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This paper reviews, summarizes and pieces together scattered information on the newly completed Chicago Riverwalk in Chicago, Illinois. It explains the design process that transformed an outmoded infrastructure and disused river banks into an attractive gathering civic space, a linear urban park and a functional transportation corridor.

Literature review.

Overall, the paper reports on one of the latest projects in Chicago that symbolizes the city's long history and earnest commitment to urban sustainability.

The paper identifies key urban sustainability lessons that are transferable to other cities.

It is the first paper that stitches together scattered information on the topic.

It is observed that the COVID-19 Pandemic mostly restricts people's movement and walking habits. In this direction, this study aims to highlight how the walking behaviors of individuals affected in different geographies' neighborhoods before and during the Pandemic.

This paper focuses on the relationship between neighborhood characteristics and the changing walking behavior of 24 sample regions (514 participants) with the highest incidents of COVID-19 infection from American, European, Asian, Western Pacific, African and Middle Eastern cities. The paper's methodology is supported by an /online questionnaire survey conducted in these 24 disparate neighborhoods in December 2020.

Findings show that “walkable access” varies over geographies during the Pandemic. Urban amenities within 15–20 min of access become more important than ever. The results unravel that either walkable or non-walkable neighborhoods showcased similarities despite that urban amenities were not within 15–20 min of access. Three prominent aspects should be emphasized to plan walkable neighborhoods: providing walkable access, forming spatial proximity and sustaining social cohesion.

The availability of daily amenities, such as shopping stores, health care, education services and pharmacies within a 15–20-min walking distance maintain everyday life and increase social interactions. In addition, places with walkable access encourage an active lifestyle and contribute the public health. The impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic movement restrictions on the walking behavior of individuals highlights how the qualities of distance-based urban planning need to be supported with time-based practical attributes that can shape neighborhood planning frameworks.

This paper highlights the coexistence of “walkability” and “accessibility” measures in urban practice and research to create resilient and sustainable neighborhoods. The “walkable access” term used in the paper addresses joint measures of walkability and accessibility.

The size of the population classified as people with disabilities or older adults is increasing globally. The World Health Organization estimates that the average prevalence of disability is around 18% among adults age 18 and older. People with disabilities and older adults have lower levels of physical activity and experience significant barriers to walking in local neighbourhoods. A new perspective is needed that views disability in the context of the built environment and across the lifespan. The purpose of this chapter is to examine walking as an activity that is inclusive of any age, ability or assistive device used for mobility. Through a literature review, we illustrate the complex relationship that exists between individuals with disabilities/older adults and the built environment. We describe environmental and social factors, which have been found to be associated with walking among people with disabilities and older adults as well as factors perceived to be barriers to walking. Factors cited in the literature include aspects that fall into the environmental domains of the International Classification of Functioning. We conclude by highlighting key factors needed for planning supportive walking environments for people with disabilities and older adults. Recommendations include the use of walking audits to gain information on detailed aspects of the built environment, developing inclusive walking initiatives, including people with disabilities and older adults in the planning process and planning for maintenance.

This chapter focuses on the physical work environment, in particular, the possibilities and limitations of biophilic design in hotel office space. Biophilic design has already gained attention in directly influencing the guest experience, but little focus has been given to workspace. Traditionally, the hospitality industry places employees' office spaces in parts of the hotel not appropriate as guest space due to lack of daylight and windows. Many studies have shown that improving the workplace with nature-based features can play a role in increasing employee well-being. Data collected from employees with both extensive managerial and back-of-house hotel experience established that employees would welcome the opportunity to work in such an environment and currently find back-of-house design basic and lacking any aesthetically pleasing elements. An understanding of the obstacles in initiating such changes was shown as well as employee initiatives to improve work spaces. This initial exploratory study concludes that the needs of employees in terms of comfort, wellbeing, motivation and work satisfaction are often overlooked when considering back-of-house spaces. There is a general understanding and expectation that management needs to develop awareness and practical initiatives to address the deficits of the physical work environment. Biophilic design can be influential in promoting a calming and restorative environment at the workplace and thus positively impacting employee motivation and performance.

Purpose: Urban centres have been argued to be crucial in the battle for sustainability. With more than half of the global population presently living in cities, the sustainability challenges of global warming, environmental degradation, social inequality, and economic recessions have continued to thrive. To this end, there have been efforts to revive and improve the existing physical and social structure of cities in a process known as urban regeneration. The aim of this paper is to explore the role of sustainability assessment frameworks in urban regeneration.

