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Land Use Sustainability and Environmental Impacts in Urban Renewal

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A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Sustainable Urban and Rural Development".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (7 August 2023) | Viewed by 21890

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Wenqiu Ma

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Guest Editor

College of Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100083, China
Interests: rural settlement transitions; land consolidation; land use structure evolution
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Prof. Dr. Jie Zhang

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Guest Editor

College of Information and Electrical Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100083, China
Interests: remote sensing and modeling; sustainable development; agriculture

Prof. Dr. Kunqiu Chen

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Guest Editor

School of Administration Public, Hunan University, Changsha City, Hunan Province, China
Interests: land use and urban–rural integrated development

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Sustainable development plays a significant role in the social, human, economic, and environmental sustainability of communities and cities around the world. Land, as the basic guarantee of human survival, is facing the double dilemma of "resources shortage" and "extensive utilization", especially in the influence of the global spread of COVID-19. Therefore, determining how to promote the high-quality urban renewal by improving land use sustainability and environmental impacts is the key issue that needs to be focused on in the future. This Special Issue aims to explore cases and experiences in promoting land use sustainability through academic discussion. We also welcome works from interdisciplinary fields, which are essential for planning sustainable cities and land use for a new era, such as how land use enhances urban resilience and how land use is integrated with urban renewal. Papers selected for this Special Issue will be subject to a rigorous peer review procedure with the aim of rapid and wide dissemination of research results, developments, and applications.

Prof. Dr. Wenqiu Ma
Prof. Dr. Jie Zhang
Prof. Dr. Kunqiu Chen
Guest Editors

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Keywords

land use sustainability
housing system
urban–rural integration development
urban and rural living environment
environmental impacts
urban renewal and land use
urban resilience and spatial planning

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Published Papers (9 papers)

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Research

20 pages, 7268 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Evaluation of Living Environment Quality in Urban Residential Areas under the Concept of Urban Renewal—A Case Study of Binjiang District, Hangzhou, China

by Yong Chen, Xingchao Ren, Xiangcheng Xu, Rui Wang and Yingying Xu

Sustainability 2023, 15(19), 14104; https://doi.org/10.3390/su151914104 - 23 Sep 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2293

Abstract

As urbanization continues to advance globally, the issue of “urban ailments” has become increasingly prominent. To promptly identify problems arising from urban development, it is crucial to investigate not only the quality of human habitats at the city and regional scales but also the micro-level living environments. Indeed, studying residential living conditions enables the specific problems within urban planning to be unearthed, facilitating timely adjustments for the improvement of urban habitation. However, a precise and objective methodology for accurately measuring the quality of residential living environments is still lacking. In recent years, the urban renewal concept has proven to be proactive in enhancing the living environment quality of residential areas. In this study, we focus on residential areas within Hangzhou’s Binjiang District, China, and integrate diverse datasets including real estate websites, digital mapping platforms, remote sensing imagery, points of interest (POIs), and land-use planning data. By examining and analyzing the urban renewal concept, we establish a comprehensive set of evaluation indicators for the living environment quality in residential areas, including five aspects: residential and environmental factors; transportation and communication; education and culture; lifestyle and leisure; and healthcare and well-being. Subsequently, a holistic assessment of the Binjiang District is conducted. Our research findings demonstrate that in the context of urban renewal, the proposed living environment quality evaluation method, based on multi-source data, exhibits significantly higher practicality and effectiveness. The residential environment in Binjiang District exhibits a spatial pattern with higher quality in the northern regions and lower quality in the southern regions. Across different dimensional layers, the residential and environmental quality shows a higher trend along the river areas and a lower trend in the internal areas, as well as higher quality in newly developed sections compared to older ones. The transportation and communication quality exhibits a decreasing trend radiating from multiple core areas. In other dimensions, there is a concentration of high-quality residential areas in the administrative vicinity and surrounding Binjiang University Town. Hotspot analysis further substantiates a significant spatial correlation between the quality of the living environment and the degree of agglomeration, highlighting a positive relationship between the two factors. This study provides a solid basis for the spatial planning of urban public service facilities and holds significant research and practical value. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Land Use Sustainability and Environmental Impacts in Urban Renewal)

