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The city of tomorrow is already with us
No full textGame changer? Planning for just and sustainable urban regions, Paris, 8-12th July 2024This paper title provokes us and brings us back to the New Athens Charter published in 2003 by the European Council of Town Planners1. The aim is to discuss the city's planning based on the urban features we have inherited from the past, with the understanding of history in its evolutionary form and the city as an open-ended process in continuous construction. It's not about preserving, but adapting, reusing and creating again, reinforcing urban resilience and the identity of each place. Today's needs and the crises we face - climate change, the housing crisis and migration - call for a transformation of the city and behaviour so that cities become sustainable, healthy habitats that guarantee quality of life for all.
Keywords: reuse, heritage, sustainabilitypublished versio
Strategies for Small Public Space to Reclaim Urban Green
No full textGame changer? Planning for just and sustainable urban regions, Paris, 8-12th July 2024Small public urban green space is a category of urban public space characterised by its abundant quantity and widespread distribution. In many cities, like Karaköy in Istanbul, rapid development and privatisation are impacting city dwellers' well-being and ecological health. Over the years, the current state of urban green spaces in the city are declining. We believe these small public spaces need to be reclaimed and prioritised. Through this paper, we aimed to illustrate how even small public spaces can be transformed to green space. We conducted literature review and employed Jan Gehl’s observation. Our findings suggest innovative solutions maximising the usability of existing spaces, by integrating adaptable design concepts that promote community engagement and enhance aesthetic appeal within sustainable parameters.
Keywords: reclaiming green space, community health, public spaces, small space, privatisation impact.published versio
Planning tools and building regulations towards greening densely-built Greek cities: scales of 'urban green grabbing'
No full textGame changer? Planning for just and sustainable urban regions, Paris, 8-12th July 2024'Green' urban development is the dominant paradigm of spatial planning and is framed by changing overarching concepts such as sustainability, resilience and more recently climate neutrality. As the Greek spatial planning system has incorporated the objectives of greening cities, the paper highlights the need to assess new tools of urban development and planning in Greece in terms of their cumulative impact on the urban landscape, both in terms of the image of the city and their actual contribution to the pressing goals of improving environmental conditions and adapting to climate emergency. The paper activates the concept of 'urban green grabbing' as introduced by Garcia-Lamarca et al. in 2022, that studies green urban development through a socio-political lens and highlights the grabbing of urban common resources that is promoted in the context of environmental protection and energy Through this perspective, the paper critically presents the nature of environmental incentives and planning tools related to urban greening, that were introduced during the financial crisis and discusses the outcomes of such tools in the image and the environmental conditions of densely built Greek cities. conservation.
Keywords: urban green grabbing, planning tools, environmental incentives, Greek crisispublished versio
A Study on the Integrated Governance Model of Development Zone and Town: Take South Jiangsu Region of China as an Example
No full textGame changer? Planning for just and sustainable urban regions, Paris, 8-12th July 2024Promoting the integrated development of development zones and towns has become a crucial focal point for achieving high-quality urban and rural development in South Jiangsu, China. This paper commences with an examination of the historical evolution of the relationship between development zones and towns, followed by an exploration of the imperative for their integration. Using the South Jiangsu region as a case study, the paper establishes a framework for analysis based on the theory of scale reconstruction, termed as 'power-space' re-scaling analysis, and delves into the various types and distinguishing features of governance practices concerning the integration of development zones and towns. The research highlights the following key points:(1) The integration of development zones and towns represents an inevitable and progressive stage in the evolution of their relationship, and urbanization in Southern Jiangsu has transitioned into a new phase characterized by the integration of development zones and towns, facilitated by institutional innovations.(2) The reformation of integrated governance mechanisms for development zones and towns manifests in four distinct types: linkage platforms, cooperative agreements, administrative consolidation, and embedded proxies.(3) Examining the subject relationship, spatial domain, and governance structure across various integration practices reveals a discernible pattern of business alienation indicative of re-scaling dynamics."
Key words: Development zone, Town, Integration of development zone and town, Re-scalingpublished versio
Coordinated optimisation of multi-level rail transit network and Regional spatial: International contextual differences and the case of Shanghai
No full textGame changer? Planning for just and sustainable urban regions, Paris, 8-12th July 2024As the urbanisation rate in China continues to rise, there is an urgent need to enhance the rail transit system to facilitate the growth of major cities and regions. This study examines the contrasts and interconnections between China's rail transit system concepts and those of other countries, as well as the discrepancies in the histories of construction and operational approaches. Based on a clear understanding of these differences, the study employs multiple data sources to analyse the rail transit network in Shanghai. It finds that the network is well-developed, particularly in high-speed railways and metros. However, it lacks an intermediate level. To address this issue, the study proposes a multi-level rail transit network and spatially coordinated optimisation strategy tailored to urban demands. This strategy encompasses rail transit networks at three spatial scales, with specific strategies determined by the availability of urban resources. In conclusion, the study proposes a multi-level rail transit network and spatially coordinated optimisation strategy tailored to urban demands. This strategy encompasses rail transit networks at three spatial scales, with specific strategies determined by urban resources. The study emphasises the significance of recognising contextual variations and tailoring solutions to local requirements.
Keywords: Regional integration; Rail transit network; Metropolitan areas; Cross-cultural comparison; Shanghaipublished versio
Can care help conceptualise place futures? Exploring the potential of care as an analytical framework for understanding place qualities
No full textGame changer? Planning for just and sustainable urban regions, Paris, 8-12th July 2024This paper explores how the concept of care can structure an analytical framework for understanding place qualities. Care is burgeoning as a major concept within the humanities and social sciences. Given its growing application in planning, it is timely to reflect on what the care concept contributes to understanding places and their possible futures. Following a review of the scholarly literature, this paper proposes an analytical framework based around five characteristics of care: (1) objects of care; (2) caring actors; (3) care practices, (4) care motivations; (5) care relations. The final part of the paper reflects on the potential of the care concept for imagining possible place futures.
