The rapid urbanisation, globalisation trends, and the new urban economy of the 1960s, accompanied by the more contemporary challenges such as climate change, environmental issues, digitalisation, the energy transition, and the circular economy, have forced today’s society to respond and act immediately and adapt our living and working environments accordingly. This necessitates adopting innovative planning tools, tailored policies, and strategies at the local, regional, and national scales. Since the turn of the millennium, there has been a notable shift towards prioritising strategic planning schemes, departing from the conventional focus on large-scale projects for urban renewal and landscape transformation. [...]

Abstract: The dynamic interplay between global maritime flows and the spatial, economic, and social development of port‐city‐regions lies at the heart of this thematic issue. As globalisation accelerates, the relationships between ports, cities, and their surrounding regions become increasingly complex, requiring innovative conceptual frameworks, methodologies, and interdisciplinary collaborations to address both challenges and opportunities. Flows of goods and people shape infrastructural networks and create nodes of logistics and administration in and around nearby cities. They establish specific networks that primarily facilitate transport. Multiple approaches and definitions exist to describe and map these unique spaces. This thematic issue of Ocean and Society aims to advance our understanding of these phenomena by exploring a range of terminologies, typologies, spatial transformations, and examples of sustainable practices across diverse geographic contexts.

Maritime transport plays a crucial role in global trade and tourism, yet it significantly contributes to global greenhouse gas emissions, posing environmental challenges that demand urgent solutions. This article explores the innovative concept of maritime green shipping corridors, an emerging strategy aimed at decarbonising the shipping industry. By analysing the origins of green corridors from urban and transportation perspectives, the article outlines their evolution towards multimodal, zero‐emission shipping solutions. It highlights the role of international frameworks, such as the International Maritime Organization Clydebank Declaration, in facilitating the transition to green shipping routes and the proliferation of zero‐carbon fuels. The article also assesses the integration of renewable energy technologies, alternative fuels, and electrification in port operations, as well as the broader spatial and economic impacts on port‐city ecosystems. With the potential to enhance urban sustainability, promote green logistics, and drive global decarbonisation efforts, maritime green shipping corridors represent a crucial framework for future research and policy development. However, the article highlights the need for further studies to evaluate the socio‐economic and environmental impacts on local communities and regional planning.

Maritime (or ocean) transport is the backbone of international trade and the global supply chain but also plays a crucial role in the tourism industry. Shipping and ports are also essential elements of the Blue Economy and play a vital function in maintaining blue growth across all sectors of the economy. Compared to bulk transportation, shipping is relatively energy efficient in terms of CO2 emissions. Yet, maritime shipping, both for commodity and passenger flow, raises concerns about human health and environmental issues. Greenhouse gas (GHS) emissions from the maritime sector are significant: about 2.8% of global GHG emissions (Morante, 2022), which may rise to 17% by 2050. It is widely accepted that the shipping industry has five main environmental impacts: (i) air pollution, (ii) Noise pollution, (iii) Vessel discharges, (iv) Congestion (port and the port hinterland), and (v) Marine ecosystem (Jägerbrand et al., 2019). Several studies have pointed out the greening of ports and maritime logistics, highlighting the necessity for sustainable initiatives to decrease the environmental footprint of port operations (Davarzani et al., 2016; Parhamfar, 2023). Within the outlined framework, this short paper intends to make an overview of the ‘Maritime Green Corridors’ (MGCs) concept, launched officially in 2021, tracing the origins from environmental, transportation and planning studies, and discuss the potential impact on land and the sea. The aim is to understand the state-of-the-art studies and map a global glossary and taxonomy of the relatively new phenomenon of the MGCs, which can be used as a conceptual framework for future research lines in urban and regional studies. […]

Historically, the maritime industry has been male dominated. Apart from the stark
disparities in numbers, traditionally, men were given more recognition and power to take
part in the maritime labor market. However, in modern society, particularly since the 1990s,
there has been growing attention to the valuable role that women can play in various
transportation industries, particularly the maritime sector, training and recruiting female
seafarers (Belcher et al. 2003). [...]

