Building footprint of urban regeneration: A territorial investigation of linear infrastructure in Yangon

This paper explores the pivotal role of linear infrastructure (L.I) in urban regeneration within Yangon, Myanmar, proposing an alternative solution to transform neglected historic urban landscapes into vibrant public spaces. Yangon's specific challenges, including the aging and deteriorating state of many infrastructures, the encroachment of residential and commercial activities, and a growing disparity between the rapidly increasing population and the limited availability of communal spaces, all of which underscore the urgent need for regeneration.Through the examination of three different types of linear infrastructure in Yangon (railway, water pipeline, and flyovers) across large, medium, and small scales as case studies, the research discusses the "Key Enablers for Enhancing Linear Infrastructure" in city regeneration as an analytical framework. The methodology is rooted in a qualitative approach, utilizing comprehensive datasets from state-of-the-art analysis, secondary data, government reports, longitudinal field investigations, inventories, and focus group discussions with custodians from neighbourhoods surrounding these infrastructures. The research identifies four key enablers: connectivity, land use composition, socio-economic conditions, and ecological conditions, which facilitate the integration of linear infrastructure with urban regeneration in Yangon. The findings highlight the critical role these factors play in revitalizing urban spaces. The study offers valuable insights for alternative solutions to transform neglected historic linear infrastructures into vibrant spaces, addressing the significance of key enablers in overcoming the upcoming challenges of urban and linear infrastructure regeneration. The research is of great interest to the readership of Journal of Urban Management owing to the following highlights as. • It endeavours align with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG target 9 and 11 with overarching goal to ensure resilient infrastructure and sustainable cities and communities respectively. • It identifies the constraints faced by linear infrastructures in Yangon Urban Landscape. • It reveals that obsolete linear infrastructures are the issue/potential of open space regeneration of city landscape. • It analyses the territorial performance of three different linear infrastructures at different scales (large, medium and small) covering the selected part of the city. The infrastructures investigated are: Railway, Water pipeline, and Flyovers. • It establishes four key enablers, connectivity, land use composition, socio-economic conditions, and ecological conditions in overcoming the upcoming challenges of urban and linear infrastructure regeneration. • Finally, it suggest regeneration framework of linear infrastructure from Issue, Value aspects to Potential Aspects as well Expected outcomes in regeneration of city landscape, research implementation, legal intervention, among others.