This study investigates how young adults' housing preferences are evolving in the context of smart city development and contemporary challenges in everyday life in the context of smart systems.Using survey data collected from students at HafenCity University Hamburg (HCU), the University of the Built Environment and Metropolitan Development, this study investigates how perceptions of smart buildings and cities influence their housing decision-making processes. A mixed-methods approach was applied, combining quantitative analysis of survey data with qualitative insights. The participants, HCU students, represent a key demographic whose views are critical to understanding the future of urban housing.

The findings indicate that students perceive smart buildings primarily in terms of their implications for sustainability and privacy. Many respondents emphasised the potential of smart buildings to improve energy efficiency and reduce environmental impact, aligning with broader sustainability goals.

The paper concludes by discussing the implications for urban planning and design, particularly the need to consider the housing parameters of younger generations in shaping smart cities with a focus on architectural education. For architects and planners, this research underscores the importance of creating urban environments that balance technological advancements with social inclusivity and resilience. By exploring the intersection of innovation, personal preferences, and housing trends, this study contributes to a deeper understanding of how smart cities can meet the needs of their future residents.

The outbreak of the global Covid-19 pandemic accelerated digital transition (DT) altering conventional perspectives and conceptual frameworks on how we understand the residential mobility. New opportunities created by remote work and expansion of digital services reduce location-dependence (Milasi et al 2022) allowing new flows of residential mobility to more distant locations whereas new residential choices further reshape daily living arrangements and social interactions. Opportunities created by DT, however, influence more those who are exposed to the opportunity to work remotely – i.e. white-collar middle and higher income earners rather than blue-collar workers whose work is still more place-bound (Randall and Norlén 2022). The article looks at the suburban and outer-urban location choices by those households who are more affected by the DT in case of Tallinn, Estonia. Based on the qualitative research methodology the study aims to understand the context of digitalization and polycrisis on such residential relocations. The individual lifecourse events, transformed values and preferences are being investigated in order to understand how the residential decisions came about in specific time and spatial context, and how do other interventions – for example reorganization of work or change of attitudes by the employers - enabled households to opt for their new more distant locations. In other words, the systemic openings and aspects of socio-technological transformation brought by the DT are identified as regards to their influence on the level of individual households’ residential behaviour. Tallinn urban region is characterised by fast internet connections and overall highly advanced level of digitalization; the ICT sector is expanding fast, with increasing number of private and public e-service provision, contributing to the shift of activities to digital space.

Renovating the housing stock in the Netherlands is one of the main mitigation strategies of the Dutch government (EZK, 2016; Koninkrijksrelaties, 2022). However, renovations do not only change the house itself, they also impact how residents live in that house (Hellwig, 2019; Sunikka-Blank & Galvin, 2012; van den Brom et al., 2019). Renovations considered to be an impactful moment of change in the everyday life of residents. Before, during, and after the renovation, a residents’ relationship with home is renegotiated (Cook, 2021). In the process of renovations, residents (implicitly and explicitly) anticipate what the future of their everyday life looks like during and after the renovation, which impacts the process and outcome of the renovation itself (Cook, 2021). For tenants living in social housing, renovations add additional uncertainties, as they have less control over the renovation process and contents compared to home-owners.

The study shows diverging perceptions of futures of everyday life between professionals and residents, which can lead to injustices and potentially escalate conflict (van Uffelen, 2024). As shown in previous research it is the diverging and opposing expectations of the future around which justice claims can form (Haarbosch et al., 2021).Moreover, renovation processes can give rise to diverging (normative) justice claims in regards to what the renovation process and everyday life should look like (Breukers et al., 2017). Issues with the execution of policy instruments can potentially lead to a failure to deliver energy saving promises (Kaufmann et al., 2023; Sovacool, 2021).

This study explores the intersection of renovations, expected futures, and justice in the context of everyday practices of social housing tenants in the Netherlands. It maps residents’ and local professionals’ expectations of renovation processes, expected changes in energy practices, and analyses justice claims that arise before, during, and after a renovation. Through ethnographic methods, including engagement with living labs, ‘cultural probes’ (a creative method from design research), and focus groups, this study focuses on three renovation projects in two Dutch municipalities. Insights can be used to redesign renovation processes to take into account residents’ justice claims, and ways residents use and make futures in everyday life.

Urban renewal involves modifying building structures to meet evolving challenges and aspirations. These processes are shaped by diverse actors and interventions. A key challenge lies in identifying and analyzing these interventions and the underlying dwelling aspirations. The Soft Urban Renewal programme in Vienna, initiated in the 1970s, exemplifies a ‘gentle’ and participatory approach to modernizing historic neighborhoods. At the time, Vienna faced over 300,000 substandard flats lacking water or sanitary facilities, making urban renewal imperative. Civil society played a crucial role in shifting the program’s paradigm, advocating for cautious modernization and participatory processes instead of demolition.

One significant example is the “Planquadrat” documentary film, which featured resident interviews and brought their perspectives into public media discourse. This visibility influenced urban projects, such as transforming unused courtyards into collective gardens. Similarly, an interview series with 220 participants in the Ottakring pilot area showcased diverse aspirations, further shaping renewal strategies.

Today, urban renewal faces new challenges, including decarbonization and climate change mitigation. The “Soft Urban Renewal” research project examines these evolving processes through 16 biographical interviews with key pioneers and archival analyses. The study traces strategies and practices over decades, highlighting how participatory methods and local preferences shaped the modernization and adaptation of housing and public spaces.

These interviews reveal not only how structural challenges have evolved but also the diversity of residents' needs, wishes, and ideas about urban living. They also showcase the methodological approaches used to identify and incorporate these aspirations into urban planning. By examining the dynamic interplay of aspirations and interventions, the research underscores how participatory processes have historically influenced and continue to shape urban renewal strategies in Vienna.