ENHANCING URBAN VITALITY: NEIGHBOURHOOD-SCALE ASSESSMENTS AND IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGIES

Abstract

The growing interest in assessing urban vitality stems from the availability of various data sources, such as social media and geographic data. However, while existing literature predominantly focuses on assessing urban vitality, there remains a dearth of studies addressing its practical implementation. To address this gap, this study employs the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guideline to conduct a systematic review of articles from 2014 to 2024, sourced from Web of Science and Scopus. It utilises a multidimensional assessment at the neighbourhood scale, demonstrating how design and urban management can influence vitality. Focusing on Dongting Street in Wuxi City, China, this study then analyses location-based service data and heat maps to reveal vitality variations across locales and times. The findings highlight the importance of diverse facilities in promoting pedestrian activity and enhancing street-level vitality. By bridging theoretical understanding with practical applications, this research offers a structured approach to guide urban planners, designers, and policymakers in implementing neighbourhood-scale vitality strategies. It also outlines future research directions such as improving vitality measurements for marginalised groups and examining the interplay of multiple indicators in shaping urban vitality.