Hourakhsh A Nia | Alanya HEP University (original) (raw)

Papers by Hourakhsh A Nia

This study examines the dynamics of Urban Land Use Succession (ULUS) in Upper Hill, Nairobi, high... more This study examines the dynamics of Urban Land Use Succession (ULUS) in Upper Hill, Nairobi, highlighting the impact of neoliberal policies and private sector-led urban redevelopment. It investigates how land tenure, public infrastructure, and planning controls shape urban landscapes, leading to patchwork land use patterns and environmental misalignments. The case of Upper Hill, transitioning from a serene residential area to a bustling commercial hub, is explored to understand the determinants of ULUS and propose strategies for streamlined urban development. Employing Neoliberal Theory and hypothesis testing, the research identifies spatial policy as the primary driver of ULUS. The study suggests innovative approaches, including land assembly and the establishment of an Urban Redevelopment Authority, to harmonize urban development. These strategies aim to bridge the gap between private and public land development, ensuring coherent urban growth. The research contributes to the understanding of urban redevelopment, particularly in Kenyan contexts, by offering a model that integrates public and private interests. This model serves as a blueprint for managing urban transformation in Nairobi and other similar urban settings, promoting sustainable and equitable urban development.

Journal of Contemporary Urban Affairs, 2023

This study investigates liveability in the context of sustainable public housing in Niger State, ... more This study investigates liveability in the context of sustainable public housing in Niger State, Nigeria, where existing housing efforts have fallen short of residents' satisfaction. Recognizing the critical link between liveability indicators and environmental sustainability, this research aims to identify key liveability variables that could be integrated into the design and construction of sustainable public housing. Employing a mixed-method approach, the study involved cluster sampling for selecting housing estates and units, followed by the administration of 910 questionnaires containing 102 questions on liveability variables. Analytical techniques, including Hierarchical Cluster Analysis, Factor Analysis, and Multiple Regression Analysis, were used to group, refine, and validate the liveability variables. The results revealed 21 significant variables that collectively could achieve a 92.9% satisfaction rate among residents if incorporated into public housing design. These findings underline the potential of addressing liveability in the pursuit of sustainable housing solutions, offering insights for urban planners, architects, and policymakers. By focusing on the residents' perspectives, the study contributes to a more user-centred approach in public housing development, promoting long-term satisfaction and reducing the need for post-occupancy alterations.

Journal of Contemporary Urban Affairs, 2023

This article explores the connection between Smart Growth and the decolonization of urban growth ... more This article explores the connection between Smart Growth and the decolonization of urban growth management in Egypt, examining the impact of former colonial influence on present urban policy and practices. Drawing insights from the urbanization of Egyptian desert areas before and after the New Urban Communities Program (NUCP), it scrutinizes how historical influences adversely affect contemporary approaches, inducing socioeconomic impacts. The primary objective is to identify the root causes of misguided urban growth management practices, arguing that mono-institutional and sectoral development is rooted in Egypt's quasi-colonial history preceding the NUCP. The research employs a comprehensive methodological approach, using descriptive qualitative methods to investigate the growth of emerging cities based on Smart Growth principles and quantitative analysis to assess population decongestion resulting from the NUCP. It evaluates the implementation of Smart Growth principles during the NUCP and pre-NUCP, offering insights into adverse management practices. Despite the NUCP's goal to alleviate congestion, only 1.6 percent of the population was decongested by 2017. The research highlights the need for a new municipally guided growth model, emphasizing indigenous and locally validated approaches. This model aims to rectify inefficiencies in current urban management practices, fostering a responsive and sustainable approach aligned with local community needs. This article is an open-access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) Publisher's Note: Journal of Contemporary Urban Affairs stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Journal of Contemporary Urban Affairs, 2023