The current chapter introduces in detail the aims and structure of the book ‘European Narratives on Remote Working and Coworking during the COVID-19 Pandemic’. This introductory chapter depicts the importance of studying the phenomenon of coworking spaces (CSs) affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The literature on new working spaces, particularly CSs, is growing fast in various disciplines. During the past three years of the pandemic, some scholars have attempted to explore the short- and long-term effects on ways and spaces of working. This book is the first attempt to collect country-specific empirical studies from 12 European countries.

This book is a collection of narrations about the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic from different countries collected within the Workgroup 2ATLAS of the COST action CA18214 ‘The Geography of New Working Spaces and the Impact on the Periphery’. This conclusive chapter comprehends the previous chapters and offers a comparative view regarding the effects on Coworking Spaces (CS), Governmental Measurements to curb the Pandemic, Effects on Work, Remote/Telework Work, Working-From-Home (WFH), Effects on Commuting, Transportation Mods and Services, Effects on the Housing, Place of Residence, Office and Real Estate Market, Effects on Tourism, Effects on Urban Planning. The final section of this chapter draws attention to the direct and indirect effects of coworking spaces. Direct effects on individuals and indirect effects as living-, work- and build-environment, taking into account space and economy, environment (energy) and urban planning. This book contributes to a fast-growing amount of literature on new working spaces, especially coworking spaces. Further empirical studies should be conducted to create evidence as a solid foundation for policies at the EU, national and subnational levels.

Blogpost on Port City Futures

This Covid-19 pandemic has put a strain on many developed world global cities, especially those with high population densities and high level of connectivity; European cities such as Milad, Paris, London, Madrid and Barcelona among others have experienced major outbreaks. Many cities are therefore experiencing a moment of global rethinking. In a few years, we have gone from an idea of extreme density that has led to the gentrification of megacities with ever smaller living spaces to completely antithetical proposals, such as the idea of " the 15-minutes city" where all services can be reached with a minimum travel time. Within this context, this paper aims to provide an overview of this concept and its discussion and application on the case of Milan, by conducting a desk research and analysing the official reports and documents. This paper discusses that the core idea of the 15-minute city is not new, as it can be traced back to the concept of Clarence Perry’s “neighborhood unit” in the early 1900s, as a self-contained residential neighbourhood, where essential services are accessible by walking distances. In the case of Milan, the “2020 Adaptation Strategy” confronts the second phase of the pandemic (after the major lockdowns in 2020) and makes references to creating a '15-minute city', by redefining the spaces in neughbourhoods to meet the basic needs of its residence.

Arrivals by international tourists have nearly doubled in the first two decades of the 21st century. Some urban areas have not been well-equipped to deal with the economic, social, and cultural effects of this process, such as overcrowding and tourism gentrification that leads to the transformation of residential neighbourhoods. This paper follows a two-fold aim: (i) to examine the relationship between urban planning and tourism development in three World Heritage Sites along the Mediterranean Sea, Kotor (in Montenegro), Dubrovnik (in Croatia) and Venice (in Italy), which face issues of overcrowding; (ii) to identify the origins of issues that tourism is imposing on urban functions with respect to each case, in order to set the basis of targets in need and to a propose practical framework for tailored policies open to the needs of the local community. The findings show that although the tourism industry plays a key role in the economy of all cases, it imposes significant externalities at the local level.

In the era of rising globalization, technological advancements (e.g., ICT), and the aftermath of the 2008 global economic crisis, working is becoming less dependent on distance, time, and space. With the increasing number of freelance and independent workers, more flexible working styles are emerging. The present paper aims to study the effect of coworking spaces (CSs) on coworkers’ (CWs) level of well-being and life satisfaction; in other words, to explore the factors that may affect their well-being at such flexible, collaborative workplaces. To conduct an empirical study, we sent an online questionnaire to the CWs working in 549 CSs in Italy; 324 coworkers responded to the survey (as of January 2018). By means of descriptive statistics and econometric analyses, the paper discusses some of the main factors affecting CWs’ perceived well-being: social proximity and sense of community (trust and new friendship), organizational proximity, and the positive effects of CSs on the urban context; on the other hand, gender, educational level, age and revenues growth do not show any impact. The paper concludes by suggesting possible policy implications and introducing further research lines.