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23 pages, 43926 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

VLAS: Vacant Land Assessment System for Urban Renewal and Greenspace Planning in Legacy Cities

by Pan Zhang and Sohyun Park

Sustainability 2023, 15(12), 9525; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15129525 - 14 Jun 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2807

Abstract

Vacant land in shrinking cities has long been associated with high crime rates and economic decline. While some efforts have been made to repurpose vacant land for tax revenue generation and temporary environmental restoration, a comprehensive framework for city-scale assessment and reprogramming remains lacking. To address this gap, our study introduced the Vacant Land Assessment System (VLAS), a multi-scale spatial analysis and planning tool that assesses the distribution and characteristics of vacant lots using publicly available spatial data. Taking Hartford, Connecticut as a case study, we assessed and categorized the characteristics of vacant lots into four typologies: Row House, Street Corner, Commercial/Industrial, and Main Street. Responding reuse programs for those typologies were generated and one design example of vacant lot greening was also provided based on identified sustainable goals and techniques. The VLAS serves as an effective planning support tool, enabling efficient assessment, classification, and planning for urban vacancy management across city, district, neighborhood, and site scales. This multi-scale planning and design approach to repurpose vacant lots with diverse physical characteristics offers valuable insights for transforming vacant land in other shrinking legacy cities for sustainability and neighborhood revitalization. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Land Use Sustainability and Environmental Impacts in Urban Renewal)

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20 pages, 16391 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Geospatial-Temporal Dynamics of Land Use in the Juárez Valley: Urbanization and Displacement of Agriculture

by Carlos Manjarrez-Domínguez, Mario Iván Uc-Campos, Mario Edgar Esparza-Vela, María del Rosario Baray-Guerrero, Omar Giner-Chávez and Eduardo Santellano-Estrada

Sustainability 2023, 15(11), 8499; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15118499 - 24 May 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1568

Abstract

Urbanization and industrial development in the Juárez Valley, Chihuahua, Mexico, have led to the abandonment and loss of productive agricultural areas. However, the extent and dynamics of this phenomenon are not precisely known due to the lack of updated information. Therefore, it is necessary to geospatially represent these changes over time and predict their probability of persistence into the future to provide decision-making tools for this border region of Mexico. Landsat images were processed, and random forest was applied as a classifier to obtain land uses from 1980 to 2020. The Land Change Modeler options in Terrset™ were executed to generate land use changes, persistence and probabilities. Results showed that urban, built-up areas gained 19,962 ha by 2020 while crops lost 1675 ha. Agricultural permanence has been consolidated over time (persistence until 2020 of 0.83), but evidence suggests that this persistence will decrease in the future due to urbanization (decreasing to 0.59 by 2100). This could jeopardize the availability of primary products and food, lead to land abandonment and exacerbate socio-demographic expansion in this vulnerable region. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Land Use Sustainability and Environmental Impacts in Urban Renewal)

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16 pages, 1279 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Identifying and Ranking the Dimensions of Urban Resilience and Its Effect on Sustainable Urban Development in Tongdejie, China

by Jiarong Xie

Sustainability 2023, 15(6), 5606; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15065606 - 22 Mar 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1769

Abstract

Urban resilience strengthens urban sustainability and leads to sustainable solutions in the process of promoting sustainable development. Paying attention to the benefits of urban resilience to strengthen sustainable urban systems is vital to achieve our desired future. This study aims to identify and classify the key indicators of resilience in Tongdejie, a residential area in Guangzhou, China, as well as to examine and compare these indicators with sustainable development indicators. Fuzzy AHP was used to rank the most important indicators in Tongdejie. The results showed that the first three important indicators were economic indicators, and the economic dimension with a weight of 0.41 was higher than the other four indicators. Then, social and cultural indicators took second place with a weight of 0.194, and the management and institutional indicators took third place with a weight of 0.194. Structural–physical and environmental dimensions were ranked fourth and fifth, respectively. From the obtained results and their comparison with the sustainable indicators, in addition to ranking the importance of these indicators and incorporating the research related to urban construction development indicators, it can be concluded that these two concepts have a direct relationship with each other. In order to attain a desired and resilient urban future, it is important to pay attention to the indications and advantages of resilience. This leads to the development and stability of urban systems. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Land Use Sustainability and Environmental Impacts in Urban Renewal)

