Hasil untuk "Urbanization. City and country"

Sadhana Manthapuri, Ralph P. Hall

Abstract As cities evolve in increasingly complex ways, urban planners and researchers are focusing on creating long term and stable visions that are location-specific, sustainable, and inclusive. This visioning process often results in a fundamental question: Is there an underlying urban DNA, a foundational structure that shapes how urban areas grow, adapt, and transform? The idea of urban DNA, first articulated in the early 2000s, has gained renewed prominence since 2020, particularly in post-pandemic recovery strategies that emphasize local identity and place branding. Unlike the concept of urban identity and urban traits, which reflect external dynamics observable in a city and its performance, the concept of urban DNA focuses on the internal structures and mechanisms that shape urban identity, providing sustainable solutions over temporary remedies. Although numerous scholars have introduced conceptual frameworks for urban DNA, and many policy documents highlight cities’ interpretations of their distinctive urban DNA, these applications often lack a strong theoretical grounding. This limitation underscores the need for a more rigorous theoretical foundation that can both substantiate the concept of urban DNA and explain the sequence of urban evolutionary events, framing it as a structured process rather than a set of randomized events. This research develops the concept of urban DNA by identifying the core elements that constitute the genetic building blocks of cities and shape their emergence and evolution. Five interrelated elements, urban uniqueness, temporal variation, spatial variation, growth, and stability, form the basis of this framework. To ground these elements theoretically, 17 urban evolutionary theories were systematically assessed through a relevance matrix, comparing their conceptual alignment, explanatory power, and practical applicability to the urban DNA construct. The analysis highlights urban niche theory and French regulatory theory as particularly relevant for explaining urban DNA. Based on these insights, a grounded theoretical framework is proposed that offers urban planners and policymakers an operational tool to identify and leverage the urban DNA of their respective cities.

Inian Moorthy, Dilek Fraisl, Linda See et al.

Abstract The Global Urban Monitoring Framework (UMF) is one of several international frameworks for monitoring progress in urban sustainable development with indicators from the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and other frameworks such as the City Prosperity Index (CPI). Like the SDGs, many of the 77 UMF indicators lack data, and reporting is largely conducted at a national rather than a local level. Citizen science represents one important data source to address these data gaps at a more local level. Hence, the aim of this paper is to undertake a systematic review of where citizen science could potentially provide data for the UMF indicators using secondary data from citizen science projects. The results showed that citizen science data are already contributing and could contribute to 52 UMF indicators (~68%). Integrating citizen science into urban decision-making is essential so that local communities are at the heart of creating safe, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable cities.

Muhammad Salem, Joe Ravetz, Somi Sareen et al.

Peri-urban areas (PUAs) represent dynamic transition zones where urban expansion, rural livelihoods, and environmental sustainability intersect, posing complex land use management challenges. While effective land use management in these regions is vital for fostering sustainable urban growth, it remains one of the most difficult tasks for planners and policymakers. This systematic review synthesizes findings from 137 studies published over the past 25 years, employing bibliometric analysis, systematic review methodologies, and qualitative content analysis to trace the evolution of land use approaches and policies, assess policy effectiveness, and identify future research directions. The review reveals a clear shift from rigid, top-down planning models toward more adaptive, resilience-oriented approaches. However, significant challenges persist, including fragmented governance, tenure insecurity, and exclusionary planning practices, which have contributed to informal expansion, land speculation, and the marginalization of vulnerable groups—particularly informal settlers and smallholders. A persistent gap between policy formulation and implementation is also identified, driven by inflexible regulatory frameworks, weak institutional coordination, and limited environmental and equity considerations. To address these challenges, future land use approaches must embrace multi-scalar governance, inclusive and participatory planning, and the integration of emerging technologies such as geospatial analytics and artificial intelligence (AI) for improved monitoring and decision-making. Expanding interdisciplinary collaboration and incorporating diverse regional perspectives are essential to advancing more equitable, context-sensitive, and sustainable land use governance in PUAs. This review offers both theoretical insights and actionable recommendations for managing the growing complexity of urban–rural transitions.

