Public spaces in northern Algerian city centers are strongly shaped by a colonial urban legacy that no longer corresponds to contemporary local social practices. Originally designed to meet colonial needs, these spaces now face multiple forms of socio-spatial disengagement. The city center of Jijel, capital of the Jijel province (Algeria), represents a revealing case of the superimposition of colonial spatial structures onto a transformed social fabric with distinct patterns of use.

This study proposes a socio-spatial reading of public space appropriation based on the observation of everyday practices and social interactions within the city center of Jijel. It seeks to understand the underlying socio-spatial mechanisms that generate attraction, avoidance, or selective use of public spaces in this urban context.

The research adopts a mixed observational methodology combining multicriteria evaluation and floating observation. Spatial performances and patterns of use were assessed through a set of quantitative indicators, complemented by qualitative field notes and photographic documentation. Temporal variations were integrated into the analysis through repeated observations across multiple time periods and days of the week.

The results reveal a strong interdependence between spatial configurations, social practices, and everyday temporal rhythms. Rather than being determined solely by physical attributes, public space appropriation appears to be shaped by a combination of spatial conditions, perceived social meanings, and temporal dynamics. Significant contrasts were observed between spaces that support everyday sociability and those that generate forms of avoidance, highlighting the role of socio-spatial coherence in fostering appropriation.

By unveiling these socio-spatial dynamics, this study contributes a transferable analytical framework that can support more context-sensitive urban design and public space planning practices. It provides local urban designers, planners, and decision-makers with insights for improving the adaptability, inclusiveness, and socio-spatial performance of public spaces.

Urban destruction in contemporary conflict is increasingly understood not as incidental damage but as a deliberate strategy targeting the social, cultural, and political foundations of urban life. Drawing on the theoretical frameworks of urbicide and memoricide, this paper examines how systematic violence against the built environment undermines urban identity, collective memory, and the conditions of everyday life. While these concepts have been widely applied to cities such as Sarajevo and Aleppo, Gaza remains underexplored as a primary case within this body of literature. Using a critical literature review, the study synthesizes interdisciplinary scholarship from urban studies, geography, architecture, memory studies, and political theory. It analyzes key theoretical contributions on urbicide, memoricide, place attachment, collective memory, and the right to the city, alongside comparative case studies, to conceptualize urban destruction as spatial, symbolic, and political violence. The findings indicate that urbicide operates through both direct physical destruction and long-term spatial strategies that dismantle heterogeneity, belonging, and coexistence, while memoricide targets cultural memory, heritage, and everyday spatial references. Together, these processes erode place meaning, rootedness, familiarity, and collective identity. Comparative cases suggest that post-conflict reconstruction can partially restore urban life; however, Gaza’s condition is characterized by cyclical destruction and suspended recovery, intensifying the erosion of urban identity. The study concludes that urbicide provides a critical lens for understanding urban destruction beyond material loss and highlights a significant gap in sustained, identity-focused analyses of Gaza, underscoring the need to foreground memory, place attachment, and the right to the city in future urban research and planning discourse.

Renewable energies can be used in the development of public passenger vehicles to reduce energy consumption and improve passenger comfort and the sustainability of urban environments.

In this work, a case study of a train carriage is analysed. The carriage is built with five modules. Each module is composed mainly of surrounding panels and lateral windows. It is equipped with photovoltaic cells located in the ceiling (horizontally) and lateral (vertically and inclined) panels.

The numerical study evaluates the direct and diffuse solar radiation, photovoltaic production, and mean energy produced during the day. The study is conducted in a Mediterranean environment on a winter day with a clear sky, when the train moves from north to south.

The ceiling is exposed to solar radiation throughout the day, with the left side receiving sunlight in the morning and the right side in the afternoon. The solar radiation level peaks on the ceiling at midday, on the left panel at 9 am, and on the right panel at 3 pm. The lateral panels generate 59.5 % of the energy produced by the ceiling panels. The lateral panels below the windows account for 45% of the energy of the panels above them. Each carriage module generates approximately 10.5 kWh during the day, which contributes to the artificial lighting (passenger visual comfort), ventilation (passenger indoor air quality), and heating systems (passenger thermal comfort). As electrical photovoltaic production varies throughout the day, storing excess energy in batteries enhances system management. In winter conditions, energy production is not limited to horizontal cells.

Due to the altitude of the sun, it also occurs in vertical photovoltaic cells, which represent an important contribution to the sustainability of the vehicle and, therefore, the urban environment.