Purpose: The literature on coworking spaces (CSs) is growing fast; notably, this topic has attracted a wide range of contributions from various disciplines during the past years. Although CSs first appeared in major cities, small towns and rural areas are also becoming attractive. To date, no literature review has systematically studied the effects of such collaborative-flexible new working spaces proliferating in non-urban areas. Therefore, this paper aims to present a systematic literature review about the effects of coworking spaces located in peripheral and rural areas. Design/methodology/approach: The methodological approach is based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses, also known as PRISMA. Following the PRISMA checklist items, this study provides different aspects and identifies indicators from various cross-studies published in 10 years (2011–2021). Findings: Results show that, in the past decade, Europe has recorded the highest number of publications on the topic of coworking spaces (CSs); the main research focus was on spatial planning. CSs foster communities of specialized and high-skilled workers, attract businesses and venture capitalists and may accelerate urban revitalisation processes. The regeneration of spaces can positively affect the value of commercial properties in the vicinity and attract developers. Moreover, by establishing communities and networks beyond the working life, coworking was found to reduce depopulation and even foster the influx of non-urban areas. Practical implications: The findings of this study can be transferred to policymakers to be considered in designing tailored policies in non-urban areas and also places-that-don't matter. Originality/value: By date, this study is the first attempt to conduct a systematic review of the literature on the effects of coworking spaces in peripheral and rural areas. This is important since this typology of flexible-collaborative working space is gaining public attention, especially during the pandemic and the development of such spaces in non-urban areas.

This paper investigates the changes in neighbourhood attractiveness during the Covid-19 pandemic (2020) compared to the year before in 2019 in the city of Milan. Central neighbourhoods recorded a drop in users from -63% to -47%, while the peripheral areas showed a relatively steady presence during the day. Indeed, remote working and the fear of public transport led to rethinking commuting and re-value working close to home. Semi-peripheral and peripheral neighbourhoods have gained a renewed role in attracting remote workers, and coworking spaces represent a valuable alternative for those willing to improve work-life balance through near working. Within this context, the paper aims to:(i) measure the presence of remote workers at the neighbourhood level; (ii) explore the accessibility to coworking spaces within 15 minutes of walking and cycling distance; (iii) focus on three peripheral neighbourhoods which show the lowest number of city users loss, do not host CSs, and present different levels of essential services and access to subway stations. The three cases are explored to understand whether they are considered feasible locations for hosting a neighbourhood coworking space. The change of the city users' presence in the Milan neighbourhoods in 2019-2020 is analysed using «TIM Big Data – Data Visual Insight», which includes the presence and mobility of the TIM mobile network’s users.

This introduction chapter briefly discusses the main focus of the book on the phenomenon of new workplaces (also known as “third places,” “flexible spaces,” and “collaborative spaces”), with a focus on coworking spaces and maker spaces, which is defined as permanent or temporary spaces for working. At the same time, they enable collaboration, mutual learning, knowledge sharing, as well as social and spatial relationships among users. It then highlights the importance of the book in sharing the findings of several international and multidisciplinary research projects concerning coworking spaces and maker spaces as paradigmatic of a shift in the new geography of working and making. Furthermore, this chapter outlines the structure of this edited book in four main parts: (i) Phenomena; (ii) Actors; (iii) Places; and (iv) Agenda. It then underlines that this book is designed for an international audience; it is useful not only for the academic world (in Urban Planning, Urban and Regional Economics, Geography, Sociology, Anthropology, Architectural and Urban Design) but also for policymakers, civil and entrepreneurial associations, and business operators.

This Covid-19 pandemic has imposed extreme impacts on many developed world global cities, especially those with high population densities and high levels of connectivity. Many cities are therefore experiencing a moment of global rethinking. In a few decades, we have gone from an idea of extreme density and the gentrification of cities to completely different proposals, such as the ‘the 15-minutes city’ concept where all services can be reached in a short distance. Within this context, the current paper aims to provide an overview of this concept and its application in the case of Milan by conducting desk research and analysing the official reports and documents. This paper discusses that the core idea of the 15-minute city is not new; the strategies can be traced back to different approaches to neighbourhood planning in the past century. In Milan, the municipality’s ‘2020 Adaptation Strategy’ proposed guidelines for sustainable transportation and self-sufficient neighbourhoods.