Regenerative Urban Futures: A Framework for Sustainable City Renewal

Title

Regenerative Urban Futures: A Framework for Sustainable City Renewal

Author

1. Henry Onomakpo Onomakpo, Student, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Indonesia

Abstract

Rapid global urbanization necessitates a shift towards more sustainable urban development models. Regenerative approaches, which aim to create net-positive social and ecological outcomes, offer a promising alternative yet often lack practical implementation frameworks for urban renewal. This study addresses this critical gap by exploring how future thinking methodologies can be integrated with regenerative principles. The primary objective was to develop a structured, sustainable, regenerative framework applicable to urban transformation projects. A systematic literature review methodology underpinned this work; 101 relevant publications, sourced from the Scopus and Dimensions databases, were analyzed to synthesize foundational concepts and practices.

The analysis confirmed that effective regenerative urban renewal requires moving beyond simple harm reduction towards active restoration of social-ecological systems and enhanced resilience. Key findings indicate the necessity of integrating deep place understanding ("story of place"), systemic analysis, strategic foresight techniques, and participatory community engagement processes. The developed framework operationalizes these findings, outlining core principles and actionable steps for practitioners. This research provides a theoretically grounded yet practical tool for urban planners, designers, and policymakers. By bridging regenerative theory and practice through a futures-informed lens, the framework offers a novel pathway to foster more resilient, equitable, and thriving urban environments.

Keywords

Conclusion

This study investigated the integration of future thinking methodologies with regenerative approaches to address the complexities of sustainable urban renewal. Through a rigorous literature assessment and bibliometric analysis, the study revealed the expanding importance and multidisciplinary character of regenerative concepts, as well as the crucial need for practical frameworks to guide their urban implementation.

The primary contribution of this work is the development of the Sustainable Regenerative Framework, comprising four interconnected phases: Holistic Assessment, Strategic Foresight, Regenerative Design, and Adaptive Implementation. This framework offers a theoretically grounded and actionable pathway for urban stakeholders to move beyond conventional sustainability practices towards actively fostering the health and vitality of interconnected social and ecological systems. While acknowledging the limitations inherent in a literature-based synthesis and the need for empirical validation, this framework provides a structured approach to navigating urban transformations towards more resilient, equitable, and life-affirming futures. Continued research, practical application, critical reflection, and collaborative learning are essential to further advance the theory and practice of regenerative urbanism.

Author Contrubution

Henry Efe Onomakpo Onomakpo conceived the study, performed the literature review, conducted the bibliometric analysis, developed the framework, and wrote the manuscript.

Funding

This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.

Conflict of Interest

The author declares that there are no conflicts of interest.

Data Sharing Statement

The bibliometric data analyzed in this study originates from the Scopus and Dimensions databases. Due to the proprietary nature of these databases, direct access to the raw data is subject to individual subscription agreements with the respective database providers. However, the processed data, along with the analytical code used in this study (primarily utilizing the "bibliometrix" package in R, which can be assessed on https://cran.r-project.org/package=bibliometrix), is deposited on the publisher’s website. The materials will remain archived permanently.

Software And Tools Use

The biblioshiny() function within the bibliometrix package in R was utilized for conducting bibliometric analysis. This tool enables users to perform comprehensive analyses of scientific literature, including citation analysis, co-authorship networks, and keyword analysis, providing valuable insights into research trends and patterns.

Acknowledgements

The author would like to thank the faculty of Economics and Business staff for their support in the preparation of this manuscript.