Urban ecological space has become a central concern in contemporary urban discourse, yet it remains approached predominantly through fragmented, function-oriented interventions. Green spaces are commonly framed as discrete amenities or technical infrastructures, rather than as integral components of relational urban ecological systems. This condition reflects not only spatial fragmentation but a deeper conceptual rupture in how urban ecology is understood and sustained. This paper argues that the limitations of prevailing urban ecological practices stem less
from insufficient ecological performance than from the absence of systemic ecological thinking. By isolating ecological functions from their relational, perceptual, and socio-cultural contexts, dominant green-space paradigms struggle to support long-term ecological continuity and regeneration. The study advances a conceptual reframing of urban ecological space as a systemic condition rather than a collection of spatial elements. The argument is grounded in the author’s doctoral research and informed by long-term spatial observation and interpretive analysis of urban
ecological systems. This grounding supports theoretical synthesis rather than empirical generalisation. Building on this foundation, the paper articulates systemic ecological thinking as a conceptual framework through which urban ecological space is understood as relational, continuous, and perceptually mediated. Within this reframing, regenerative aesthetics is proposed as a mediating logic that links ecological processes, lived experience, and social continuity, offering a pathway for understanding ongoing ecological regeneration at the urban scale.

The City of Mazatlán, Sinaloa, located on Mexico’s North Pacific coast, has experienced accelerated urban growth over the past two decades. This expansion has occurred without adequate planning or effective sustainable development strategies, as the population increased from 327,989 inhabitants in 2000 to 441,975 in 2020. The city has a housing density of 2,188 units per km² and a Prosperous Cities Index (PCI) score of 56.8, which is considered moderately weak and highlights the need to strengthen urban policies.

The objective of this study was to construct contextual, trend, and desirable scenarios for Mazatlán in order to analyze patterns of urban-tourism development. The research employed a mixed, non-experimental methodological approach. The quantitative phase involved photographic surveys to describe and compare elements of the urban-tourist landscape, identifying causes and effects of landscape transformation. The qualitative phase focused on diagnosing environmental and economic challenges. Integrating findings from both stages, scenarios were developed based on General Systems Theory.

The main results reveal that the annual influx of tourists multiplies the resident population by seven, generating competition for food, goods, and services. The absence of urban management strategies has undermined the continuity and conservation of wetlands, which are increasingly threatened by irregular human settlements, marina and port infrastructure, beachfront hotels, and vacation properties. These pressures degrade the natural landscape and lead to economic losses in fishing and aquaculture, pollution, the spread of disease vectors, unpleasant odors, surface warming, and a diminished capacity to provide ecosystem services. In conclusion, the study emphasizes that the primary strategy for Mazatlán’s sustainable future must be rooted in conserving its existing landscape heritage.

Rapid urbanization and rising municipal solid waste (MSW) volumes have overwhelmed traditional waste collection systems in many Mexican cities, including Cuernavaca. The adoption of technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) and smart waste bins is emerging as a viable solution to enhance MSW separation, monitoring, and logistics. This research aimed to analyze the feasibility of implementing smart bins to improve MSW management in Cuernavaca City, Mexico. A mixed-methods approach was employed, including a literature review of smart bins in waste management over the past 10 years, an analysis of the local regulatory and institutional context, semi-structured interviews with experts, and an online survey of 253 residents of Cuernavaca. From this information, SWOT and CAME matrices were developed to identify strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats, and implementation strategies. The findings indicate that although a significant portion of the population already separates their waste, this practice is not widespread. Additionally, the waste collection system is primarily perceived as inefficient. Most residents were unfamiliar with smart bins before the research, but after a brief explanation, about 80% deemed them valuable. Furthermore, more than two-thirds expressed a willingness to participate in a pilot program, and many showed openness to receiving training and incentives, particularly in the form of service discounts. In conclusion, the implementation of smart bins in Cuernavaca is socially viable, provided it is aligned with a gradual design process, transparent governance and financing models, environmental education initiatives, and incentive mechanisms that encourage sustained citizen participation.

Urban microclimatic heterogeneity shapes plant phenology, morphology, and reproductive expression, relevant for planning and management of sustainable urban green spaces. This study examines how contrasting urban settings influence flowering dynamics and floral morphological traits of Chaenomeles × superba ‘Pink Lady’ in Novi Sad (Serbia). This research was conducted from 1 January to 8 April 2025 across a representative street and a park environment, differing in degrees of thermal exposure, solar radiation, and environmental buffering typical of urban landscapes. Flowering phenology was monitored through field observations using the BBCH scale, recording the beginning of flowering (BBCH 60; more than 10% of flowers open), full flowering (BBCH 65; more than 50% of flowers open), and the end of flowering (BBCH 69; more than 80% of flowers faded). Monitoring was conducted every second day until the beginning of flowering and daily until the end of flowering. Floral morphology was assessed during peak flowering by analyzing 50 flowers from each analyzed individual. Measurements included sepal and petal length, flower diameter, number of petals, stamens and pistils, and the number of fertile carpels. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and comparative statistical tests. The results reveal clear differences in flowering dynamics between urban contexts (street-like and park-like settings). Flowers in more exposed urban areas exhibited an earlier onset of flowering, a faster progression to full bloom, and a shorter overall flowering period, whereas plants in buffered green environments showed prolonged flowering and more gradual phenological transitions. Floral morphological traits also varied between environments, with flowers in park-like settings displaying larger dimensions and more pronounced floral organs, while several traits remained consistent across settings. This study demonstrates that urban microclimatic conditions strongly shape flowering dynamics and reproductive traits of ornamental plants, emphasizing the importance of microclimate-sensitive species selection for sustainable and resilient urban green spaces.

