanization in the YRD increased steadily overall during the study period. Shanghai maintained its core leadership, Jiangsu and Zhejiang advanced steadily, and Anhui rapidly caught up driven by regional integration policies. Although regional disparities generally converged, persistent absolute gaps in small and medium-sized cities and inland areas remain a prominent challenge to balanced development. Spatially, urbanization exhibits a gradient differentiation of “higher in the east and lower in the west, and higher along rivers and coasts than inland.” The regional spatial structure gradually shifted from an early “pole-core–belt” pattern to a polycentric and networked urban agglomeration system, with metropolitan areas and economic belts serving as important carriers for promoting spatial balance. Furthermore, built-up areas exhibit a trajectory of “core agglomeration, corridor-oriented expansion, and intensive transition.” The shrinking coverage of the standard deviational ellipse and a slowdown in expansion rates suggest a shift from extensive outward sprawl to more concentrated development. Regarding driving mechanisms, YRD urbanization has evolved from early-stage factor-scale expansion to a later-stage efficiency- and innovation-driven trajectory. While population density remained the dominant driver, early-stage reliance on transport infrastructure and fiscal decentralization was largely replaced by the strengthening effects of per capita output and green innovation. Overall, these findings provide empirical evidence for optimizing spatial patterns and designing differentiated policies for high-quality urbanization in the YRD. Full article

With the continuous renewal of urban greening, pollen released by allergenic tree species has become a prominent environmental issue affecting residents’ health. However, existing research still lacks city-wide, rapidly replicable methods for identifying allergenic tree species and assessing exposure risks. Taking Beijing’s central urban districts as a case study, this research establishes a method for the automated identification of allergenic tree species and the assessment of pollen exposure risks based on high-resolution satellite imagery. This study coupled tree species distribution results derived from model inference with population density per unit area to delineate three tiers of exposure risk zones. Subsequently, these risk zones were overlaid with the road network within the study area to determine the distribution of roads with low, medium, and high exposure risk. Public transport stop locations were then introduced as a proxy variable for areas of high population mobility. Lorenz curves and Gini coefficients were calculated to quantify the spatial equity of pollen exposure risk. The results indicate that the model reliably identifies target tree species, with approximately 117,000 valid targets. Exposure risks exhibit significant clustering characteristics and can form continuous expansions along road networks. Incorporating population factors shows minimal change in risk concentration, suggesting pollen exposure risk is primarily driven by the spatial clustering of allergenic tree species and their accessibility within road networks. This risk is highly correlated with the spatial distribution patterns and accessibility characteristics of allergenic tree species, rather than being solely determined by population size. This study provides foundational data and methodological support for urban tree species identification, pollen exposure risk management, and optimised greening configurations. Full article

The correct valuation of collateral supporting real estate loans has always been a key issue for the stability of the credit system. Substandard lending practices and the absence of uniform valuation approaches have historically contributed to the accumulation of non-performing loans. In recent years, several regulatory measures operating at both the European and national level have introduced principles, rules and procedures aimed at standardizing the valuation of properties pledged as collateral for credit exposures. These interventions seek to promote greater transparency, consistency, and prudence in property appraisals, thereby enhancing the soundness and resilience of the financial system. In January 2025, the updated Regulation (EU) 575/2013 came into force, incorporating the Basel III reform (also referred to as Basel 3+ or Basel IV). Among the innovations introduced, the concept of property value (PV) is particularly relevant, a prudential value that excludes expectations of price growth and considers the sustainability of the value over time in relation to the duration of the loan. PV is defined as a derived value with respect to market value (MV), determined by considering the main current and forward-looking risk factors that may arise during the life of the loan, including environmental, social and governance (ESG) risks, the intrinsic characteristics of the property and expectations regarding the economic cycle. This paper proposes a quantitative model for the determination of PV, applied to a practical case involving a residential property located in a medium-sized city in Italy’s Veneto region. The model adopts a deterministic and a probabilistic approach, the latter implemented through Monte Carlo simulation, which is indeed a generalization of the deterministic one. The model links the assessment of PV to the possible evolution of the property’s key parameters and the real estate cycle over the duration of the loan. It was tested under the assumption of a twenty-year mortgage originated in 2025 for the purchase of a residential property in Italy, considering two alternative locations: a suburban area and a city-centre area. The analysis conducted showed a substantially higher MV haircut for the suburban property compared with the central location. This difference reflects the fact that PV is less sensitive to real estate cycle fluctuations in more premium, central locations. Furthermore, the use of Monte Carlo simulation in the probabilistic approach enabled the calibration of the haircut according to a predefined confidence level, confirming the pattern observed in the deterministic framework. The combined evidence strengthens the empirical robustness of the model and highlights the importance of locational and cyclical dynamics in collateral valuation. Full article

