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Key Features for Sustainable Development of Urban Neighborhoods

Andreas Faludi1, Peter Nijkamp1, Jaap Evert Abrahamse1
1Department of Urbanism, Faculty of Architecture, Delft University of Technology, Delft, Netherlands

Abstract

A central challenge in urban regeneration is designing sustainable programmes that genuinely improve housing quality and everyday living conditions. In the Netherlands, since the 1990s, the pursuit of durable, long-term solutions has become a core element of regeneration strategy, alongside an integrated approach that combines physical upgrades with environmental, social, and economic initiatives. Because neighborhoods continually evolve under shifting societal and economic pressures, renewal policies must remain adaptive and responsive to changing conditions. Drawing on research into Dutch regeneration programmes and informed by international debates, this paper proposes sustainability criteria for evaluating and guiding urban regeneration. The analysis focuses on urban design and planning, as well as social and economic structures. From a social perspective, key concerns include reducing inequality, preventing exclusion and displacement of vulnerable groups, and strengthening neighborhood safety. Economically, the paper considers how regeneration influences property values and local economic development. Overall, evaluations suggest that Dutch cities have improved, in part due to sustained physical and spatial interventions carried out through regeneration and renewal efforts.

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