Under the framework of new-type urbanization and balanced regional development, counties have become pivotal spatial units linking urban expansion with socio-economic transformation. As fundamental carriers of population redistribution and industrial restructuring, county-level territories play a critical role in shaping China’s evolving urban system. However, existing studies primarily focus on prefectural or metropolitan scales and often rely on global or single-scale models, thereby overlooking spatial heterogeneity and scale-dependent effects in urbanization processes. Using county-level data for 2010 and 2020, this study investigates the spatial patterns and temporal dynamics of urbanization rates across China and explores their multi-scale driving mechanisms. First, spatial autocorrelation and distribution characteristics are examined to identify clustering and gradient structures. Subsequently, a Multi-Scale Geographically Weighted Regression (MGWR) model is employed to disentangle the scale-specific effects of natural conditions, economic development, infrastructure provision, demographic structure, and institutional factors. The results reveal that (1) China’s county-level urbanization rate increased significantly between 2010 and 2020, exhibiting a persistent east–west gradient and pronounced coastal agglomeration; (2) economic development and transportation accessibility are dominant drivers nationwide, while institutional and policy-related factors demonstrate stronger localized effects in central and western regions; and (3) different explanatory variables operate at distinct spatial scales, highlighting substantial spatial heterogeneity in the mechanisms underlying urbanization. This study contributes to a more nuanced understanding of county-level urbanization within the broader urbanization and social development process and provides empirical evidence for differentiated and place-based urbanization policies aimed at promoting coordinated regional development.

The expansion of impervious surfaces, combined with ongoing climate change, has led to significant environmental impacts, most notably urban flooding. The rising frequency of these events underlines the inadequacy of conventional urban drainage systems, necessitating a strategic transition toward sustainable and resilient stormwater management. Within this framework, Nature-based Solutions (NbS) represent a key strategy, offering multifunctional and regenerative methods to strengthen urban resilience against intensifying environmental hazards. Among the several types of NbS, the Rain Garden (RG) is a bio-retention system designed to intercept, temporarily store, and treat stormwater runoff generated by surrounding impervious surfaces. However, despite a broad consensus on the advantages of RGs, their large-scale implementation remains limited. Thus, this study evaluates the hydrological efficiency of a rain garden proposed for a specific site in Cerisano, Southern Italy. By utilizing EPA-SWMM software to develop a predictive model across different RG configurations, the research explores how varying design parameters influence system performance. The findings confirm that RGs are a reliable strategy for urban stormwater control, highlighting that their hydrological performance is highly dependent on specific design variables. The demonstrated efficacy of this sustainable approach supports its widespread adoption as a tool for addressing the environmental pressures of modern urbanization.
Acknowledgements: This work was funded by the Next Generation EU - Italian NRRP, Mission 4, Component 2, Investment 1.5, call for the creation and strengthening of 'Innovation Ecosystems', building 'Territorial R&D Leaders' (Directorial Decree n. 2021/3277) - project Tech4You - Technologies for climate change adaptation and quality of life improvement, n. ECS0000009. This work reflects only the authors' views and opinions, neither the Ministry for University and Research nor the European Commission can be considered responsible for them. We would like to thank the Municipality of Cerisano for supporting these project activities as a stakeholder.

As the population grows, cities are expanding rapidly, often at the expense of rural areas and traditional livelihoods. Urbanization is one of the major challenges for growing economies, as unplanned urbanization leads to severe issues such as pollution, climate change, traffic congestion, deforestation, and particularly social disparities including inequality, inadequate access to education and healthcare, and the proliferation of informal settlements. This study will focus on urbanization and its impact on social development in Punjab, examining Punjab-specific indicators such as literacy rates, poverty incidence, access to healthcare, gender parity in education, employment rates, human development index, and social inclusion metrics like access to sanitation and housing in informal settlements. We will use secondary data from national and international sources spanning 1990 to 2024. The Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) model and Error Correction Model (ECM) will be applied for econometric analysis. This study will also incorporate a climate change index to assess how climate dynamics interact with urbanization and social development processes. The findings are expected to provide valuable insights into how unplanned urbanization influences social mobility, community cohesion, and access to essential services. By identifying key drivers of social development amid urban growth, this study will contribute to the literature on sustainable urban planning and inclusive policies. The outcomes will offer evidence-based recommendations to policymakers for designing strategies that promote equitable social development, mitigate urban inequalities, and enhance resilience to climate challenges.

Rapid urbanisation has been reshaping cities worldwide, and Saudi Arabian cities have experienced a particularly fast and uneven transformation. This study examined how emerging urban structures in Saudi Arabia relate to societal change and, critically, whether differences in urban form are associated with differences in residents’ Quality of Urban Life (QoUL). The aim was to generate evidence that could support more effective planning and help avoid planning mistakes. A selected city was quantified using computational Urban Morphometrics (UMM) by analysing the built environment at the building scale to generate distinct Urban Types (UTs) within the city. These derived UTs were then linked to the QoUL survey, in collaboration with the Saudi QoL program, to assess whether certain morphologies tended to align with higher or lower levels of perceived urban quality. The results showed that UTs were not equivalent in lived experience. Different UTs were associated with different QoUL levels. The findings indicated that measurable variations in urban morphology corresponded to systematic differences in QoUL, suggesting that the overall shape and structure of the area- and street-to-block building configurations mattered for residents’ satisfaction. Overall, the study concluded that a morphology-based classification of Saudi urban structures provides a practical, evidence-driven foundation for planning. By identifying urban types linked to QoUL levels, planners could target interventions more precisely, reduce preventable design errors, and develop policies that better support improved QoUL across Saudi Arabia and the world.

