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In this paper, we explore how state-led regulatory planning is utilised to push for delivery of an urban megaproject (UMP) in the specific context of post-socialist Central and Eastern Europe. Our focus is on the large-scale brownfield redevelopment project ‘Belgrade Waterfront’ under implementation in the Serbian capital, a joint venture between the Republic of Serbia and Abu Dhabi-based investor Eagle Hills. We show this UMP to be an extreme example of state-led regulatory intervention, characterised by lack of transparency and haste in decision-making processes, all of which serve to prioritise private investors’ interests in project delivery above the principles of representative democracy. Through analysis of legislative and planning documents, expert reports and media coverage from the period between 2012 and 2017, we explore the legislative mechanisms, contractual strategies and modes of governance involved in the project’s delivery. This provides two insights: first, it reveals that, in contrast with the active role of local governments in conceiving entrepreneurial strategies that is often assumed today, in the case of Belgrade Waterfront, the national government has instead played the decisive role; second, it shows how modifications to national law were instrumental in defining public interest, in enabling certain types of contracts to become technically legal, and in minimising risks for the private investor. We conclude by highlighting the need to further conceptualise nation-state politics and autocratic rule as driving forces of urban development processes. 本文探讨了在后社会主义中东欧的特定背景中，国家主导的监管规划如何被利用来推动城市大型项目的交付。我们的重点是塞尔维亚共和国与阿布扎比投资者鹰山公司合资在塞尔维亚首都实施的大规模棕地重建项目“贝尔格莱德海滨”。我们展示的这个城市大型项目是国家主导的监管干预的一个极端例子，其特点是决策过程仓促而缺乏透明度，造成了在项目交付中优先考虑私人投资者的利益而牺牲代议制民主的原则。通过分析 2012 年至 2017 年期间的立法和规划文件、专家报告和媒体报道，我们探讨了项目交付涉及的立法机制、合同战略和治理模式。我们得出了两点见解：首先，当今通常以为地方政府在构思企业家战略中发挥积极作用，但在贝尔格莱德海滨的例子中，分析表明反而是国家政府发挥了决定性的作用；其次，分析表明了国家法律的修订如何有助于界定公共利益，从而使某些类型的合同变得在技术上合法，并最大限度地降低私人投资者的风险。最后，我们强调需要进一步将民族国家政治和专制统治理解为城市发展进程的驱动力。

This study’s primary objective is to investigate the fundamentals of urban waterfront development. Consequently, the study created and validated two assessment scales (questionnaires). Using SPSS and AMOS, descriptive statistics assessed data gathered via questionnaires. Current approaches to urban development are starting to bring to the fore the rich historical and cultural heritage of Cyprus. Over the past few decades, Cyprus has encountered many political, sociocultural, economic, and technological challenges. These factors consequently influence urban design and produce distinct characteristics and tendencies. The waterfront of Kyrenia is a district that notably exemplifies progressive urban design. Specifically, this article aims to assess various urban aspects of Kyrenia’s waterfront. An ancient harbor in Kyrenia and its surroundings have served as the focus of the investigation to examine the evolution of general urban features across time. Participants included members of the creative class, employees and employer groups, students, and tourists. Physical, functional, social, economic, cultural, and political considerations underlie urban waterfronts. An evaluation of the Kyrenia waterfront revealed, based on the results of many statistical investigations, that the variables reflect varying degrees of user participation. According to the study findings, most people living in the community view the selected area favorably since it offers distinctive urban features and social opportunities. However, locals think that the region will need new technologies and ideas in the future to help the creative class be more productive by generating a creative economy.

Across the Baltic Sea region, areas situated in climate-sensitive water zones are increasingly exposed to environmental and socio-economic challenges. Gdańsk, Poland, is a prominent example where the rising threat of climate-related hazards, particularly connected with flooding, coincides with growing demand for resilient and adaptive housing solutions. Located in the Vistula Delta, the city’s vulnerability is heightened by its low-lying terrain, polder-based land systems, and extensive waterfronts. These geographic conditions underscore the urgent need for flexible, climate-responsive design strategies that support long-term adaptation while safeguarding the urban fabric and the well-being of local communities. This study provides evidence-based guidance for adaptive housing solutions tailored to Gdańsk’s waterfronts. It draws on successful architectural and urban interventions across the Baltic Sea region, selected for their environmental, social, and cultural relevance, to inform development approaches that strengthen resilience and social cohesion. To achieve this, an exploratory case study methodology was employed, supported by desk research and qualitative content analysis of strategic planning documents, academic literature, and project reports. A structured five-step framework, comprising project identification, document selection, qualitative assessment, data extraction, and analysis, was applied to examine three adaptive housing projects: Hammarby Sjöstad (Stockholm), Kalasataman Huvilat (Helsinki), and Urban Rigger (Copenhagen). Findings indicate measurable differences across nine sustainability indicators (1–5 scale): Hammarby Sjöstad excels in environmental integration (5/5 in carbon reduction and renewable energy), Kalasataman Huvilat demonstrates strong modular and human-scaled adaptability (3–5/5 across social and housing flexibility), and Urban Rigger leads in climate adaptability and material efficiency (4–5/5). Key adaptive measures include flexible spatial design, integrated environmental management, and community engagement. The study concludes with practical recommendations for local planning guidelines. The guidelines developed through the Gdańsk case study show strong potential for broader application in cities facing similar challenges. Although rooted in Gdańsk’s specific conditions, the model’s principles are transferable and adaptable, making the framework relevant to water sensitivity, flexible housing, and inclusive, resilient urban strategies. It offers transversal value to both urban scholars and practitioners in planning, policy, and community development.