In the city of Messina, the multiplicity of vulnerable situations is a distinctive feature and is... more In the city of Messina, the multiplicity of vulnerable situations is a distinctive feature and is representative of the pervasiveness of the risk conditions present in the Italian territory. The critical residential tissues are part of an extended geography in which, to the conditions of seismic and hydro geomorphological vulnerability, are added additional criticalities including altered natural resources, abandoned infrastructure, brownfields, quarries, and unregulated landfills, etc. Despite this, for Messina, there is still no urban planning tool capable of interpreting in an integrated way the risks present, which instead continue to be addressed on an emergency basis and individually, without considering the interactions that are generated and of further damage. For these reasons, Messina was chosen as a prototypical case study, at the national level, to start an experimentation aimed at developing an urban planning tool capable of a new integrated approach to risk interpretation and management. In this process, a decisive role was aimed at building an updated knowledge of the territory through the identification of widespread critical conditions using multiple GIS tools and thanks to the interaction of some analytical-specialist readings from different sources. The results of this process are represented in a system of maps that are strongly integrated with each other and constitute a working document for the interdisciplinary group drafting the General Urban Plan.

Journal of Contemporary Urban Affairs, 2023

This study investigates the relationship between street trading and urban planning in Enugu City,... more This study investigates the relationship between street trading and urban planning in Enugu City, Nigeria, within the expanding informal economy of the global South. It particularly focuses on the perspectives of urban planners regarding the impacts and management of street trading. The research employed a mixed-method approach, including personal observation, questionnaires, and in-depth interviews, analyzed through basic statistical methods. Findings reveal that urban planners recognize the socio-economic importance and cultural relevance of street trading, despite its negative spatial externalities. Contrary to prevailing assumptions, planners favour negotiated solutions over forced evictions. This study highlights the need for inclusive urban planning practices that accommodate the socio-economic benefits of street trading while addressing its challenges, contributing to the discourse on sustainable urban development.

Journal of Contemporary Urban Affairs, 2023

The research focused on simulating wind patterns in urban planning design offers substantial cont... more The research focused on simulating wind patterns in urban planning design offers substantial contributions to both the social and economic aspects of the urban planning and design field. To begin with, it addresses a critical factor in urban development, especially in Mediterranean climates, where natural ventilation significantly influences summer comfort. By incorporating predictive numerical simulations of urban wind patterns, this study provides valuable insights into improving outdoor thermal comfort within urban areas. This holds particular importance in the context of adapting to climate change, as it equips urban planners and architects with informed decision-making tools to create more sustainable and comfortable urban environments. Additionally, this research makes an economic contribution by presenting guidelines for iterative wind simulations in the early stages of designing medium-scale urban projects. Through the validation of a simulation workflow, it streamlines the design process, potentially reducing the time and resources required for urban planning and architectural design. This enhanced efficiency can result in cost savings during project development. Moreover, the study's recommendations concerning simulation parameters, such as wind tunnel cell size and refinement levels, offer practical insights for optimizing simulation processes, potentially lowering computational expenses and improving the overall economic viability of urban design projects. To summarize, this research effectively addresses climate-related challenges, benefiting both social well-being and economic efficiency in the field of urban planning and design, while also providing guidance for more efficient simulation-driven design procedures.

Journal of Contemporary Urban Affairs, 2023

The present study delves into the decision-making processes pertaining to housing among young pro... more The present study delves into the decision-making processes pertaining to housing among young professionals residing in urban areas, focusing particularly on their preferences for sustainable housing options. Understanding the factors influencing the housing preferences of this demographic is critical for promoting sustainable urban development, given the ongoing challenges of urbanisation and environmental issues faced by cities. This study aims to explore the decision-making process pertaining to housing among young professionals in Malaysian urban areas and its correlation with sustainability. This study employs a mixed-methods approach, encompassing surveys and in-depth interviews, to analyse the significant factors and decision-making criteria of young professionals residing in urban settings concerning housing. This study primarily focuses on the economic aspect of housing decisions, specifically home affordability, without dismissing the social and environmental factors that may also influence these decisions. The present study contributes to the ongoing discourse on urban sustainability by elucidating the dynamic and evolving preferences of young professionals residing in urban areas. The findings provide valuable insights for politicians, urban planners, and developers who aim to construct housing options that are both sustainable and appealing to this influential demographic group. Ultimately, this contributes to the overall sustainability and resilience of urban communities. This article is an open-access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) Publisher's Note: Journal of Contemporary Urban Affairs stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Journal of Contemporary Urban Affairs

