Living with the Void

Coexistence, Adaptation, and Acceptance of Urban Emptiness

Bibliographic Data

ID19489205
AuthorsTímea Žolobaničová (0009-0005-7530-4855, Slovak University of Agriculture in Nitra), Zuzana Vinczeová (0009-0006-1351-1039, Slovak University of Agriculture in Nitra), Roberta Štěpánková (0000-0002-6792-035X, Slovak University of Agriculture in Nitra), Attila Toth (0000-0001-5621-5893, Slovak University of Agriculture in Nitra, corresponding author)
Year2026
Volume10
Issue5
Pages235
Publication date2026-04-30
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueUrban Science (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2413-8851 • E-ISSN: 2413-8851
PublisherMDPI AG (PUBLISHER • IT)
DOI10.3390/urbansci10050235
OpenAlexW7160023181
LanguageEN
References cited24

Urban emptiness is a recurring spatial condition across contemporary cities, resulting from long-term planning decisions, functional transformations, and shifting socio-economic dynamics. Urban voids are often interpreted as signs of failure or neglect; however, they also represent flexible and open-ended spaces embedded within everyday urban environments. This study develops and tests the Adaptive Void Assessment Framework (AVAF), a five-dimensional typological instrument applied to n = 33 urban voids identified through a systematic grid-based field survey (100 × 100 m resolution) in the central urban zone of Nitra, Slovakia (March 2025–January 2026). The framework evaluates sites across nine indicators spanning openness, social appropriation, ecological succession, temporal persistence, and institutional flexibility, yielding composite Adaptivity Index scores and four dominant adaptive regimes. The findings demonstrate that 34% of identified voids function in a socially active regime while 14% exhibit ecological dominance, with a moderate positive correlation identified between temporal persistence and adaptive capacity (r = 0.46, p

Emptiness · Urban climate · Urban density · Urban ecology · Urban metabolism · Urban planning · Urbanization · Land Use and Ecosystem Services · Urban Design and Spatial Analysis · Urbanization and City Planning

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