Challenges ahead: framing urban research as a commons activity and as a research agenda
The focus of urban research has shifted in recent years.While the traditional focus was on aspects of urban provision (e.g. mass transit, housing, other infrastructure), the recent emphasis has shifted to the 'end goals' of urbanisation - e.g. sustainability, resilience, well-being, etc. In all these, a constant underlying theme has been the emphasis on creating and managing places. Rohinton Emmanuel (Glasgow Caledonian University) explains why future research needs to focus on the urban commons.
Challenges ahead: how the conduct of research needs to change
How might the conduct of research need to change in the future? What are the lessons for built environment research from the Covid pandemic? Raymond J Cole (University of British Columbia) considers whether and why knowledge production outside the purview of disciplinary-based research is increasing needed. Addressing rapid change and the complex multi-faceted consequences of a warming climate will challenge existing research methodologies and is likely to require increased interdisciplinarity. New ways of working will also require overcoming organisational barriers and a deeper understanding of the needs of decisionmakers.
Why regulatory interfaces should be re-opened and re-experimentalised to produce more socially just data-driven cities.
Andrea
Pollio
(Polytechnic of Turin and University of Cape Town) comments on a paper in the Buildings
& Cities special issue
Data Politics in the Built Environment: 'Disruptive data: historicising the
platformisation of Dublin's taxi industry'. This commentary considers the broader
political economy logics that underlie the datafication of cities. There is an
important (often missing) role for the state to have an active role in creating
planning, regulation and state entrepreneurialism in relation to the private
sector.
A new process for evaluating political parties' manifestos for climate mitigation
Many voters in many countries accept that climate change is more important and more urgent than other political drivers - yet governments all around the world have consistently failed to act forcefully and quickly enough to turn the tide. The imminent elections could be an opportunity to change this - but only if voters have the information they need to rank political parties coherently with regard to climate-change policies. Jason Palmer (Cambridge Architectural Research Ltd, Cambridge Energy, University College London) describes a process for assessing political parties' manifestos for action on climate mitigation.
Applying lessons from indigenous urban planning can make Nigerian cities more sustainable
Mokọ́ládé Johnson (University of Lagos) explains why Nigerian cities have lost their vernacular approaches to urban planning and the resulting negative impacts that arise. Could former indigenous urban design principles be adapted to inform contemporary urban planning practices?
Lessons on how vernacular design is informed by the local climate.
One of the characteristics of vernacular architecture is that it is a process involving continuous adaptation as a response to social and environmental constraints (ICOMOS 1999). C. Irem Gencer (Yıldız Technical University) considers how modern architecture in Turkey can embrace principles from vernacular designs to become more climate resilient.
Could stone help to lower the ecological footprint of buildings?
Summarising a recent research paper, Timothée de Toldi (Bouygues Immobilier SAS) makes a case for the increased use of stone as a building material. In the transition to a low-carbon economy, stone has attractive qualities in terms of durability, low embodied energy, a robust life cycle assessment, and can assist with passive cooling thereby lessening the need for operational energy.
Demolition has far-reaching consequences for people, nature and the climate. What can be done to slow its rate?
André
Thomsen (Delft University of Technology) comments on the
recent Buildings & Cities special issue 'Understanding Demolition' and explains why this phenomenon is only beginning to be understood more fully as a social and behavioural set of issues. Do we need an epidemiology of different demolition rates?
Why urban planning needs to become more diverse and inclusive.
Safaa Charafi asks: is it possible to decolonialise the planning profession to create more inclusive and egalitarian urban settings? It is widely accepted that cities are built by men for other men. This male domination in urban planning results in cities that often do not adequately address challenges encountered by women or ethnic and social minorities. Although efforts are being taken to include women in urban planning, women of colour are still under-represented in many countries, resulting in cities that often overlook their needs.
Governments need to provide a clear policy and strategy for low-carbon heating so implementation can gather momentum.
Engineer Chris Twinn (Twinn Sustainability Innovation and LETI member) argues that the urgency of decarbonisation means that UK (and other countries) must make clear decisions about a heating system strategy and its implementation. Prevaricating will make the transition slower and risk missing important climate commitments.
How can research assist architects & others to substantiate the intended social benefits in an architectural project?
