Scientific paper presentation: Due to rapid urbanization and economic development in China, cities have experienced a massive influx of migrants from other parts of China since the late 20th century, leading to the emergence of urban villages characterized by informal settlement of diverse populations, substandard living conditions, inadequate infrastructure and essential services. Urban villages have become focal points for regeneration efforts aimed at achieving sustainable urban growth and improving living conditions. However, urban village regeneration increasingly generates concerns about gentrification effects, displacement, and even conflicts between various stakeholders. Original residents, especially migrants are usually excluded in the decision making, while their behavior towards relocation policy is very likely to hinder the process of urban village regeneration. This paper investigates migrants’ preferences for the alternative relocation policy designs through the stated choice experiment approach, aimed at providing insights for urban planners and policy makers to make more inclusive regeneration policies.

New technologies can offer countless possibilities and solutions for many issues. However, not everyone can benefit from it. We believe it is necessary to explicitly pay attention to, and foster, the development of tech solutions for marginalized groups in cities and societies. If we fail to pay attention, the possibilities of technology may benefit only the people who are already best off, and leave people who have a less favorable position in life or society behind. In this way tech will increase the gap between the more and less fortunate. The report gives an overview of obstacles and suitable solutions when developing tech for and with marginalized groups. The aim is to provide knowledge, tips and tools for - policy makers at local or national government level who want to foster development of tech solutions for these groups - tech companies and NGOs to raise awareness and promote the social value of tech for marginalized citizens. - anyone wanting to develop technology for these groups – tech students and research groups, but also platforms who work with specific target groups. During our research, we encountered obstacles that can partly be solved by a closer cooperation and a better understanding of the challenges of today's society. The process described in the report is divided in different phases, from identifying needs of specific groups to implementation and maintenance of tech solutions for these groups. For all phases, we present common obstacles for which we provide solutions and resources such as templates and methodologies. We have also come across obstacles that cannot be solved within this project but require further research and cooperation with stakeholders and responsible parties. An example is the funding of tech for marginalized groups. This is a recurring bottleneck and an important topic in this report. Our research is based on interviews and interactive sessions we held with different stakeholders. We also ran pilots within the CommuniCity project that gave us insight into practice. This report is an initial document. It will be put online in a user-friendly shape. In the course of the EU-project CommuniCity, we will collect more learnings which will help improve and refine the report. More information on the EU-project CommuniCity: In this EU-project, three Open calls are organized in which EU cities present challenges, focusing on issues of any marginalized groups in cities - from people who are deaf to refugees to illiterate people to long-term unemployed. Proposals can be submitted by organizations and individuals, but in practice most applicants are tech startups. The best proposals receive a small subsidy to conduct a pilot in one or more cities. For further information see https://communicity-project.eu/

Mumbai, a city renowned for its vibrant work-live neighbourhoods introduces a unique housing typology—the cohabitation of humans and cattle within dense tabela neighbourhoods. Tabelas or cattle sheds, traditionally found in rural areas, have adapted to urban landscapes transforming into conventional warehouse-like structures. This shift, influenced by outdated housing manuals has resulted in deplorable living conditions for both human workers and non-human cattle despite the critical role of dairy farming in providing fresh milk to the city's inhabitants. Historically, Mumbai housed numerous inner-city sheds but the surge in housing demands during the 1950s led to their relocation to the outskirts. With a current population exceeding 21 million (World Population Review, 2023), the city's housing paradigm predominantly centers on human living neglecting the essential cohabitation of non-human species. Drawing inspiration from the Brambell Report of 1965 which advocated for animals' five freedoms (McCulloch, 2012), this project proposes an innovative approach—integrating non-human species into various urban housing forms. The study focuses on a densely populated tabela neighbourhood in Mumbai, home to 1200 buffaloes and 120 caretakers. By advancing the argument for animal welfare and acknowledging their physical health and emotional experiences, the project seeks to transcend the conventional notion of mere survival to one of thriving (Mellor, 2016). Embracing practical measures that extend beyond basic needs such as water, food, shelter and disease reduction, the objective is to create a cohabitation living model that fosters the optimal well-being of both humans and animals. In essence, this project challenges the established housing norms and advocates for a paradigm shift in urban planning—an inclusive model that accommodates the unique needs of non-human species. By reimagining this neighbourhood as a thriving ecosystem where the welfare of animals is prioritised alongside human living conditions, the project aims to set a precedent for future urban developments that harmonise the coexistence of diverse species within the intricately networked fabric of city life. How does one diverge from the conventional concept of a ‘shell’ that has persisted over time?

Impactful, growth-oriented entrepreneurship is a major research and policy focus. Building on arguments put forward by Jane Jacobs more than 50 years ago, we propose that local knowledge spillovers in a city are enhanced by human agency in that city (e.g. local psychological openness). This effect is critically amplified by the catalyst function of a favorable structural city environment that not only connects these agentic people (via urban density), but also facilitates the production and flow of new knowledge for these connected agentic people (via a diverse industry mix). This three-way interaction effect was confirmed in our empirical investigation of quality entrepreneurship across the MSAs (cities) in the US, using a large-scale dataset of the psychological profiles of millions of people. Local openness shows a robust positive effect on the level of quality entrepreneurship. This effect is further strengthened by a favorable structural city environment (i.e. high density and diversity) by up to 35%. Reviving Jacobs’ people focus, the results indicate that the best performing cities in terms of knowledge spillovers and economic performance are those that are not only home to, and attract, agentic people, but also empower these people by means of a physical and industrial city landscape that enables them to act in more innovative and entrepreneurial ways, as envisioned by Jacobs. We discuss the policy implications of our findings and an agenda for future research.