Khalid ALSAKEB, Donia REJAB, Ali AHMADI

This study examines the strategic role of green finance in improving the financial performance of Chinese commercial banks after 2020. Using a cross-sectional dataset of 128 banks that were actively engaged in green lending, green bond issuance, and environmental innovation between 2020 and 2025, we employed multivariate regression models that controlled for size, leverage, and portfolio-related CO2 emissions. The results show that green credit allocation and environmental innovation have a strong, positive, and statistically significant effect on return on equity (ROE), while higher environmental, social, and governance (ESG) disclosure scores consistently improve profitability by reducing perceived risk and attracting responsible investment. In contrast, corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives display a negative short-term effect, reflecting their delayed financial payoffs. Surprisingly, ESG controversies demonstrate a positive association with ROE, highlighting the potential value of proactive crisis management, and market expectations. By integrating environmental innovation and ESG controversies into the green finance–performance nexus, this research advances existing literature and provides policymakers and banking executives with actionable insights. Our findings emphasize that green finance is a strategic tool that can be used to reconcile profitability with sustainability, thereby reinforcing the alignment between financial and climate objectives in emerging economies.

Analía Nora Brarda

Este trabajo presenta diversas experiencias de rescate, preservación e interpretación de archivos de profesionales de la arquitectura de la ciudad de Rosario, desarrolladas con un doble propósito: contribuir a la conservación de documentos históricos y fomentar su uso con fines académicos y sociales. A través del ordenamiento, digitalización y análisis de planos, fotografías y otros documentos, se profundizó en el conocimiento de los procesos históricos de construcción urbana y en una lectura más crítica del patrimonio arquitectónico local. Estas fuentes, lejos de ser simples registros técnicos, fueron abordadas como testimonios culturales que invitan a reflexionar sobre las intenciones, significados y contextos que dieron origen a las obras construidas. Desde el enfoque pedagógico, estas experiencias se incorporaron al Taller de Historia de la Arquitectura como una práctica innovadora que articuló docencia e investigación. La participación de docentes y estudiantes en el análisis de los archivos favoreció la producción de saberes colectivos y promovió una actitud crítica frente a la historia edilicia de Rosario. Este enfoque propició un modelo de enseñanza más horizontal, colaborativo y comprometido con los desafíos contemporáneos. Finalmente, la incorporación del patrimonio documental a la formación académica fortaleció el vínculo entre universidad, conocimiento y comunidad, resignificando el pasado como una herramienta clave en la construcción de identidades compartidas.

Diganta Das, Bikramaditya K. Chowdhary, Swasti Vardhan Mishra et al.

One of the oldest cities in the world, Varanasi is home to more than one religion. It is an acclaimed centre of spirituality for Hindus and Buddhists while being equally sacred for Jains and Sikhs. The city is located along the river Ganga, which many believe is a celestial incarnation to grant salvation. Varanasi is a million-plus-population city; an increasingly important provincial metropolitan centre enshrined with the values of commerce, religion, ritual and tradition; and caught between the confluence and contestations of traditions and modernity. Since 2016, Varanasi has been incorporated under India’s Smart Cities Mission (SCM) to develop the city into a smart city with a strong focus on heritage and tourism. The present article is an attempt to trace the journey of the city that has developed as a palimpsest over centuries; it deliberates the contemporary urban landscape and maps out recent urban and infrastructure developments of the city and its concerns. This article also argues that Varanasi has focused on locally specific everyday urbanisms with heritage and culture and pivoted to making itself a Smart Heritage City.

Dolorès Bertrais, Laura Beckwith

The complex challenge of managing urban growth and development in the context of climate and environmental change has led to a proliferation of policy discourses related to the ‘green city’. While useful as a buzzword, it is argued that green city discourses often overlook or even mask questions of social and environmental justice. This case study of Phnom Penh, Cambodia, shows that the presence of green and sustainable city discourses in policymaking does not reflect the reality of urban planning practices. Instead, it has produced an urban vision reflective of the priorities of global capital while contributing to the ongoing destruction of urban biodiversity and the marginalization of urban residents living in poverty. It is argued that a reconceptualization of the green city be undertaken, which incorporates understanding of participatory and distributive justice to ensure that urban planning practices are inclusive and sustainable.

Greg Simons, Andrey Manoilo

Sweden has a global brand as being a democratic, happy and progressive society that is in consensus. However, when looking more closely at the key brand and reputational components of the Swedish international brand and reputation it is possible to see the various irregularities and contradictions that are present.

Hubert Job, Manuel Engelbauer, Barbara Engels

This paper discusses the representativeness of the German Biosphere Reserves. The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals will serve as the theoretical framework of this analysis. Germany currently accounts a share of 16 % of the terrestrial land area under strict nature protection. This means that there is no quantity problem. Rather, the question arises about the number, geographical distribution and quality of protected areas – in this example Biosphere Reserves. So far, scientific papers only focus on the natural landscape representativeness of Biosphere Reserves in Germany. This is not enough for this category of protected areas as it rests on the paradigm of sustainable development. This is why this paper is focusing on possible structural and socioeconomic shortcomings in the network of German Biosphere Reserves. Therefore, precise indicators will be analysed in form of thematical maps to address selected Sustainable Development Goals. Furthermore, the existing Biosphere Reserves will be analysed if and to what extent they are able to reach their intended exemplary function towards "the rest of the world" as models for sustainable development.