In light of the rapid global urbanization, urban design has been shown to contribute largely to p... more In light of the rapid global urbanization, urban design has been shown to contribute largely to promoting the health and well-being of urban citizens. However, studies of urban design are underrepresented in low-and middle-income countries in Asia, where urban forms are traditionally compact and complex with multiple layers. Hanoi, a typical city in low-and middle-income countries, exhibits five unique urban typologies generated through official planning, unregulated development, and historical fluctuations. This study examines the perceived urban design from a sample of 218 participants across five urban typologies in Hanoi using an established scale. The findings suggest that perceived urban design is significantly influenced by urban typologies. Old urban typologies tend to report higher scores of land use mix and access to services but lower scores of walking facilities and street connectivity than modern urban typologies. The study contributes to our understanding of urban design in Hanoi, providing policymakers and urban designers with essential insights for sustainable urban development. This article is an open-access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) Publisher's Note: Journal of Contemporary Urban Affairs stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Journal of Contemporary Urban Affairs, 2023

Many older people are facing various risks of cognitive impairment, while outdoor activities in o... more Many older people are facing various risks of cognitive impairment, while outdoor activities in open spaces may be helpful for their cognitive health. However, the effect of open spaces on cognitive health is unclear. This study aims to investigate the relationships between the cognitive health of older people and the built environment of open spaces. A questionnaire survey of 60 older people aged 60 and above was conducted. Results identified three major components of the built environment of open spaces, namely, planning, supporting facilities, and building services. According to the correlation and regression analysis, it is revealed that 8 BEOS items, including green ratio, a width of the pathway, maintenance of the whole garden, the color of green space, diversity of plants, location, and font of signage, artificial light of sitting area were positively related to memory, while only the size was negatively associated with memory. Only the green ratio could positively predict the concentration. The judgment was positively influenced by the green ratio, width of pathways, maintenance of the whole garden, color of green space and diversity of plants. A BEOScognitive health model for older people was built in this study. The results highlighted the importance of plants for cognitive health. Several recommendations, such as not-so-large sizes and diverse plants with vivid colors and signages with big fonts, etc., were proposed to improve the built environment of the open spaces and support the declining cognitive health of older people. This article is an open-access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) Publisher's Note: Journal of Contemporary Urban Affairs stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Journal of Contemporary Urban Affairs, 2023

The shopping mall has emerged as an important component of many cities. While the rapid developme... more The shopping mall has emerged as an important component of many cities. While the rapid development of malls and the increasing patronage show their viability and acceptance by the populace, respectively, there is a dearth of studies that examine the impact of its physical and behavioural attributes on attachment. This study examines the effect of physical characteristics, activities, and socioeconomic characteristics on place attachment to the first standalone mall in Ibadan, Nigeria. From a sampling frame of 7, 115 shoppers, quantitative data was obtained from 350 respondents using systematic sampling on April 29, 2017, through a structured questionnaire. The data was analysed using mean, factor analysis, cross-tabulation, correlation, and categorical regression. The findings show that the most prevalent activities are meeting others (α = 0.77); leisure (α = 0.75); and, parties and hanging out (α = 0.70). The important physical attributes are circulation, wayfinding, and aesthetics (α = 0.87); access to mechanical conveyors, mall decoration, and quality materials (α = 0.80); and, ambience (α =0.79). However, the regression results show that the most important factors of attachment are access to mechanical conveyors, mall decoration, and quality materials (β = 0.334); leisure (β = 0.279); purchasing activities (β = 0.236); and, meeting others (β = 0.165). Hence, these factors should be considered in creating new malls in the city. In the context of urbanism, this is key to the social and economic revitalization of cities. This article is an open-access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) Publisher's Note: Journal of Contemporary Urban Affairs stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Journal of Contemporary Urban Affairs, 2023

