Urban vacancy, often seen as a challenge, offers unique opportunities for ecological and social enhancements in cityscapes. This study explores the role of small green spaces in urban resilience, particularly in high-density metropolises, through a social-ecological lens. We began with a critical review to develop and validate a questionnaire, drawing on theoretical frameworks and confirming the derived criteria with twenty-two experts. Key resilience attributes identified for urban landscapes included flexibility, efficiency, activity, connectivity, and diversity. Utilizing the Best-Worst Method (BWM), we discerned the most and least significant of these attributes. The study then employed Hierarchical Bayes analysis via XLSTAT software to analyze questionnaire responses (n = 386, 60.36% female) and calculate the part-worth utility and importance ratings for each attribute. Results highlighted water presence, high tree density, and activity areas as vital attributes for small urban parks. These insights are crucial for landscape architects, emphasizing attributes that enhance park visitation and usability. Additionally, the innovative methodological approach of this study offers a new pathway for research in urban planning and the built environment.

As urban density increases and cities expand, there is a decrease in urban livability, which is closely linked to social, economic, and environmental crises. To address these negative impacts, biophilic urbanism (BU) promotes human–nature interactions and their associated benefits. However, knowledge gaps remain regarding its effectiveness across different scales. This study explores how BU contributes to improving livability in the built environment and to renewing urban landscapes. Using Amsterdam as a case study, we first identified biophilic experiences by analyzing them through quantitative, qualitative, and spatial distribution metrics. We then investigated designs that foster biophilia by applying BU tools aimed at enhancing interspecies connections and leveraging ecosystem services. Our findings, in the form of maps, provide evidence-based insights to benefit everyday life using nature in settings at different scales, along with design solutions to renew urban planning, focus on human and environmental well-being, and involve citizens in spatial transformations and maintenance processes. Finally, we advocate for BU as a holistic model that uses natural capital as a key strategy for making cities more equitable, sustainable, and resilient.

In urban areas, informal green spaces (IGS) can offer complementary green resources next to designed parks and gardens, contributing to green space equality. Therefore, particular attention should be paid to what cultural ecosystem services (CES) IGS provide in socioeconomically deprived neighbourhoods. However, how residents of these neighbourhoods perceive IGS and how IGS can serve as an everyday social space is still an under-explored area. This research investigates local residents’ perception and preference of CES provided by an IGS in Amsterdam K-buurt through semi-structured interviews. The interview data were processed through five thematic groups including human scale, recreational and social activities, adequate amenities, inclusivity and accessibility, and appropriation, revealing two dynamic networks of CES perceptions and preferences. Positive perceptions centred on recreational activities like play and dog walking, while challenges included inadequate amenities, poor maintenance, and a sense of neglect. Suggestions emphasised enhancing amenities, fostering community-focused programmes, improving human scale by defining borders, and creating opportunities for appropriation to make the space more inclusive and engaging. By diving into qualitative perspectives, the paper reveals the social dynamics in IGS and highlights the design potential for IGS to contribute to the livability of local environments.

As the climate crisis intensifies, urban areas worldwide are experiencing rising temperatures and more frequent heat waves, exacerbating thermal discomfort and straining urban ecosystems. One prominent manifestation of this phenomenon is the exacerbation of the urban heat island (UHI) effect, in which built-up environments retain more heat than surrounding rural areas due to land cover modifications and anthropogenic activities.

This study leverages satellite remote sensing (RS) techniques and the World Urban Database and Access Portal Tools (WUDAPT) framework to classify Local Climate Zones (LCZs) and assess UHI dynamics in Wilmington, USA, and Amsterdam, Netherlands. Using multi-temporal Landsat imagery and machine learning-based classification in SAGA GIS, we analyze spatial patterns of UHI intensity and their relationship with green-blue space (GBS) connectivity.

Our spatial regression and correlation analyses reveal that areas with lower GBS coverage exhibit significantly higher UHI intensity, with temperature differences averaging +3.5°C. Conversely, regions with greater GBS density—particularly in Amsterdam—demonstrate a measurable cooling effect of up to 2.8°C. These findings underscore the critical role of GBS in mitigating urban heat stress and highlight the necessity of integrating climate-responsive strategies into urban planning.

This study utilizes WUDAPT’s standardized LCZ classification to provide a scalable and replicable framework for assessing urban climate resilience. The insights generated will support equitable cooling infrastructure development, inform heat adaptation policies, and advance sustainable urban design. This research further demonstrates the potential of RS and LCZ-based methodologies to guide climate adaptation planning at multiple urban scales.

