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This paper offers a unique perspective on the urbanisation process in developing cities, with a particular focus on the region of the Gulf States. Beyond economic considerations, the analysis sheds light on the complex interplay of socio-cultural factors, gender dynamics and urban development. Based on the calls for human-centred approaches to rethinking urban design and management of cities require the integration of these cities’ inhabitants’ lived experiences, that impact residents’ daily lives. The focus is on the importance of women’s perspectives in the development process.

The paper uses a systematic literature review that builds on existing knowledge relating to urbanisation, modernisation, sustainable cities, gender and the Arabian Gulf. It uses Lefebvre’s 'right to the city' theory to understand the evolution of the Gulf Cities which is a novel approach. This adaptation offers a unique perspective on the transformations and challenges that these urban spaces face. Furthermore, it offers a firm foundation for developing advanced knowledge on the interdisciplinary nature of the topic discussed and assists in integrating empirical findings and perspectives from different resources.

The extreme levels of transformation in urbanisation in the Gulf States built cities that are no longer solely places for settlement, production and services but operate as significant influencers on the social, economic and political relations that produced design and cultural challenges. These cities became epicentres of power and politics that shaped the national visions and influenced policy. The process of inclusive and considerate urban development that the Arabian Gulf region is aiming to embark on is not a new exclusive strategy. But a process that has been implemented and tested in other urbanised areas globally.

Very little historical urban research on the Arabian Gulf countries exists, hence, the difficulty in researching the Gulf urbanisation process or providing historical encounters of the change.

This paper delves into the gendered aspects of urban planning, an aspect that is frequently overlooked. It contributes to the discourse on gender inclusivity in urban spaces by focussing on Khaleeji women’s experiences, offering insights that go beyond economic considerations. The use of Lefebvre’s “right to the city” theory to understand the evolution of the Gulf Cities is a unique approach. It investigates the interaction of various factors such as economic, cultural and political influences on Gulf urban development. This adaptation offers a distinctive perspective on the transformations and challenges that these urban spaces face.

Despite the recognition that contextual factors play a key role in shaping individuals’ work-family (WF) interface, empirical research that simultaneously considers individual, roles and contextual factors is scarce. Drawing on the pyramid model of work-home interface, we delve into the intersection among sex, gender role ideology (GRI) and urbanization (URB) in relation to WF conflict and enrichment in India. Specifically, we explored whether and how sex (male vs female), GRI (traditional vs egalitarian) and URB (big vs small city) interact to predict WF conflict and WF enrichment.

The data were collected from 586 full-time employees working in both more and less urbanized cities in India. Moderation analyses were utilized to study the interaction effects on WF conflict and enrichment.

Results indicate that GRI is a stronger driver of WF experiences, especially WF enrichment, for women regardless of location. The study contributes to the understanding of WF experiences in India and addresses the complexity of WF experiences, especially with respect to sex and gender.

Our study offers a nuanced understanding of WF experiences in India by integrating micro- to macro-level antecedents, thereby addressing the complexity of WF experiences. While a lot of research explains sex and gender differences in WF experiences, our study highlights how these experiences vary with the degree of URB.

The purpose of this paper is to discuss the need to establish linkages between tourism, intangible cultural heritage and creativity in Egypt and also diversifying tourism through creativity; and to analyze and explain the impact of intangible cultural heritage on tourism experience in Egypt and the opportunities to generate added value from integrating tourism and creativity. It also suggests some practical steps for developing intangible cultural heritage-based tourism models in Egypt.

The paper proposes a conceptual framework for integrating intangible cultural heritage with tourism in Egypt and its impact on tourism experience. To apply this framework, a case study was conducted focused on the tourism experience derived from intangible cultural heritage in Alexandria. The authors collected primary data by directly observing and experiencing tourism in Egypt, providing valuable firsthand experiential data. These observations offered insights into the practical aspects of intangible cultural heritage-based tourism in Egypt. In addition, secondary data sources such as academic research papers, reports and publications related to tourism and intangible cultural heritage experiences were utilized to support and complement the primary data.

Findings suggest the need for a different approach in intangible heritage based tourism promotion and consumption, an approach that may differ from the conventional and typical considerations in cultural tourism planning and management. In addition, findings emphasized that tourism-based intangible heritage in Egypt can be a constructive platform and sustainable tool to promote the country’s rich culture and traditions while providing employment opportunities for the local population.

This study provides an exploratory overview of integrating intangible heritage with tourism in Egypt, through exploring Egypt’s intangible heritage and proposing a framework of its inclusion, in order to create an intangible cultural heritage tourism experience. However, the proposed framework and packages should be analyzed and examined on the ground through the heritage, administrative, social and tourist aspects of the destination, to assess the viability of the study.