This study presents a comparative analysis of residential segregation among the three largest foreign-born populations residing in Spain: Moroccans, Romanians, and Colombians. Using data from Spain’s Population and Housing Census (INE), the research analyzed the segregation index across 34 urban areas in medium-sized cities. Three urban areas in Catalonia were selected for the intraurban case studies, and Pearson correlation coefficients were calculated for 60 sociodemographic variables. The objectives were to identify indicators that helped diagnose potential segregation contexts and to explore residential patterns by country of origin. The study was grounded in a central premise: the foreign-born population cannot be treated as a homogeneous group, as aggregation conceals group-specific inequalities and differentiated spatial configurations. The findings showed that segregation occurred. Moroccans exhibited the highest levels of segregation, which was associated with socioeconomic vulnerability and also a marked residential preference for central urban areas. Colombians displayed lower levels of segregation and greater territorial dispersion, pointing to broader residential access. Romanians presented intermediate and heterogeneous patterns, which combined localized concentrations with peripheral settlement. The results highlighted how intraurban differentiation emerged from interactions between different migrant profiles, housing opportunity structures, and urban morphology, providing an empirical basis on which to design targeted urban policies. Full article

University mobility in medium-sized cities faces increasing challenges arising from traffic congestion, urban sprawl, and the limited availability of sustainable transport options. In this context, the bicycle represents an efficient and environmentally low-impact alternative, provided that safe and connected infrastructure exists to facilitate its adoption. This study assesses the potential for bicycle use in the Andean city of Loja, Ecuador, taking as a case study the university community of the Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja (UTPL). Geographic Information Systems (GIS) tools, origin–destination (OD) matrices, and logistic models were integrated to analyze the relationship between three key variables: terrain slope, minimum travel time, and the percentage of protected cycling infrastructure. The results show that protected cycling infrastructure shows the strongest positive association with the modeled probability of use, while slopes greater than 15% and trips longer than twenty minutes are associated with lower modeled probabilities. The geospatial analysis identified priority corridors where improvements in cycling protection would yield higher modeled modal returns. It is concluded that strengthening cycling connectivity and the continuity of protected routes may inform scenario-based planning to support active university mobility, offering a replicable framework for medium-sized cities with similar topographic conditions. Full article

In the context of global climate governance, green technology innovation is essential for urban sustainable development. To address the limitations of traditional linear econometric models, this study investigates the impact of the National Innovative City Pilot Policy on green innovation using a novel framework combining a Multi-period Difference-in-Differences model and Deep Learning Counterfactual Prediction. Analyzing panel data from 100 eastern Chinese cities between 2004 and 2023, the research reveals that the policy significantly and robustly enhances innovation levels in pilot cities. Furthermore, the policy operates through a dual-track synergistic governance mechanism, successfully combining government scientific and technological support with environmental regulation. Additionally, heterogeneity analysis reveals that the policy exerts a more pronounced driving effect on green innovation in small-to-medium-sized cities and regions with lower industrial upgrading levels. Finally, deep learning counterfactual trajectories demonstrate that the policy dividend exhibits a non-linear, long-term cumulative effect that expands over time—a dynamic that traditional linear models often underestimate. Ultimately, this study provides solid empirical evidence that a combined governance system of incentives and constraints effectively promotes innovation-driven, sustainable urban transitions. Full article

In the face of the dual challenges of global climate change and rapid urbanization, optimizing the ecosystem services of urban green spaces has become a key strategy for building resilient and sustainable cities. This is particularly crucial in ecologically fragile arid and semi-arid regions. To accurately assess the thermal regulation function of urban green spaces, this study selected 20 parks in Xi’an, China. Combining remote sensing and Geographic Information System (GIS) technology, we adopted four established cooling indicators—Park Cooling Area (PCA), Park Cooling Efficiency (PCE), Park Cooling Intensity (PCI), and Park Cooling Gradient (PCG)—to systematically evaluate the thermal regulation functions of urban parks and their landscape-driving mechanisms. The results indicated that the average cooling amplitude of the parks was 2.53 °C, with an effective influence distance reaching 323.9 m, exhibiting a significant spatial gradient decay. We found a non-linear trade-off between green space scale and efficiency: while large parks provided a wider absolute cooling range, small and medium-sized parks demonstrated higher efficiency per unit area. Furthermore, a blue-green synergistic configuration significantly enhanced the mitigation of the urban heat island effect. The study confirmed that Park Area (PA), Park Perimeter (PP), and the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) significantly promoted cooling effects, whereas landscape fragmentation inhibited ecological benefits. This study elucidates the comprehensive regulation mechanism of urban parks on the urban microclimate, providing planning guidance for implementing Nature-based Solutions (NbS) and achieving climate-adaptive development in arid and semi-arid cities within the context of urban renewal. Full article

