Prof. Tomaz Dentinho (p)

The aim of this paper is to propose a consistent set of ideas that promote the sustainable development of both people and places within a city, exemplifying with the governance of Lisbon.
It illustrates the need for a systemic paradigm concerning the sustainable development of people and places and experimenting with the practice of territorial medicine—an approach grounded in regional science.
The systemic approach makes it possible to understand the mechanisms that foster the goals of sustainable development, by revealing the factors that municipal government can influence: the selective investment in gradually improving adapted spaces, and the careful management of institutions. This assumes that the environment, the economy, society, and well-being cannot be directly and effectively manipulated by the municipality or the state.
Applying the methodological approach to Lisbon the paper argues that the city greatest problem lies in the poor diagnosis and prognosis carried out by institutions and regulation, that blaming tourism, immigration, the airport, or the port are the main problems of the city. This perspective on the disturbances created by the existing activities leads to the failure to attract investment, weak economic performance, and generates poverty. The city’s problems also stem from misguided public policies, often justified by partial and non-integrated disciplinary visions.
The paper argues for the financial viability of designing a competitive and sustainable city—one that values its unique airport and port, locates urban activities where they are most suitable, makes citizens accountable for the balance between the taxes they pay and the public goods and services they receive, attracts investors to basic industries, integrates immigrants and tourists, and provides residents, workers, and families with the means to create culture, well-being, and sustainable development. The paper concludes with a shift in the focus of research, from disciplinary questions to place-based research questions.

Ms Xiao Hu(p)

Following China’s WTO accession, export-oriented manufacturing regions (EOMRs) became deeply embedded in global production networks, gaining rapid growth but also heightened vulnerability to external shocks. Since 2018, China’s economic development has entered a period of polycrisis driven by the slowdown of globalization, intensified U.S.-China trade tensions, Covid-19 pandemic and changes in demographic structure. China’s economy has experienced a slowdown due to its long-standing dependence on low-end manufacturing exports. EOMRs are undoubtedly the most noteworthy type of region in this context.

Regional economic resilience (RER) is a recursive and path-dependent process. Pre-crisis development paths are shaped by industrial structure, innovation, labor markets, and institutions. These features may act as vulnerabilities or capacities in times of heightened economic uncertainty. However, the resilience performance and capacity of EOMRs under these shocks remain insufficiently understood. In seeking to address this gap, this study employs a mixed-methods approach to focus on three key questions: 1) how have Chinese EOMRs responded to multiple crises since 2000; 2) how do different forms of agency interact with structural conditions, especially multi-scalar institutions, to shape the uneven economic resilience across Chinese EOMRs; 3) What are the developmental consequences of the resilience formation process in EOMRs, and how might the resilience formation process reinforce or mitigate uneven regional development and intra-urban inequality. It is argued that understanding RER, requires moving beyond structural functionalism and adopting a structure-agency analytical perspective, which allows us to deconstruct what constitutes and determines the region-specific effects.

Preliminary findings indicate that resilient regions are distinguished not only by their capacity to withstand shocks, but also by their ability to initiate a virtuous cycle of renewal and transformation. This requires more than short-term stimulus, but active structural and institutional adjustments. Kunshan, a county-level city, serves as a typical example of employing institutional entrepreneurship and place-based leadership in cultivating resilience.

Dr Kuniaki SASAKI (p), Dr Ayako TANIGUCHI (p), Mr Taiki YOSHIDA, Mr Soraaki TOYOOKA

Cultivating place attachment is essential for revitalizing communities. While various methodologies have been proposed, this study investigated the determinants of place attachment in two Japanese regions: a mountainous area facing population decline and a suburban community of a major city facing aging.