The practical implications of this study should be addressed to the decision makers working on management action plans in tourist destinations in Egypt, such as site mangers as well as tour operators. It could contribute to adopting a new approach in developing and implementing a mutually beneficial partnership between intangible heritage and tourism in Egypt.

It is the first study that presents practical steps to develop new models for linking intangible heritage to tourism in Egypt.

Quite often than not, a new industry can be created, thanks to the countless entrepreneurs and innovative activities across the globe. Smart city (SC) is one such industry and a living lab using the key roles of the digital platform that enable a seamless flow of information and knowledge for innovation within the SC. The purpose of this paper is to illustrate how SC can be a new regional industry engine through an “open collective innovation system” as its new concept. In particular, SC provides efficient transaction costs and knowledge flows. Eventually, SC can be an innovation hub for entrepreneurship through openness.

To frame the research goals, the authors used qualitative research methodologies based on grounded theory. In particular, the author used inductive reasoning to generate arguments and conclusions about the future of an SC as a new growth engine in the era of the fourth industrial revolution. Numerous documents and prior literature were used for the preliminary conceptualization of an SC. Interview data were then coded for reasoning in an open collective innovation system based on “openness”.

SC maximizes efficiency in practicing innovation. In the perspective of innovation costs, SC can minimize transaction costs, specifically the information processing costs, through data openness. In this context, transaction costs can be considered an economic equivalent of friction in a physical system. So, as the friction is low, some movements of an object on the surface are likely to be easy. SC is optimized for innovation activities through an “open collective innovation system”. In terms of innovation networks, an SC results in an innovation efficiency derived from both the network and the spatial agglomerations in physical and cyberspace. The efficiency-based SC itself overlaps knowledge creation, dissemination and absorption, providing an open innovation (OI) ecosystem.

This paper remarkably extends that SC can be an “open collective innovation system model” and a new conceptualization. Eventually, SC will play a crucial role in developing regional industries as a new growth engine. To operate as a new growth engine fully-fledged, the SC is needed to accumulate innovative assets such as the critical mass of residents, numerous firms, etc. However, this study has some limitations. First, difficulties in any analytic approach to SC resulted from their many interdependent facets, such as social, economic, infrastructural and spatial complex systems, which exist in similar but changing forms over a huge range of scales. Also, this research is at a quite an early stage. Thus, its theoretical stability is weak. So, this paper used the qualitative methodology with a grounded theory. Another limitation is in the research methodology. The limitation of using grounded theory adapted by this work is that the results of this study may not be generalizable beyond the context of this study. This non-generalizability occurs because ours is an inductive approach to research, meaning that the findings are based on data collected and analyzed. As such, the results of this study may not be applicable to other contexts or situations. In addition, the analysis of data in the grounded theory is based on researcher’s subjective interpretations. This means that the researcher’s own biases, preferences and assumptions may influence the results of the study. The quality of the data collected is another potential limitation. If the data is incomplete or of poor quality, it can cause researcher’s own subjective interpretations.

Findings of this study have some practical implications for enterprises, practitioners and governors. First, firms should use value networks instead of value chains. Notably, the firms that pursue new products or services or startups that try to find a new venture business should take full advantage of SC. This taking advantage is possible because SC not only adapts state-of-the-art information technology (e.g. sensor devices, open data analytics, IoT and fiber optic networks) but also facilitates knowledge flow (e.g. between universities, research centers, knowledge-based partner firms and public agencies). More importantly, with globalized market competition in recent years, sustainability for firms is a challenging issue. In this respect, managers can take the benefits of SC into consideration for strategic decisions for sustainability. Specifically, industrial practitioners who engage in innovation activities have capabilities of network-related technologies (e.g. data analysis, AI, IoT and sensor networks). By using these technologies in an SC, enterprises can keep existing customers as well as attract potential customers. Lastly, the findings of this study contribute to policy implementation in many aspects. At first, for SC to become a growth engine at regional or natural levels, strong policy implementation is crucial because SC is widely regarded as a means of entrepreneurship and an innovation plaza (Kraus et al., 2015). To facilitate entrepreneurship, maker spaces used for making the prototypes to support entrepreneurial process were setup within universities. The reason for establishing maker spaces in universities is to expand networking between entrepreneurs and experts and lead to innovation through a value network. One of the policy instruments that can be adapted is the “Data Basic Income Scheme” suggested by this research to boost the usage of data, providing content and information for doing business. Also, a governor in SC as an intermediator for the process of the knowledge flow should initiate soft configuration for SC.