Vegetation elements on buildings such as green roofs are increasingly recognized as nature-based solutions to address urban environmental challenges. Green roofs can be adapted to diverse climates and building types. Their implementation in Slovakia has been rising, yet it remains limited in scale and technological ambition. Projects funded from public resources often remain conventional, with rare ambition to implement novel stormwater management systems and solutions that enhance biodiversity. Currently, the majority of investments in green roofs are limited to the private sector, while public institutions lag behind. Thus, public buildings with novel green systems and elements can still be considered non-conventional, innovative, and influential. This study investigates the development of green roofs on public buildings in the city of Nitra, Slovakia, from the first installation in 1992 to recent projects in the 2020s. By systematically mapping all existing public green roofs and conducting qualitative narrative interviews with key stakeholders, this research aims to identify the main motivations, actors, and barriers behind the implementation of green roofs in public investments. The novelty of this research lies in its mixed-methods approach, combining quantitative and qualitative analyses to draw conclusions from a comprehensive dataset. By capturing all existing examples within their spatial and temporal context, rather than relying on a random subsample of case studies, this study provides a highly representative evaluation of green roof adoption. Preliminary findings provide insights into the temporal and spatial diffusion patterns of green roofs in a medium-sized Central European city and highlight the main drivers of public decision-making. The results contribute to a better understanding of how urban sustainability initiatives emerge in public sector contexts and aim to inform policy and planning to initiate and boost more green roof implementation. Full article

Urban network externalities have emerged as a novel impetus for regional economic growth. However, the extent to which inter-urban network connections promote regional economic growth and the associated spatiotemporal heterogeneity remain underexplored. This study constructs a multi-dimensional urban network framework from the perspectives of enterprise linkages, infrastructure connectivity, and innovation collaborations, capturing the multifaceted nature of intercity relationships and their critical role in shaping regional development. Utilizing the Cobb–Douglas production function and the spatial Durbin model, the study quantitatively assesses the impact of urban network externalities on economic growth and examines the spatiotemporal heterogeneity of these impacts. The main findings are as follows: Urban network externalities generally exert a positive influence on regional economic growth, yet this effect exhibits significant regional and city-size heterogeneity. Regions with more developed networks experience stronger growth effects from these externalities. Moreover, large cities benefit more substantially from network integration compared to small and medium-sized cities. Spatial decomposition of effects further reveals that urban network externalities promote economic growth through both local direct effects and spillover effects to neighboring areas. Approximately 70% of the economic growth contribution originates from direct effects within the region, while nearly 30% stems from spillover effects from adjacent regions. Additionally, the spatial spillover effects display clear distance decay, following an inverted U-shaped pattern with a bimodal distribution. Significant spillover effects are observed within 380 km, peaking at 180 km and 340 km. Full article

Compact city policies have been promoted as a mechanism for improving commuting efficiency through higher density and spatial concentration. However, their effectiveness in small and medium-sized cities that experience population decline, such as in small and medium-sized cities in South Korea remains unclear. This study examines how urban compactness and employment spatial structure influence commuting time across different urban contexts in South Korea, with particular attention to contrasts between the Seoul Capital Region and non-capital cities. Using the 2021 Korean Individual Travel Survey, we examine multilevel mixed-effects models that link individual commuting trips to neighborhood-level built environment characteristics and city-level employment spatial structure. The findings reveal systematically different effects of residential and employment density on commuting times. Higher residential density is generally associated with longer commuting times, whereas higher workplace employment density reduces commuting time only in non-capital regions. In the Seoul Capital Region where urban form is already highly compact, further employment densification does not improve commuting efficiency and may even increase commuting time. Instead, shorter commutes are observed primarily where job–housing balance is relatively high and employment is strongly concentrated in a dominant center. Moreover, the contrasting effects of employment Moran’s I and the employment concentration index indicate that employment dominance and spatial clustering capture distinct dimensions of urban spatial structure, with commuting efficiency depending critically on the internal configuration of employment clusters rather than density alone. These findings suggest that, in shrinking cities, compact city policies should be reframed not as strategies of residential densification, but as strategies of functional consolidation, focusing on sustaining viable employment cores and aligning them with transport networks and residential areas. Full article

Urban transport is a major contributor to particulate matter (PM) pollution, yet information on the spatial distribution of fine and ultrafine particle fractions remains limited in medium-sized tropical cities. This study examines the spatial variability of transport-related particulate matter across eleven urban districts in Padang, Indonesia, using Nano Sampler-based measurements. Size-segregated PM concentrations (PM₁₀, PM_2.5, PM₁, and PM_0.5) were obtained from 24 h sampling campaigns conducted between June and July 2025 at locations selected based on urban density, proximity to major roadways, and land-use characteristics. Descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, and principal component analysis were applied to evaluate spatial patterns and traffic-related influences. The results show pronounced spatial heterogeneity in PM concentrations. Traffic-intensive and mixed-use districts exhibited higher PM levels, particularly for coarse and ultrafine fractions, whereas coastal districts showed lower concentrations due to enhanced atmospheric ventilation. Strong correlations were observed between traffic volume and coarse PM fractions, with moderate associations for fine and ultrafine particles, indicating combined exhaust and non-exhaust emissions. These findings highlight the importance of district-specific mitigation strategies and size-resolved monitoring to support effective urban air-quality management. Full article