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This study investigates the responses of the urban atmospheric thermal environment to two distinct heat waves in Hefei, China, and explores potential changes associated with future urban expansion. During the Event 1, characterized by clear and dry conditions, the western Pacific subtropical high limits water vapor influx, resulting in a significant cooling effect in rural area due to higher surface latent heat flux. The urban heat island (UHI) intensity, calculated using surface temperature and 2‐m temperature, reaches 5.2°C and 1.7°C during the Event 1, respectively. Although Event 2, characterized by cloudy and humid conditions, exhibits weaker UHI and urban dry island effects, it remains highly unfavorable for human comfort. During distinct heat waves, the vertical extent of the warming effect induced by future urban expansion varies, which can be attributed to environmental factors, such as atmospheric stability and near‐surface wind speed. Plain Language Summary: The study investigates the interactions between the urban atmospheric thermal environment and two distinct heat waves in Hefei, China, as well as the changes induced by future urban expansion. During the first event, which has clear and dry weather conditions, the influx of water vapor is limited by a high‐pressure system. Consequently, rural area experiences a significant cooling effect due to higher surface latent heat flux. The urban heat island (UHI) intensity, measured by surface temperature and 2‐m temperature, reaches 5.2°C and 1.7°C, respectively, during this event. In contrast, the second event, characterized by cloudy and humid weather conditions, exhibits weaker UHI and urban dry island effects but remains highly uncomfortable for humans. The vertical extent of the warming effect caused by future urban expansion varies during distinct heat waves. This variation can be attributed to environmental factors, such as atmospheric stability and near‐surface wind speed. Key Points: The underlying mechanisms of the different responses of the urban atmospheric thermal environment to distinct heat wave events are analyzedThe limitation of water vapor influx by a high‐pressure system and intense solar radiation jointly enhance the urban heat island effectAtmospheric stability and wind speed could influence the vertical extent of the warming effect induced by future urban expansion [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban development in South America has experienced significant growth and transformation over the past few decades. South America's urban development and trees are closely interconnected, and tree cover within cities plays a vital role in shaping sustainable and resilient urban landscapes. However, knowledge of urban tree canopy (UTC) coverage in the South American continent remains limited. In this study, we used high-resolution satellite images and developed a semi-supervised deep learning method to create UTC data for 888 South American cities. The proposed semi-supervised method can leverage both labeled and unlabeled data during training. By incorporating labeled data for guidance and utilizing unlabeled data to explore underlying patterns, the algorithm enhances model robustness and generalization for urban tree canopy detection across South America, with an average overall accuracy of 94.88% for the tested cities. Based on the created UTC products, we successfully assessed the UTC coverage for each city. Statistical results showed that the UTC coverage in South America is between 0.76% and 69.53%, and the average UTC coverage is approximately 19.99%. Among the 888 cities, only 357 cities that accommodate approximately 48.25% of the total population have UTC coverage greater than 20%, while the remaining 531 cities that accommodate approximately 51.75% of the total population have UTC coverage less than 20%. Natural factors (climatic and geographical) play a very important role in determining UTC coverage, followed by human activity factors (economy and urbanization level). We expect that the findings of this study and the created UTC dataset will help formulate policies and strategies to promote sustainable urban forestry, thus further improving the quality of life of residents in South America. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neighborhood governance demands ongoing communication between public and private actors. Area brokers, working as boundary spanners, are essential in this process. Their work was severely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Social distancing measures hindered face-to-face (F2F) interaction rituals, such as informal conversations and participation meetings. Therefore, area brokers had to turn to communication technologies to mitigate this loss. This research explored how a shift from F2F to mediated communication, affected area brokers' effectiveness. In total, 21 sequential interviews and three focus groups were conducted with ten area brokers, acting as so-called boundary spanners, in Amsterdam during three phases of the pandemic. The analysis shows that, while mediated communication helped them to continue their tasks, the relational and functional affordances of communication technologies constrained boundary-spanning activities, impacting neighborhood governance. The paper raises two critical issues for neighborhood governance beyond the pandemic. First, mediated communication can aggravate existing inequalities in the ability of citizens to communicate with local government representatives. Second, although communication technologies are currently on the rise in local governance, they are only effective when coupled with discretionary space for boundary spanners to employ them in fitting ways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The geography of economic opportunity and residential segregation are important factors driving racial disparities in employment outcomes. We present here the changing landscape of opportunity in large metropolitan areas in the United States to describe how the spatial structure of opportunity is evolving. Using decomposable inequality indices, we break down the spatial inequality of opportunity into two components: inequality within subareas (inner cities, inner suburbs, and outer suburbs) and inequality between subareas. According to our findings, economic opportunity is primarily driven by inequality within subareas. The situation is particularly evident in metropolitan areas where suburban employment is growing concurrently with the suburbanization of Black and Hispanic populations. Our findings suggest that the geography of metropolitan opportunity in the U.S. is changing in ways that will alter our traditional understanding of the relationship between race, space, and economic opportunity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Housing programs in India have rarely engaged with slum communities to understand slum-dwellers' housing needs and preferences as the tools to systematically understand them are lacking. Consequently, the programs are often designed and implemented without the slum community's participation. This paper demonstrates the usefulness of inviting slum residents to understand housing problems from their perspective by using in-depth interviews and focus group discussions in two slums of Odisha, India. We compare their priorities with the provisions of slum policies such as the Odisha Land Rights to Slum Dwellers Act 2017 to highlight that housing needs and challenges in slums are diverse, and preferences are often incremental that the current program has failed to recognize. We use problem structuring methods from decision sciences as our analytical framework that treats the slum residents as experts. Such an approach can