Michael Wegener

Ismail Haque, Dipendra Nath Das, Priyank Pravin Patel

As India transforms into an increasingly urban society, ward-level data from the 2011 Indian Census is analysed to decipher how inequality patterns vary across different scales of urban settlements, highlighting the spatial segregation by gender, caste, socio-economic status (SES) and access to goods, by examining a specific state (Uttar Pradesh) as a microcosm to account for the nation’s enormous socio-political diversity. Caste-based spatial segregation is greater in small and medium cities compared to metropolises, possibly from greater intermingling of socio-cultural identities in larger urban locales that lower caste barriers. This also applies to segregation by SES. Contrastingly, segregation by gender or by access to essential goods is higher in larger and medium cities. Within cities, caste-based segregation is greater than that by SES. A stark spatial segregation in terms of households’ (HHs) access to essential public and private goods exists, often higher than even caste-based segregation. Summary explanations for these differentials in spatial segregation across settlements scales are offered, highlighting probable further research aspects.

Andreas Klee, Angelika Krehl

Renu Desai, Darshini Mahadevia

Informal housing predominates urban housing options in developing countries, including India, in both its metro and its mid-sized cities. Within urban housing, two-fifths is rental in India. This study is located within one mid-sized city (Guwahati) in one of the least developed states (Assam) in India. The processes of supply of rental housing in the informal sector are linked with the processes of overall supply of housing identified in Guwahati as housing through (i) informal occupation of public and private lands, (ii) alienation of land and (iii) public sector. Within that, landownership, processes of land occupation/subdivision and development, and the role of various actors create submarkets. Submarket-specific, settlement-specific and owner-specific processes shape a diversity of informal rental housing with regard to extent, quality, level of basic services, rents and tenure security for the urban poor, posing challenges for pursuing a policy of ‘formalizing the informal’ in the case of India. 非正式住房在发展中国家的城市中成为了主要的住房选择，包括印度的大城市和中等城市。在印度的城市住房中，五分之二是租赁住房。本研究针对一个位于印度最不发达邦 (Assam) 的中型城市 (Guwahati)。非正式租赁住房的供应过程通过以下因素与 Guwahati 市明确的完整住房供应过程联系在一起：(i) 非正式的公共和私人土地权属，(ii) 土地转让，以及 (iii) 公共部门。其中，土地所有权、土地占有/细分过程的发展，以及各个参与者的角色共同创建了子市场。针对印度的情况，在基础服务的程度、质量、水平，城市贫民的租金和权属保障，面临挑战寻求一个政策”以正式的手段解决非正式住房问题”等方面，特定的子市场、特定的解决方案和特定的所有者形成了非正式租赁住房的多样性。

Donatella Cialdea, Luigi Mastronardi

This paper analyzes the evolution of land use in the Molise Region. The attention is focused on the changes that occurred primarily on the rural area of the coastal area in this Region.  The presence of urban centers of limited dimension, both for the demographic performance and for the dimensional order, is the main characteristic of this area. The historic part of rural tradition, at the same time, no longer emerges as a primary component of the regional landscape. This trend is particularly evident in the coastal zone, which is analyzed in this work not only in the range of areas that directly bordering the Adriatic Sea, but also in its pre-coastal zone, which remains imprinted on a matrix rural, but suffering from marginalization phenomena

Paola Pucci

<p>Il paper propone una riflessione sulle possibilità offerte dai dati di traffico telefonico nel fornire conoscenze utili a costruire politiche per la mobilità più efficaci ed eque. A partire dai risultati di una esperienza di ricerca avviata presso il Dastu Politecnico di Milano sulla significatività dei dati di traffico telefonico di Telecom Italia nel restituire le densità d’uso del territorio (Manfredini, Pucci &amp; Tagliolato, 2012 e 2013) e le origini e destinazioni dei movimenti giornalieri di mobilità (Tagliolato, Manfredini &amp; Pucci, 2013), si evidenziano le potenzialità analitiche e interpretative offerte da questi dati nel descrivere le modalità con cui differenti popolazioni urbane usano il territorio e le possibili ricadute sulle politiche per la mobilità.</p><p>Nella ricerca condotta, il trattamento dei dati di traffico telefonico ha consentito di restituire la variabilità spazio-temporale delle pratiche d’uso in Lombardia, a partire dalle quali si sono individuati “comunità di pratiche” e “territori contingenti”, generati cioè dalle pratiche di diverse popolazioni temporanee, che si sono assunti come perimetri utili per una diversa articolazione delle competenze e distribuzione delle risorse disponibili. Nel paper l’individuazione di popolazioni urbane temporanee attraverso i dati di traffico telefonico non ha unicamente una finalità interpretativa, ma rappresenta la condizione attraverso cui riconoscere le nuove domande disaggregate per “comunità di pratiche”, su cui costruire politiche di offerta più efficaci e meno onerose finanziariamente, poiché non generaliste.</p>

