CitiesPub Date : 2025-10-02DOI: 10.1016/j.cities.2025.106528
Banu Tomruk
{"title":"Planning through exception: The rise of elite informality in Istanbul","authors":"Banu Tomruk","doi":"10.1016/j.cities.2025.106528","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cities.2025.106528","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This article investigates how three large-scale mixed-use complexes in Istanbul (Zorlu Center, Mall of Istanbul, and Metropol Istanbul) consolidate a state-enabled mode of elite informality through discretionary plan revisions and regulatory flexibility. It analyzes document archives, site observations, and 30 semi-structured interviews conducted across the three sites to trace governance instruments, land conversions, and spatial outcomes. The cases share a monolithic, single-owner morphology with low perimeter permeability and consumption-oriented quasi-public realms. Ground-floor public open-space provision is conspicuously low (approximately 11 % at Zorlu, and about 5 % at Mall of Istanbul and Metropol), well below neighborhood-scale expectations derived from Istanbul's planning standards. Conceptually, the study situates these patterns within graduated sovereignty and planning-by-exception, showing how formal instruments are selectively mobilized to reallocate public or formerly public land for private returns. Building on these findings, the article advances auditable policy tools, minimum perimeter porosity and non-paywalled ratios in plan notes; ring-fenced value capture to deliver at-grade links and green areas; and a Social-Use Overlay to secure affordability when public/formerly public parcels are upzoned or disposed. The contribution is twofold: it reframes these projects as institutionalized, not anomalous, expressions of elite informality, and converts comparative insights into enforceable measures that align development rights with measurable civic returns.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48405,"journal":{"name":"Cities","volume":"169 ","pages":"Article 106528"},"PeriodicalIF":6.6,"publicationDate":"2025-10-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145223134","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
CitiesPub Date : 2025-10-01DOI: 10.1016/j.cities.2025.106500
Joe Sánchez , Karina Corada , Jamie Furlong , Caroline Nash , Stuart Connop , Esther San José Carreras
{"title":"Blue-green infrastructure and socio-spatial changes: A study of urban wetlands restoration, housing development and gentrification in London using census data","authors":"Joe Sánchez , Karina Corada , Jamie Furlong , Caroline Nash , Stuart Connop , Esther San José Carreras","doi":"10.1016/j.cities.2025.106500","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cities.2025.106500","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>While blue-green infrastructure (BGI), such as urban wetlands, can offer multiple benefits, including public health improvements, social cohesion, and positive environmental impacts, they can inadvertently lead to green-blue gentrification; a phenomenon that remains under examined, for example in cities like London, UK. In London, neighbourhood surrounding the Woodberry and Walthamstow wetlands have experienced social-spatial changes over the past two decades that are worthy of study. Analysis of UK census data from 2001, 2011 and 2021 and GIS analysis tracked changes in population composition nearby (0–300 m) and in the wider area (301–1000 m) surrounding the wetlands indicates that within 300 m of these wetlands, there has been a rise in non-deprived, university-educated residents and a decrease in socially rented housing, compared to 1000 m away. This suggests that nearby private (re)development in tandem with BGI projects may be contributing to green gentrification. As governments continue to promote BGI to address environmental and societal challenges, it is important for urban planners and policymakers to implement strategies to prevent displacement. This includes ensuring that the benefits of BGI are equitably distributed and that vulnerable populations are protected from involuntary relocation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48405,"journal":{"name":"Cities","volume":"169 ","pages":"Article 106500"},"PeriodicalIF":6.6,"publicationDate":"2025-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145223044","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
CitiesPub Date : 2025-10-01DOI: 10.1016/j.cities.2025.106513
Maryam Bostanara , Sunhyung Yoo , Lee Roberts , Jinwoo Brian Lee
{"title":"Exploring and bridging the gap between recreational and school commute cycling","authors":"Maryam Bostanara , Sunhyung Yoo , Lee Roberts , Jinwoo Brian Lee","doi":"10.1016/j.cities.2025.106513","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cities.2025.106513","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study explores the cycling behaviours of high school students, with a particular emphasis on the distinctions between recreational and school commuter cyclists. While much of the existing research has predominantly addressed cycling to school, this study broadens the scope to identify insights that could encourage the transition from recreational cycling to school commuting. We surveyed 325 high-school students in Sydney, Australia, exploring their demographics, cycling attitudes, perceptions of safety, and environmental factors that influence their bicycle use. The data is analysed through two logistic regression