This work makes two theoretical contributions to OI aspects: (1) it explores dynamic model archetypes; and (2) it articulates and highlights how SC with digital technology (i.e. in the AI, IoT and big data context) can be used to create collective knowledge flow efficiently. First, the findings of this study shed light on the OI dynamic model. It reveals important archetypes of new sub-clustering creation, namely, a system that underpins the holistic process of innovation by categorization in amongst the participating value network (Aguilar-Gallegos et al., 2015). In innovation studies, scholars have particularly paid attention to a cluster’s evolution model. In the process of innovation, the “open innovation dynamic model” suggested by this study illustrates sub-clustering that happens in value networks by taking the benefits of SC. Eventually, the evolution or development of sub-clusters can bring in a new system, namely, an OI system. Second, the findings of this study contribute to the understanding of the role of digital technologies in promoting knowledge flow. The usage and deployment of digital technologies in SC may enormously and positively influence innovative activities for participants. Furthermore, the rising of digital economy, in the so-called platform business, may occur depending on advanced technologies and OI. In doing so, the findings can further tow innovation research through juxtaposition between SC and innovation research (Mehra et al., 2021).

This paper shows that the function of an SC not only improves the quality of life but also acts as an engine of new industry through an open collective innovation setting using dynamic and ecological models.

Commercial entities have recently expressed growing interest in commercialising indigenous knowledge (IK) due to its enormous economic and intrinsic value. As this happens, custodial communities must not be disadvantaged in the process. This paper aims to understand the legal framework of the commercialisation of IK to identify the opportunities and factors impeding or affecting the commercialisation of indigenous knowledge in Kenya.

The study used a qualitative research approach. An extensive exploratory literature review of existing legal instruments was done to establish the progress and gaps for commercialising indigenous knowledge in Kenya.

The study shows that the legal framework of IK in Kenya is inadequate. There are no well-established frameworks and policies to protect IK in Kenya, and thus, host communities are subjected to exploitation. The diversity of tribes and communities makes it challenging to have a clear framework, mainly because IK is a devolved function. The study identifies the Protection of Traditional Knowledge and Cultural Expressions Act 2016, The National Museums and Heritage Act 2006 and the Natural Products Industry as the key milestones towards commercialisation of IK, while inadequate documentation of IK, communal ownership and inadequate legislation were identified as the main impediments to commercialisation of IK in Kenya.

Owing to the diverse cultures and tribal communities in Kenya, the research could not access all the literature on all traditional IK in Kenya, and very few case studies have been conducted in Kenya.

The gaps identified in the legal framework can form a basis for legislation, policy change, actions and research needed to improve the commercialisation of IK.

The paper underscores the importance of balancing economic empowerment with preserving cultural integrity and protecting indigenous rights in commercialisation.

This study explores how one novice teacher navigated his first-year teaching sixth-grade social studies.

One-sixth grade novice teacher was observed during his unit on the Islamic Empire. The teacher was interviewed before the unit began to understand his approach to combating Islamophobia and interviewed again after the unit so he could reflect on the unit and discuss if he believed he had accomplished his original goal. Classroom artifacts (handouts, slide decks, etc.) were collected.

The findings highlight the various forces that impacted the decisions the teacher made in the classroom. Lack of support from administration and various colleagues left the teacher feeling overwhelmed and unable to accomplish his goals. While the teacher started the unit with a clear purpose for teaching against Islamophobia, he ultimately taught a unit where students memorized discrete pieces of information.

This study adds to previous research on the need for providing administrative support for novice teachers to be able to teach in ambitious ways by highlighting the numerous shortcomings.

With the development of science and technology, more creators are trying to use new crafts to represent the cultural trends of the social media era, which makes cultural heritage innovative and new genres emerge. This compels the academic community to examine craft from a new perspective. It is very helpful to understand the hidden representational structure of craft more deeply and improve the craft innovation system of cultural and creative products that we deconstruct the craft based on Complex Network and discover its intrinsic connections.

The research crawled and cleaned the craft information of the top 20% products on the Forbidden City’s cultural and creative products online and then performed Complex Network modeling, constructed three craft representation networks among function, material and technique, quantified and analyzed the inner connections and network structure of the craft elements, and then analyzed the cultural inheritance and innovation embedded in the craft representation networks.

The three dichotomous craft representation networks constructed by combining function, material and technique: (1) the network density is low and none of them has small-world characteristics, indicating that the innovative heritage of the craft elements in the Forbidden City’s cultural and creative products is at the stage of continuous exploration and development, and multiple coupling innovation is still insufficient; (2) all have scale-free characteristics and there is still a certain degree of community structure within each network, indicating that the coupling innovation of craft elements of the Forbidden City’s cultural and creative products is seriously uneven, with some specific “grammatical combinations” and an Island Effect in the network structure; (3) the craft elements with high network centrality emphasize the characteristics of decorative culture and design for the masses, as well as the pursuit of production efficiency and economic benefits, which represent the aesthetic purport of contemporary Chinese society and the ideological trend of production and life.