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15 pages, 3090 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Low-Carbon Community Regeneration in China: A Case Study in Dadong

by Kailun Fang, Suzana Ariff Azizan and Yifei Wu

Sustainability 2023, 15(5), 4136; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15054136 - 24 Feb 2023

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 3294

Abstract

Low carbon sustainability has been addressed in China’s sustainable urbanism strategies as a response the impact of climate change. This study empirically examines the relationship between household factors and carbon emissions in the context of community regeneration through the use of correlational and regression analysis. The participants were drawn from the Dadong community in Guangzhou, China, who has been participating in low-carbon community regeneration. In total, 102 valid questionnaires were obtained from homeowners and the data were analyzed with SPSS and STATA software with an OLS estimate method, checking for BLUE to identify and decide upon the degree of correlation among the variables. The results reveal that family carbon emissions were primarily impacted by house area and income. This study found that larger houses tended to have higher carbon emissions, emphasizing the importance of using low-carbon materials and facilities in community regeneration. Additionally, households with higher incomes tended to have more household appliances, which can contribute to higher carbon emissions and potentially lead to conflicts between different actors involved in low-carbon community regeneration. To reduce household carbon emissions, low-carbon community regeneration develops through interactions and transformations among different actors. However, there has been a lack of research examining the mechanisms underlying the process of low-carbon community regeneration involving the various stakeholders. Using the reference of the actor–network theory (ANT), this research innovatively reveals the mechanisms related to key actors (community government) and multivocal obligatory passage points (OPP) with a synchronous process (problematization, interessement, enrollment, mobilization) through interactions and transformations made by different actors. Finally, the study highlights the need for further research on the low-carbon community or urban regeneration with innovative technological and self-regulation strategies. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Land Use Sustainability and Environmental Impacts in Urban Renewal)

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16 pages, 1921 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Farmland Transfer, Scale Management and Economies of Scale Assessment: Evidence from the Main Grain-Producing Shandong Province in China

by Ning Geng, Mengyao Wang and Zengjin Liu

Sustainability 2022, 14(22), 15229; https://doi.org/10.3390/su142215229 - 16 Nov 2022

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1765

Abstract

Promoting farmland transfer through the farmland rental market is an essential instrument to achieve the centralized scale operation of farmland in China. However, few studies have explored or verified the economies of scale after land concentration. This study uses face-to-face interviews to randomly select 395 farmers engaged in land scale management in 68 villages of 11 cities in Shandong Province. Based on these data, a production cost function model is used to measure the cost elasticity of farmland scale management and further empirically test whether farmland scale management can achieve economies of scale in actual agricultural production. The empirical results show that the development of farmland scale operation can reduce production costs and realize the economy of scale. In other words, the scale of farmland management still has the possibility of further expansion. More importantly, we find the operation cost of farmland is significantly influenced by the price of farmland transfer, fixed capital input and labor input, especially the scale operator with rich planting experience and good cultural quality is an important human capital stock, which can make significant contribution to reducing production cost and developing the positive effect of scale operation. To promote farmland scale management in China, we should pay attention to reducing the transferring cost and transaction cost of farmland by building the land transfer market trading platform, increasing the subsidies for farmland transfer and developing agricultural mechanization, which is helpful to improve agricultural productivity and realize the scale economy. This research can provide a reference for rational land scale management and land use policymaking. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Land Use Sustainability and Environmental Impacts in Urban Renewal)

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13 pages, 735 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Antecedents of Residential Satisfaction in Resettlement Housing in Ellembelle: A PLS-SEM Approach

by Emmanuel Bosompem Boadi, Shaojun Chen, Ebenezer Impriam Amponsah and Ruth Appiah