Recently, urban regions are experiencing prolonged heat exposure due to climate change and increa... more Recently, urban regions are experiencing prolonged heat exposure due to climate change and increased population expansion. Physiological, psychological and behavioural measures improve residents’ thermal comfort to solve the overheating issues generated by the scenario. However, adaptive strategies have not been clearly categorized based on the building construction process. This paper systematically reviews 101 documents published from 2013 to 2023, across 22 countries, with a focus on Nigeria. Using descriptive statistics and content analysis, we identify and categorize 52 adaptive strategies into four groups: urban design, effective building design, insulation, and occupants’ behaviour. These strategies are further classified according to their application in the building process stages: pre-design, design, construction, and post-construction. The study provides a full response to overheating in the building sector with efforts to reduce energy consumption rate and greenhouse gas emissions. The findings of the study contribute, significantly to improvement in occupants’ health care and well-being, as well as high productivity levels and socioeconomic benefits. Future research is therefore recommended in the efficiency of its implementation to develop innovative and cost-effective solutions in the construction industry towards sustainable urban development.

Journal of Contemporary Urban Affairs, 2023

North African cities have been undergoing major transformation over the past two decades followin... more North African cities have been undergoing major transformation over the past two decades following protracted instability, civic uprising, and conflicts, changing their perception from havens to territories of displacements with social, psychological, and physical problems. Historic public spaces in those cities, in particular, form a critical part of urban environments as they have the identity, livelihoods and cross-community engagement in a healthy and fulfilling urban fabric and culture. Whilst there have been several studies on the characteristics of open spaces in urban environments, there is very limited work on the changing perceptions, use and engagement of public spaces in historic cities especially in the post-Arab Spring and its relative instability. This study aims to deploy investigative and creative methods to map, analyse and navigate through the transformation in the perceptions of historic public spaces in Post-Conflict Libya and its divided cities. It will study the users' (locals and visitors) attitudes, movements, and reflections on how those spaces have changed over time. visitors' behaviour in open historical public spaces in Tripoli, Libya. The study explores the relationships between the characteristics of historical public spaces, physical activity, and psychological behaviour. The paper argues that safety and security in public spaces are critical and inherent qualities that inform much of the users' attitudes in historic cities, which has continued to be the case in post-conflict Tripoli. This article is an open-access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) Publisher's Note: Journal of Contemporary Urban Affairs stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Journal of Contemporary Urban Affairs, 2023

The study delves into the realm of adaptive reuse, exploring its potential in sustainable urban d... more The study delves into the realm of adaptive reuse, exploring its potential in sustainable urban development, particularly focusing on public buildings within the cultural and creative sectors. Through a multiple case study analysis, both qualitative and quantitative methods were employed to scrutinize design strategies and spatial transformations in recent adaptive reuse projects of existing structures. This research investigates the evolution of adaptive reuse, highlighting its historical and theoretical underpinnings, and subsequently examines contemporary approaches towards existing structures in cultural, creative, and public domains. The study findings reveal common characteristics and innovative design strategies employed in recent adaptive reuse projects, emphasizing the transformative potential of neglected or abandoned urban spaces. Utilizing a comprehensive methodology involving case study analyses and diverse data collection techniques, the research underscores the significance of adaptive reuse as an established practice in contemporary architectural and urban design. The article's contribution to the social and economic dimensions of urban development lies in understanding and promoting sustainable, resource-saving strategies. This work paves the way for future research, suggesting potential expansions in creating an 'atlas of adaptive reuse' and exploring comparative analyses between existing reuse and new construction, specifically focusing on public buildings with civic-cultural uses.

Journal of Contemporary Urban Affairs, 2023

Revitalization is an important process in action area planning, especially in the heritage sites ... more Revitalization is an important process in action area planning, especially in the heritage sites located within urban area contexts. Varied techniques and tools of revitalization are applied at various spatial levels, some are suitable for the urban scope, and others suit the architectural building scope. Urban DNA is a term used academically to reflect social, economic, and urban characteristics but has a different interpretation that depends on the spatial scale and context. In action areas, urban DNA refers to the essential visual, social, economic, and physical characteristics that preserve the vital structure of an urban area. Heritage areas are vital in a city structure, in the journey of maximizing the urban DNA chrematistics of heritage sites, sometimes the urban DNA is lost in the process. This paper identifies and encapsulates the importance of Urban DNA in heritage site considerations in the revitalization process within heritage urban context to maximize the socio-economic and visual impacts, especially in declined cities such as Foah City the case study in the Nile Delta region in Egypt. The results pinpoint the most effective urban DNA structure for the declined Foah Heritage Center, despite the city's importance as a ranked third of heritage cities in the country.