Edward Ng (Chinese University of Hong Kong) provides an architect's perspective on the Buildings & Cities special issue 'Social Value of the Built Environment'.
Have civil society and governments ceded too much power and influence to a few tech corporations? Why analysis of the smart city needs to include private sector data.
Dillon Mahmoudi (University of Maryland, Baltimore County) and Alan Wiig (University of Florida) comment on the contributions of the Buildings & Cities special issue Data Politics in the Built Environment. This commentary considers how tech corporates such as Amazon are changing urban life and creating new forms of automated surveillance.
Why more just and democratic ways are needed for living in smart built environments.
Miguel Valdez (Open University) comments on the contributions of the Buildings & Cities special issue Data Politics in the Built Environment. This commentary considers an additional perspective and provides an additional foundation to support more progressive data politics in the built environment. The three Aristotelian virtues of 'techne', 'episteme' and 'phronesis' and epistemic justice provide suitable lenses to critique smart city politics.
Both technical advancements AND human- and nature-centred solutions of culture & heritage are needed.
Lori Ferriss (Architecture 2030) reflects on her attendance at COP28. Although COP28 included many wins for the built environment, it also marked a moment of missed opportunity to include valuable indigenous and heritage knowledge and culture-based climate solutions in the built environment agenda. Recommendations are made for improving policy pathways and the role of research.
Will space heating use hydrogen or electric heat pumps? The solution may not be that simple.
Jon Saltmarsh (Energy Systems Catapult; previously at UK Department for Energy Security and Net Zero) reflects on the polarised debate around how best to decarbonise homes in the UK. Lessons from the UK may have resonance for other nations in their own journey towards low carbon heating in homes.
The rationale and implications of ensuring adequate daylight provision are considered for designing cities and buildings.
The World Health Organization lists universal access to clean air, clean water, nutritious food and safe shelter as key components of public health, Lisa Heschong (author, architectural researcher & a fellow of the Illuminating Engineering Society), argues that access to ample daylight, both outdoors and indoors, should be added to that list. Evidence from many different scientific fields1 reveal that humans live healthier, happier, more productive lives with daily exposure to the natural patterns of sunlight.
Important lessons for keeping cool in summer can be adapted from cities with hot climates
Samantha Organ (University of the West of England), Stephanie Organ (science communicator) and Quentin Deronzier (NTN Europe) respond to the Buildings & Cities special issue 'Alternatives to Air Conditioning: Policies, Design, Technologies, Behaviours' by considering how vernacular architecture and modern technology could provide solutions for the increasingly severe problem of summer overheating in European cities.
Can vernacular design features make Nigerian housing more sustainable?
Cordelia Osasona (Obafemi Awolowo University) considers whether and how traditional architecture can be harnessed and combined with modern approaches in southwestern Nigeria to improve environmental, cultural and technological sustainability.
Why urban spaces need to be reimagined from an intersectional perspective, incorporating the voices and experiences of women
Cities are hubs of economic activity and cultural vibrancy, however, urban growth policies and city governance that fail to consider gender and poverty have exacerbated socio-economic disparities, exclusion, and segregation. Nourhan Bassan (GamingX) discusses some of key themes from her forthcoming book "The Gendered City". She argues that it is imperative to understand the historical context of urban design, to critically examine gender disparities in cities, and to advocate for women's rights in shaping and accessing urban spaces.
by Matti Kuittinen (Aalto University & the Nordic authority group working for climate declarations for buildings 2020-2023)
For mitigating the built environment's large carbon footprint, regulation within the next 10 years is needed in all countries. The Nordic countries have been co-developing climate policies for buildings since 2018 and are already seeing the positive outcomes from joint efforts. COP28 can apply these principles and lessons elsewhere. To prevent duplication of effort in each country, international collaboration with climatically and culturally similar countries can be beneficial.
