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Urban sustainability poses a deeply interdisciplinary challenge, spanning technical fields like data science and environmental science, design-oriented disciplines like architecture and spatial planning, and domains such as economics, policy, and social studies. While numerous advanced tools are used in these domains, ranging from geospatial systems to AI and network analysis-, they often remain fragmented, domain-specific, and difficult to integrate. This paper introduces a semantic framework that aims not to replace existing analytical methods, but to interlink their outputs and datasets within a unified, queryable knowledge graph. Leveraging semantic web technologies, the framework enables the integration of heterogeneous urban data, including spatial, network, and regulatory information, permitting advanced querying and pattern discovery across formats. Applying the methodology to two urban contexts—Thessaloniki (Greece) as a full implementation and Marine Parade GRC (Singapore) as a secondary test—we demonstrate its flexibility and potential to support more informed decision-making in diverse planning environments. The methodology reveals both opportunities and constraints shaped by accessibility, connectivity, and legal zoning, offering a reusable approach for urban interventions in other contexts. More broadly, the work illustrates how semantic technologies can foster interoperability among tools and disciplines, creating the conditions for truly data-driven, collaborative urban planning.

What is the optimal rate of new housing supply? We answer this question with a simple model of new housing supply where the choice variable is the rate of new housing lot sales. This model is informed by the cost-side assumptions of the static equilibrium model but allows for demand for home-buying to vary over time. It differs from static models of housing production equilibrium by assuming that landowners hold land assets that are sold in asset markets to create new supply. Landowners maximise the present value of their balance sheet by choosing a rate of new housing lot sales, accounting for the effect on asset price growth from their sales in a housing market of finite depth. The resulting absorption rate equation has radically different parameter effects compared to the popular static housing density model. Constraints on density, for example, increase the optimal rate of supply by reducing the return to delaying development. Interest rates, land value tax rates, and demand growth, positively relate to the optimal rate of supply. The policy lessons are (1) the relationship between demand growth and the optimal supply rate limits the ability for market supply to reduce prices, and (2) increasing the cost to delaying housing development is the primary way to increase the market rate of housing supply.

Environmental planning disputes often combine questions of regulation and legislation with distinctive, place-based epistemic issues that lend themselves to citizen science approaches. Whilst these citizen science activities often concern the enforcement of regulations, here we describe the attempts of a local community group to prevent the start-up of a new biomass incineration plant by showing that it fails to comply with the relevant regulations and/or that the associated legislation has not been applied correctly. Through documentary sources and in-depth interviews, we examine the ways in which the group's work has parallels with aspects of regulatory science. In describing this work, and thinking about how to categorise it, we argue that conceptions of citizen science need to be broadened to include a wider range of activities than the traditional focus on primary data collection.

India’s urbanisation is considered the largest national urban transformation of the 21st century, with its trajectory having a decisive impact on carbon emissions globally. This study defines and operationalises the concept of energy sufficiency for the growth of Indian cities which is expected to be largely driven by low- and middle-income housing. It combines theoretical framing with quantitative assessment of test models to present an operational framework of energy sufficiency that can be implemented through urban planning regulations. Based on the global budgetary limit to restrict global warming to 1.5°C, a precautionary target of 1.0 tCO2 per capita per year is estimated as an energy sufficiency allowance for upcoming residential built environments. By optimising the average dwelling size, limiting the land-use intensity to low-rise (four storeys) and compact urban forms, and improving operational energy performance with adaptive thermal comfort, the carbon emissions from residential buildings can be sufficiently optimised to 0.84 tCO2 per capita per year. The integration of rooftop renewable energy can further reduce it to 0.56 tCO2. The co-benefits of the optimised costs of construction and operation make the case for economic feasibility and wider affordability.Policy relevanceThe rapid urbanisation in India will significantly increase carbon emissions from the urban built environment. Current trends towards high-rise and high-density residential development contribute significantly to the demand for embodied and operational energy. However, these remain unaccounted for in India’s action plan to meet its nationally determined contribution (NDC) to reduce emissions intensity. Energy sufficiency can be used as a guiding principle for urbanising contexts to limit both the embodied energy of new residential buildings and the associated operational energy demands. The proposed framework for sufficiency serves as a useful policy instrument, capable of being translated to actionable urban planning regulations. By demonstrating the potential of a ‘sufficient’ per capita carbon emissions budget for the growth and regeneration of residential buildings, this framework equips planners to set limits for the height and density of the built environment, fostering a low-carbon future aligned with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

This paper starts from the hypothesis that streetscapes with shorter façade lengths are more pleasant for pedestrians than long and monotonous façades. It analyses four case studies where short façade lengths were implemented by applying different means of regulation and gives insight into an experimental planning example from Schlieren, Switzerland. Through the investigation of these cases, different possibilities to regulate façade length were revealed and categorised. The applied comparative case study analysis and comparative approach showed that most case studies are project-based solutions, either by applying text-based regulations or by reducing parcel size. The experiment in Schlieren offered a possibility to reduce façade length to a maximum value within the standard building regulations (Rahmennutzungsplanung) and therefore make it applicable to more than just singular projects. This approach failed, since it falls into the category of form-based codes, which in the canton of Zurich are by law not allowed in all zones. The experiment showed, however, that form-based codes can act as a powerful alternative to reduce façade length if parcel size cannot be influenced and more than just one single project perimeter is to be regulated.