IntroductionUrban waterfronts in Gulf cities are strategic public assets crucial for environmental risk management and enhancing the livability of surrounding residential and national housing areas, yet most existing urban evaluation indices are city-wide and lack the sensitivity required for hot–arid coastal environments. This study responds by developing a context-specific performance metric to evaluate coastal public realms and examine how waterfront performance can be conceptually linked to housing-community welfare, while acknowledging that household-level housing outcomes are not directly measured in this study.MethodsWe developed and applied a novel Comprehensive Waterfront Development Index (CWDI) tailored to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, to evaluate coastal public realms across sustainability, resilience, and cultural and social integration dimensions aligned with Vision 2030. The CWDI uses a mixed-methods design that integrates global urban evaluation frameworks (Tier 1 indicators) with context-specific indicators reflecting Jeddah’s climate and culture (Tier 2 indicators). Dimension weights were calibrated using the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) with input from residents, business operators, and planning professionals. The index was applied to three major waterfront zones, North Corniche, Central Waterfront, and the Historic Waterfront (Al Balad), using a combination of field surveys (n = 312), spatial datasets, and administrative records.ResultsFindings reveal a “two-speed” waterfront: newly redeveloped zones perform relatively well in Public Spaces and Amenities (3.5/5) and Accessibility (3.1/5), offering improved spatial amenities for adjacent housing communities. However, Resilience and Climate Adaptation (2.1/5) and Environmental Sustainability (2.7/5) are the weakest dimensions, with low scores for solar adoption, cooling infrastructure, and flood risk mitigation. The historic Al Balad waterfront consistently underperforms, exposing heritage communities to environmental risks and poor public-space provision.DiscussionThe analysis demonstrates that while public investment has successfully enhanced amenities in new zones, critical resilience and environmental gaps remain, particularly impacting vulnerable and historic communities. The study makes three key contributions: (i) it offers a transferable, waterfront-specific, stakeholder-informed index suitable for hot–arid Gulf cities; (ii) it empirically examines the spatial interface between coastal public realm quality and social housing livability; and (iii) it provides actionable policy recommendations for integrating CWDI scoring into municipal governance and the planning of future coastal housing projects to drive performance toward Vision 2030 goals.

In fish, the larval stage constitutes the most vulnerable phase in the life cycle and reveals important ecological and evolutive information of fish and fundamental data to manage marine ecosystems. However, their identity is one of the biggest gaps in knowledge, particularly for the Microgobius genus, where only three of 15 species have been described. In this study, the larval development of Microgobius tabogensis was described based on 116 specimens (2.75-14.20 mm standard length) from Ensenada de La Paz, Mexico. The typical gobiid body shape characterized larvae, a well-developed dorsally pigmented gas bladder, a curve at the hindgut, and 27 myomeres. The pigmentation pattern in M. tabogensis consisted of a series of melanophores along the ventral postanal midline, increasing from three to seven during the preflexion stage and up to 16 in the postflexion stage. It had three to five melanophores on the ventral preanal midline, one at the jaw angle and one on the dorsal postanal midline. Through all stages, one of the ventral melanophores was normally stellate, bigger than the others, and extended between the myomeres. A dorsal melanophore was located near the end of the intestine in the preflexion stage but disappeared with growth. Notochord flexion started at approximately 4.3 mm and ended at 5.1 mm. Anal fin development started at the beginning of the flexion stage, followed by the dorsal fin. All elements of the fins were formed by the late postflexion stage (14.2 mm).

Wave parameters form the base for the design of coastal structures. For this purpose, commonly modelled wave properties are employed. This approach is usually adequate in open ocean conditions where spatial variations in wave properties are normally quite limited. The situation is different in nearshore areas of complicated shapes, where wave properties can be highly variable. In such instances, long and sufficiently detailed wave measurements for model validation are usually unavailable. The use of default settings of wave models means that possible errors remain unknown, and employing data with substantial uncertainties could lead to overdimensioned structures or structural failures. We address the magnitude of possible errors in such conditions by comparing the output of simple wave models (such as the fetch-based SPM model or the SWAN model forced with one-point homogenous wind) and the sophisticated multi-nested SWAN wave model forced with ERA5 winds with recent wave measurements in various nearshore locations in the eastern Baltic Sea. We use records of different length spanning over more than ten years. While in some locations simple models or models forced with homogenous wind yield acceptable results, in most areas more sophisticated models are needed to adequately replicate wave properties. The outcomes of our analysis provide several site-specific hints for practical coastal engineering.

Eissa, S.; Gharib, M., and Kabbany, O., 2024. Flushing model for artificial islands in the Persian Gulf. In: Phillips, M.R.; Al-Naemi, S., and Duarte, C.M. (eds.), Coastlines under Global Change: Proceedings from the International Coastal Symposium (ICS) 2024 (Doha, Qatar). Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue No. 113, pp. 700-704. Charlotte (North Carolina), ISSN 0749-0208. A numerical model study has been performed to study the flushing characteristics for an intended artificial island at the Persian Gulf coast in Abu Dhabi, UAE. The islands masterplan was tested for flushing using DELFT 3D hydrodynamic model and it was found that its residence time exceeds the acceptable PIANC flushing Criteria. Therefore, several mitigation measures were applied and tested one by one using the flushing model. Namely: changing location of entrance opening, dredging, removing part of the mangrove existing in the near vicinity to create a channel, removing the mangrove altogether, using culverts of different numbers and locations, and pumping at selected points. The pumping option gave the best solution, but it has high capital cost and running cost. Therefore, it was opted for a combination of the other solutions including removal of mangroves, introducing culverts and adjustment of island boundaries and type of protection.