Approach: Aligning with the positivism philosophical position, and using document analysis as a data collection method, the study discusses the state of the art of urban regeneration and its application in recent times. The study also reviewed selected neighbourhood sustainability assessment frameworks as a tool for decision-making towards sustainability to know the extent in which they capture the goals of urban regeneration.

Findings: Findings showed that the uptake of the sustainability assessment frameworks could play a role in enhancing integration of local context, social wellbeing and economic prosperity, environmental quality, and stakeholder engagement at the neighbourhood level which are the main aspects of urban regeneration.

Theoretical and practical implications: In theory, this paper establishes the assumption that with some revisions, sustainability assessment frameworks could serve as a tool for decision-making in urban regeneration process. Practise-wise, urban regeneration at the neighbourhood level can now be measured against sustainability benchmarks and indicators.

Companies affected by California’s cap-and-trade legislation are allotted certain credits for production that can be used or sold and can purchase additional credits from the state, which become a revenue source to be used for activities that reduce carbon emissions. The purpose of this paper is to investigate who ultimately pays for this program, its effectiveness in reducing carbon emissions in accordance with established goals, and the related effectiveness to advance social, economic, and environmental equity.

The methodology used for this research is secondary data analysis, triangulating three sources: California’s Climate Change Investment Reports, 2019-2021; repositories maintained by the California High-Speed Rail Authority and the California Air Resources Board; and a review of the literature and websites from other professional sources which addressed, directly and indirectly, the topics and questions explored in the study.

Key findings include evidence of enhancing social and environmental equity but ineffectiveness in reducing carbon emissions in accordance with state goals. Furthermore, the program displays evidence of economic inequity as it demonstrates characteristics of regressive taxation and an inability of low-income persons to acquire electric vehicles due to high costs.

The research effort is unique in that no other academic efforts were located which attempt to examine the cap-and-trade program’s effectiveness in attaining its goals.

The purpose of this paper is to identify stimuli for climate adaptation in cities and more specifically to explore whether different stimuli inspire different governance approaches to climate adaptation – e.g. dedicated (adaptation as a new policy field) or mainstreaming (integrating in existing policy fields).

For this explorative case study research, an early adapter was selected: Philadelphia (USA). By reconstructing the organization of two climate adaptation programs, the authors have identified stimuli and whether these influence the city’s governance approach. The reconstruction is based on data triangulation that consists of semi-structured interviews with actors involved in these programs, policy documents and newspaper articles.

The research illustrates the importance of stimuli such as strategically framing climate adaptation within wider urban agendas, political leadership and institutional entrepreneurs. Moreover, the research reveals that it is often a combination of stimuli that triggers a governance approach and that there is a possible link between specific stimuli and governance approaches, proposing that some stimuli will trigger a dedicated approach to climate adaptation, while others initiate a mainstreaming approach.

An in-depth understanding of stimuli of climate adaptation is currently lacking in literature, as most of the studies have focused on barriers to climate adaptation. Moreover, still little is known about what explains why certain governance approaches to climate adaptation emerge.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the limitations and potential usefulness of a “knowledge city” concept as diversification vehicle for property investors.

The paper first dissects the “knowledge city” concept and then investigates whether it inoculates against economic turbulence as measured by growth and jobs recovery. The paper also looks at the protection offered by middle class population growth.

The idea of the “knowledge city” comes from earlier economic constructs but concentrated at the urban scale. There are two versions – a technical and one enriched with institutional and social dimensions. The limited analysis of selective secondary data suggests that “knowledge city” and strong middle class population growth provide some protection from economic and, presumably, property market instability.

Statistical limitations include arbitrary sample frames; lack of data and unclear spatial resolution, short time frames for aggregate analysis. Further research requires, first, a structured grading of knowledge precincts and, second, randomised sampling of individual properties to investigate any links between total risk‐adjusted performance is measured over a decade.

To mitigate risk, investors should consider re‐weighting their portfolios to increase exposure to knowledge cities and second‐tier but fast growing cities in emerging countries.

A knowledge‐city cannot be imposed by infrastructure, technology or place configuration alone. It involves multiple precinct configurations and subsidiarity. Institutions and people matter. A broader knowledge‐city conceptualisation helps inform planning, management and oversight for regional second‐tier cities.

Dissecting, noting the limits and drawing out the practical implications of the “knowledge city” concept.