Introduction
Currently, more than 50% of the world's population lives in urban areas, and these regions are expanding on average twice as fast as their populations (Mat et al., 2016). The world faces several environmental and societal challenges, including climate change, biodiversity loss, and resource depletion. In response, there is a growing interest in recognition that a fundamental shift in our socio-ecological systems is necessary (Görg et al., 2017). The ‘socio-ecological transition’ concept has emerged as a crucial framework for addressing interconnected issues and providing a more sustainable path forward. The natural environment is significantly affected by the ways that human civilizations arrange their social structures, economic activities, and behavioural patterns (Berkes et al., 1994). On the other hand, human groups' livelihood and general well-being are directly impacted by the robustness, health, and integrity of ecosystems (Santos-Martín et al., 2013). According to Köhler et al. (2019), the socio-ecological shift highlights the necessity of addressing these dynamic connections holistically and moving away from historically compartmentalised approaches in favour of more integrated, systems-oriented solutions (Köhler et al., 2019).
Aspects Influencing Socio-Ecological Transition
The socio-ecological transition is influenced by several aspects. For example, the growing climate crisis, driven by human-induced greenhouse gas emissions, is posing existential threats to ecosystems, food security, and human livelihoods. The rapid loss of biodiversity with a high extinction rate is another aspect that could affect the socio-ecological transition since it is undermining the health and functioning of natural systems (Shivanna, 2022). In addition, the unsustainable extraction and consumption of natural resources, exacerbated by linear economic models, are depleting vital stocks and disrupting ecological balance (Elnaklah and Alotaibi, 2023). Hence, moving towards more circular, regenerative approaches is necessary (Kirchherr et al., 2023). Further, the influence of environmental deprivation and resource scarcity may extremely affect marginalised communities, exacerbating social inequalities. The socio-ecological transition must address such disparities and promote equitable, inclusive pathways (Calisto Friant et al., 2023). Nowadays, emerging technologies, such as renewable energy and digital platforms, present new opportunities for addressing sustainability challenges and enabling transformative change. Harnessing these innovations within a socio-ecological framework is key.
Towards Socio-Ecological Transition
The current Urban Design and Planning issue investigates the multifaceted approaches and enabling factors that can guide the transition towards more sustainable and resilient socio-ecological systems. The scope of this publication spans a diverse range of methods, instruments, and real-world examples that can inform and inspire progress in this crucial domain. The issue consisted of three articles.
The first paper provided an overview of how the concept of green infrastructure (GI) is essential to spatial planning to enable a sustainable regeneration of contemporary cities and territories and to protect biodiversity within a climate-proof framework of interventions. They examined the modalities of GI methodological integration in urban planning to address the green transition. The authors focused on two case studies in Italy (i.e., Turin, Bologna) that have been selected to investigate how inversely structured urban plans at the local scale design and interpret GI (Vitulano, 2024). The findings highlighted the lessons that can be learned from confirmative planning approaches in response to contemporary challenges and concerning the regulatory framework in force. In order to provide a framework for coherence and coordination of the national post-pandemic recovery programme, the final remarks address the necessity of working in Italy on a revision of the conventional urban planning model with new national fundamental principles.
The second paper discussed equal opportunities for women in the urban planning field. The paper focused on the context of India. The study defined 27 barriers categorised under seven categories in the Indian context. The study followed the fuzzy analytical hierarchical process technique to prioritise the defined barriers. The findings of this paper can assist Indian urban planning experts in addressing the main issues preventing women from pursuing careers in the urban planning field (Patel et al., 2024). This research opens the door for decision-makers, urban planners and city designers who build communities to bring women along in the built environment.
The third paper in this issue discussed the concept of temporary urbanism or tactical urbanism. It focused on the importance of prior planning before deciding on bike lanes within the urban context. The paper proposed an economical methodology to select the targeted street to establish which streets, within those that define the urban grid as a whole, can accommodate a temporary bike lane without altering the motorised traffic grid (Plasencia-Lozano et al., 2024). The proposed method is based on the use of a quantum geographic information system (QGIS). Specifically, the researchers leveraged QGIS technology and rapid on-site assessments to identify suitable street segments for temporary bike lanes. This allowed them to efficiently evaluate the urban grid and pinpoint locations where bike lanes could be added without significantly disrupting existing vehicular traffic patterns. The researchers applied this methodology in downtown Gijón, Spain. By using this data-driven approach, they were able to strategically select street segments that could cost-effectively accommodate temporary bike lanes, while minimizing the impact on overall mobility within the city centre. Overall, this journal issue presents a timely platform to explore the methods, instruments, and exemplary cases that can guide the socio-ecological transition.
