Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
6.8
3.3
Journals
Sustainability
Special Issues
Urbanization and Environmental Sustainability—2nd Edition
sustainability-logo
Submit to Special Issue Submit Abstract to Special Issue Review for Sustainability Propose a Special Issue

Journal Menu

► Journal Menu

Journal Browser

► Journal Browser
share announcement

Urbanization and Environmental Sustainability—2nd Edition

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 6 September 2025 | Viewed by 6123

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Enrico Ivaldi

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Humanistic Studies, Faculty of Communication, IULM University, Milan, Italy
Interests: social indicators; smart cities; deprivation; well-being
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Leonardo Salvatore Alaimo

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Social Sciences and Economics, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Roma, Italy
Interests: synthesis of statistical indicators; quality of life; wellbeing; multivariate statistics
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Alfonso Piscitelli

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Agricultural Sciences, Federico II University of Naples, 80055 Portici, Italy
Interests: applied statistics; food security and sustainability; citizens' satisfaction and wellbeing
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Currently, 54% of the world's population (4 billion people) live in urban areas. By 2030, 2 billion people will have moved to cities, unprecedentedly impacting existing infrastructure and resources.

The scale and speed of urbanization and the demographic transition generate risks directly related to the urban system by challenging essential services in terms of efficiency and, above all, by threatening environmental quality.

Driving the urbanization processes seeking the “best” use of land and water is vital for environmental sustainability. Individual and collective behaviors (e.g., the levels and patterns of food and energy consumption, and work and travel habits) that influence the type of production and use of resources can make a difference in the medium- to long-term perspective.

Cities are therefore increasingly at the forefront of the most pressing environmental challenges. Urban growth—driven by massive demographic shifts in the developing world—is unprecedented, with far-reaching implications for human well-being and the environment.

However, where cities pose environmental problems, they can also offer solutions by expressing unparalleled potential to increase energy efficiency and the sustainability of society as a whole.

This Special Issue addresses, but is not limited to, methodologies, applications, best practices, and overviews of urbanization and environmental sustainability in areas with a high urban density. A wide range of topics can be summarized in this approach in the context of environmental sustainability. Spatial comparisons and intertemporal approaches are also appropriate for this Special Issue. Both original research articles (5000–7000 words) and full reviews (up to 8000–13,000 words) are welcome.

Dr. Enrico Ivaldi
Dr. Leonardo Salvatore Alaimo
Dr. Alfonso Piscitelli
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • sustainable cities
  • urban futures
  • urban greening
  • land system
  • energy consumption
  • food habits
  • travel habits

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • e-Book format: Special Issues with more than 10 articles can be published as dedicated e-books, ensuring wide and rapid dissemination.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue polices can be found here.

Published Papers (5 papers)

Download All Papers
Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

17 pages, 7742 KiB  
Article
Research on Urbanization and Ecological Environmental Response: A Case Study of Zhengzhou City
by Haoran Feng, Dian Wang and Qiyan Ji
Sustainability 2025, 17(2), 458; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17020458 - 9 Jan 2025
Viewed by 485
Abstract
The relationship between the urbanization process and the ecological environment is key to regional development. As a typical Chinese city undergoing rapid urban development, Zhengzhou is an important representative of the urbanization process and the changes in the ecological environment. In this study, [...] Read more.
The relationship between the urbanization process and the ecological environment is key to regional development. As a typical Chinese city undergoing rapid urban development, Zhengzhou is an important representative of the urbanization process and the changes in the ecological environment. In this study, we explored the response relationship between urban development and the ecological environment in Zhengzhou, using night light data, Landsat satellite imagery, and population data from this city. The analysis of the NTL data showed that there were three stages of development in Zhengzhou from 2000 to 2021: the slow expansion stage from 2000 to 2003, the steady expansion stage from 2004 to 2011, and the rapid expansion stage from 2012 to 2021. The multi-year average RSEI value of Zhengzhou was less than 0.4, and it showed a trend of first increasing and then decreasing, indicating that the quality of the city’s ecological environment was poor and indirectly indicating that the urbanization degree of the region was significant. The changes in the NTL and RSEI indicate that urban development has significantly reduced the quality of the city’s ecological environment, particularly after Zhengzhou entered the stage of rapid expansion. The coupling degree (C) and coupling coordination degree (D) between urbanization and the ecological environment showed a decreasing trend, and the average value was lower than 0.3. This indicates that the ecological environment in Zhengzhou has been seriously affected by the process of urbanization, and the natural ecology has been strongly impacted by human activity. C and D also showed a decreasing trend from 2000 to 2015 but increased from 2016 to 2021, indicating that the ecological environment in Zhengzhou has gradually improved. The degree of coordination D between urbanization and the ecological environment in Zhengzhou had a strong negative correlation with the population size and growth rate but a positive correlation with the Moran value, indicating that an increase in the population increases the burden on the ecological environment. However, a reasonable spatial population distribution is conducive to improving regional urban–ecological coordination. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Urbanization and Environmental Sustainability—2nd Edition)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