Urban sustainability and human well-being are increasingly influenced by the design and presence of green urban areas, which have been linked to fostering positive emotions among citizens. In light of this, this study investigates the transformation of small vacant lands (SVL) into resilient urban green spaces. The study explores the potential value of redesigning SVL into resilient spaces through design strategies. By considering the perceptions and preferences of residents, the research addresses the issues related to vacancy, limited spaces, social stress, and the impact of landscape composition and configuration on visitors' positive emotions. The research aims to evaluate the effectiveness of resilience strategies and to identify the key landscape elements that contribute to transforming SVL into valued small green spaces within the urban fabric. Methods include a comprehensive literature review, a survey, an experiment with EMOTIVE, and analysis using the Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) method. The significance of this study lies in integrating field-based methods with EEG data in small-scale landscape contexts, providing a quantifiable measure of engagement with open spaces. This cross-disciplinary approach enhances the understanding of how minor urban landscape modifications can influence human behavior and well-being, especially when resources are limited. The findings provide insights for policy-driven design practices, stimulating design innovation, and offer urban planners effective strategies to refine park patterns, thereby enhancing human well-being and advancing urban sustainability.

The development of educational-recreational complexes for children has a significant impact on their cognitive growth and behaviour. Proper site selection is essential to ensure the success of such projects. This paper aims to identify the best location for a children’s educational-recreational complex in Shiraz, Iran. The study used a descriptive-comparative and survey method to determine effective criteria for site selection. A questionnaire was administered to experts in architecture, urban design, and planning to identify appropriate sites. The Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) method was then employed to select the best location. The hierarchical model included three levels: goal (educational-recreational site selection), criteria (natural potential, accessibility, land size, neighbourhood and social context, expansibility, appropriate land use (the neighbourhood between proposed and master plan land use)), and three alternative sites. The results showed that a site located near residential areas, green spaces, and natural elements is suitable for the development of an educational-recreational complex for children. The study recommends the use of the SWOT (strength, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) - AHP method for site selection in children’s complexes. The paper highlights the need for a reliability test or table/figure to support the research findings.

In metropolitan areas worldwide, abandoned properties are prevalent, prompting a need for small urban green spaces (SUGS) to meet the growing demand. Understanding residents’ preferences and perceptions of transformed spaces is vital for effective urban design. This study delves into residents’ preferences and perceptions regarding the transformation of such spaces into SUGS and their impact on psychological well-being. By examining how these preferences and perceived health benefits shape the value of transformed spaces, the research aims to inform effective urban design strategies. The participants underwent visual stimulation, with psychological reactions recorded through Electroencephalogram (EEG) readings and assessed via Questionnaire. Machine learning techniques analyzed EEG sub-band data, achieving an average accuracy of 92.8% when comparing leftover and designed spaces. Results revealed that different types of transformed spaces provoke distinct physiological and preference responses. Specifically, viewing SUGS was associated with significant changes in gamma wave power, suggesting a correlation between enhanced gamma activity and increased feelings of empathy. Moreover, participants also reported enhanced comfort, relaxation, and overall mood, and a strong preference for SUGS over untransformed spaces, emphasizing the value placed on these areas for their health benefits. This research highlights the positive impact of even SUGS on mental health, using EEG data to assess emotional states triggered by urban spaces. The study concludes with a call for further research to investigate the long-term benefits of SUGS on well-being, alongside an exploration of the gamma band as a neural marker for emotional restoration in urban green spaces. This research highlights the crucial role of urban design in fostering psychological well-being through the strategic development of green spaces, suggesting a paradigm shift toward more inclusive, health-promoting urban environments.

Tectonic theory is an integrative philosophy that examined the relations formed between design, construction, and space while create or experience architecture. Various tectonic perspectives since 1852 considering ‘space’ as an important parameter in tectonic were reviewed. This study aimed at proposing a new definition of landscape tectonics and exploring ways of developing new related aspects in future research. Hence, in order to promote new aspects of landscape, the tectonic approach was first subdivided into distinct concepts and a systematic analysis of the literature was then conducted to identify the knowledge gaps. A descriptive-relative study was, further, carried on including a bibliometric methodology collecting qualitative and quantitative methods of 54 articles; and the related themes and trends were determined via a qualitative comparison of the co-occurrence of the term maps. Moreover, the cluster maps from the VOS viewer program revealed the coalescence of the concepts. Finally, the most frequently cited keywords, along with the ones encoded from the articles, were pointed out based on the Web of Science (WoS) database. Based on this database, the most cited keywords were configuration, distribution pattern, land and fragment; whereas encoding the articles pointed out the terms architecture, building, space, material and environment. This study, therefore, proposes a new definition of landscape tectonic. Investigating new interactions between keywords and areas of tectonic and opened a new page for the development of the new aspects of this field in future researches.

