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Building Sustainable Urban Space: A Sustainability Approach

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A special issue of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (ISSN 1660-4601). This special issue belongs to the section "Environmental Health".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 July 2023) | Viewed by 34365

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Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Xiaoqing Song

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Guest Editor

School of Geography and Information Engineering, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074, China
Interests: land use transition; resilient land systems; multifunctional land use; urban vacant land governance
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Yeran Sun

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Guest Editor

School of Geography, University of Lincoln, Lincoln LN6 7TS, UK
Interests: environmental health; transport; mobility
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Shaohua Wang

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Guest Editor

State Key Laboratory of Remote Sensing Science, Aerospace Information Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
Interests: spatiotemporal big data analysis; GeoAI; remote sensing AI; deep learning
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Technology is changing the daily lifestyles of urban residents and reshaping the relationship between urban residents and urban spaces. Particularly, in the coming years, urban spaces are anticipated to offer both physical and mental health benefits via design, reconstruction, and greening. Urban spaces will become places where people can conduct physical activities and/or social activities, as well as rest or relax to promote physical and/or mental health. The building of sustainable urban spaces is directly linked with the construction of sustainable cities and communities, one of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The sustainable management and planning of urban spaces is expected to contribute to health promotion, resilience enhancement, and sustainable transport development. Therefore, this Special Issue welcomes papers focused on the development of sustainable urban spaces. Potential topics might include, but are not limited to: the management and planning of urban spaces; the health benefits of urban spaces; the contribution of urban spaces to resilience enhancement; the contribution of urban spaces to sustainable transport; the contribution of urban spaces to safety; urban vacant land; and greening urban spaces.

Prof. Dr. Xiaoqing Song
Dr. Yeran Sun
Dr. Shaohua Wang
Guest Editors

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Keywords

sustainable urban space development
sustainable urban mobility
sustainable urban planning
sustainable urban informatics
delimitating the urban growth boundary
urban land use transition
urban vacant land governance; greening urban space
health effects of urban spaces
resilience assessment of urban spaces

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Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

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14 pages, 19779 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Developing and Applying an Urban Resilience Index for the Evaluation of Declining Areas: A Case Study of South Korea’s Urban Regeneration Sites

by Byungsuk Kim, Gil-Sang Lee, Minjun Kim, Who-Seung Lee and Hee-Sun Choi

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(4), 3653; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20043653 - 18 Feb 2023

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 20429

Abstract

This study attempts to identify the direction of urban regeneration projects in declining areas by using the concept of urban resilience to cope with climate change and disaster. To this end, urban resilience was classified into a Green Resilient Infrastructure (GRI) and an Interactive Safety System (ISS), through a review of previous studies, and categorized into vulnerability, adaptability, and transformability. A total of 12 detailed indicators were derived and indexed using Euclidean distance. Using the indicators, three Korean urban regeneration targets, in Daegu, Mokpo, and Seosan, were selected to evaluate resilience before and after the urban regeneration plan. Consequently, the postplanning resilience index improved in all three target sites, compared to before the regeneration plan. Additionally, previously the regeneration plan showed lower index values in comparison to places not designated as urban regeneration areas. These results suggest that urban resilience needs to be considered in future urban regeneration projects, and that resilience indicators can be used as a means to set the direction of urban regeneration projects. To improve the overall resilience of a region, these indices can help local government establish a reference point for urban resilience in its region. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Building Sustainable Urban Space: A Sustainability Approach)

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15 pages, 5740 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Spatial Accessibility Analysis of Medical Facilities Based on Public Transportation Networks

by Ying Liu, Han Gu and Yuyu Shi

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(23), 16224; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192316224 - 4 Dec 2022

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2941

Abstract

Aiming to look at the problems of the unreasonable layout of medical facilities and low coverage of primary medical services. This paper selects tertiary grade A hospitals, general hospitals, specialized hospitals, community-level hospitals, clinics, and pharmacies in the main urban areas of Chongqing as research objects. The nearest analysis, kernel density, mean center, and standard deviational ellipse method were used to analyze the spatial differentiation characteristics of medical facilities and public transportation stations. Spatial accessibility was assessed from the perspective of service area ratios and service population ratios by constructing multiple modes of transportation (pedestrian systems, bus lines, rail lines). The results show that (1) the spatial layout of medical facilities in the main urban area of Chongqing is unbalanced; and the spatial distribution of medical facilities is characterized by “large agglomeration, small dispersion” and “multi-center group”; (2) the sub-core circle is centered on the Southwest University Area in Beibei District, the University Town Area in Shapingba, the Yudong Area and Lijiatuo Area in Banan District, the Pingan Light Rail Station Area in Dadukou District, the Chongqing No. 8 Middle School Area in Jiulongpo District, the Tea Garden Area in Nanan District, and the Jiangbei Airport Area in Yubei District; (3) the medical facilities with the weakest average accessibility are tertiary grade A hospitals, and the strongest are pharmacies; (4) the areas with vital average accessibility are Yuzhong District, Shapingba District, Dadukou District, and Nanan District. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Building Sustainable Urban Space: A Sustainability Approach)

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18 pages, 842 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Strengthening Equity and Inclusion in Urban Greenspace: Interrogating the Moral Management & Policing of 2SLGBTQ+ Communities in Toronto Parks

by Claire Davis and Sara Edge

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(23), 15505; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192315505 - 23 Nov 2022

