“Intelligent” urban regeneration: Global trends and challenges

Abstract

This chapter aims to frame some global trends that have an effect on the built environment and, consequently, influence choices and strategies in the context of urban regeneration. First, some demographic and social trends: aging, a global change that will characterize both the West and most of the developing countries; a still significant number of states and companies with a very young average population age; migratory flows, which will increasingly be a cross-border issue; increasing urbanization, an important global change. Then, the growth of technologies that are fostering communication and networking and profoundly transforming the activities defined as “collaborative”; forums, virtual communities and other relationship systems are used to make decisions. To this, it is necessary to add that a network is increasingly a free infrastructure, able to eliminate physical barriers, limit constraints, change the boundaries between companies/organizations and their customers, partners and suppliers. The chapter emphasizes the role of the city in several directions. Cities are crucial centres for development; they consume resources and energy, and then return them to the environment in the form of waste, pollution and land consumption. Today, urban centres are responsible for consuming 3/4 of natural resources and more than 70% of global CO2 emissions; all this means that appropriate policies and practices aimed at environmental improvement in the city are fundamental. Cities must become suitable for citizens, guaranteeing them excellent services, reduced consumption of resources and energy. The development of a new economy and innovative governance models appears to be the real goal to be achieved. The central role of the city cannot fail to consider the global phenomenon of urbanization. The rate of urban growth and extreme land use drastically reduce the availability of green spaces. Many specialists believe that a modern and thoughtful urban planning approach must take into consideration the natural context in which an inhabited centre is located and aim to meet the need for green areas, creating real lungs dedicated to the health of citizens and that of the city.