models, one for recreational cycling and the other for school commuting, both reinforced by the synthetic minority oversampling technique to address class imbalances. Recreation emerged as the primary motivation for cycling, with students more likely to ride when accompanied by friends or family. There are more recreational cyclists than commuters, likely due to the lack of safe cycling routes, heavy loads during commuting, and insufficient bike parking at schools. The smaller group of commuting cyclists tends to use bicycles more consistently and frequently and exhibit greater risk acceptance towards cycling infrastructure. To encourage cycling to school, we recommend the establishment of dedicated bike lanes to schools completely separated from vehicular traffic and increased bike parking facilities at schools, as well as government subsidies and incentives for cargo racks and e-bike promotion.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48405,"journal":{"name":"Cities","volume":"169 ","pages":"Article 106513"},"PeriodicalIF":6.6,"publicationDate":"2025-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145223042","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
CitiesPub Date : 2025-10-01DOI: 10.1016/j.cities.2025.106462
Simón Sánchez-Moral , Alfonso Arellano , Roberto Díez-Pisonero
{"title":"The impact of remote working on residential mobility in the metropolitan region of Madrid","authors":"Simón Sánchez-Moral , Alfonso Arellano , Roberto Díez-Pisonero","doi":"10.1016/j.cities.2025.106462","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cities.2025.106462","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Large cities are facing the interlocked effects of multiple crises. In particular, the pandemic crisis induced residential relocation changes with the support of remote working. Nevertheless, the spatial implications involved remain unclear due to a lack of studies empirically integrating this variable. This research aims to study the impact of remote working on residential changes in Madrid in the period 2019–2021 ceteris paribus other residential relocation determinants, i.e. distance to the workplace, dwelling attributes, transport facilities and amenities. A local indicator of propensity to remote working is estimated using the complete administrative registry of the Social Security Office. We conclude that remote working impacts significantly on the relocation of young and middle-aged adults, although some of them may stay in their location to take advantage of agglomeration economies and social interaction. In particular, remote working impacts significantly on movement from the core city to suburban and rural areas, whereas evidence for movement in the opposite direction is less conclusive. In addition to digital connectivity and remote working, the availability of certain amenities can attract and retain these individuals. The research allows us to reflect on implications for housing affordability and for urban planning and policy intervention.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48405,"journal":{"name":"Cities","volume":"169 ","pages":"Article 106462"},"PeriodicalIF":6.6,"publicationDate":"2025-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145223037","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
CitiesPub Date : 2025-10-01DOI: 10.1016/j.cities.2025.106495
Linsen Wang , Suhong Zhou , Mei-Po Kwan , Dong Liu , Lin Zhang , Jiangyu Song
{"title":"Space-based planning implications for age-friendly cities: Insights from spatial non-stationarity in multiple environment-health relationships","authors":"Linsen Wang , Suhong Zhou , Mei-Po Kwan , Dong Liu , Lin Zhang , Jiangyu Song","doi":"10.1016/j.cities.2025.106495","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cities.2025.106495","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Extensive research on the relationships between environmental factors and older adults' health can inform urban planning for healthy and age-friendly cities. Past studies have predominantly considered such relationships as stable over space, with less emphasis paid to spatial non-stationarity and space-based rationale. Within Chinese cities' socio-economic spatial patterns, the different potential environment-health pathways corresponding to different space-based populations remain unclear. Further, limited types of environmental factors have been investigated, while diverse combinations of multiple environments have received less attention. This study thus examined how salient environmental factors may vary across spatial types and the spatial non-stationarity in the health-environmental relationship. Multi-source data characterized Guangzhou's multiple environments, and older adults' health patterns were mapped using self-rated health data. Subsequently, relationships between multi-environmental factors and older adults' health across spatial types were explored by ridge models. The results indicated that (i) There were obvious spatial differences in older adults' health, and significant relationships between multi-environmental factors and older adults' health were observed. (ii) Spatial non-stationarity in such relationships was evident, driven by space-based physicosocial contexts. (iii) Dominant factors notably varied across spatial types. The findings provide space-based planning insights for healthy and age-friendly cities.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48405,"journal":{"name":"Cities","volume":"169 ","pages":"Article 106495"},"PeriodicalIF":6.6,"publicationDate":"2025-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145223043","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
