Technological Innovations and Emerging Approaches for the Built Environment and Smart Cities

This book offers an extensive summary of recent research on sustainable development in urban planning and architectural design, as presented at the ninth edition of the conference entitled “Urban Planning and Architectural Design for Sustainable Development (UPADSD)” that took place in Florence, Italy, from October 22nd to 24th, 2024. It serves as a forum for professionals, researchers, and individuals interested in urban planning and architectural design to share ideas, information, and experiences. The book is divided into two volumes, with the first volume concentrating on Urban Regeneration: Leveraging Environmental, Cultural, and Social Assets. This book is structured into four sections: Green Infrastructure and Urban Climate Resilience, Urban Design and Mobility Strategies for the Regeneration of Cities and Communities, Urban Heritage and Cultural Identity: Methods and Applications for Conservation, Design Approaches for Community Engagement and Social Sustainability.
The second volume is dedicated to Technological Innovations and Emerging Approaches for the Built Environment and Smart Cities, comprising four sections: Innovative Building Materials and Techniques, Energy Efficiency and Climate Solutions in the Built Environment, Advanced Tools and Methods for Urban Analysis, Evaluation, and Decision-Making, Digital Transformation and Smart Cities. Envisioning the Urban Future.

Paola Gallo is Full Professor in Architectural Technology at the University of Florence, where she carries out teaching and research activities and Scientific Secretary and Coordinator of the Master of Interuniversity Research Center in Bio-ecological Architecture and Technological Innovation for the Environment. She is Scientific Director of the Laboratory of Technologies for the Mediterranean Area and Coordinator of the Ph.D. Program Sustainability and Innovation for the Built Environment and Product System Design at the University of Florence and Member of Editorial Board of Journal of Technology for Architecture and Environment. She carries out research in the field of technical and technological innovation in design with attention to new materials and new technologies for a new language in architecture. 

Francesco Alberti is Associate Professor of Urban Planning and Urban Design at the University of Florence, where he is the coordinator of the Urban Design Laboratory and professor for the master's degree course in Urban and Territorial Planning and Landscape Architecture as well as Smart City Planning for the ABITA Master. He is the scientific coordinator of the research unit Sustainable Urban Projects and Research and of the university spin-off Urban Liveability and Innovation for Everyone and Member of the National Institute of Urban Planning and of the National Committees Networks, Policies for Infrastructure and Innovation and Urban Accessibility for All, his scientific interests are in the field of territorial planning and urban design to provide cultural coherence and operational continuity between research, training and public policies for the city and the territory. 

Antonio Labalestra is Associate Professor in History of Architecture from IUAV in Venice and a 2° level European master's degree from the University of Roma Tre. Is a member of 2 doctoral colleges at the Polytechnic University of Bari and teaches contemporary architectural history and design history. His research focuses on architectural history from the late nineteenth to twentieth centuries, particularly its intersections with applied arts and industrial production. He has led the Historical Heritage and Archival Sources laboratory and directs a master's program on digital strategies for historical heritage. His research emphasizes the role of history in contemporary design and cultural production, exploring its relevance across urban, institutional and political contexts. 

Hasim Alta is Full Professor of Sustainable Design and Architectural Engineering at Prince Mohammad Bin Fahd University. He successfully completed his Ph.D., during which he was also appointed as a post-doctoral researcher at the Faculty of Architecture, University of Sheffield. There he completed his Postgraduate Certificate in Teaching and Learning in Higher Education and subsequently became a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. He is Chartered Architect and Engineer with over 25 years of academic and practical experience in the built environment in the UK, Europe, the Middle East and North Africa. He is a founding member of the International Network on Zero Energy Mass Custom Homes. 

Dr. Eric Strauss is Lawyer and Professor of land use and urban and regional planner. He served on the staff of a Wisconsin governor and later served as Chair of the Master of Science in City Planning at the University of Kansas. He was Director of the City and Regional Planning Program at Michigan State University and a Fulbright Specialist at Panama City. He was later appointed Site Visitor by the Planning Accreditation Board and then a Fulbright Scholar at the School of Public Administration at Babes-Bolyai University in Romania. He served as Chair of the Academic Advisory Council for Signage Research and Training. His recent research interests include sustainability, climate planning, energy efficient buildings, and signage control