Toward a Regenerative Urban Paradigm in the Challenges of Anthropocene Era
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Abstract
This article aims to synthesize and develop a conceptual framework for the Regenerative Urban Paradigm (RUP) in order to move beyond the limitations of Sustainable Development (SD) and Smart City approaches in addressing the challenges of the Anthropocene—an era characterized by non-stationarity and escalating systemic risks. The article employs an Integrative Conceptual Review combined with critical analysis structured through a thesis–antithesis–synthesis framework to organize and reinterpret contemporary urban development knowledge. The synthesis reveals that SD, grounded in the logic of equilibrium maintenance and impact mitigation, is poorly aligned with the nonlinear dynamics and unstable conditions of Earth systems. At the same time, Smart City frameworks continue to prioritize technical efficiency while insufficiently addressing socio-ecological dimensions. In response, the article proposes RUP, which conceptualizes cities as living Social–Ecological–Technological Systems (living SETS) and emphasizes the creation of net-positive outcomes through three core components: (1) regenerative urban systems that enhance ecological capital through blue–green infrastructure; (2) systemic resilience emphasizing adaptation, recovery, and transformative capacity; and (3) human wellness as the normative core of urban development. These components operate through a mutually reinforcing feedback loop, strengthening the regenerative capacity of urban systems. The article argues that RUP provides a clearer and more robust paradigm than SD and reframes smart technologies as enabling tools rather than as the dominant paradigm for urban design and development in the twenty-first century.
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