1. Introduction. Urban Redevelopment and Revitalisation. A Multidisciplinary Perspective

The XXIX ISUF Proceedings book aims to present the broadly understood theme of redevelopment and revitalisation of spatial structures. Urban morphology research brings valuable knowledge to the theory and practice of urban rehabilitation. Studies on transformations of the urban fabric are at the core of both fields. Saverio Muratori (1959), one of the founding Fathers of urban morphology science, claimed the need for “storia operante” (operational history). Since the care to apply research on urban form in building and rebuilding cities became one of the principles of urban morphology, both the classical schools of urban morphology (Conzenian and Italian) deal with urban transformations and they perceive these processes either as the burgage cycle that we find in the works of MRG. Conzen (1960) and his followers, or as the territorial development cycle described by Caniggia and Maffei (1979).

Recently, urban rehabilitation has received more attention due to the growing interest in urban metabolism and the circular economy. As a result, the re-use of existing resources, including buildings and urban development, has become a core principle of “trias ecologica”.

At a time when the global urban population is rapidly growing, and more than half of the world population lives in cities, there is no question that continuity and re-use are the only available strategies. The first two chapters of the current book cover these topics.

First, we propose to examine theoretical concepts that might arise at the boundaries of urban morphology studies and urban rehabilitation. Next, we look at the theoretical and methodological aspects of the emerging fields.

At the same time, the challenges that result from the re-use of existing urban environments are numerous and diverse. As a consequence, urban renewal processes require the concerted knowledge of several cooperating disciplines. The main themes presented cover the most significant areas of expertise to be considered. We look at the political, legal and administrative conditions of the redevelopment and renewal of urban fabric. These initial insights deal with decision-making factors and their impacts on the transformations of urban places. The following section revolves around the social and cultural determinants of spatial redevelopment and regeneration. As Rossi (1984) stated, cities are artefacts of the societies that built them; therefore, the two fields are inextricably linked and cannot be approached independently.

The book provides a comprehensive review of current theoretical and practical expertise at the confluence of urban morphology and urban rehabilitation. The holistic perspective leads a reader from theoretical explanations and approaches to the more practical experience in the design of urban places. The extensive methodological section illustrates the progress of methodology. The following chapters offer insights from several perspectives: political, social and cultural to the economic. Each chapter examines the intersection with the field of morphological studies.

The book will explore the current state of evolving world urban morphology, encompassing the following chapters:

Before going on to describe the individual chapters, let's point out a few general observations about the publication. First, it is interesting to note the wide range of issues covered in the articles. The scale of topics ranges from regions, cities, districts to plots or individual buildings. There are threads related to both large agglomerations and small towns. Secondly, the variety of methods used by researchers from case studies to advanced digital methods and new theoretical postulates related to city morphology is also important. Another important fact is the wide geographical scope of the issues covered, testifying the global reach of morphological theory. Among the articles we find topics related to almost all continents. Although there is a definite predominance of European issues, there is also a large contribution from Asia (mainly China) but we will also find issues related to the Americas and even Australia and Africa. A very interesting phenomenon is the huge contribution of Chinese researchers and topics related to China. As many as 13 articles concern them, which shows the dynamic development of the morphological method in this country. One can see a clear trend in the interest in their own cultural heritage and their desire to reconstruct it. Finally, it is worth noting the increasing importance of issues related to climate change and the search for urban strategies seeking to minimize its effects.

Let's now briefly characterize the individual chapters that make up the publication. The first is entitled Methods for analysing the transformation of spatial structures of settlements. The chapter examines the transformation of spatial structures of human settlements from different methodological perspectives. The traditional dichotomy stemmed from the disciplinary provenance of the researchers involved. Thus, architects in the Muratorian School of urban morphology focus on a more detailed scale while the historical geography approach of the Conzenian School revolves around more general historical processes of land transformation. More recently, this catalogue has been enriched by the development of quantitative methods of urban morphometry, on the one hand, and a large amount of more specialized qualitative research that has been developed on the boundaries of other disciplines. The first group includes configurational analyses which include Space Syntax, and other more variegated methods based on the application of advanced computer tools, such as Geographic Information Systems. The latter covers various studies of public space and its cultural aspects, environmental and landscape analysis and a range of methods that have developed internationally, grounded in local cultural contexts. All these methods and procedures yield valuable insights into the theory and practice of urban rehabilitation. The chapter proposes research methods useful in analysing the transformation of spatial structures, particularly concerning historic cities. Among propositions we can find: the rotational series sections method; an analysis that mixes GIS mapping and morphological drawings of small fragments of the city and its metropolitan area; a diagram that fills the gap between the traditional method and innovative AI tools; a stronger focus on the processes operating at a variety of scales; emphasize the importance of typo-morphology in delineating a traditional landscape region; and a shared taxonomy of urban fabric types (morphotypes) for the different case studies. The large number of articles considering methodological issues is significant. This means that the study of urban morphology continues to develop its own research idiom reaching out to new developments, especially digital technologies.