CitiesPub Date : 2025-10-01DOI: 10.1016/j.cities.2025.106518
Rui Su , Aili Liu , Zhiyong Deng
{"title":"Place, tourism and cultural entrepreneurship: A critical engagement with cultural political economy","authors":"Rui Su , Aili Liu , Zhiyong Deng","doi":"10.1016/j.cities.2025.106518","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cities.2025.106518","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The pandemic and economic uncertainties have reshaped our perception of culture. The emerging cultural and creative strategies encourage cultural entrepreneurship, which however faces skills shortages, financial vulnerability, marginalisation and industrial downsizing. These short- and long-term challenges call for systematic interventions to (re)engage cultural entrepreneurs, particularly in the post-pandemic era. Drawing on a Cultural Political Economy (CPE) approach, this study applies Lounsbury and Glynn’s model of cultural entrepreneurship to examine how cultural entrepreneurs engage with tourism as a practice of placed-based meaning-making. Given that cultural capital, cultural politics of place, and entrepreneurial storytelling are relational, the case study of Shakespeare Birthplace Trust demonstrates that cultural entrepreneurs must embed the unique place features while balancing digital innovations, cultural tourism activities, and entrepreneurial legitimacy. Achieving this requires skilled entrepreneurial storytelling to construct strong social and cultural ties with local communities, educators, business investors and urban planners.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48405,"journal":{"name":"Cities","volume":"169 ","pages":"Article 106518"},"PeriodicalIF":6.6,"publicationDate":"2025-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145223121","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
CitiesPub Date : 2025-09-30DOI: 10.1016/j.cities.2025.106502
Danny Casprini , Alessandra Oppio , Andrea Di Tommaso , Giulia Datola , Marta Dell'Ovo , Francesca Torrieri , Marco Rossitti
{"title":"The impact of urban acupuncture: Adopting a social innovation lens to assess the value of localized urban intervention","authors":"Danny Casprini , Alessandra Oppio , Andrea Di Tommaso , Giulia Datola , Marta Dell'Ovo , Francesca Torrieri , Marco Rossitti","doi":"10.1016/j.cities.2025.106502","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cities.2025.106502","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In a world faced with grand societal challenges, sustainable and inclusive urban planning becomes a priority. Several tools and approaches to urban regeneration has been developed to involve communities in urban regeneration interventions. Among those, urban acupuncture represents a means to promote localized interventions to reclaim urban spaces. Interventions as such are conceptualized as sustainable social innovation bridging the gap between physical regeneration of the space and collaborative practices shared by participating individuals, groups and organizations. In this conundrum of planning and social practices, urban acupuncture can generate social, economic and environmental effects at the neighborhood level and ignite a transformation at the wider city level. Along these lines, the “Piazze Aperte” program implemented in Milan offered an opportunity to innovate urban planning tools by focusing on collaboration between public administrations and grassroots initiatives. To study the effects generated by 4 projects executed in the NoLo district, we developed a multi-dimensional evaluation model based on Multi-Attribute Value Theory (MAVT). Results indicate that urban acupuncture effectively foster social cohesion, improve quality of life, and stimulate collaboration. However, it faces limitations in achieving environmental sustainability and adaptability.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48405,"journal":{"name":"Cities","volume":"169 ","pages":"Article 106502"},"PeriodicalIF":6.6,"publicationDate":"2025-09-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145183751","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
CitiesPub Date : 2025-09-30DOI: 10.1016/j.cities.2025.106520
Ningyezi Peng , Xintao Liu
{"title":"Path dependency of urban resilience to recurring COVID-19 waves: the role of initial invasion contexts and urban scaling structure","authors":"Ningyezi Peng , Xintao Liu","doi":"10.1016/j.cities.2025.106520","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cities.2025.106520","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>COVID-19 variants had emerged continuously and urban resilience to their invasion often relies on whether these variants can sustain transmission within urban population—potentially leading to new outbreaks or their extinction. In this process, the urban scaling structure that governs how local places interact and collectively shape scaling-distributed mobility patterns plays a critical role. This study built a spatially explicit agent-based model to explore how the origin place of new variants can influence subsequent transmission dynamics. We found small differences in initial invasion places had path-dependent effects on resilience outcomes. Structurally more important places can facilitate the occurrence of new outbreaks. However, surprisingly, outbreaks originated in structurally less important places show more explosive early spread. This early spread advantage can be attributed to survivorship bias: invasions originating from the less favourable environments had to be more vigorous to guarantee successful breakthroughs. Nevertheless, this early spread advantage was not sustained because the more dispersed waves of early spread may lead to greater energy loss in subsequent spread progression. These findings highlight the need to pay close attention to small but critical factors in urban systems, as they can accumulate over time to trigger unexpected disruptions and shape how cities respond to future challenges.