Nowadays, more and more municipal waste is being generated. One of the reasons for this is the growing number of products purchased and thus the production of municipal waste. The growing amount of waste causes problems with its processing. One way of disposing of waste is its thermal conversion in municipal waste incinerators. This process produces by-products such as ash from municipal waste incineration. The management of these products is problematic due to their toxicity. One way of managing them is to add these by-products to cement mortars and concretes. The ash used in this study was obtained from the incineration of municipal waste in Poznań. Cement mortars were made using CEM I, quartz sand, and ash from municipal waste incineration. Ash was added to the mortar in amounts of 5, 10, 15, 20, and 25% of the cement weight. Samples with appropriate amounts of ash and reference samples were prepared. The basic properties of the mortar, such as density, consistency, flexural and compressive strength after 28 days, and water absorption, were evaluated. The analysis showed that an increase in compressive strength was observed for mortars containing 5, 10, 15, and 20% ash by weight of cement. In the case of flexural strength, an increase was observed only for the 5% ash content. The results for the density of hardened mortar are similar to those for compressive strength. In summary, adding waste incineration ash to municipal waste can have a positive effect on the strength properties of mortars. However, research should be expanded to include an analysis of the toxicity of mortars and an examination of their chemical composition (heavy metal content and oxide composition).

The Meiggs sector, located in Cercado de Lima, is a historically industrial area where productive, commercial, and medium-density residential activities currently coexist, shaping a diverse and evolving urban fabric. Within the framework of the Metropolitan Development Plan of Lima and Callao (PLANMET), a significant portion of this area is classified as Consolidated Urban Land (SUC) and, specifically within its industrial strip, as Urban Transformation Land (SURT), a planning category intended to promote land reconversion and densification toward mixed uses.

In this context, the increasing residential and commercial presence, in contrast with industrial plots characterized by low permeability and limited urban integration, reveals an ongoing functional transformation. This process challenges the consolidation of a more active and mixed urban fabric, generates an imbalance between the prevailing industrial structure and the current patterns of urban occupation and use.

This research examines the sector within the broader framework of metropolitan urban planning, evaluating the coherence between zoning regulations, the existing regulatory framework and the actual land use observed in the study area. In the first phase, the compatibility tables established in the municipal ordinance and PLANMET were systematically reviewed. In the second phase, a detailed survey of commercial establishments within the defined study polygon was conducted. Each establishment was georeferenced using QGIS to construct a spatial database classified according to homogeneous typological criteria. Subsequently, a comparative analysis between actual land use and regulatory compatibility was performed, allowing for the objective calculation of the percentage of compatible activities.

The analysis determines the level of regulatory compliance and identifies spatial patterns associated with transitional urban fabrics, including their georeferenced distribution across the area. The findings provide technical criteria to support the management of industrial land undergoing transformation and strengthen decision-making processes aimed at consolidating mixed-use development in accordance with PLANMET guidelines.

Introduction Coastal areas are complex territorial systems where natural processes and anthropogenic pressures interact, producing landscapes that are vulnerable yet culturally important. These areas are among the most exposed to climate change impacts while remaining attractive for tourism and urban development. This dual condition calls for resilient and adaptive planning approaches. This study examines opportunities and challenges in the sustainable management of coastal territories, focusing on urban waterfronts and innovative spatial planning processes. Central to the analysis is the integration of Nature-Based Solutions (NBSs) as tools for climate adaptation, environmental mitigation, and landscape regeneration within a “Waterfront 4.0” framework combining ecological and digital innovation, participatory governance, and smart resource management.

Methods A multidisciplinary approach was employed, integrating historical–geographical analysis with ecological assessment through the use of spatial and multispectral analytical tools. Coastal settlement morphology and evolution were examined diachronically to identify structural vulnerabilities and risk-management gaps. A case study of the Portici waterfront (Naples, Italy) was conducted to assess how NBS can be embedded in regeneration strategies. Planning documents, interventions, and spatial transformations were analyzed to evaluate their environmental and socio-territorial impacts.

Results Contemporary waterfronts function as laboratories for integrated urban and ecological regeneration. NBSs—including dune restoration, vegetated buffers, artificial wetlands, permeable surfaces, and green corridors—enhance resilience to hazards, support biodiversity, mitigate runoff, and improve microclimate regulation. In Portici, the Parco a Mare and Pietrarsa dock redevelopment demonstrate how recreational infrastructure and ecological restoration can be integrated. These interventions promote ecological connectivity and landscape enhancement, improve public-space quality, and reinforce the cultural identity of the coastline shaped by the Miglio d’Oro and eighteenth-century Vesuvian villas.