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 3902

Abstract

There is growing recognition that greenspace provides invaluable benefits to health and wellbeing, and is essential infrastructure for promoting both social and environmental sustainability in urban settings. This paper contributes towards efforts to build ‘just’ and equitable urban sustainability, and more specifically greenspace management, by drawing attention to hostility and exclusion experienced by two-spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, genderqueer, pansexual, transsexual, intersex and gender-variant (2SLGBTQ+) park occupants. There is evidence that access to greenspace is inequitable—despite ongoing media accounts of targeted violence and discriminatory police patrolling of 2SLGBTQ+ communities in urban parks, this population has not received adequate research attention. This paper examines systemic barriers that impede urban greenspace access among 2SLGBTQ+ communities, including how the threat of violence in greenspace limits opportunities for accessing benefits associated with naturalized settings. These themes are explored within the context of the City of Toronto, Canada. Our mixed-method approach draws upon key informant interviews, key document content analysis, and ground-truthing. Our findings reveal how queer corporeality, kinship and love subvert deeply entrenched heteronormative social values and understandings of sexuality, partnership, gender, and use of public space, challenging institutional understandings of morality and daily life. The paper concludes by reflecting on the state of 2SLGBTQ+ communities’ relationships to greenspace, and potential ways forward in building greater inclusivity into the social fabric of park design and management. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Building Sustainable Urban Space: A Sustainability Approach)

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23 pages, 9995 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Informal Community Growing Characteristics and the Satisfac-tion of Concerned Residents in Mountainous Urban Areas of Southwest China

by Zhong Xing, Canhui Cheng, Qiao Yu, Junyue Yang, Hao Ma, Jian Yang and Xiaomin Du

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(22), 15178; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192215178 - 17 Nov 2022

Viewed by 1872

Abstract

Due to the mountainous terrain in the urban areas of southwest China, there are a large number of barren slopes in the community unsuitable for construction. These areas, alongside other unusable space which is often cultivated by residents to create informal community vegetable gardens and fruit growing areas, have become a “gray area” for urban management. This paper attempts to study the characteristics of informal community growing, the composition of growers, the motivation for growing, and the satisfaction of residents in urban areas in mountainous southwest China to explore its relative value. The sample area for the study was Yongchuan, Chongqing, Southwest China. Through a field survey, a semantic differential questionnaire, and data analysis, we found that: (1) growers use traditional cultivation methods to grow diverse fruits and vegetables according to the size of the slope, and the scale is so large that it serves as a local food supply; (2) growers are mainly vulnerable groups who use the land for economic gain and green food acquisition; and (3) growers and non-growers are more satisfied with the food supply and economic benefits generated by cultivation, while they are dissatisfied with the environmental and social benefits and the planting process. Satisfaction also varies with age, occupation, income, education, household registration, and farming experience. Based on the findings, this paper presents recommendations for the future transformation and development of informal community cultivation in mountainous areas. The study has implications for the construction of community gardens and urban agriculture in the mountains. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Building Sustainable Urban Space: A Sustainability Approach)

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16 pages, 2342 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Research on the Measurement of the Coordinated Relationship between Industrialization and Urbanization in the Inland Areas of Large Countries: A Case Study of Sichuan Province

by Lei Xiao, Jie Pan, Dongqi Sun, Zhipeng Zhang and Qian Zhao

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(21), 14301; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192114301 - 1 Nov 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1876

Abstract

Industrialization and urbanization are critical paths to modernization for a country or region. The coordination of industrialization and urbanization fosters the development of a regional economy. In academic circles, this is usually measured by the IU ratio (ratio of labor industrialization rate to urbanization rate) and the NU ratio (ratio of non-agricultural employment rate to urbanization rate). However, these methods are inapplicable to large countries’ inland areas. The traditional methods failed to explain the real situation and produced contradictory results. The IU ratio shows that industrialization lags behind urbanization, while the NU ratio shows that industrialization is ahead of urbanization. According to studies conducted in the Sichuan Province of China, through comparison with Jiangsu Province, it is found that the non-agricultural employment growth is not dependent on the development of local industrialization, and rural-urban migration is not entirely dependent on the evolution of the non-agricultural employment rate. Other factors that promote urbanization, such as the country’s capital policies and funds for migrant labor force transfer, should also be considered. This research attempts to improve the traditional methods for measuring the degree of urbanization and industrialization synergy in inland areas. The new empirical approach can effectively identify the critical characteristics of urbanization in inland provinces, such as the development of non-agricultural employment with external assistance and urban migrants “unrelated to employment opportunities”. Based on these key characteristics, it can provide the basis for local urbanization policy formulation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Building Sustainable Urban Space: A Sustainability Approach)

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Review

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13 pages, 433 KiB

Open AccessReview

Integrative Analysis of Rhythmicity: From Biology to Urban Environments and Sustainability

by Miha Moškon, Tadeja Režen, Matevž Juvančič and Špela Verovšek

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(1), 764; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20010764 - 31 Dec 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1754

Abstract

From biological to socio-technical systems, rhythmic processes are pervasive in our environment. However, methods for their comprehensive analysis are prevalent only in specific fields that limit the transfer of knowledge across scientific disciplines. This hinders interdisciplinary research and integrative analyses of rhythms across different domains and datasets. In this paper, we review recent developments in cross-disciplinary rhythmicity research, with a focus on the importance of rhythmic analyses in urban planning and biomedical research. Furthermore, we describe the current state of the art of (integrative) computational methods for the investigation of rhythmic data. Finally, we discuss the further potential and propose necessary future developments for cross-disciplinary rhythmicity analysis to foster integration of heterogeneous datasets across different domains, as well as guide data-driven decision making beyond the boundaries of traditional intradisciplinary research, especially in the context of sustainable and healthy cities. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Building Sustainable Urban Space: A Sustainability Approach)

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