Urban resilience in the face of climate-induced natural hazards critically depends on the availability of robust, high-quality datasets. However, geoscience research on landslides is hindered by limited access to consistent textual and image-based datasets. This study introduces a novel framework that leverages Generative Pre-Trained Transformer (GPT) models to synthetically generate and analyze geoscience data, addressing critical data scarcity challenges. Using prompt-engineering techniques, we autonomously generated 115 landslide events, each described by 14 parameters including event date, location (latitude/longitude), trigger cause, size, injuries, and fatalities. Statistical analysis revealed strong correlations between injury count and fatalities (r = 0.986), while seasonal analysis highlighted that large-scale landslides occur predominantly during the summer months, with higher event concentrations in India and Thailand. The synthetic dataset achieved significant diversity, encompassing 57 distinct latitudes, 56 longitudes, 42 trigger causes, and 16 categorical landslide types, thereby demonstrating its realism and potential scalability. Furthermore, visualization outputs—including heatmaps, bar charts, and AI-generated images—illustrated GPT’s capacity to effectively communicate analytical outcomes. Implemented via Microsoft Power Automate and GPT-3.5 APIs, the framework demonstrates high reproducibility and scalability, with potential to generate hundreds of thousands of hazard records for urban risk modeling. By integrating GPT into the disaster intelligence pipeline, this research provides a replicable model for enhancing urban adaptation strategies, supporting predictive analytics, and informing proactive resilience planning. Ultimately, this study establishes GPT as a transformative tool in bridging data scarcity for geoscience, offering scalable pathways to strengthen the resilience of urban systems exposed to disaster risks.

This study presents a critical and multi-scalar analysis of the adaptive reuse and urban placemaking of an obsolete piece of Parisian railway infrastructure, Ligne de Vincennes (the viaduct section), framing it as a model of post-industrial transformation that integrates cultural vitality, environmental sustainability, and economic regeneration. Through a mixed-methods research design, combining in situ field observation, spatial and architectural analysis, and qualitative data synthesis, the project investigates how the Viaduc's rehabilitation contributes to evolving narratives of urban identity, heritage continuity, and place-based innovation. The Viaduc des Arts, a pioneering example of an inhabited viaduct paired with an elevated linear park, is examined as a paradigmatic case of infrastructural repurposing. The analysis yields ten transferable lessons clustered under six strategic themes: (1) structural and symbolic recovery of viaducts, (2) productive reuse of obsolete transport infrastructure, (3) microclimatic and environmental enhancement, (4) long-term economic return, (5) urban attractiveness and brand identity, and (6) local socio-cultural dynamism. Key enablers of success include the public acquisition and investment strategy, the architectural minimalism and contextual sensitivity of Patrick Berger’s design, and the governance model led by Semaest, which ensured the continuity of artisanal vocations within a managed cultural–commercial ecosystem. The project also supports sustainable development goals by conserving embodied energy, reducing demolition waste, and establishing circular economy synergies through the creative reuse of materials and space. By exploring the Viaduc as both a physical and symbolic urban artifact, the study advances a broader framework for post-industrial urban regeneration, highlighting the need to update methodological lenses and planning policies to better align with contemporary challenges in heritage reuse, ecological integration, and spatial equity. The findings serve as a transferable model for cities confronting similar dilemmas of obsolescence, identity, and resilience in the Anthropocene.

This paper examines the long-term effects of past planning decisions in the city of Brăila, Romania, by analyzing two major periods of urban transformation: the post-demolition phase of the Ottoman citadel in the early nineteenth century and the socialist urban planning of the communist regime, culminating with the development of the Hipodrom neighborhood. While Brăila’s historical development was systematically examined, successive planning paradigms that have generated persistent morphological structures that continue to shape the city’s contemporary spatial challenges were not. This study addresses this gap by demonstrating how path-dependent urban forms produced during key historical transformations continue to structure present-day patterns of mobility, land use, and resilience.

The research adopts a diachronic urban morphology approach that integrates historical cartography, archival records, satellite imagery, and field observations. Morphological analysis focuses on the evolution of street networks, parcel structures, land-use patterns, and building typologies across the two periods, while planning policies and regulatory frameworks are examined to connect spatial transformations with their broader political and ideological contexts.

The findings indicate that the demolition of the Ottoman citadel around 1828 initiated Brăila’s transition from a fortified settlement to a modern port city integrated into European trade networks. The implementation of a radial–concentric street pattern continues to organize the historic core and influence contemporary mobility and heritage management. In contrast, the socialist period introduced large-scale residential expansion based on standardized mass housing and functional zoning, exemplified by the Hipodrom neighborhood, between the 1960s and 1980s. Although designed to address housing shortages, this model produced high-density residential clusters and monofunctional urban areas whose spatial rigidity and aging infrastructure present significant challenges for present-day urban regeneration.

Understanding these layered transformations highlights the importance of historically informed planning strategies capable of reconciling inherited urban morphology with contemporary demands for sustainable and integrated urban development.