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48405,"journal":{"name":"Cities","volume":"169 ","pages":"Article 106520"},"PeriodicalIF":6.6,"publicationDate":"2025-09-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145223039","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
CitiesPub Date : 2025-09-29DOI: 10.1016/j.cities.2025.106523
Walter Leal Filho , Valdemiro Rocha Junior , Maria Alzira Pimenta Dinis , Johannes Luetz , Gisleine Aver , José Baltazar Salgueirinho de Andrade Guerra
{"title":"Green correction facilities: Lessons from case studies in sustainability in prisons","authors":"Walter Leal Filho , Valdemiro Rocha Junior , Maria Alzira Pimenta Dinis , Johannes Luetz , Gisleine Aver , José Baltazar Salgueirinho de Andrade Guerra","doi":"10.1016/j.cities.2025.106523","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cities.2025.106523","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Prisons are inherently resource-intensive institutions, consuming substantial amounts of energy, water, and materials. The adoption of sustainable practices within these environments offers a significant potential to reduce carbon emissions, minimize waste, and conserve natural resources—thereby contributing to broader environmental goals. Initiatives such as energy-efficient lighting, renewable energy integration, and water conservation measures have demonstrated effectiveness in lowering operational costs and reducing the financial burden on taxpayers. Despite these clear advantages, research on environmental sustainability in correctional settings remains limited. In response to this gap, this paper explores the critical need for sustainability practices within prison systems, emphasizing the role of environmental stewardship in modern correctional management. By using an analysis of the literature and illustrative case studies, the study examines a range of initiatives designed to reduce waste, conserve energy, and support sustainable food production. The analysis highlights successful examples where eco-friendly practices have not only lowered operational costs but also enhanced rehabilitation outcomes for incarcerated individuals. Additionally, it provides an analysis of the challenges and opportunities associated with environmental sustainability in prisons and advocates the need for a comprehensive approach to correctional management that aligns ecological responsibility with prisoner education and community engagement. Ultimately, the findings suggest that adopting environmental sustainable practices can transform prisons into centers of positive change, benefiting both the environment, incarcerated persons, and society at large.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48405,"journal":{"name":"Cities","volume":"168 ","pages":"Article 106523"},"PeriodicalIF":6.6,"publicationDate":"2025-09-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145219671","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
CitiesPub Date : 2025-09-27DOI: 10.1016/j.cities.2025.106519
Hiroki Yokoyama , Yoshiyasu Takefuji
{"title":"Unbiased evaluation of social vulnerability: A multimethod approach using machine learning and nonparametric statistics","authors":"Hiroki Yokoyama , Yoshiyasu Takefuji","doi":"10.1016/j.cities.2025.106519","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cities.2025.106519","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This paper introduces a globally applicable bias-aware framework for interpreting machine-learning feature importances by benchmarking them against classical statistics. Using CDC's Social Vulnerability Index data, we compare five predictive models—both nonlinear and linear—with three ground-truth association measures. While nonlinear models deliver superior accuracy, their importance scores systematically inherit and amplify biases from feature correlations and imbalance—a universal concern for ML interpretability. We demonstrate that key vulnerability drivers are robustly detected only when statistical validation accompanies model explanations. This research contributes methodological advances to algorithmic interpretability knowledge and offers international policy recommendations: implement statistical validation protocols for high-stakes ML applications, utilize complementary approaches for robust feature assessment, and establish global standards for interpretability in vulnerable population analytics. These findings generalize across diverse contexts where transparent, bias-resilient feature ranking drives equitable decision-making.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48405,"journal":{"name":"Cities","volume":"168 ","pages":"Article 106519"},"PeriodicalIF":6.6,"publicationDate":"2025-09-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145157686","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}