Mapping urban renewal priorities for aging residential districts: A spatial evaluation framework based on EWM-TOPSIS

Aging residential buildings pose growing challenges to sustainable urban development, especially in compact cities where redevelopment is constrained by complex land assembly, planning restrictions, and limited private-sector incentives. While prior studies have examined urban renewal factors, few offer spatially detailed, multi-dimensional frameworks suited to high-density, low-feasibility settings. In particular, the integration of objectively weighted indicators and the use of contextual attribute classification remain limited. This study proposes a spatial evaluation framework to assess redevelopment potential, using Hong Kong as a case study. An index system was developed by selecting 49 indicators based on literature and data availability, then refined to 17 through multicollinearity filtering. Indicators were grouped into six dimensions—economic, demographic, building, land use, public services, and transportation, and classified by attribute within local renewal context. Objective weights were derived using the entropy weight method (EWM), followed by the technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS) to generate composite scores for 211 tertiary planning units. Results highlight the Industrial Land Ratio, Bus Transport Area Ratio, and the Mass Transit Railway (MTR) Access Points as key drivers of redevelopment potential. High-priority areas are often transitional zones with aging infrastructure, moderate land values, and strong transit access. The framework offers a transferable, data-driven tool to support targeted urban renewal planning and provides actionable insights for identifying spatial mismatches between renewal urgency and market feasibility. • A new framework identifies and maps redevelopment potential in aging urban areas. • Evaluation incorporates 17 indicators across six urban renewal dimensions. • The scoring system provides an objective, data-driven ranking of Tertiary Planning Units. • Transit accessibility and industrial land use strongly influence renewal priorities. • Findings guide renewal efforts toward areas with urgent need and favorable conditions.