As cities change and evolve over time their adaptive capacity is regularly questioned. Cities can be vulnerable to the effects of population change, climate change and the pressures of modernisation and globalisation, or they can be designed and built with those effects and the capability to manage them, even benefit from them, in mind. Designing, creating and managing sustainable residential areas, those that last the test of time, is pivotal to providing liveable environments for residents. Sustainable residential areas provide adequate and secure housing, prosperous social and cultural environments, and ensure a well-educated, healthy and motivated workforce for local economies. In addition, as inhabitants are recognised for their diversity and are engaged in their living environments, public participation in urban planning is an essential step in the process of sustainable urban design. This special issue thus brings together urban planning research focusing on three key areas: the use and access of information technology to residents, residential area uses and divisions, and urban area renewal.
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