Servicability of urban areas: Definition and key elements

In recent years the field of urban area is researched from societal, economical, ecological and cultural perspectives. However the layer of services and serviceability of the urban areas as are not so much discussed and investigated. Such research could provide new insights for the development of urban areas as well as provide feed forward for new design initiatives. The goal of this paper is to define the serviceability of urban areas and to identify the key elements that create a service-based competitiveness. The empirical data is collected from areal serviceability case studies. The case studies focused on users of the services (demand) and the service provides (supply) at the certain area. The first case concentrated on comparison of the housing services in different cities. The second case was more about areal user experience and the third case brought together relevant industry actors for providing the new services by creating new interdisciplinary service products and networks. The case projected investigated city as an interface and a service platform. The data is gathered by carrying out a retrospective analysis. The results include the similarities and differences between mature and developing urban areas as well as comparable mixed areal structures and maturity level indictors. The insights to responsive city provide new approach for the serviceability of the urban area. Additionally the local service business requirements are analyzed and the drivers and obstacles of the development are identified together with the local success factors. The outcomes offer a potential input for discussions on the objectives of urban economics and planning. The results support increased awareness and understanding (learnability) of the serviceability of the urban areas. The proposed framework for areal serviceability is utilized in designing new Greenfield areas and furthermore in responding to changes in existing areas.