Conclusions The “Waterfront 4.0” approach shows that resilient urban waterfronts can reconcile environmental mitigation, landscape valorization, and sustainable tourism. Data-driven, participatory strategies are essential to ensuring long-term ecological functionality, climate resilience, and balanced socio-economic development in coastal territories.

Cities are complex spatial organisms shaped by long-term historical, political, socio-economic, or geographic factors. Urban form reflects successive phases of development that correspond to broader historical and ideological contexts. Over time, a wide range of approaches has been developed to analyse urban form and urban context, including historical approaches, analytical approaches, and recent historic urban landscape frameworks. However, the debate about post-socialist cities remains a long-term debate regarding the term per se or its urban form.

This paper presents a multi-scalar framework as a complementary tool to yield nuanced insights. The conceptual framework was developed, but needs further case-study testing. The city of Oradea, Romania, will serve as a pilot case, with particular emphasis on the socialist period. The conceptual framework consists of three stages: historical-descriptive, analytical, and interpretative. Tracing the theoretical fields and key authors, the framework aims to be inclusive and suitable for multi-scalar analyses.

Applied to Oradea, Romania, the analysis begins at the macro-scale with a historio-geographical methodology, using contrasting theories (Conzen and Kostof) in order to trace evolutionary stages. The identification of the current fragments of the city is a fundamental part of understanding the fringe belts. At the meso-scale, neighbourhoods and urban fragments are examined by introducing space-syntax methodology. Further research should be conducted at the micro-scale to understand the details of the city.

The first step aims to understand the city as a whole and its historical context. The meso-scale analysis reveals the relationships among different parts of the city; and, as for the post-socialist city, it reveals the relations among raions and micro-raions within the city and their morphological, spatial, and visual relationships. Therefore, we argue that the framework offers a practical tool for urban planners seeking to understand the spatial logic of urban change and development.

Contemporary urban planning and design must respond to the intertwined challenges of net-zero development, biodiversity conservation, efficient land use, and wider social and economic demands. In this context, a critical planning question is not only where urban growth occurs, but also where it may be accommodated through relatively stable self-organizing processes and where stronger strategic or statutory intervention is required. This study develops a bio-inspired agent-based model as a planning-support tool to address this question in Western Province, Sri Lanka. Drawing on the adaptive behavior of Physarum polycephalum, the model translates gradient-following, path reinforcement, and decay into a simulation of urban expansion. Using an Inverse Generative Social Science approach, the model is calibrated against the observed 2025 built-up pattern, with growth simulated from the 1990 urban edge until the observed 2025 urban extent is reached. Development probability is defined by an attraction surface combining road proximity, land value, existing density, amenity accessibility, and slope suitability. The calibrated model reproduces 49% of the observed 2025 built-up area (Figure of Merit = 0.428; Kappa = 0.574), with road proximity emerging as the strongest driver of expansion (w = 0.295). Spatial error analysis shows that 62% of false negatives occur as fragmented patches, indicating areas where self-organizing growth alone does not adequately explain development. These areas are likely to require stronger policy guidance, regulatory control, or targeted design intervention. The study demonstrates how bio-inspired urban modelling can support integrated planning by identifying where growth may be accommodated, where it should be guided, and where regulation is necessary to protect environmentally sensitive and high-conflict areas.

The advancement of remote sensing technology has revolutionized urban planning and environmental monitoring, providing high-resolution spatial data essential for managing complex metropolitan areas like Oakland, California. However, the primary obstacle in achieving high-accuracy land cover classification is spectral heterogeneity. To address this, our research develops an advanced urban land cover mapping framework for an area of ​​51.88 km^2 in Oakland, California, using Sentinel-2 multispectral imagery. The primary objective is to enhance the performance of a Random Forest (RF) classifier by integrating chaotic optimization algorithms to fine-tune hyperparameters, thereby overcoming the limitations of traditional grid-search methods. Our study focuses on six distinct urban classes: High-Density Compact Urban, Large Low-Rise, Residential Open Low-Rise, Hillside Residential, Mixed-Use Transit Corridors, and Coastal Infrastructure. First, we developed and compared the hyperparameters and classification accuracy of a standard Random Forest Algorithm against a Chaotic Random Forest (CRF) variant. This comparison was conducted using three distinct built-up indices independently: the Modified Normalized Difference Built-up Index (MNDBI), the Built-up Area Extraction Index (BAEI), and the Normalized Difference Impervious Surface Index (NDISI). Second, the optimized parameters were applied to generate individual built-up classification maps for each index, assessing their sensitivity to Oakland’s unique topography. Finally, a proposed fusion approach synthesized these results with additional environmental layers such as the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), the Modified Normalized Difference Water Index (MNDWI), and the Barren Soil Index (BSI) to create a final high-precision land cover map. Preliminary results indicate that the Chaotic Random Forest (CRF) model significantly outperforms the standard Random Forest (RF) model. Specifically, the CRF achieved an Overall Accuracy (OA) of 80.2% and a Kappa coefficient of 0.92 compared to the standard RF’s OA of 76% and Kappa of 0.84.