Sustainability 2022, 14(18), 11256; https://doi.org/10.3390/su141811256 - 8 Sep 2022

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2166

Abstract

Compensation for land expropriation due to development projects such as mining is shifting from cash to physical assets like housing. Therefore, empirical studies are required to assess the residential satisfaction of project-affected families (PAFs) living in these houses and the factors which can enhance their satisfaction and quality of life in the long term. This study, therefore, assesses the antecedents of PAFs’ satisfaction with their current residence as an outcome of a mining-induced displacement and resettlement (MIDR) in Ellembelle, Ghana. The study adopted SPSS and PLS-SEM to assess the data retrieved from the heads or representatives of the PAFs. The study’s outcome reveals that the neighborhood environment plays the most significant role in predicting the PAFs’ satisfaction, followed by the public facilities and dwelling unit. The study has numerous implications for the resettlement stakeholders, housing policy, and mining development. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Land Use Sustainability and Environmental Impacts in Urban Renewal)

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14 pages, 1270 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Landscape Pattern Evolution of Typical Open-Pit Coal Mines Based on Land Use in Inner Mongolia of China during 20 Years

by Lijia Zhang, Zihan Zhai, Yan Zhou, Shihan Liu and Liwei Wang

Sustainability 2022, 14(15), 9590; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14159590 - 4 Aug 2022

Cited by 12 | Viewed by 2366

Abstract

As the province most abundant in mineral resources in China, Inner Mongolia has more than 200 open-pit coal mines. The coal mining activities seriously hinder the sustainable use of regional land and the improvement of residents’ wellbeing. Taking 13 typical open-pit coal mines of Inner Mongolia as the study area, combining remote sensing images and the Google Earth Engine (GEE) platform, the trend features of spatial and temporal evolution of land use and landscape patterns from 2001 to 2020 were analyzed by transfer matrix and landscape pattern index methods. According to the mining plan and reclamation measures of the “Land Reclamation Plan”, the impacts of ecological restoration projects on land-use structure and landscape patterns were evaluated. The results showed that the following: (1) The landscape types of typical open-pit coal mining areas were mainly grassland, cropland, and industrial landscapes. The change trend of landscape pattern was obvious over the past 20 years, and the changes in grassland and mining land were relatively large, which decreased by 56.51 km² and increased by 60.42 km², respectively. (2) Land reclamation and ecological restoration projects had positive impacts on landscape pattern changes. With the transformation from mining activities to land reclamation activities beginning in 2007, nearly 70% of the study area showed a decreasing trend in landscape fragmentation, indicating a better landscape pattern of mining area. (3) Positive policy orientation of mine ecological restoration promoted more reasonable landscape patterns. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Land Use Sustainability and Environmental Impacts in Urban Renewal)

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20 pages, 7161 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Superimposed Renewal of Industrial Heritage under the Guidance of Low Maintenance and Sustainability—Renewal of Refinery Site in Jinan Tianhong Community

by Zijia Li, Qiyu Gai and Luofeng Qin

Sustainability 2022, 14(12), 7486; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14127486 - 19 Jun 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2540

Abstract

The renewal of industrial heritage is a long process. With the development of society, a single form of renewal can no longer meet the needs of the public and environment in China. In the case that a large number of industrial heritage sites require secondary renewal, it becomes an urgent issue to consider how to achieve sustainability in the process of superimposed renewal, reduce the amount of future renewal changes, and at the same time realize economic and environmental friendliness, reduce maintenance costs, achieve cyclic spontaneous renewal, and ensure the feasibility, variability and growth of the reserved renewal. Jinan Tianhong Community Refinery Industrial Heritage Park was selected as the case study in this paper based on the theory of low maintenance to explore the strategy of superimposed renewal under the guidance of low maintenance and sustainability-oriented superimposed design in the social process; thus, the design of the secondary renewal of industrial heritage can create an eco-friendly space for activities from an ecological perspective, so as to achieve low-maintenance, low-intervention and sustainable industrial heritage renewal in the long-term. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Land Use Sustainability and Environmental Impacts in Urban Renewal)

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