potentially transform how we design housing programs and policies in the developing world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Housing policy in the United States has long been characterized by unequal investment in homeownership and low-income rental assistance, with implications for racial (and ethnic) inequality in access to stable housing. In this study, I examine socioeconomic status and neighborhood characteristics of non-Hispanic White and non-Hispanic Black adults with children receiving HUD rental assistance using a nationally representative linked survey-administrative dataset. Results show that Black and White adults who receive rental assistance tend to have similar (low) incomes, yet Black adults experience significantly higher levels of neighborhood disadvantage than White adults. Furthermore, living in poverty is a substantially stronger predictor of receiving HUD rental assistance for White than Black adults. The results support the notion that rental assistance programs are a last resort for White households, many of whom may benefit from historical federal government support for homeownership. Rental assistance serves as an important safety net for Black families but fails to provide significant improvement in the neighborhood environment. The results contribute to a comprehensive understanding of racial inequality in the impacts of U.S. rental housing policy and the historical legacy of racial exclusion in U.S. homeownership programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Community resources that meet the basic daily needs of residents have been primarily examined at the neighborhood level while the municipal-level contexts have been overlooked. Therefore, focusing on 180 municipalities in the Los Angeles–Long Beach Combined Statistical Area (CSA), this study explores whether municipal boundaries are influential in the spatial distribution of community resources—related to food, education, healthcare, recreation, and social service and civic organizations—and investigates the multilevel determinants of this distribution. Using the K-means clustering method, this study classifies municipalities into three groups by their socioeconomic, fiscal, and physical features. Then, by employing the analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) and multilevel logistic regression, this study finds an unequal distribution of community resources related to the municipal-level socioeconomic status (SES) when the community resources of adjacent municipalities are considered. The results of this study suggest that more contextualized policies based on municipal SES may address the spatial inequality of community resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While retrospective economic voting—that is, punishing or rewarding incumbent politicians for the performance of the economy—is well studied, much less is known about the electoral implications of the housing market across levels of government. Which, if any, levels of government are judged on the basis of real estate prices? This piece considers this question, using panel survey data and home assessment data from Calgary, Alberta, a city where housing prices have stagnated in recent years relative to other Canadian cities. We find that support for incumbents at both the local and provincial levels are related to impressions of the direction of the housing market. City councilors, however, are the only politicians who seem to be held accountable for the performance of the housing market. Our results suggest that, at the local level, housing prices are an important consideration for economic voting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The work of community-based organizations (CBOs), organizations that represent a particular community, can be an impetus for social change and advocacy. By drawing on the institutional entrepreneurship perspective, this study seeks to understand how CBOs attempt to challenge dominant carceral logics (referred to as a punishment-oriented mind-set) in operation across two fields: (1) the public-school system and (2) human service providers that work with sex workers. Utilizing a comparative case study design in the city of Chicago, this study discusses how CBOs leverage their legitimacy and relationships to identify contradictions within the carceral logics in city-wide fields and promote alternative solutions, namely restorative justice in public schools and decriminalization of sex work. CBO strategies and goals differed based on their field position and existing support, so we discuss how CBOs can advance alternate logics and promote change depending on their contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In an era of austerity, co-production involving local government and community groups has taken on much greater significance worldwide, including in Japanese local government. However, the nature of local co-production differs widely across Japan, ranging from bona fide cooperation between municipalities and voluntary groups to de facto outsourcing of local government functions in pursuit of cost savings. This paper seeks to add to the scholarly literature on community co-production by examining two case studies in Yokohama City. In particular, we seek to show how "path-dependency" and local social capital play a significant role in the success of co-production in local government. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Information technologies, social media and the Internet of Things are tools that may encourage civic participation for the co-creation of public value and can strengthen the role of citizens in urban governance. This work seeks to explore of how social media and IoT based participation enhances the interaction between government and citizen, and for government, what capabilities are required for continuous citizen participation. The paper examines the power dynamics between government and citizens employing Giddens's theory of structuration as an analytical framework. In addition, dynamic capability theory has been applied to determine the capabilities of government needed for continuous civic participation, while proposing a citizen participation model for public value co-creation. The proposed model can serve as a framework for recognizing the vital role of citizens in public policymaking and public service provision in the smart era. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is broad consensus regarding the fact that street art is a form of social, political and cultural protest and critique. However, rather than one single form, street art consists of a wide range of complex and contradictory styles featuring a diversity of interests, derivations and conflicts with underlying factors of both a structural and contextual nature. Taking as examples the cases of Pinacoteca aCel Obert and Pinta Malasaña, in Barcelona and Madrid respectively, this article explores the production of urban art and notes how, as part of plans to revitalize neighborhoods, it assumes different versions in harmony with the characteristics and circumstances of the surrounding areas. Using a qualitative methodology, it explores the conception, development and results of both projects, revealing the heterogeneity of explanatory factors, the complexity of their implementation, and the role, which is not exempt from conflict and rivalry, of street artists in the urban space. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This document is a collection of papers that explore the concept of Olympic urbanism, which refers to the close relationship between city planning and the Olympic Games. The papers discuss various cities that have hosted the Olympics and cover topics such as the impact of the Games on urban form and planning culture, the sustainability and legacy of the Games, and the role of security in Olympic city planning. The papers emphasize the need for historical awareness when analyzing the Olympic experience of a city and highlight the complex and unpredictable nature of urban planning for the Games. [Extracted from the article]