In the mountainous area Kamikita village in Nara prefecture, questionnaires were distributed to all households residing in the village (N=116). The survey was conducted by asking current village residents to forward the questionnaire to individuals who had already left the village. Responses from those who had left the village and returned the questionnaire (N=44) were used to examine their hometown attachment. Statistical analysis revealed a significant positive correlation with the frequency of contact with the sender. Furthermore, participation experience in hometown community development activities was shown to enhance hometown attachment. This suggests that for those who have left the village and reside relatively nearby, facilitating participation in local events may be effective. For those residing farther away, maintaining frequent contact may be effective in cultivating hometown attachment. The study also suggested that enhancing the hometown attachment of those who have left the village could be an effective way to encourage their support.

Meanwhile, in suburban areas of large cities, the aging of housing complexes developed decades ago is significant, and ensuring travel modes for residents unable to drive private cars is a challenge. In Matsudo City, Chiba Prefecture, a Neighborhood Electric Vehicle System (ELMS) has been established. Using city funds, golf cart-type electric vehicles are loaned to neighborhood associations and managed by residents. This system supplements the last-mile travel needs of residents. To understand the impact of this ELMS on place attachment, a questionnaire survey was conducted among residents (N=95). The results showed that ELMS users experienced increased place attachment through increased frequency of going out. Furthermore, it became clear that the community's autonomous operation of the ELMS positively influenced users' attitudes toward the system. For a sustainable ELMS, it is crucial that municipalities give each district discretion, allowing them to operate according to their specific characteristics and cultivating trust between municipality residents.

These cases suggest that the degree of residents' involvement in their community may positively influence the cultivation of community place attachment. As the challenges associated with declining birthrates, aging populations, and population decline vary by region, it is necessary to continue accumulating and sharing case studies going forward.

Prof. Gonçalo Santinha (p), Dra. Jéssica Tavares, Maria Francisca Mineiro, Marija Bockarjova, Aleksander Serafin, Monika Cysek-Pawlak

The links between spatial planning and health are not new. For decades, spatial planning has been recognised as a key policy domain shaping living conditions, environmental quality, access to services, and social opportunities - factors now widely conceptualised as Social Determinants of Health (SDH). International agendas, particularly those advocating a Health in All Policies approach, have repeatedly emphasised the need to address health through territorial interventions. Yet, despite this long-standing conceptual recognition, there is still limited empirical knowledge on how contemporary spatial planning systems translate these principles into concrete planning frameworks. This paper addresses this gap by examining how SDH are recognised within National Spatial Plans (NSPs) in four European countries: Portugal, Ireland, Estonia, and Lithuania. NSPs constitute the backbone of national planning systems, setting strategic orientations and guiding lower-tier spatial plans. The paper therefore asks a critical empirical question: to what extent do NSPs currently recognise and translate SDH into spatial development frameworks? Addressing this question is essential for understanding whether spatial planning functions merely as a discursive supporter of health objectives or as an active policy instrument shaping health-relevant conditions. The analysis is based on a systematic qualitative content analysis supported by MAXQDA. Planning documents were coded along two analytical dimensions. First, the presence of SDH was examined across the main stages of the planning cycle (diagnostic, strategic, and operational), reflecting whether health determinants are used to frame problems, define objectives, and guide implementation. References were classified to distinguish between direct, indirect, and missing engagement with SDH. Second, the analysis examined references to planning mechanisms relevant for acting on SDH, including spatial targeting, cross-sectoral articulation, and implementation instruments, as these are critical for translating policy recognition into territorial practice. The findings reveal marked cross-national variation. Portugal and Ireland display more visible acknowledgement of SDH, although integration remains uneven across planning stages. In contrast, Estonia and Lithuania show limited and largely implicit consideration of SDH. Across all cases, SDH are more frequently referenced at strategic or discursive levels than embedded in operational planning instruments, highlighting a persistent gap between recognition and implementation. These results suggest that, despite decades of conceptual alignment between spatial planning and health, NSPs still struggle to integrate SDH in ways that shape concrete spatial interventions. The paper provides comparative evidence on the extent to which national spatial planning frameworks are equipped to address structurally produced health inequalities in an era of growing socio-environmental uncertainty.