Not only the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), but also researchers have called for the involvement of local communities in the management of intangible cultural heritage (ICH) in the last decade. Despite awareness of this need for local involvement, there is no consensus regarding common criteria and implementation methods, especially in the case of small urban neighbourhoods. This research seeks to fill that gap by exploring different participatory actions with local communities in the neighbourhoods to identify and inventory their ICH. A participatory process was conducted in the Fontanalla neighbourhood of the city of Malaga and included expert opinions and local knowledge. Informal interviews, observational works and participatory actions were used to collect extensive data, which was then categorised and analysed. The results allowed the singularities and traditions to be recognised as part of their ICH. An ICH inventory is proposed with the involvement of the local community. The results from collected data and the suggested methodology to activate ICH participatory processes are expected to be useful for researchers and practitioners working on Intangible Cultural Heritage as well as Urban Regeneration in cities.

Historic centres are undergoing a series of urban transformations as a consequence of the processes of touristification, and they are mainly located in pedestrianised public spaces. The consequences of the touristification of public space are manifested in its privatisation via the occupation of catering locals and changes to the uses of adjacent buildings. Recent literature has studied the touristification of the neighbourhood unit in an exhaustive way, but it has only studied specific variables of the public space unit. Therefore, an exhaustive study is needed to bring these variables together regarding the public space unit. This study proposes a methodology for categorising public space in terms of use, with the aim of identifying different patterns of activities with respect to touristification. To this end, a system of use indicators is defined according to the public space and adjacent buildings. This methodology has been tested in the Historic Centre of Malaga, analysing a sample of 54 public spaces and categorising them into five different patterns. This categorisation could facilitate the planning and regulation by local administrations of activities in the public space of the Historic Centre.

The historic centres of Western Mediterranean port cities are experiencing significant urban transformations driven by touristification. Commercial gentrification and privatisation of public spaces are key processes reshaping urban areas, often displacing local residents and businesses. Existing research typically examines these variables in isolation while overlooking their interconnected and cumulative impacts. This study proposes a comprehensive methodology for identifying gentrified and touristified areas, focusing on ground floor activities in historic port centres. This research analyses ground floor typologies, franchising, and privatisation through a unified indicators system of public space. The methodology was tested in Genoa (Italy), Malaga (Spain), and Nice (France), cities with similar urban morphologies and historic port functions with different tourism pressures: emerging, saturated, and highly saturated. Extensive fieldwork collected data from over 50 public spaces in each city. Results reveal distinct patterns: Genoa has a commercially dominant fabric with signs of gentrification; Malaga features polarised commercial and catering activities, with extreme gentrification and privatisation; Nice is characterised by intense catering activity and high privatisation of public spaces. These patterns highlight how ground floor use has evolved under different tourism pressures, offering insights into urban dynamics. These findings can inform strategies to mitigate gentrification and touristification, promoting more sustainable urban development.

Urban areas face rising risks from extreme heat due to climate change, intensifying thermal stress and exacerbating social inequalities. Urban climate refuges—cool, accessible indoor and outdoor public spaces that maintain their ordinary functions—are increasingly adopted as a local adaptation measure to protect vulnerable populations during heat events. This study aims to develop and test a SWOT–CAME analytical framework to evaluate and compare the maturity, equity, and implementation logic of urban climate refuge networks in three European cities with contrasting climates and governance traditions: Barcelona, Amsterdam, and Copenhagen. A qualitative multiple-case design is combined with a transparent indicator set (coverage, accessibility, and typology mix) derived from official municipal sources and planning documents. Results show differentiated pathways: Barcelona represents an institutionalized network model; Amsterdam illustrates an emerging coordinated public-health approach; and Copenhagen reflects an ecosystem-based orientation where green–blue infrastructure provides substantial passive cooling capacity but requires clearer heat-specific operational protocols. The discussion highlights the need for hybrid adaptation strategies that combine nature-based solutions with operational governance and targeted support for vulnerable groups. The paper concludes with a transferable framework for cities seeking to integrate climate refuges into resilience and climate-justice agendas.

La gentrificación comercial y la privatización del espacio público son dos características de la turistificación de las ciudades históricas portuarias. La literatura ha estudiado estas variables de forma independiente, pero es necesario un enfoque integral para determinar la relación entre la actividad de planta baja y la turistificación. Para identificar los principales espacios públicos turistificados por la actividad de planta baja, esta investigación desarrolla una metodología basada en indicadores que aúna estas variables desde la unidad de espacio público. Su aplicación en la ciudad de Génova ha permitido determinar cuatro áreas turistificadas específicamente por la actividad de planta baja.

The identification and cataloguing of intangible cultural heritage (ICH) was defined in Paris Convention by UNESCO (2003). However, it is difficult to identify and map this type of heritage in the territory due to the lack of consensus to establish a common representation methodology. Similar technological platforms identify and geolocate the stakeholders concerned about the safeguarding and transmission of this kind of heritage, with the aim of putting together memories from each heritage item, but not the direct relationship with the specific site. This research focuses on a methodology for mapping ICH through webGIS platforms on a local scale, taking into account the following issue: the intangible elements as an attribute related with other heritage categories. This is achieved by collecting the memories of each resource generated by agents involved —citizenship and associations— and its relationship with the physical environment —tangible cultural heritage: architecture, landscape...—. In this way, the sum of related items allows to identify the connection between ICH and territory. This method has been tested in La Fontanalla neighbourhood through Malaka_net webGIS: a comprehensive platform which shows data sheets about every cultural heritage item from Malaga city. This tool allows cultural heritage to be categorized into different material heritage types —architecture, landscape, archaeology, street furniture and urban pattern— and immaterial ones. The holistic meaning between these categories makes possible to link them through the same attribute: intangible value.