This paper examines the growth of the Olympic Games against that of former host cities to understand whether this mega-event may have 'outgrown' its hosts. The increasing hosting requirements and governments' expansive use of mega-events as tools for urban development would suggest that the 'Olympic city' – a term we use for describing the size of the Olympics as hosted in different cities over the decades – has grown at a faster rate than former host cities. The analysis contrasts historical indicators that capture the evolving size of planning for the event based on four dimensions – sport, spectators, marketing and costs – as well as the urban dimension of hosting experiences (venues and infrastructure) with city trajectories based on demographic and economic indicators. This is done through a longitudinal analysis of former Olympic host cities from the 1960s and 1970s and from which continuous longitudinal data are available: Tokyo, Munich, and Montreal. The findings indicate that the Olympic city has grown more strongly than these former host cities, although not uniformly across trajectories. This gives evidence for the need to review the size of mega-event impacts if they ought to continue to generate interest in hosting them in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article employs an Olympic urbanism perspective on the transformation of Beijing's planning and development. For Beijing, holding the Olympic Games was not just about staging the city – and the nation – to the world as commonly understood. It was also about transforming the city through megaprojectification – the use of megaprojects like the Olympic Games to boost urban growth. The 2008 Summer Olympics played a critical role in growing Beijing in terms of the economy, population, fixed assets investment, infrastructure provision, and real estate development. Rapid but ill-planned growth within a decade exacerbated many pre-existing problems of the megacity. In the post-Olympic years, big city syndrome became Beijing's calling card: pollution, congestion, unliveability, and unsustainability. Since then, a post-growth discourse has been emerging, reimagining the capital's future in the context of balanced, coordinated development of the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei region. These include the construction of a new city Xiong'an to decentralize Beijing. This post-growth discourse that influenced the 2022 Winter Olympics was a contrast to the growth discourse that had underpinned the 2008 Summer Olympics. Beijing presents an unusual case of holding two Olympics within a short timeframe but under two contrasting urbanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The world has become urban; cities increasingly shape our worldviews, relation to other species, and the large-scale, long-term decisions we make. Cities are nature, but they need to align better with other ecosystems to avoid accelerating climate change and loss of biodiversity. We need a science to guide urban development across the diverse realities of global cities. This need can be met, in part, by shifts in urban ecology and its linkages to related sciences. This perspective is a "synthesis of syntheses", consolidating ideas from the other articles in the Special Section. It re-examines the role of urban ecology, and explores its integration with other disciplines that study cities. We conclude by summarizing the next steps in the ongoing shift in urban ecology, which is fast becoming an integral part of urban studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the last decades, many scholars have studied competition between cities and entrepreneurial urban policies. Coming from the evolving field of competition research, we are interested in how competition between cities is constructed and, for this purpose, examine the competition imaginary of Vienna, a city known less for its entrepreneurial policies than for its social welfare policies. The paper employs critical discourse analysis of Viennese policy papers from 1985–2015, a period particularly shaped by the process of competitization. The analysis shows that Vienna's social and welfare policies are also decisive for the city's positioning in city competition and rankings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dar es Salaam (Tanzania) is one of the fastest urbanising cities in sub-Saharan Africa, which has implications for its food security. Based on ethnographic research that focused on understanding how day-to-day agricultural practices are configured, we study the responses of farmers to a changing urban environment. We describe urban agriculture as an expression of active city-making; something which is uncommon since the agricultural sector is typically presented as passive and helpless in the face of urban growth. This paper shows that farmers, despite not being accounted for in urban narratives, co-shape what the city looks like and how it functions. By crafting networks of provision based on the informal access to land and water, they offer food, employment, and more for the improvement of their lives and the wider citizenry. In opposition to land pressure and water resource degradation, farmers adapt their agricultural strategies to benefit from what they can access while dealing with the uncertainties of changing realities. Based on our findings which reflect the characteristics of everyday urbanism, we discuss implications for theory and governance. With African cities risking to grow hungry, a better representation of urban farmers and their irrigated agricultural production in urban planning and governance reduces uncertainties and risks, both for farmers and the wider city. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The sub-Saharan cities are growing and changing due to immigration and modernization. One of the consequences of the current urbanization is that an increasing number of families residing in peri-urban areas of small rural towns lack access to basic municipal and ecosystem services. The purpose of the paper is to demonstrate the impacts of peri-urban expansion on municipal services provided by the governments and on ecosystems services through a case study of a small rural town called Makhado Biaba in Limpopo Province of South Africa. Makhado Biaba has been experiencing incessant rapid physical expansion over the years. Such spatial expansion into the peri-urban zone impacts the provision of municipal services such as water, electricity, sewerage, and refuse collection. In 2020, an exploratory mixed-methods study of some anthropocentric and ecosystem changes in Makhado Biaba Local Municipality in northeast South Africa was executed. Land use was mapped for the time period of 1990–2020, data were gathered through a household questionnaire in six villages, and interviews were held with municipal officials. Among others, the study showed that several municipal services are available in the peri-urban villages of Makhado Biaba Town despite the distant locations outside the urban core. However, services are not uniformly distributed due to that new peri-urban developments that are leapfrogging into vacant land without supporting infrastructure. The pace of the municipality in providing the necessary municipal services such as water and energy supply, as well as sanitation and refuse removal, is lagging behind the development of new and unplanned housing areas. The findings bring about information about the suburban livelihoods and how the