This paper uses a typological approach as a tool to establish an analytical framework from a physical perspective to understand ‘place‘ and to identify key spatial characteristics that could adapt to local needs to deliver socio-cultural sustainability. Six representative housing types with their spaces and uses that were introduced in a historic neighborhood in Beijing, China are selected as case studies. Their morphological characteristics at the building, open space and neighborhood scales are examined, and typological transformations among the cases in terms of the degree of spatial continuity are identified. The paper proposes an analytical framework consisting of fifteen indicators to assess socio-cultural sustainability at the different morphological scales (building, open space and block/neighborhood) of the residents of the six cases. The score of changes from its original design is brought into calculations of continuities of spatial characteristics, which present the transitions and transformations of morphological characteristics in relation to adaptation of local needs and uses. The analysis results show that the spatial characteristics were changed when political-socioeconomic ideologies changed, and local needs and uses were transformed to follow these mutations, and finally, the methods of use in different morphological scales mostly differed from historical norms. Although the continuities of spatial characteristics were significantly changed, they are positively and continually accommodating the transformations and transitions of local needs and uses. On the other hand, the invariant spatial characteristics are important, which last despite transformation of the city development and changing of political-social-economic ideologies, and could be maintained for future development to enhance sociocultural sustainability.

Many developing countries have experienced or are experiencing periods of rapid urbanization, and the sustainable development of resource-based cities has increasingly come under the spotlight. The extensive mining of resources, which once propelled the economic growth of these cities, has enabled the continuous construction of more urban districts. However, as these new districts become favored, the old districts in these cities tend to be overlooked. This neglect becomes particularly pronounced once the resources start to dwindle, with older districts, which lack contemporary facilities, declining over time. Dongsheng District, in China’s Ordos City, is a prime example of this phenomenon. In this study, we took Dongsheng District as the research subject to explore the urban renewal potential of old urban areas in resource-based cities in developing countries. First, we constructed an assessment system for evaluating the urban renewal potential of old urban areas in resource-based cities in developing countries. Using ArcGIS, we conducted a quantitative evaluation of the spatial distribution of urban renewal potential indicators in the assessment system. Second, we conducted a comparative analysis by juxtaposing the spatial distribution of urban renewal potential derived from the assessment system with the current land use and historical development of the study area to explore potential correlations. Third, we propose the distribution of urban renewal potential in old urban areas of resource-based cities in developing countries by discussing the research results. The research found that in relation to current land use, residential and commercial service areas are more likely to form high-potential plots. Urban villages are often considered to have high potential for urban renewal, but in these urban areas, they do not always exhibit significant urban renewal potential. Regarding the relationship with historical development, urban renewal potential generally shows a negative correlation with historical development, and most other specific indicators of urban renewal also show a correlation with historical development.

Dockless bike-sharing (DBS) plays a crucial role in solving the “last-mile” problem for metro trips. However, bike–metro transfer usage varies by time and transfer flows. This study explores the nonlinear relationship between the built environment and bike–metro transfer in Shenzhen, considering different times and transfer flows while incorporating spatial dependence to improve model accuracy. We integrated smart card records and DBS data to identify transfer trips and categorized them into four types: morning access, morning egress, evening access, and evening egress. Using random forest and gradient boosting decision tree models, we found that (1) introducing spatial lag terms significantly improved model accuracy, indicating the importance of spatial dependence in bike–metro transfer; (2) the built environment’s impact on bike–metro transfer exhibited distinct nonlinear patterns, particularly for bus stop density, house prices, commercial points of interest (POI), and cultural POI, varying by time and transfer flow; (3) SHAP value analysis further revealed the influence of urban spatial structure on bike–metro transfer, with residential and employment areas displaying different transfer patterns by time and transfer flow. Our findings underscore the importance of considering both built environment factors and spatial dependence in urban transportation planning to achieve sustainable and efficient transportation systems.

This paper explores the specific “authoritarian” type of adaptive governance of urban regeneration using the example of Guangzhou city as the frontier of China’s reforms. As opposed to the “democratic” type of adaptive governance with its bottom-up policy initiations, community autonomy, polycentric power, participation in decision making, and self-organized policy actors, adaptive governance in Guangzhou is based on top-down decision making and implementation of public authorities’ solutions with the high role of political considerations. By analyzing data collected from policy documents, interviews, secondary data, and participative observations, this paper reveals three phases of urban regeneration in Guangzhou between 2009 and 2019: two of them based on “Three Old Redevelopment” policy implementation and the third one based on the local micro-regeneration initiative. Tradeoffs among urban regeneration, land leasing income and micro-regeneration are the key means of policy adaptation which differ from the described phases. Methodologically, the paper does not limit itself by answering only the traditional research questions in regeneration studies of “what” has changed and “why” these changes have happened. Instead, the main focus includes “how” such changes have occurred, which is less researched in the literature. Social–political mechanisms, including limited check-and-balance, selective feedback, and the social learning capacity of the local state, are crucial governance factors to enable adaptation.

This dataset examines the relationship between psychological comfort, creativity, and learning efficiency within informal learning spaces, based on survey data collected from 675 university students at eight café locations near Hengqin-Macau Port, China. The survey captured demographic details, study habits, and environmental preferences using a 7-point Likert scale to measure factors such as spatial layout, natural elements, soundscape, and lighting. Data were collected across different academic phases, ensuring a comprehensive representation of students' learning behaviors over time. The dataset provides valuable insights into how informal learning environments influence cognitive engagement, highlighting preferences for collaborative versus solitary study settings and environmental factors critical to psychological comfort. With its detailed categorization of spatial and sensory elements, this dataset supports further research and practical applications in designing adaptive learning spaces that enhance academic outcomes and mental well-being.

China is facing a serious urban regeneration issue in which replicable international-style locations are losing their socio-cultural adaptability, especially in anonymous residential neighbourhoods. This study defines the key location qualities from local literature and then refines these qualities through observation investigations and statistical analysis (n = 180) to establish links between theories and contemporary uses. Based on the results, a correlation analysis of local place qualities was assessed from users’ perceptions (n = 180) to identify the interactional influences between each indicator of local place qualities. Finally, local place qualities were scored to address their level of impact on users’ perceptions. The results highlighted health, enjoyment, and social dependence as the most concerning factors in site investigations based on local cognitions. They are strongly associated with key local place qualities (naturality, functionality, cosmological cognitions, and interdependent sociability), directly and indirectly resulting in different levels of impact on users’ perceptions at different scales.