Journal of Contemporary Urban Affairs, 2023

This article investigates the Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect and its interplay with precipitation... more This article investigates the Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect and its interplay with precipitation patterns in the rapidly urbanizing western coastal cities of India. Focusing on the socio-economic dimensions of urbanization, it examines the consequences of increased surface temperatures due to altered urban landscapes and heightened anthropogenic activities. The study evaluates the correlations between UHI intensity, population density, and precipitation during summer and winter across multiple decades—1991, 2001, 2011, and 2021—using the Spearman rank correlation coefficient. Findings indicate a robust positive correlation between surface temperature and population density in summer, with an inverse relationship to precipitation. In contrast, winter data shows an opposite trend, with unclear connections to population density, suggesting that other factors may significantly affect precipitation. The seasonal and temporal analysis of these correlations sheds light on the urban climate's complexity and informs urban planning strategies to mitigate adverse socio-economic impacts related to climate change. This study underscores the need for sustainable urban development practices that consider the intricate dynamics between urban growth and environmental transformations, highlighting the necessity for climate-

Journal of Contemporary Urban Affairs, 2023

Among all of the Indonesian islands, Java poses the highest risk for all types of disasters, maki... more Among all of the Indonesian islands, Java poses the highest risk for all types of disasters, making it a significant threat to low-cost houses due to its high population vulnerability. The objective is to enhance comprehension of it by conducting a building typology analysis concerning various natural hazards/ risks. The methodology consists of 10 sample houses field observation, AutoCAD drawing, literature analysis, and built environment expert interviews. The results developed four categories of houses emphasising brick or timber walls with a combination of clay tile or zinc roofs. Related to disaster vulnerability, an improper building structure is the main problem. Smooth roof material is significant in a volcano eruption, a complete interconnection of structure is a must for the tornado, light materials are preferable in an earthquake zone, natural material is not recommended for high risk of forest fire, and elevating floor is mandatory in flooding. Focus on designing the four categories’ houses and quality control of the construction process are two strategies recommended. Also, a minimum of two types of disasters in the area should be considered in the design. Resilient low-cost houses will have an impact on reducing casualties, environmental damage, and economic losses. Covering more samples and areas in Java in future studies will provide a comprehensive understanding of low-cost houses

Journal of Contemporary Urban Affairs, 2023

In contemporary times, the worldwide trend of urban expansion has become an inexorable force. Thi... more In contemporary times, the worldwide trend of urban expansion has become an inexorable force. This article engages in a comprehensive examination of the intricate dynamics surrounding urban sprawl and land utilization within the peri-urban regions of significant Algerian municipalities, with a specific focus on the city of Oran. Employing a methodology rooted in social geography, this study deploys a trio of investigative approaches: documentary analysis, spatio-temporal scrutiny of peri-urban domains, and in-situ field investigations to shed light on the intricate intricacies of land ownership dynamics in the context of urban sprawl. The swift development of the Oran metropolis, along with its manifold ramifications, underscores a profound disconnection between the aspirations of political stakeholders and the unfolding urban milieu. This article accentuates the pivotal role of land as a coveted resource profoundly influencing the contours of emerging urban regions. In response to these emerging challenges, Algeria must adopt integrated land and urban planning strategies that foster harmonious and sustainable urban development. This necessitates a comprehensive vision for metropolitan regions, a departure from sectoral planning that subordinates agriculture to industrial and urban considerations, and the formulation of efficient and coordinated urban planning instruments. Within this intricate nexus of urban and rural development, the urban sprawl's encroachment upon rural landscapes mandates a strategic approach to attain equilibrium and coherence within the urban fabric.