The Forbidden City’s cultural and creative products should continue to develop and enrich the multi-coupling innovation of craft elements, clarify and continue their own brand unique craft genes, and make full use of the network important nodes role.

Digitalising cities requires new urban governance processes that account for rapidly changing environments and technological advances. In this context, agile development methods have become valuable, if not necessary. However, agile development contradicts public administration practices of risk aversion and long-term planning. The purpose of this study is to discuss practical avenues for navigating these two contradictions by adapting agile development to the needs of public sector organisations.

The authors review the collaborative elaboration of Dresden’s smart city strategy as a critical case study. Dresden’s smart city strategy was developed using agile development and quadruple-helix innovation. The year-long co-creation process involved stakeholders from various groups to conceive an integrated and sustainable vision for digitalisation-based urban development.

Despite the apparent contradictions, this study finds that key aspects of agile development are feasible for public sector innovation. Firstly, risks can be strategically managed and distributed among administration and non-administration stakeholders. Secondly, while delivering value through short iterative loops, adherence to formal processes remains possible. Informal feedback cycles can be harmoniously combined with official statements, allowing iterative progress.

The empirical material is based on a single case study and thus risks overemphasising the general applicability of the proposed methods.

This paper outlines practical steps to greater agility for public administration engaged in digitalising cities. The paper conceptualises a forward and lateral momentum for the agile development of a smart city strategy that aims to reconcile formal policymaking processes with short-term loops and risk aversion with experimental value creation. This approach balanced risks, created value and enhanced the strategy‘s alignment with strategic frameworks, ultimately promoting innovation in the public sector.

This paper proposes a novel, empirically grounded conceptualisation of implementing agile methods that explicitly recognises the peculiarities of public administrations. It conceptualises the orchestrated and pragmatic use of specific agile development methods to advance the digitalisation of cities.

Faced with the growing need to find new viable water supply models for urban areas, this article studies and maps the strategies and identifies the key criteria of sustainable development present in pioneering water supply systems in the medieval period. The main aim is to determine which of its innovative principles could be applied in present-day cities.

From a methodological perspective, two types of cases were established, such as water supply models for human consumption and pre-industrial hydraulic systems, all of which are located in Italy. For the first group, the cases of Venice and Siena were analysed, while for the second, in the context of the cities along the Aemilian Way, the case of Bologna was selected.

Five key criteria resulted from the analysis of the cases: exploitation, self-sufficiency, maintenance, rationalisation and reuse. The said concepts were defined and contextualised within the framework of the Sustainable Development Goals.

The Middle Ages were a historic moment in technological reinvention, before the development of modern systems of sanitation. With very limited resources, these traditional systems focused on rational use and deep cultural and geographical knowledge. This is why its recognition is of great importance today, in a time full of instabilities, with a view to the work that needs to be done for the development of more sustainable communities.

This paper introduces the YouWalk-UOS mobile application, a tool that revolutionises the assessment of urban open spaces (UOS). The paper demonstrates how integrating real-time, on-ground observations with users’ reactions into a digital platform can transform the evaluation of urban open spaces. It seeks to address the existing shortcomings of traditional UOS assessment methods and underscore the need for innovative, adaptable and inclusive approaches.

Emphasizing the necessity of UOS for mental and physical health, community interaction and social and environmental resilience in cities, the methodology involves a comprehensive analysis of a number of theoretical frameworks that have historically influenced urban open space conceptualisation, design and assessment. The approach includes a critical review of traditional UOS assessment methods, contrasting them with the capabilities of the proposed YouWalk-UOS application. Building on the reviewed theoretical frameworks, the methodology articulates the application’s design, which encompasses 36 factors across three assessment domains: functional, social and perceptual and provides insights into how technology can be leveraged to offer a more holistic and participatory approach to urban space assessment.

YouWalk-UOS application represents an important advancement in urban space assessment, moving beyond the constraints of traditional methods. The application facilitates a co-assessment approach, enabling community members to actively participate in the evaluation and development of their urban environments. Findings highlight the essential role of technology in making urban space assessment more user-centred, aligning more closely with community needs and aspirations.

The originality lies in the focus on the co-assessment approach and integration of mobile technology into urban open space assessment, a relatively unexplored area in urban design literature. The application stands out as an innovative solution, offering a new perspective on engaging communities in co-assessing their environments. This research contributes to the discourse on urban design and planning by providing a fresh look at the intersection of technology, user engagement and urban space assessment.