Keywords: Care, place, futures, analytical frameworkpublished versio
Moving forward in uncertainty? A serious game for validating interventions to manage uncertainty in public-private collaboration for sustainable mobility
No full textGame changer? Planning for just and sustainable urban regions, Paris, 8-12th July 2024Public and private actors who develop mobility innovations in practice often rely on control and reduce strategies when facing uncertainty. Different strategies to deal with uncertainty have been proposed in theory that are more adaptive and robust, such as joint-fact finding and other collaborative governance approaches. Question is how to stimulate actors to use these approaches in practice. This paper has evaluated the effectiveness of an intervention on mindset and synergy, to test the idea that stimulating behavioural conditions can lead to more collaborative responses to uncertainty. This intervention was evaluated in a control and intervention session of a serious game that simulates a multi-actor decision-making process of negotiating about mobility innovations for a sustainable mobility plan. Both sessions were compared in terms of negotiation process and outcome, and strategies to deal with uncertainty. We found that in both sessions actors used collaborative strategies to deal with uncertainty, but in the control session participants were also applying control strategies for their own organization to reduce uncertainty, because of the inhibiting conditions on mindset and synergy. We conclude that combing a psychological perspective with governance approaches for uncertainty is a promising way to experiment with interventions to deal with uncertainty.
Key words: Uncertainty; Risk; Serious Game; Intervention; Decision-makingpublished versio
Repurposing abandoned transport infrastructure towards social inclusion: The case of Baana, Helsinki
No full textGame changer? Planning for just and sustainable urban regions, Paris, 8-12th July 2024With globally increasing challenges for the role of public spaces and their contribution to inclusion and justice within urban settings, this article examines the repurposing of transport infrastructure to provide dedicated walking and cycling public spaces, specifically the case of Baana in Helsinki, Finland, a former freight railway conduit. Building on the concepts of mobility design and walking as a social experience, the article examines Baana’s role both as a non-motorised transit space, and one supporting fluid encounters among diverse users. The impact of Baana’s design is examined – in terms of utility, attractiveness, and symbolism – on pedestrians’ activities, experiences, and perceptions. Initial findings reveal Baana’s barriers and potentials and serve to develop further research on addressing differential pedestrian experiences, to inform future mobility design processes.
Keywords: Baana, fluid encounters, Helsinki, inclusion, mobility designpublished versio
Transforming City Regions: co-designing future planning education
No full textGame changer? Planning for just and sustainable urban regions, Paris, 8-12th July 2024This paper examines the implementation of a co-design approach in planning education, focusing on the M.Sc. Transforming City Regions (TCR) programme at RWTH Aachen University. Through workshops and interviews with focus groups, it explores how diverse students’ expectations are aligned with institutional teaching and learning objectives and how interdisciplinary knowledge is effectively integrated into the curriculum. It describes and analyses the outcomes of these workshops and offers empirical insights that shed light on the future trajectory of interdisciplinary planning education and the challenges it faces. On this basis, the paper argues that fostering collaboration and feedback responsiveness facilitates continuous improvement in preparing students for the challenges of contemporary urban transformations.
Keywords: Transforming City Regions; Collaborative; Interdisciplinary; Integrative Urban Planning; European Education, Pathwayspublished versio
Quantifying the Effects of Spatial Determinants of Cooking Fuel Choices in India
No full textGame changer? Planning for just and sustainable urban regions, Paris, 8-12th July 2024Household energy consumption constitutes approximately 30%, of India's overall energy consumption, with cooking alone accounting for about 40% of this household energy usage. According to the recent consumer survey of India, approximately 30% of the population is still using polluting fuels in India, and several policies like the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana have been launched to improve the penetration of LPG as the primary cooking fuel in households. While studies have examined the influence of socio-economic factors on household fuel choices, research focusing on spatial socio-economic dynamics remains limited. This study seeks to fill this gap by investigating the role of regional economies in shaping household cooking fuel preferences, thus addressing concerns related to sustainability and indoor air pollution. This study hypothesises that regional economies might play a significant role in influencing the cooking fuel choice of households. Given the fact that the subsidies and policies governing the cost and distribution of fuel are implemented on national or regional levels, coupled with existing regional disparities in India, studying the influence of spatial variables is imperative. Utilizing Spatial Regression Analysis, specifically the Spatial Lag Model, this research examines the impact of various regional variables on household fuel choices. Findings indicate that GDP per Capita, Built-up Area per 100 sqm, Percentage of main workers in the district and Percentage of households with land ownership exceeding 1 Ha significantly influence the prevalence of LPG usage as the primary cooking fuel in Indian households. For instance, an increase of INR 20,000 in GDP per capita of a district causes a 1% rise in LPG adoption among households in that district. Furthermore, the spatial lag coefficient highlights the spillover effect, indicating that a 1% increase in LPG usage among all the neighbouring districts leads to a 0.42% rise in LPG adoption among the households of the target district. This study underscores the implications of improved technology or new policies on energy usage patterns, suggesting a need for nuanced policy measures tailored to regional disparities. The insights generated from this analysis offer valuable guidance for policymakers and regional planners in formulating targeted interventions to address regional inequalities and promote sustainable development. Additionally, this spatial perspective enables an understanding of resource allocation for efficient regional development. Future research could enhance these findings by incorporating more detailed datasets and refining the Spatial Weights Matrix to account for factors such as connectivity and policy influences..
Keywords: Spatial Regression Analysis, Urban Energy Economics, Household Energy, Cooking Energypublished versio