Generative AI: reconfiguring supervision and doctoral research
P Boyd & D Harding
Exploring interactions between shading and view using visual difference prediction
S Wasilewski & M Andersen
How urban green infrastructure contributes to carbon neutrality [briefing note]
R Hautamäki, L Kulmala, M Ariluoma & L Järvi
Implementing and operating net zero buildings in South Africa
R Terblanche, C May & J Steward
Quantifying inter-dwelling air exchanges during fan pressurisation tests
D Glew, F Thomas, D Miles-Shenton & J Parker
Western Asian and Northern African residential building stocks: archetype analysis
S Akin, A Eghbali, C Nwagwu & E Hertwich
Lanes, clusters, sightlines: modelling patient flow in medical clinics
K Sailer, M Utley, R Pachilova, A T Z Fouad, X Li, H Jayaram & P J Foster
Analysing cold-climate urban heat islands using personal weather station data
J Taylor, C H Simpson, J Vanhatalo, H Sohail, O Brousse, & C Heaviside
Are simple models for natural ventilation suitable for shelter design?
A Conzatti, D Fosas de Pando, B Chater & D Coley
Impact of roofing materials on school temperatures in tropical Africa
E F Amankwaa, B M Roberts, P Mensah & K V Gough
Acceptability of sufficiency consumption policies by Finnish households
E Nuorivaara & S Ahvenharju
Key factors for revitalising heritage buildings through adaptive reuse
É Savoie, J P Sapinski & A-M Laroche
Cooler streets for a cycleable city: assessing policy alignment
C Tang & J Bush
Understanding the embodied carbon credentials of modern methods of construction
R O'Hegarty, A McCarthy, J O'Hagan, T Thanapornpakornsin, S Raffoul & O Kinnane
The changing typology of urban apartment buildings in Aurinkolahti
S Meriläinen & A Tervo
Embodied climate impacts in urban development: a neighbourhood case study
S Sjökvist, N Francart, M Balouktsi & H Birgisdottir
Environmental effects of urban wind energy harvesting: a review
I Tsionas, M laguno-Munitxa & A Stephan
Office environment and employee differences by company health management certification
S Arata, M Sugiuchi, T Ikaga, Y Shiraishi, T Hayashi, S Ando & S Kawakubo
Spatiotemporal evaluation of embodied carbon in urban residential development
I Talvitie, A Amiri & S Junnila
Energy sufficiency in buildings and cities: current research, future directions [editorial]
M Sahakian, T Fawcett & S Darby
Sufficiency, consumption patterns and limits: a survey of French households
J Bouillet & C Grandclément
Health inequalities and indoor environments: research challenges and priorities [editorial]
M Ucci & A Mavrogianni
Operationalising energy sufficiency for low-carbon built environments in urbanising India
A B Lall & G Sethi
Promoting practices of sufficiency: reprogramming resource-intensive material arrangements
T H Christensen, L K Aagaard, A K Juvik, C Samson & K Gram-Hanssen
Structural barriers to sufficiency: the contribution of research on elites
M Koch, K Emilsson, J Lee & H Johansson
Disrupting the imaginaries of urban action to deliver just adaptation [editorial]
V Castán-Broto, M Olazabal & G Ziervogel
Nature for resilience reconfigured: global- to-local translation of frames in Africa
K Rochell, H Bulkeley & H Runhaar
How hegemonic discourses of sustainability influence urban climate action
V Castán Broto, L Westman & P Huang
Fabric first: is it still the right approach?
N Eyre, T Fawcett, M Topouzi, G Killip, T Oreszczyn, K Jenkinson & J Rosenow
Social value of the built environment [editorial]
F Samuel & K Watson
Understanding demolition [editorial]
S Huuhka
Data politics in the built environment [editorial]
A Karvonen & T Hargreaves
Latest Commentaries
Will NDC 3.0 Drive a Buildings Breakthrough?
To achieve net zero GHG emissions by mid-century (the Breakthrough Agenda) it is vital to establish explicit sector-specific roadmaps and targets. With an eye to the forthcoming COP30 in Brazil and based on work in the IEA EBC Annex 89, Thomas Lützkendorf, Greg Foliente and Alexander Passer argue why specific goals and measures for building, construction and real estate are needed in the forthcoming round of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC 3.0).
Self-Organised Knowledge Space as a Living Lab
While Living Labs are often framed as structured, institutionalised spaces for innovation, Sadia Sharmin (Habitat Forum Berlin) reinterprets the concept through the lens of grassroots urban practices. She argues that self-organised knowledge spaces can function as Living Labs by fostering situated learning, collective agency, and community resilience. The example of a Living Lab in Bangladesh provides a model pathway to civic participation and spatial justice.