The catalytic role of soft cities in urban development systems / Deng Jian Feng, Sharmiza Abu Hassan and Liza Marziana Mohammad Noh

In the context of Industry 4.0, the development of global cities has shifted from large-scale industrialization to intelligent and sustainable development. Contemporary urban researchers classify urban systems into three categories: hard cities, soft cities, and resilient cities. A hard city refers to the physical framework and infrastructure of urban space, while a soft city encompasses aspects of urban life such as art, culture, civilization, aesthetics, and humanities. On the other hand, resilient cities reflect the necessary plasticity for sustainable development. This article employs case study methods and comparative studies to analyse the positive impact of the development of soft city systems on hard and resilient cities. Through analysis, the following conclusions can be drawn. The development of soft cities has promoted the transformation of physical space planning and design in hard cities, promoted the renewal of resilient cities, and accelerated the integration of soft and hard cities, laying a foundation for the sustainable development of the entire city.