administration of the peri-urban areas can respond to the needs of the inhabitants as well as to future challenges. For instance, to facilitate local development, recurrent and well-structured citizen dialogs with local groups to identify delivery failures are strongly recommended. In addition, the impact on ecosystem services by the city development and land use change stresses the need for guided urban development and expansion and also settlement upgrading programs in peri-urban zones to limit the bad effect on ecosystem services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Contemporary literature on urban agriculture often analyses urban community gardens as 'existing' commons with the capacity to counter neoliberal urban development and resource management practices. However, the existing literature on 'political gardening' generally focuses on cities in North America and Europe, despite the prevalence of urban community gardens and neoliberal planning across other regions, including Southern cities. This paper examines urban community gardens in Cape Town, South Africa to assess their capacity to function as urban commons in six areas: infrastructure, inputs, land, produce, labour and immaterial components. This mixed‐methods study employed questionnaires, semi‐structured interviews and observations across 34 urban community gardens in the city. The findings and analysis demonstrate how the urban community gardens counter neoliberal privatisation and individualisation processes. However, their capacity to function as urban commons is significantly curtailed by an entrenchment within the neoliberal context. Thus, the urban community gardens are framed as 'experimental' commons, a valuable re‐conceptualisation of alternative resource utilisation in neoliberal Southern cities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• We study the specific impact of the digital economy on the upgrading of urban residents' consumption structure and its mechanism of action. • We analyze the heterogeneity at the level of city development. • The development of the digital economy is conducive to promoting the upgrading of urban residents' consumption structure. • Disposable income and industrial structure upgrading are important internal mechanisms. • Compared to first-tier and second-tier cities, the digital economy has contributed more to upgrading residents' consumption structure in third-tier cities. Based on the panel data of Chinese cities from 2011 to 2020, this paper studies the impact of the digital economy on urban residents' upgrading of their consumption structure. The digital economy promotes the upgrading of urban residents' consumption structure. Moreover, the digital economy has a more significant effect on promoting the upgrading of residents' consumption structure in third-tier cities. The mediation effect proves that increasing disposable income and upgrading the industrial structure are crucial mechanisms. Based on pertinent findings and the development levels of various cities, this paper proposes policies to strengthen the digital infrastructure, improve residents' income, optimize industrial structure, and establish differentiated measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drawing from a case study in Finland, the paper analyses the performative practice of urban development projects in order to win public support for the desired future. The role of famous architects as agents of urban change is pivotal. This raises the concern of how the performative trend in planning cuts down the public discussion of possible alternative futures. The analysis uses the concept techniques of futuring and follows the repetition of performative action. It is relevant to ask if the role of the public is to engage in the story presented instead of engaging in the planning process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Citizen participation and acceptance play an increasingly relevant role in urban and regional development. This also applies to the success and sustainability of urban events. While research on participation is growing rapidly, participation in the context of events is underrepresented. Therefore, I investigate the role of participation and acceptance conditions regarding German regional garden shows using a mixed-methods research design (quantitative survey, multiple case studies). Citizen participation is a central factor for public acceptance. The active participation of volunteers is highly relevant before, during and after the event. Conflicts arise mainly concerning financing, environmental and monument protection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deforestation, increasing urban development and associated infrastructure have resulted in widespread loss of roosting habitat for New Zealand's long-tailed bat (Chalinolobus tuberculatus, pekapeka-tou-roa). As a result, artificial roosts are increasingly proposed as a short to medium-term mitigation measure, despite the absence of specific protocols for the installation, maintenance, and suitability for New Zealand bats. As of 2021, more than 110 artificial roosts had been installed in urban parks within Hamilton City, New Zealand. To determine their uptake and suitability for long-tailed bats, 74 Kent style roosts of varying ages were monitored for 1 year, with 24 (32%) roosts observed occupied by long-tailed bats. Occupation was generally infrequent, with no clear seasonal pattern or specific areas of occupation. However, two older roosts were consistently occupied, with numbers notably increasing during the summer maternity season. Distance to stand edge was the only factor that could be used to predict occupation, with logistic regression indicating that long-tailed bats may prefer roosts in less exposed areas with stable microclimates, within tree stands or sheltered landscape features. Future artificial roost installations should site roosts away from the stand edge in sheltered locations, ideally near natural or already occupied roosts to facilitate discovery and uptake. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Artificial light at night (ALAN) is considered a growing threat to bat species due to its potential impacts on circadian cycles, increased predation risk, and avoidance behaviour. Urban expansion and associated increases in ALAN may impact the behaviour of New Zealand's critically threatened long-tailed bat (Chalinolobus tuberculatus). To determine whether long-tailed bat behaviour was affected by ALAN, a small-scale study was conducted on the fringe of Hamilton City, New Zealand, using LED floodlights. Changes in the number of nightly detections in response to periodic illumination were measured using acoustic monitoring and compared to a nearby unlit control site. Bat detection rates were significantly lower on lit nights compared to unlit nights at the treatment site, while there was no significant difference at the control site for the same period. In addition, the median time of the first recorded bat detection was c. 2 h later during lit nights compared to unlit nights at the treatment site. These results indicate that ALAN may have a negative effect on the behaviour of long-tailed bats, potentially delaying the use of areas and excluding them from foraging habitat. Further research into the effects and potential mitigation of ALAN for long-tailed bats is required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prediction and monitoring of urban sprawl is a significant urban issue for planners, decision makers, and local authorities in terms of spatial data, strategies, and prediction models. Egyptian cities have expanded rapidly in the last 40 years. This uncontrolled urban growth requires a review of Egyptian urban policies and regulations. The Greater Cairo Region (GCR) is