In Italy, the regeneration of historic centers is a relevant issue in the theoretical debate and practice of urban planning, a discourse which usually adopts strictly constraining approaches and tools directed almost exclusively at the preservation of the traditional characters of historic buildings, neglecting social and economic processes. In particular, the redevelopment of minor historic centers becomes a priority action for the revitalisation of marginal territories affected by the phenomena of depopulation and weakening of the socio-economic structure. The paper focuses on the regional context of Sardinia to investigate methods and criteria for the drafting of planning tools for the redevelopment of minor historic centers, enabling the definition and implementation of strategies in accordance with the objectives and guidelines of the Regional Landscape Plan. With a case study methodology applied to the historic center of Mogoro, the research discusses an innovative and interdisciplinary approach to the definition of flexible regulations to manage the urban regeneration process.

Rural ecosystem health (REH) serves as an effective metric for assessing the damage degree and stability state within rural systems and their components. It reflects the interaction and the balance among rural subsystems, emphasizing the harmonious development of resources, agriculture, environment, economy, and society that are fundamental to sustainable rural development. Most regional-scale ecosystem health assessments primarily focus on either the natural state of the ecosystem or external disturbances affecting it, often neglecting human ecological systems characterized by economic and social dimensions. Taking Chongqing as an example, we established an improved REH assessment framework by integrating ecological integrity from the perspective of a social-economy-natural compound ecosystem. Furthermore, we innovatively incorporated the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into the formulation of the REH indicator system to quantitatively elucidate the spatiotemporal characteristics. The results indicated that: (1) The REH in Chongqing exhibited an evolutionary pattern characterized by a subsequent rise, maintaining values between 0.363–0.872 from 2000 to 2018. This trend reflected a distinct two-stage development characteristic, with the rural socio-economic subsystem contributing the most at 33.36%, followed closely by the rural environmental subsystem at 27.84%; (2) In 2018, the REH across the 36 districts and counties in Chongqing displayed spatial differentiation patterns described as “collapse in the west, high levels in the northeast, and localized surges”. The areas ranked from smallest to largest REH were metropolitan, western, southeastern, and northeastern areas; (3) Four levels (e.g., disease, single health, compound health, and comprehensive health) and twelve sub-levels of REH were defined using a dominant factors method. Finally, we analyzed the driving factors from four aspects of urbanization development: policy regulation, urban-rural factors flow, and regional differences. We also proposed differentiated planning and policies for sustainable rural development in Chongqing.

Urban planning regulations influence not only the urban form; they also have a great impact on the microclimate in urban areas. This paper deals with the relationship between the urban planning regulations and microclimate in the hot dry city of Damascus. The main purpose is to highlight the shortcomings of the existing urban planning regulations. The microclimatic parameters necessary for the thermal comfort assessment of pedestrians were determined through simulations with the software ENVI-met. It is shown that the street design—as regards aspect ratio, orientation and the presence of trees—has a great influence on ground surface temperatures and thermal comfort. Moreover, the type of buildings—whether detached or attached (street canyons)—has an impact. For deep canyons there is an interactive relationship between aspect ratio, orientation and vegetation. However, for streets with detached buildings, there is only a weak influence of street orientation and aspect ratio but a strong influence of vegetation on surface temperatures and outdoor thermal comfort. The study shows the importance of modifying the planning regulations in Damascus for new areas by allowing smaller setbacks, narrower streets, higher buildings, etc.

The lands of historical and cultural heritage represent a special category of the land fund of regions and settlements, having a socio-cultural value and historical significance. Business entities seek to extend their activities to the lands of historical and cultural heritage, placing their economic facilities within them. In this regard, the development of economic activities within this category of land is possible only with the observance of protective principles and regulations that limit possible violations of the protection status. Means of economic development in these areas may be special urban development projects that take into account the designated purpose of this category of land, subject to their conservation status.

The general theory of regulation and then 10 theories related to safety regulation are summarized, explaining why regulation is or is not beneficial, or why negative externalities like building fires might increase. As an example, evidence from regulation and planning to enhance fire safety in Turin, Italy, is included, which shows apparent regulatory failure due to public choice and knowledge problems. Regulators there apparently failed to meet their public interest objective: the \"control of safety conditions to prevent fires\" and to \"minimize the causes of fire.\" Data perusal suggests that (a) the income effect, (b) public choice theories of bureaucracy and perverse incentives, (c) the \"knowledge problem\" theory, and (d) population density to a lesser degree best explain and predict the regulatory outcome. The results tend to favor government failure models, rather than theories that say (e) government provision works even if inefficiently or as a placebo, (f) that regulation is irrelevant, or (g) explanations that surmise that racial composition, (h) immigration of poor and ignorant people, (i) technical problems with electricity (wiring and materials), or (j) moral hazard cause more fires. Thus, planning theory should endeavor to better incorporate government failure theories into its models. These theories at times provide better explanatory and predictive power than traditional market failure models.