Publicness as a Dimension of Social Sustainability: Evaluating Regenerated Public Spaces in Manchester

Areeba Rizwan

Urban regeneration is widely promoted as a pathway towards sustainable cities, yet its contribution to social sustainability remains contested. This research examines how publicness contributes to socially sustainable regeneration through two flagship public spaces in Manchester: Mayfield Park and Cutting Room Square. Drawing on Carmona’s Extended Place-Shaping Continuum, the study employs a mixed-method approach combining site observations, spatial analysis, policy review and user surveys to evaluate how governance, design and management influence publicness. The findings demonstrate that regenerated public spaces can enhance accessibility, encourage social interaction and strengthen place identity. However, they also reveal tensions between public accessibility and private stewardship, highlighting how governance arrangements shape inclusivity and everyday experiences of public space. While regeneration can improve the physical environment, its long-term social sustainability depends on governance models that ensure equitable access and meaningful public use. By positioning publicness as a key dimension of social sustainability, this research contributes to debates on sustainable urban regeneration. It offers insights for planners, designers and policymakers seeking to create inclusive, resilient and people-centred public spaces.

Keywords: publicness; social sustainability; urban regeneration; governance; public space

Transitional Space Typologies in Three Athenian Atrial Buildings

Chara Pouliou, Paula Cadima and Simos Yannas

This paper investigates the environmental role of atrial buildings as climate-responsive typologies within Athens. Three buildings were selected to examine whether recurring transitional typologies retain environmental behaviours across historical periods, spatial scales and patterns of use: the Ottoman-period Benizelos Mansion (17th century; renovated by Kizi Studio), the Neoclassical Averoff Building of the NTUA (1859; designed by Lyssandros Kaftantzoglou), and the post-war Benaki Apartment Building (1973; designed by Atelier 66). Each case is analysed through its outdoor transitional typologies, including courtyards, atria, stoas, verandas and thresholds. Field measurements during April 2024 recorded air temperature and relative humidity against Hellinikon meteorological station data. Findings identify recurring environmental patterns, with courtyards generating diversity, stoas providing thermal buffering, and verandas and thresholds mediating climatic transitions. Observed use reflected these environmental differences, linking microclimatic conditions with occupation. Despite differences in age, scale and use, the typologies demonstrate enduring climatic adaptation.

Keywords: transitional spaces, courtyards, urban microclimate, environmental typologies, fieldwork in Athens