Pasquale Boccagna

&lt;p&gt;The&lt;strong&gt; &lt;/strong&gt;Green Mobility concept involves great affair of technological, sociology-cultural and political innovation. This may be analyzed in a managerial perspective on the background of the Resource Based Theory and its VRIO framework on the hypothesis that the community  organization management works in directions of social and economical growth in a perspective of social as environmental long term sustainability.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The basic assumption of the RBT lies in the concept sustainable competitive advantage that belongs to a firm or  an organization on the basis of the availability of  resources with the attributes of Value, Rare, Inimitable  in a specific Organization.  In this perspective, any local community have specific view of applying served customer functions of resources in technological, socio-cultural and organizational way according to its ability in building up on knowledge,  that is a specialization of way of producing and, last, living (Marshall 1920).  By this view, change in lifestyle and people's behaviors comes from innovation process (Schumpeter 1942)  in technologies, in socio-cultural view, in political organization, other words, in knowledge and in scientific progress. These  three  areas (technologies, society, policy) are powered by  capacity of innovation and changing and this is the competitive advantage of goods producing,  of political and social organizing, that will be a competitive advantage in achievement  in best levels of  lifestyle,  that is the  way of communities evolution. Also,  technologies changes   produce as a result a change in served customer functions, in people's behaviors, in  political and law organization (shumpeterian revolution), change in socio-cultural ways produces as a result a change in organizational way of economy and  law  (social revolution), change in political way produces change in social organization, economy, people's behaviors.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;         So we try to work in this perspective that is the  hypothesis that evolution of  communities  is a result of technological, socio-cultural and political revolution over the time, last, in knowledge heritage (Rullani 2004). This is  according to falsificationist methodological perspective. And every change was almost hard change for the resistance to innovation coming from human behavior as a specialization way of life.  Resource Based View can offer a framework for managing  this change in the perspective of sustainability competitive advantage of local system when  resources'  achievement works in  ecological and environmental safeguard perspective.  Efficiency and  environment safeguard are the attributes of Mobility systems as a  resource that may generate sustainable competitive advantage in goods and peoples mobility for a local system in the future.&lt;/p&gt;<br>&lt;p&gt;Il tema della  mobilità verde (trasporti ecosostenibili) va affrontato in maniera sistemica in quanto l'innovazione non interessa solo il sistema e le tecniche di trasporto, ma coinvolge anche aspetti socio-culturali e politici. L'analisi del problema in una prospettiva manageriale, secondo i principi  della Resource Based Theory, può aiutare a comprendere la necessità dell'azione  di una governance territoriale e come essa può ottenere i vantaggi competitivi del territorio in termini di sviluppo sostenibile ed ecocompatibile nel lungo termine.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Il concetto di base che si vuole sostenere in questa analisi è quello del vantaggio competitivo associato, questa volta, non alla singola azienda o gruppo di aziende, ma all'intero territorio o distretto geografico, industriale e socio-culturale. Nella Teoria del Distretto (Marshal 1920, Becattini 1989) si afferma il concetto di vantaggio competitivo delle imprese come effetto dell'influenza del territorio, delle risorse, delle  esperienze e conoscenze sedimentate nel corso del tempo dalle popolazioni locali  nella generazione delle capacità produttive e distintive delle imprese di quel distretto. In una parola, il territorio influenza le capacità imprenditoriali. Ogni impresa possiede un vantaggio competitivo derivante dall'utilizzo delle risorse del territorio, che pertanto possiedono delle qualità di Valore, Rarità, Inimitabilità e Organizzabilità (VRIO Management). Ogni comunità locale possiede una specifica “cultura” o modo di concepire la realtà produttiva. Le funzioni d'uso delle risorse derivano dalla capacità di utilizzare la “conoscenza sedimentata”, e tutto ciò si traduce nella specializzazione produttiva e, infine, negli stili di vita. Dato questo assunto, per introdurre un cambiamento negli stili di vita e nei comportamenti di un territorio, è necessario un processo di innovazione  (Schumpeter 1943) di carattere sistemico che deve interessare non solo l'aspetto tecnologico ma anche quello socio-culturale e quello politico-normativo. Tecnologia, società e politica sono le tre aree che sono alimentate dalla capacità di continua innovazione e ciò rappresenta il vantaggio competitivo che  una  comunità locale consegue tanto nella organizzazione dei fattori della produzione quanto nella generazione del livello di benessere locale e vivibilità ambientale. In altri termini, secondo l'impostazione comportamentista (Nelson e Winter 1982), questo è lo schema dell'evoluzione.  Si può assumere, così, che l'innovazione tecnologica comporta come effetto il cambiamento delle funzioni d'uso, dei comportamenti degli utenti (consumatori) e del sistema politico-normativo (rivoluzione schumpeteriana); ancora, i cambiamenti di tipo socio-culturale investono di conseguenza, oltre l'assetto economico, anche la sfera politica e normativa (rivoluzioni sociali); infine i cambiamenti originati nella sfera politico-normativa impattano sull'organizzazione dell'economia e della società oltre che sui comportamenti umani (rivoluzioni politiche). Delle tre sicuramente la rivoluzione tecnologica è quella che più velocemente e intensamente  ha interessato  economia, società e sfera giuridico-politica.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;In questa prospettiva si vuole avvalorare l'ipotesi, in impostazione falsificazionista,  secondo cui lo sviluppo locale è il risultato di una capacità di intendere i cambiamenti nel campo tecnologico, socio-culturale e politico nel corso del tempo e ciò rappresenta il patrimonio della Conoscenza (Rullani 2004). D'altra parte il processo di innovazione incontra  delle resistenze al cambiamento, generate dalle “routines”, o modi di comportamento comunemente diffusi. Il cambiamento, quindi, può operare solo in conseguenza di una valutazione positiva dei costi-benefici relativi all'introduzione dell'innovazione. L'analisi del problema dello sviluppo dei sistemi di trasporto nella direzione della compatibilità ambientale, della riduzione dell'inquinamento e dell'alta velocità può essere visto come un tipico problema manageriale nella prospettica teorica dei sistemi territoriali. I trasporti, infatti, rappresentano la risorsa fondamentale per il funzionamento e lo sviluppo economico tanto di un Paese quanto dei suoi distretti produttivi. Pertanto,  l'applicazione dello  schema del VRIO Management, secondo l'impostazione della Resource Based Theory, è una prospettiva utile per concepire lo sviluppo del vantaggio competitivo territoriale, in un'ottica di governance del territorio di tipo sistemico, basato sull'innovazione ecocompatibile dei sistemi logistici .&lt;/p&gt;

