Urban regeneration projects often deal with activation of public space and pedestrian-oriented environments. That activation is based on idealisation...

The design and construction of adaptive façades have garnered increasing attention as a means to enhance the energy performance and sustainability of high-rise residential buildings. Adaptive façades can dynamically respond to environmental conditions, reducing reliance on energy-intensive systems and improving occupant comfort. Despite their potential, research on adaptive façade systems in the context of high-rise residential buildings, particularly in Australia, remains limited. This study aims to bridge this gap by identifying the key design parameters, challenges, and optimisation methods for adaptive façades. Through a combination of a comprehensive literature review and 15 semi-structured interviews with industry experts, this research provides insights into the design and performance of adaptive façades. The key findings reveal that the successful implementation of adaptive façades depends on a range of factors, including material choices, shading system typologies, and advanced simulation tools for energy performance analysis. A significant outcome of the study is the development of a conceptual framework that incorporates these design elements with environmental factors and building energy simulation, offering a structured approach to optimise adaptive façade performance. The framework assists architects and engineers in creating energy-efficient, sustainable high-rise residential buildings tailored to the Australian context. Additionally, the study highlights critical challenges, such as financial barriers, regulatory gaps, and the need for improved maintenance strategies, which must be addressed to facilitate the broader adoption of adaptive façades in the residential sector.

Urban Agendas are important guiding tools that frame thinking and point to major directions and changes needed. The dominant planning and city development practices in the 20th century resulted in the proliferation of modern cities that brought numerous problems that urban planners and designers are still dealing with. Do we have the capacity and appropriate tools to change the cities of tomorrow to make them more liveable places?The challenges may seem overwhelming. However, there are advantages in strategies that combine acting locally and synergising with other places. Using insights from the Urban Synergies Group this paper represents a summary of initial pathways that may effectively implement the NUA (New Urban Agenda) – a collective vision for sustainable and healthy cities. To address the main issues of the NUA we discuss five key themes. First, we consider the level of commitment to achieve healthier cities for all during the 9th World Urban Forum (WUF 9). Second, we narrow our focus to examine child health and well-being. Third, we introduce an exemplary collaboration that harnesses collective wisdom through empowerment of participants. Fourth, we provide the rationale for the focus on public space. Within the fifth point we summarise tangible actions within the nexus of child health and public space that help to implement the NUA on the ground.

The Great Kanto Earthquake and Second World War Fire Bombings have left contemporary Tokyo with almost no monuments from the past. One of the areas that has been spared in both destructions is Yanesen, part of the three neighbourhoods Yanaka, Nezu, and Sendagi located in northeast central Tokyo. Nezu has a peculiar urban character that persists despite the lack of conservation and constant change in its built environment. Its unique character is defined by a sense of local, domestic, and neighbourhood closeness and is linked to the traditional identity of Shitamachi. This article hypothesizes that the main element that preserves the character of Shitamachi in Nezu is based on the relationships rather than on objects that need to be preserved. The analysis focuses on the relationships between public and private spaces and captures changes in the built environment in Nezu over six years. The comparative analysis applied mapping and a photographic survey of the public-private interface. The results showed how the persistence of the urban character is supported by a dynamic change in the built environment which functions as a complex system. The relationships between elements of the built environment are demonstrating non-linear causality at the public-private interface and contribute to Nezu’s enduring character.