Journal of Contemporary Urban Affairs, 2023

In recent years, the changing pattern of human activities, increasing data regarding the spatial ... more In recent years, the changing pattern of human activities, increasing data regarding the spatial environment, and the possibility of collecting and processing this data allowed us to reconsider how we approach urban design, with a focus on a digital-oriented and data-driven perspective. In this study, we examine the evolution of urban design by analyzing the roles of designers and citizen empowerment. Our analysis includes a literature review and semistructured interviews with computational design experts. In this sense, the literature is reviewed to investigate previous discussions and findings about the topic, and semi-structured interviews were carried out with seven computational design experts. The experts were selected by considering two criteria: (1) their experience with computational urban design subjects in practice and (2) their academic research background. This study concludes that technology-driven urban design solutions change designers' relationship with data, opening new avenues for objective, data-driven & data-informed decision-making. There are few differences between traditional and computational design practices regarding user empowerment and participatory design. Moreover, technology-driven urban design tools and methods are still in their early stages and are rarely used in actual projects. This article is an open-access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) Publisher's Note: Journal of Contemporary Urban Affairs stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Journal of Contemporary Urban Affairs, 2023

In the late 20th century, Doha’s rapid urbanization and globalization led to the loss of housing ... more In the late 20th century, Doha’s rapid urbanization and globalization led to the loss of housing and the compact, traditional urban fabric in the old city center. The Qatari government and Msheireb Properties developed Msheireb Downtown Doha to bring urban living back with a contemporary re-interpretation of the traditional urban fabric and modern life conveniences. Our study's primary objective is to investigate the relationship between urban form and the rental value of residential units, identifying factors that might influence rental asking prices. The paper examines morphological characteristics through field surveys and the real-estate variables such as location, floor area, number of bedrooms/bathrooms, and asking price collected from publicly available real estate websites. The findings indicate that the residential units' layout and adjacent streets' morphological characteristics clearly define specific targeted user groups. Larger residential units target Qatari families via more bedrooms/bathrooms and quieter urban settings, emphasizing Islamic cultural values. Smaller units target ex-pat workers (especially Westerners) using open-plan layouts in more lively urban environments of the development. The price per square meter also increases for residential units closer to the Doha Metro station. The study reiterates the success of compact living for improving urban living in other neighborhoods of old Doha.

Journal of Contemporary Urban Affairs, 2023

Land-sea interactions, extending inland and towards the marine spaces, are affected by major mana... more Land-sea interactions, extending inland and towards the marine spaces, are affected by major management and design transformations. Globalization processes, port expansion projects and extensive energy transition requests have recently led port institutions to demand more land, engaging deeply with logistics platforms and radically restructuring forms of port governance. In this competitive context, the phenomenon of Port Clusterisation, i.e. the administrative aggregation whereby two or more ports are merged to form port clusters, is heavily impacting the institutional sphere. However, not only does this phenomenon have no control over cities, but its spatial component seems to be neglected by the disciplines of space, such as urbanism and architecture. As a result, port and city institutions lack design tools to tackle urgent challenges as coastal utilization, the need for resilient port-city infrastructures and the regeneration of the port-city architectural heritage. As part of the ongoing research project, titled PULSE and undertaken at the University of Genoa, the article aims to lay the earliest theoretical-methodological foundations for addressing the spatial products of Port Clusterisation, i.e. those technical spaces whose study contributes to developing spatial and design approach to port clusters. In terms of novelty and contribution to academia, an examination of the spatial footprint of port clusters will allow research to move beyond its stateof-the-art by targeting a phenomenon that, though pivotal, is under-researched, especially within the spatial disciplines. In terms of first findings, the article presents the PULSE Questionnaire, intended as a "data collection tool", and the first spatial impacts, introduced by the cluster scheme, useful for the construction of an "evaluation tool", the Indicator System, at a later stage of the research. This article is an open-access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) Journal of Contemporary Urban Affairs stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Journal of Contemporary Urban Affairs, 2023

Journal of Contemporary Urban Affairs

Journal of Contemporary Urban Affairs, 2023