Egypt's economic capital and a significant industrial and commercial city. This study uses spatio-temporal data to suggest an approach based on integrating cellular automata (CA) and multicriteria evaluation (MCE) like analytical hierarchy process (AHP) and running it within the geographical information system (GIS) for monitoring, analyzing, and allocating informal growth in the context of unplanned regions like the GCR. At first, the weights of influencing growth factors were determined and calculated using AHP. Next, the probability map was created according to AHP weights. The historical probability map was then generated based on the historical development. Then a standalone CA macro was developed based on AHP weights to calculate the proximity index for existing urban and transportation features using Moore's extended neighborhood matrix. Finally, the general suitability map was created to identify the most sensitive areas for growth over the next two decades. The prediction process was performed based on the 2012 urban boundary. Then, the prediction accuracy was verified using the Kappa coefficient based on actual urban extents in 2017. The results showed that 676 km2 (35%) of the study area was not sensitive, 386.5 km2 (20%) was slightly sensitive, 522 km2 (27%) was almost sensitive, and 348 km2 (18%) was extremely sensitive to urban sprawl. Finally, we predicted the urban growth for the period from 2022 to 2052 for every 5 years. The outcomes showed a linear scattered sprawl pattern along transportation features and an annular pattern around existing urban spaces. Therefore, fertile farming land and natural resources in the GCR are set to become almost extinct over the next two decades, threatening food production and security. These results indicate the necessity to modify the region's urban policies to protect the agricultural areas and control the unplanned urban sprawl. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article analyzes the spatial politics of profit-oriented place naming (toponymic commodification) in connection with two urban megaprojects in the Belarusian capital. We focus on the Mayak Minska (the Lighthouse of Minsk) and the Minsk-Mir (the Minsk-World), by far the largest residential-commercial urban developments in post-Soviet era Minsk, and actualizations of the Belarusian regime's urban growth and multi-vector foreign policies since the mid-2000s. Theoretically, we elaborate on three toponymy-related mobilities: the traveling of neoliberal policy models, investment-attraction strategies that seek to benefit from transnational real estate financing, and the globally circulating thematic variants in toponymy. Our data covers the names of 185 residential high-rises and quarters. The findings unveil that the high art -evoking toponyms in the Mayak Minska and the sixteen geographically and thematically organized toponymic categories in the Minsk-Mir are carefully branded toponymic productions based on the logic of symbolic mimicry. Meanwhile, the toponymic commodification in the analyzed developments has been propelled forward through transnational state-business relations: through situation-specific alliances with the Russian and the UAE-based investors, and in particular through the Belarusian regime's closeknit collaborations and reciprocal promotional propaganda with the Serbia-originated BK Group and its real estate business affiliates. The documented processes of toponymic place branding have been an attempt at legitimating the prevailing Belarusian political system via its achievements in facilitating urban growth and modernization; however, they have co-occurred with the heavyhanded treatment of domestic political opponents and media critics in Belarus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study investigates the dynamic evolution characteristics of urban spatial morphology by analyzing real road network data from 2000, 2010, and 2020, along with nighttime lighting data employing spatial analysis methods and spatial syntax models. Accordingly, two separate dimensions of urban morphology: internal and external, are covered. First, the integration and synergy of interior morphology features are analyzed using spatial syntactic modeling. Subsequently, the spatial compactness, fractal dimension, and level of center of gravity shift of the city are assessed by combining the nighttime lighting data with the earlier dataset. This analysis facilitated the deep exploration of the spatiotemporal evolution of the city's external morphology. Building upon this foundation, the interaction between the "internal and external" domains was analyzed further. The main findings of the study reveal a synchronous pattern of urban expansion throughout the evolution of urban spatial morphology. Furthermore, the urban form was observed to undergo a progressive transformation, transitioning from a "single core" morphology to a "primary and secondary double core" morphology. Over time, this development progressed and evolved into a "belt-like multi-core" structure. Additionally, the coupling characteristics further validate the relationship between the structure of the road network and the urban morphology in river valley-type cities. In particular, accessibility of dense and horizontally distributed transportation network was found to significantly influence the spatial development of these cities. As observed, the findings provides valuable insights into understanding the characteristics of internal and external associations regarding urban spatial patterns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The evolution of cities follows distinct patterns that connect to the cultural and socioeconomic aspects of their populations and can be understood by studying their urban stocks. This paper examines the evolution of construction materials stocks (MS) in the building sector in five urban areas in Peru. The study employed a bottom‐up methodology and focused on the city of Abancay in the Peruvian Andes, comparing it to the coastal cities of Chiclayo, Tacna, and San Isidro, as well as Lince. Additionally, regression models were employed to examine the influence of socioeconomic factors associated with urban stock. The research highlights a transition from residential building stock to distinct patterns of socioeconomic development, with urban population and economic growth emerging as pivotal drivers of material stock variation. Notably, large coastal cities like Chiclayo, Tacna, San Isidro, and Lince exhibit significantly higher concrete MS per capita, albeit with varying growth rates. In contrast, Abancay, with lower income levels, displays a higher per capita level of adobe MS, reflecting its historical connection to Peru's heartland. The correlation of urban stock components with the human development index (HDI) emphasizes the latter's significance in understanding the trends of the stocks of the different construction materials that constitute a city. By examining MS in various locations, unique Peruvian traits are unveiled, offering insights for urban development in the Global South. These findings provide valuable guidance for aligning urban stock growth and related environmental burdens with socioeconomic development, fostering sustainability, and promoting rational planning for economic growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The urban heritage regeneration strategy through walkability is widely accepted. However, in the context of a developing country, the tools to measure walkability, which are crucial for urban planning and development, still need to be improved. This article investigates ways to revitalise a run-down historic riverside area in Bangkok. It develops two indices, the Thai GoodWalk Index (TGWI) and the Thai Walkability Index (TWI). A hybrid