La teoria tectònica és una filosofia integradora que examina les relacions que es formen entre el disseny, la construcció i l'espai en crear o experimentar l'arquitectura. Es van revisar diverses perspectives tectòniques des de 1852 considerant l'espai com un paràmetre important en la tectònica. Aquest estudi va tenir com a objectiu proposar una nova definició de tectònica del paisatge i explorar maneres de desenvolupar nous aspectes relacionats en futures investigacions. Per tant, per promoure nous aspectes del paisatge, l'enfocament tectònic primer es va subdividir en conceptes diferents i després es va fer una anàlisi sistemàtica de la literatura per identificar les llacunes de coneixement. Es va realitzar a més un estudi descriptiu-relatiu incloent una metodologia bibliomètrica recollint mètodes qualitatius i quantitatius de 54 articles; i els temes i tendències relacionats es van determinar mitjançant una comparació qualitativa de la coexistència dels mapes de termes. A més, els mapes de conglomerats del programa de visualització VOS van revelar la fusió dels conceptes. Finalment, es van assenyalar les paraules clau més citades, juntament amb les codificades als articles, a partir de la base de dades Web of Science (WoS). Segons aquesta base de dades, les paraules clau més esmentades van ser configuració, patró de distribució, terreny i fragment; mentre que la codificació dels articles assenyalava els termes arquitectura, edificació, espai, material i medi ambient. Aquest estudi, doncs, proposa una nova definició de paisatge tectònic. Investigar noves interaccions entre paraules clau i àrees de tectònica i va obrir una nova pàgina per desenvolupar nous aspectes d'aquest camp en futures investigacions.

The undisputable human influences on the Earth’s system demand an urgent change of ways and transitions in human systems to sustain a healthy society in the future. Addressing the urgent climatic transformations in deltaic areas, this paper is an attempt of the Delta Urbanism research group at TU Delft to set the line for new (integrated) research inquiries by design and investigate fundamental, experimental, and strategic & operational responses to the existing prospects for action as a way to create collaboration between various sectors. These prospects for action are targeted at four critical fronts (climate, urban, governance, cultural) based on trends and challenges that deltaic areas are facing and to which coherent spatial strategies are needed. These fronts together need a research response to enable the making of the delta of the future through the power of interdisciplinary design. This perspective or prospect is established through six lines of inquiry that are elaborated in the paper. The central question is “how can the research field of delta urbanism provide a transformative ‘prospect for action’ to establish strategic pathways toward a resilient Delta future, where assertion and proof are synergized”? The discussion of the six lines of inquiry, which effectively address the four critical fronts, explores how they are poised to deliver fundamental, experimental, and operational outputs for further research and action.

The rapid urbanization of metropolitan environments worldwide has led to increasing spatial fragmentation. Disconnected spaces have revealed spatial and social voids that reduce the adaptive capacity of a region. However, these spaces also offer latent potential for urban resilience. Accordingly, this study reveals how urban acupuncture promotes resilience in leftover spaces to reduce or embrace spatial fragmentation. This paper reviews spatial fragmentation and urban resilience from descriptive-analytical and normative perspectives. It proposes urban acupuncture to locate critical spatial structures and processes on a small scale. The study develops a conceptual framework around fragmentation and urban acupuncture. It investigates the assumptions behind the concepts of spatial fragmentation and proposes a dialectical framing of vacancy based on resilience and urban acupuncture, along with a reassessment of leftover space as a planning tool. The framework’s application is demonstrated in Tehran and Bucharest. As a result, spatial fragmentation significantly influences urban resilience to prevent expansion. Urban acupuncture opens the possibility of developing optimistic scenarios by considering leftover spaces and the broader opportunities they generate for urban resilience. Depending on the urban context, this strategy can be applied through a single intervention in a specific place or a network of coordinated interventions in different locations.

Leftover spaces are constitutive elements of the city structure. The accurate selection of and intervention in certain hotspots can lead to an urban development that slowly takes over. The design intervention has a special effect on preventing the transition into vacancy; hence, user preferences should be properly considered. In 2017, the global population of adults aged 60 and upper reached 962 million. To address the needs of the elderly, we need to define local relevant design approaches. This research seeks to identify the elderly's preferences, particularly their use of open spaces. Application of the mixed-methodology with the BWM-questionnaire to vacant lands resulted in: a natural landscape with diverse vegetation and other facilities, gentle leisure activities, and community gardening as essential intervention attributes, leading to an ideal environment for the elderly. The innovation is implementing a mixed approach, BWM questionnaire, and considering both experts and public preferences to represent the demands of the elderly in cities. The kind of intervention and the needs of the elderly, particularly in restricted outdoor spaces, have still not been intensively reported. As these areas are too restricted, design components will play a greater role. Consequently, temporary, flexible, and experimental responses to leftover spaces are provided.