Paula Peyloubet, Héctor Massuh, Tomás O´Neill et al.

<p>La problemática social en la Argentina requiere de un cambio de visión en la construcción de la resolución del problema. El fenómeno de la exclusión y el empobrecimiento de grandes sectores de la población pone en crisis los enfoques que se vienen utilizando para el abordaje de dicha problemática y muestra una ineficiencia en las soluciones planteadas, como también la ausencia de acciones transformadoras de la realidad social. Los modelos de desarrollo, imperantes en el sistema económico mundial, se basan en un juego de oferta y demanda en el que el libre mercado se autorregula dando lugar a crecimientos inequitativos y decrecimientos fabulosos. Se parte, entonces, por reconocer la ausencia de modelos no excluyentes alternativos. El presente trabajo pretende exponer una experiencia de investigación-acción cuyo enfoque de resolución de la problemática se plantea a partir de procesos inclusivos aplicando el uso de tecnologías sociales como instrumento para el desarrollo local. Caso: Villa Paranacito.</p>

Anja Reichert-Schick

This article analyses two peripheral rural regions: West Eifel and West Pomerania in Germany. Both are affected by demographic change and are subject to distinct shrinking and ageing processes. There are many similarities between the two regions, but also serious contradictions. The demographic change does not have the same effect in both research areas. Hence the article looks into the subject, under which specific conditions the explosiveness of the demographic change is going to be intensified or diminished.

Jeffrey C. Johnson, Michael K. Orbach

COMMERCIAL FISHERMEN HAVE BEEN characterized as a homogeneous collection of economically conservative, staunchly independent individuals living in relatively rural, highly integrated communities along the coast. Several factors are presently affecting these traditional communities, changing their character and changing commercial fishing itself. These include consequences of urbanization such as the institution of zoning ordinances, increasing population densities, real estate development, and the growth of tourism and recreation. The attraction of coastal areas for retirees and others seeking a better lifestyle lead to the "gentrification" of commercial fishing. These trends affect the commercial spiny lobster fishermen of Monroe County, Florida (the Florida Keys), [social networks, urbanization, leisure and tourism, commercial fishing, social stratification]