of both indices is based on geospatial techniques and technology to optimise problem analysis processes, create problem-solving options, enhance spatial site selection decision capabilities, and assist urban planners in carrying out spatial scenario planning processes. It demonstrates how the GoodWalk Index has been employed to plan and prioritise urban development projects. This is exemplified by the Master Plan for the Regeneration of Kadeejeen-Klongsan, a historic riverside neighbourhood in Bangkok with limitations in density, functional mix of spaces, and access networks, especially in riverfront areas. The TGWI and TWI can be applied to the regeneration of other historic districts throughout Thailand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increased urbanization and population lead to increased consumption of manufactured goods. This ultimately results in increased production of waste. Identifying its composition is crucial for planning an effective solid waste management strategy. This study assesses the characteristics and composition of the waste generated within the Uyo Capital City Development Area of Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. This is to aid in developing a scientifically supported waste management pilot system for the state. Direct waste sorting and characterization were conducted on the municipal solid waste arriving at the landfill during the study period. Over 50% of the generated wastes are recyclables and composed of plastics, metals, and paper, while the fraction of organic waste is over 30%. Similarly, the waste generation per capita is 1.34 kg/person/day, while the generation forecast over the next ten years is estimated to increase by approximately 40%. Furthermore, over 9,000 surveys were completed by residents to establish a problem statement about the existing waste collection and disposal system, and possible solutions. Importantly, a majority of survey respondents were willing to source-separate their wastes and supported paying a fee for adequate waste collection. This strongly indicates that an integrated waste management system could be established to generate value from the collected waste. Supplementary revenue can be generated through composting, recycling, and land reclamation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of the modern urban economy is closely tied to road construction, with roads being one of the most crucial components in urban development. The use of high-resolution remote sensing images to monitor the road conditions in cities and surrounding towns has become a highly emphasized research focus in recent years. However, due to the complexity of the environment, this task still faces significant challenges. For instance, urban road structures are intricate, which involve multiple lanes, intersections, building obstructions, etc. Rural roads may consist of narrow paths or irregular dirt roads. In addressing these issues, this paper proposes a road extraction algorithm based on a Dual-Encoder-Decoder U- Net (DEDU-Net). The algorithm leverages a dual encoder-decoder network to extract multi-scale information from the image. It then employs a dual decoder network to restore the feature map to the original image, achieving precise road extraction. Additionally, a new module, the Global Fusion Module (GFM), is introduced. This module achieves global context information fusion by weighting features. In the experimental section, two publicly available datasets were used for testing: the CHN6-CUG dataset and the Gansu Mountain Road dataset. For example, for the Gansu Mountain Road and CHN6-CUG mixed dataset, the model achieved an Overall Accuracy (OA) of 94.947% and a mean Intersection over Union (mIoU) of 70.971%. The results indicate that compared to traditional methods, this proposed method exhibits higher accuracy and robustness. It can adapt to both urban and rural roads, delivering outstanding performance even in complex scenarios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While governments worldwide rely upon compact city policies to reduce land consumption from urban growth, recent studies have addressed the potential trade-off between densification and housing affordability. Concerns have been voiced that densification leads to a one-sided housing supply, structurally excluding low-income households. However, few studies address household income variation across densification projects, leaving us with a limited understanding of the circumstances under which exclusion occurs. To this end, we explore household incomes in densification projects between 2012 and 2020 in the Province of Utrecht, the Netherlands, where urban development is traditionally strongly regulated through active land policy. At the same time, current shifts towards a more deregulated housing market make for an interesting case. Exceptional access to detailed cadastral and census data allows us to identify densification projects and assign them a median household income each. We investigate the influence of location and transformation process on household incomes through regression analysis and conduct qualitative case studies of projects whose median income was highly mispredicted by the regression model. This allows us to integrate non-quantified factors, such as land ownership and public policy interventions, in explaining such interesting cases. For the Province of Utrecht, our study confirms that while households in densification projects earn significantly more than their neighbours, the range of incomes in densification projects is large. Project characteristics such as centrality, neighbourhood status and transformation process explain only a small share of this variance. For cases where median incomes are much lower than predicted by the model, public land ownership, in combination with inclusionary zoning, is essential in ensuring housing affordability. Our approach highlights the necessity of supplementing densification policies with measures that secure affordable housing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the process of urban development, there is large-scale laying of underground pipeline networks and coordinated operation of both new and old networks. The underground concrete drainage pipes have become a focus of operation and maintenance due to their strong concealment and serious corrosion. The current manual inspections for subterranean concrete drainage pipelines involve high workloads and risks, which makes meeting the diagnostic needs of intricate urban pipeline networks challenging. Through advanced information technology, it has reached a consensus to intelligently perceive, accurately identify, and precise prediction of the condition of urban subterranean drainage networks. The development process of detection and evaluation methods for underground concrete drainage pipe networks is the focus of this study. The study discusses common algorithms for classifying, locating, and quantifying pipeline defects by combining the principles of deep learning with typical application examples. The intelligent progression of information collection methods, image processing techniques, damage prediction models, and pipeline diagnostic systems is systematically elaborated upon. Lastly, prospects for future research of intelligent pipeline diagnosis are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The parish of Calderón, located in the Metropolitan District of Quito, has a spatial dynamic characteristic of the expansion processes, with notable population growth, loss of agricultural land, and settlements in vulnerable areas. This research aimed to identify the vulnerability to climate change by analyzing urban growth in this parish to define measures for its climate change adaptation. A three-stage mixed approach