Chapter 2 examines the various factors influencing the transformation of the urban tissue, particularly in the context of renewal and revitalisation. The processes of redevelopment and renewal of the urban tissue, which take place both at the macroscale covering entire countries or administrative regions and also at the level of microscale units, such as individual cities, quarters, and housing estates are strongly dependent on political conditions. The forces for shaping the urban fabric derive to a great extent from political and economic systems. Different morphological changes and directions of spatial development can be observed whether they take place in the conditions of a free market or a central planning system. Administrative stimulants and barriers are also very important for the possibilities of urban redevelopment. Legal instruments (including acts, directives, and various local legal regulations) significantly affect the methods of implementation, spatial scope, dynamics, and intensity of revitalisation processes.

Economic, functional, and infrastructural factors have also a huge impact on shaping the renewal processes of cities. Among the other aspects, economic factors have led to the deindustrialization of western countries which, in search of higher profits, have relocated a large part of their production to countries with cheaper labour costs. Also in the post-communist countries, as a result of the socio-economic transformation of the 1990s, both entire economies and individual enterprises had to face the transition of their functioning by adapting to the requirements of the demanding capitalist market. The global factor of the changing economies and societies of a functional nature, which has a significant impact on renewal processes, can be described as the process of tertiarization, i.e. the gradual development of the service sector with the simultaneous reduction of the industrial sector. It accompanies the dynamic development of technology, transport, communication, and industrial infrastructure.

The chapter includes both articles relating to functional and infrastructural changes, e.g. the impact of plot configuration on the patterns of spatial change, as well as those relating to the broader political-economical spectrum. Of interest are attempts to identify the impact of innovative economics and the development of network sciences on the form of the city and its transformation.

Chapter 3 presents social and cultural determinants of spatial redevelopment and regeneration. Spatial redevelopment and regeneration processes are deeply embedded in the social and cultural environment. Cities are considered artefacts of the societies that built them. The social context both determines and is affected by the physical context in mutual processes of interaction and interplay. Therefore, to fully grasp the complexity of interactions between built structures and the social phenomena that they accommodate, this theme welcomes articles on a range of topics that connect these two fields: sociology and cultural studies, on the one hand, and urban morphology and form studies, on the other. The field seems broad since it extends from social participation and those conflicts that affect urban redevelopment and go beyond structural changes. The focus is on how social forces and processes affect physical structures. There are numerous contemporary societal challenges related to these topics, such as migrations and the impacts of cultural diversity on the built environment or the redevelopment processes of informal settlements. The quest for healthy environments that support well-being and a high quality of life complete the picture. Examples from China and Brazil illustrate progressive social change and its impact on changes in urban space. Interesting issue to consider is also the correlation between the evolution of COVID-19 and changes in social dynamics.

Chapter 4 presents a series of articles that address theoretical concepts covered by the field of morphology. They feature a number of both classical and innovative constructs. This theory section reveals the connections between established morphological theories and urban renewal. It explores established ideas in both fields and their overlaps. The epistemology of urban renewal and urban morphology together contributes to developing practical recommendations for the future re-use of the urban fabric. Theoretical concepts of urban renewal and revitalisation together with the directions of change of transformational processes can help answer the question: How to ensure effective protection of historic urban structures? They can be a train of thought that in the future will allow effective changes in design practice and ultimately lead to the protection of heritage while maintaining the vitality of the urban organism. One of such trial was research work which led to design proposals for Lübeck aimed at replacing out-of-scale or poor-quality buildings from the post-war reconstruction period. However, to develop the practice from theory is not an easy task, as evidenced by the problem with the implementation of Ch. Alexander's thought, one of the most influential figures of late twentieth century urban and architectural theory. Another important theoretical issue that we currently have to consider is sustainability and climate change and their impact on the renewal and revitalisation of the urban tissue. These topics are raised in articles, both in relation to large urban centres and small towns.

Chapter 5 presents practical architectural and urban solutions. Urban renewal and revitalisation, in its broadest sense, refers to the social and economic spheres of the city. Spatial actions are understood as a resultant. However, the assumption of the internal strength of the logic of an urban form shows us that it is the form (in line with the life requirements of a specific community) through its shape which is generative. Thus, specific solutions at the planning, urban, or architectural scale are the basis for well-understood revitalisation. The presentation or comparison of individual cases, by showing the relationship in the design process between the law and its application, features of local culture, agents of change, and the use of space, as well as the functional and spatial solutions used at various scales, are another scope for research carried out as part of urban morphology. The articles present examples of implementations from different countries and cities, which can become a reference for developing further activities in the use of the morphological method in renewal and revitalisation.

We hope that the volume handed over to you on urban morphology in the context of urban renewal and revitalisation will meet with interest on the part of the reader and at the same time contribute to expanding the research field in this topic.