In this viewpoint, we argue that developing a sustainable future for the built environment requires new relationships – among humans, between humans and organisations, and between humans and non-humans – as both a prerequisite and a powerful leverage point for sustainable change. We contend that nurturing relationships among stakeholders is fundamental to transformative change in the built environment, and that context-specific, creative, and participatory strategies are essential for building trust. We illustrate our viewpoint with examples from a New European Bauhaus project that supported such leverage points by engaging the local community and multiple actors through interventions incorporating artistic practices as well as place-based, creative, and participatory design methods. • Forming relationships are key leverage points for a sustainable built environment. • Nurturing deep leverage points can lead to transformative shifts in mindsets. • Emphasis should be on studying their formation over time through local processes and interactions. • A sustainability focus advocates for new relationships among humans and nonhumans. • Engaging through artistic, place-based, and design can impact relationships among multiple stakeholders.

Women and gender non-conforming individuals (GNC) often feel less safe at and around public transport (PT) stations, compared to men. The built environment (BE) plays a well-documented role in shaping perceived safety, yet it remains unclear which specific features are most responsive to the safety concerns of women and GNC. Using data from a tailor-made online survey (N = 3101) from 232 train stations in East Denmark, we investigate BE features explaining each gender group’s perceived safety at the home-end and activity-end travel environments. A structural equation model with multi-group analysis (SEM-MGA) shows that well-lit travel environments and clear wayfinding improve perceived safety for all groups, whereas isolated areas, parking lots, and closed facades around stations particularly harm women’s and GNC travellers’ perceived safety. There are also slight differences between trip ends: shops, urban life, and trees have a stronger positive impact at the home end, while closed facades and isolated areas more strongly reduce perceived safety at the activity end. Towards reducing the gender gap in perceived safety, and achieving a more inclusive PT system, policymakers should prioritise gender-sensitive approaches when designing stations and their urban surroundings. • Women and gender non-conforming (GNC) travellers’ perceived safety in PT requires attention. • SEM-MGA reveals gendered differences in built environment effects on perceived safety. • Well-lit environments and clear wayfinding enhance safety for all groups. • Isolated areas, parking lots, and closed facades especially harm women & GNC safety. • Significance of the built environment differs across home and activity ends of the journey.

In the context of the circular economy (CE), promoting sharing practices – within the contexts of mobility, spaces and services – is essential for extending resource use and fostering sustainability in urban environments. However, the ability of urban neighborhoods to effectively integrate shared mobility, spaces and services remains largely unexplored. This study introduces the conceptual framework of resharing , which merges these elements into a cohesive urban strategy. In developing a comprehensive framework, this paper explores the benefits of resharing and examines recent shifts in urban neighborhoods, particularly multifunctional ground floors. The study also analyzes the spatial and contextual conditions that enable or constrain resharing practices in neighborhoods and buildings. A mixed methods approach was used in the study, consisting of spatial observations in Løren – a neighborhood in northeastern Oslo (Norway), a review of planning and building regulations, and the development of a dashboard tool that is designed to measure and visualize reshareability in the built environment. By offering practical insights and analytical tools, this research aims to assist urban planners and policymakers in refining neighborhood planning strategies, thereby ultimately promoting more interconnected, livable and sustainable urban communities. • In the Circular Economy, the Resharing framework promotes sharing practices across mobility, services, and spatial domains. • Resharing contributes to extended resource use and enhances sustainability and circularity in urban environments. • Resharing integrates spatial functionality, social behavior, and digital/shared mobility within the built environment. • The Reshareability Index supports neighborhood analysis for both current and future sustainable urban development. • Urban planners should use the Reshareability Index in planning to effectively support resharing practices.

Housing constitutes one of the most significant assets for ordinary citizens in China, yet its political implications remain underexplored. Existing political economy theories, largely developed in democratic contexts, predict that property ownership reduces support for redistribution. This study examines whether these expectations hold in China by analyzing the heterogeneous effects of homeownership on policy support for policies related to redistribution. Using nationally representative survey data and combining matching techniques with instrumental variable analysis, we find that homeownership increases support for policies related to redistribution. This positive effect is significantly stronger among employees of state-owned enterprises than among private-sector workers. Mediation analysis further suggests that this relationship operates through channels including family wealth, perceptions of inequality, and marital status. These findings challenge dominant asset-based theories of redistribution and demonstrate that the political consequences of homeownership are fundamentally shaped by institutional context. More broadly, the study highlights how housing functions not only as an economic asset but also as a socio-political mechanism through which states mediate welfare expectations and social stability. • Homeownership increases support for redistribution policies in China. • The impact is stronger for employees of state-owned enterprises compared to private-sector workers. • Socioeconomic factors like income and inequality perceptions mediate this relationship. • Matching algorithms and instrumental variable methods address endogeneity concerns. • Findings connect housing policies to broader welfare and urban governance debates.