methodology was used: the historical and spatial analysis of urban growth, the relationship between urban growth and vulnerability to climate change, and climate change adaptation measures in the parish of Calderón. The thirteen indicators analyzed show a medium-low risk level in their exposure and sensitivity components. However, the opposite is true for the adaptive capacity component, where vulnerability is high. The relationship between the parish’s urban growth and vulnerability to climate change is not direct. On the one hand, the expansion processes affect the territory and the population, causing environmental and social conflicts. On the other hand, factors immersed in urban expansion’s spatial dynamics are revealed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies on residential segregation in Peru have privileged the study of the capital city, to the detriment of cities with other scales and contexts. This article analyzes the residential segregation levels and patterns in two Peruvian cities in the southern macro-region: Arequipa and Tacna. Based on data provided by the 2007 and 2017 censuses, synthetic and spatial segregation indicators were analyzed in both cities, taking as reference the educational level of the head of household and calculating the data on the block, census area, and district scales. The results show that inherited segregation patterns are maintained, while at the same time, the growing middle-class sectors are included in the more consolidated working-class settlements. In addition, processes that reinforce segregation were identified, such as the modification of the role of central areas, urban land production for the upper-class areas, and homogeneity of disadvantages in new areas of urban expansion, which are linked, particularly in the city of Arequipa, to the occupation of risk areas. The study suggests that these processes shape a low-scale urban segregation or fragmentation pattern in both cities, which coexists with inherited patterns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article I examine the simultaneous expansion of urban sprawl and influx of middle‐class migrants in the context of Gurugram, India, to highlight how physical and social space plays an integral role in shaping class distinction among the migrant middle classes. I make a case for social class, generally, and migrant middle classes in neo‐urban contexts, specifically, to be understood as a sociospatial category. My arguments build primarily on Bourdieu's argument that both physical and social space operates on similar principles of reciprocal externality of positions in the context of social class distinction. I highlight how the migrant middle classes formulate and consolidate their social class distinction against competing claims over sociospatial dominance of the local ancestral agrarian community in neo‐urban Gurugram, India. My findings highlight how existing local sociopolitical fractures interact with global capitalist circuits of capital to shape the sociospatial context in which social class distinction is formulated. The article allows for grounding theorizations of social class to accommodate local sociopolitical and sociospatial dynamics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the privatization of urban development, anchor institutions are becoming stakeholders in neighborhood revitalization. Cities are eager for anchors due to their purported benefits, but residents are often wary of negative externalities and push for more accountability. This study uses new urban regime theory and focuses on the contestations during an anchor's planning and analyzes the significance of the contestations' associated outcomes. I use the case of the Obama Presidential Center and the Obama Foundation's rejection of a community benefits agreement to show how anchors can promote a community vision that supersedes that of residents and local organizations. Interviews with organizational stakeholders and analysis of planning materials reveal competing positions regarding organizational identity, community definitions, and racial legitimacy. Enforcing accountability with anchors will require city governments to critique meanings of neighborhood revitalization, prioritize local voices and consider impacts for all large developments, irrespective of whether they are for-profit or non-profit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This document provides a review of four books on the topic of gentrification from an East Coast perspective. The books offer unique perspectives on the phenomenon of gentrification, focusing primarily on cities along the eastern seaboard. The authors discuss the history and practical application of rehabilitating urban land and buildings, acknowledging the displacement of low-income and minority families while emphasizing the importance of improving urban real estate to prevent decline in property values, crime, and loss of community control. The books explore the origins of gentrification, grassroots movements, and government policies on displacement, with case studies of specific neighborhoods. The review acknowledges the limitations of the books and highlights the need for further exploration of the role of financial institutions and the impact on marginalized communities. [Extracted from the article]

This article explores the battles over public history and the transformation of urban public history, focusing on examples from Germantown in Philadelphia and the Boston National Historical Park. The authors argue that good urban history should incorporate collective memory and present diverse perspectives and time periods. They discuss the relationship between urban renewal and historic preservation in Boston and Germantown, noting how preservationists often supported urban renewal efforts despite the destruction of historic neighborhoods. The article also examines the racial dynamics of preservation and raises questions about the role of preservation in gentrification. Overall, it emphasizes the importance of community engagement and inclusive storytelling in the practice of history. [Extracted from the article]

As one of the four major bay areas in the world, the Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) is a highly integrated mega urban agglomeration and its unparalleled urbanization has induced prominent land contradictions between humans and nature, which hinders its sustainability and has become the primary concern in this region. In this paper, we probed the historical characteristics of land use and land cover change (LUCC) in the GBA from 2005 to 2015, and forecasted its future land use pattern for 2030, 2050, and 2070, using a cellular automata–Markov (CA–Markov) model, under three typical tailored scenarios, i.e., urban development (UD), cropland protection (CP), and ecology security (ES), for land use optimization. The major findings are as follows: (1) The encroachments of build-up land on the other land uses under rapid urbanization accounted for the leading forces of LUCCs in the past decade. Accordingly, the urban sprawl was up to 1441.73 km2 (23.47%), with cropland, forest land, and water areas reduced by 570.77 km2 (4.38%), 526.05 km2 (1.76%), and 429.89 km2 (10.88%), respectively. (2) Based on the validated CA–Markov model, significant differences are found in future land use patterns under multiple scenarios, with the discrepancy magnified over time and driven by different orientations. (3) Through comprehensive comparisons and tradeoffs, the ES scenario mode seems optimal for the GBA in the next decades, which optimizes the balance between socio-economic development and ecological protection. These results serve as an early warning for future land problems and can be applied to land use management and policy formulation to promote the sustainable development of the GBA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Community Planning Association of Canada (CPAC) advocated for the re-establishment of planning in post-war Canada. During this period, the federal government set reconstruction objectives, and both Central (now Canada) Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) and the CPAC were formed. We believe that 1944–1947 was a critical juncture establishing planned suburban development in Canada as a path-dependent process with tremendous momentum into the 21st-century. Using a historical-institutional approach, the role of CMHC and the influence of the CPAC is examined. Analysis relying on extensive archival material demonstrates that the CPAC gave a tremendous push along the path-dependent process of suburbanization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article illuminates Frederick Law Olmsted Jr.'s use of racially restrictive covenants in his firm's residential subdivisions. Given his prominence in planning for urban development during the first three decades of the twentieth century, examining Olmsted Jr.'s legacy to the role of planning in perpetuating racial segregation can provide an important missing piece of planning history. This study utilizes a particularly rich collection of restrictive covenants (circa 1900–1930) from the Frederick Law Olmsted National Historic Site to document the scope, variety, location, timing, and language of racial restrictions applied in numerous Olmsted Brothers firm projects across America. In doing so, it considers the relationship between developers, designers, and homeowners in contributing to the segregation of American residential subdivisions still prevalent today. This research demonstrates the commitment of the Olmsted firm to advancing residential segregation in newly created communities throughout the nation during the first half of the twentieth century. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The sprawling growth of urban settlements is a dominant spatial process in many cities of developing countries. This development's most severe apparent effect is the loss of ecological infrastructure. In this way, consequently, the ecosystem services that have been provided for human settlements for thousands of years will be lost. Urban ecological infrastructure is also very effective in climate change and energy consumption. This research aims to spatially analyze the sprawling growth of Miandoab City with an emphasis on ecological infrastructures. In this regard, first, land cover maps have been prepared. Then the future land cover is simulated and predicted by the CA-MARKOV chain method. Also, the metrics of the number of patches, the patch size, and the patch cohesion of spots have been calculated for all land cover types in the landscape. In addition, the urban expansion intensity in different directions and changes in the density of built land cover have been estimated. According to the findings, Miandoab City has experienced a very sprawling growth until 2023, during which the structural integrity of green infrastructure and bare lands has been severely destroyed in favor of built land cover. The direction of physical-spatial development of the city has been towards the eastern suburbs. Most of the bare lands and intensive growth potential are in these areas. Solutions with three strategies (protective, defensive, and opportunistic) have been presented for balancing physical-spatial development and increasing urban and extra-urban ecological infrastructure integrity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The optimization of the spatial structure of the city network is conducive to the scientific spatial distribution of industries and the promotion of coordinated regional development. This study selected the top 100 automobile enterprises in the Chinese stock market that belong to China's pillar industry, a total of 1455 headquarters and branches, to establish an enterprise matrix. Based on the ownership linkage model, the evolution characteristics of city networks in China from 2000 to 2020 are revealed, and the influential factors of city networks are discussed using the negative binomial regression model. The findings are as follows: (1) there are significant differences in the status of automobile cities, forming a "pyramid network" hierarchy. (2) The agglomeration area of automobile cities has formed the development region of "4 + 4 + 1". (3) The city network with hierarchical connections has formed a spatial structure of a "cross–cobweb" in the middle and "trapezoid–diamond" in the periphery. (4) Urban transportation conditions, the scientific research environment, the enterprise agglomeration economy, GDP per capita, and technological proximity positively impact the formation of a city network, but the total export–import volume has a negative impact. Overall, the government can use this study's results to formulate policies for the automotive industry and urban development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the ten-line cable car network of Tbilisi, Georgia, constructed by the Soviet government between 1953 to 1988, then decommissioned in the 1990s after independence and partially reactivated since 2012. During the Soviet era, Tbilisi's cable cars played an important role in the city's mass mobility, particularly in areas of steep geography. They also functioned ideologically, supporting Soviet ambitions toward public transportation and access to recreational space for the working proletariat. We argue that today's aerial network reflects new state ideological goals where cable cars lure global capital and facilitate the tourism commodification of Tbilisi's historic Old City. Tbilisi's cable car network can, therefore, be understood as embodying changes in government stances toward labor, leisure, and the direction of future development, while further reflecting the mobility politics of the city. The article describes the various ideological shifts that took place, exploring how Tbilisi's cable car network now links to contemporary changes in government urban development priorities and tourism promotion. The findings are based on interviews, document analysis, transit ridership/City Hall data, as well as field observations that collectively provide an overview of Tbilisi's cable car network as it has transformed since the 1950s. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transit‐oriented development (TOD) promotes sustainable urban growth by integrating land use and transportation systems around public transportation nodes. Many high‐density Chinese cities have effectively applied TOD. However, studies on TODness in cities with relatively less‐developed metro networks are still nascent. This study developed a new geographic information system‐based method to assess TODness utilizing data from official departments and open sources. We employed 15 sub‐indicators of "Transit (T)," "Oriented (O)," and "Development (D)" dimensions to assess the TODness of Shenyang metro station areas (MSAs). We tested the validity of this tool by examining the relationship between TODness and urban vitality using an ordinary least squares model. Each MSA was comprehensively quantified and organized by categorizing their TODness into five types. The results indicate that the TODness index was closely associated with urban vitality, thereby validating the reasonableness of the proposed tool. Furthermore, the TODness of Shenyang's MSAs presents a spatial distribution of "high, medium, and low" from the urban center to the periphery. The proposed method is expected to enhance the effectiveness of TOD planning by providing a comprehensive and data‐driven approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]