24 pages, 6238 KiB  
Article
The Synergistic Effect of Urban and Rural Ecological Resilience: Dynamic Trends and Drivers in Yunnan
by Ying Zhou, Yanwei Wang, Shuhong Fang, Yixi Tian, Yujia Zhu and Lihong Han
Sustainability 2024, 16(19), 8285; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16198285 - 24 Sep 2024
Viewed by 1121
Abstract
With the rapid development of the world economy, pollution of urban and rural ecological environments and the decline in anti-risk capabilities are becoming more serious. In order to promote sustainable improvement of urban and rural ecological resilience, based on previous independent research on [...] Read more.
With the rapid development of the world economy, pollution of urban and rural ecological environments and the decline in anti-risk capabilities are becoming more serious. In order to promote sustainable improvement of urban and rural ecological resilience, based on previous independent research on urban and rural resilience, this paper combines the two to carry out collaborative development research. The dynamic evolution and driving force heterogeneity in the coordinated development level of urban and rural ecological resilience in Yunnan Province in China from 2013 to 2022 were studied using the coordination degree model of composite system and geographical detector. The results show the following: (1) The urban and rural ecological resilience levels in Yunnan Province increased annually, but urban ecological resilience (0.178) lagged behind that of rural areas (0.376). Compared to rural areas, the overall spatial difference in urban ecological resilience level is significant. (2) The overall level of urban–rural ecological resilience synergy in Yunnan Province has been increasing annually, from “no synergy” to “primary synergy”. However, there are great differences between prefectures and cities. (3) The combination of urban and rural driving factors is more conducive to improving urban–rural ecological resilience. The interaction between the per capita water supply and fertilizer consumption is the primary and critical driving factor. In the future, we will continue to take the coordinated development of urban and rural ecological resilience as the theme, further expand the research field, and carry out future development trend prediction research. This study provides new ideas for the construction of ecological resilience in similar countries and regions worldwide. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Urbanization and Environmental Sustainability—2nd Edition)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

24 pages, 7829 KiB  
Article
Urban Sprawl and Imbalance between Supply and Demand of Ecosystem Services: Evidence from China’s Yangtze River Delta Urban Agglomerations
by Huan Wang and Qiao Sun
Sustainability 2024, 16(18), 8269; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16188269 - 23 Sep 2024
Viewed by 1196
Abstract
The contradiction between ecological resource protection and urban sprawl in urban agglomeration areas is becoming more and more prominent, facing a serious imbalance between the supply and demand of ecosystem services. To analyze the impact of urban agglomeration expansion on regional ecosystem services, [...] Read more.
The contradiction between ecological resource protection and urban sprawl in urban agglomeration areas is becoming more and more prominent, facing a serious imbalance between the supply and demand of ecosystem services. To analyze the impact of urban agglomeration expansion on regional ecosystem services, based on multi-source data, an assessment model of supply and demand of ecosystem services for water conservation, carbon sequestration, soil conservation and crop production was constructed. With the help of value transformation model and spatial analysis method, this paper explores the risk of ecosystem service supply and demand imbalance faced by the Yangtze River Delta urban agglomeration in the process of expansion. This study found that the supply capacity of ecosystem services in the YRDUA has continued to decline at the spatial pixel scale; ecosystem service value deficits are a common problem in the YRDUA, with cities around Taihu Lake, such as Shanghai and Suzhou, being the most serious; the value surplus areas are concentrated in the southern cities, such as Xuancheng and Chizhou, but the balance between the supply of and demand for ecosystem services in these cities is also facing a challenge as the cities are expanding. This study analyzed the spatial pattern changes in the Yangtze River Delta region in the context of urban sprawl from the perspective of ecosystem service supply and demand, which helps to clarify the changing ecosystem service dynamics of the region and guide the formulation of urban planning policies and to achieve a balance between ecological supply and demand as well as sustainable development. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Urbanization and Environmental Sustainability—2nd Edition)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

26 pages, 82618 KiB  
Article
Multi-Source Data-Based Investigation of Spatiotemporal Heterogeneity and Driving Mechanisms of Coupling and Coordination in Human Settlements in Urban Agglomeration in the Middle Reaches of the Yangtze River
by Wenmei Wu, Shenzhen Tian, Hang Li, Xueming Li and Yadan Wang
Sustainability 2024, 16(17), 7583; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16177583 - 2 Sep 2024
Viewed by 1115
Abstract
In the information age, the new wave of the information technology revolution has profoundly changed our mode of production and way of life. Pseudo human settlements (PHS), consisting of digits and information, have become increasingly important in human settlements (HS) systems, and become [...] Read more.
In the information age, the new wave of the information technology revolution has profoundly changed our mode of production and way of life. Pseudo human settlements (PHS), consisting of digits and information, have become increasingly important in human settlements (HS) systems, and become a strong support for the high-quality development of global HS. Against this background, clarifying the spatiotemporal heterogeneity and driving mechanisms of the coupling and coordination between the PHS and real human settlements (RHS) is of great significance to the high-quality development of HS and providing a reasonable explanation of today’s man–land relationship. Therefore, we developed a theoretical framework system for describing PHS–RHS coupling and coordination based on multi-source data such as internet socialization, public utility, and remote sensing images, etc. Taking the urban agglomeration in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River (UAMRYR), which is the key region consolidating China’s “two horizontal and three vertical” urbanization strategy, as a case study area, we have comprehensively analyzed the spatiotemporal heterogeneity of the coupling and coordination of PHS and RHS and its driving mechanism in UAMRYR during the period of 2011–2021, by comprehensively applying the modified coupling coordination degree (CCD) and other models. The results show are as follows: (1) Temporal process—The CCD exhibited a reverse L-shaped increasing trend. The CCD class varied significantly, with the extremely uncoordinated and severely uncoordinated classes present at the beginning of the study period and disappearing toward the end of the study period, while the well coordinated and highly coordinated classes were absent at the beginning of the study period and appeared toward the end of the study period. (2) Spatial pattern—The CCD exhibited an equilateral triangle-shaped, core–margin spatial pattern and a characteristic of core polarization. Overall, the spatial distribution of the CCD exhibited a characteristic of “high in the central region, low in the eastern and western regions, and balanced in the south–north direction”. (3) Dynamic evolution—The CCD increased more rapidly in the north-eastern direction than in the south-western direction; the CCD exhibited north-eastward migration and dispersion, and the spatial variability decreased. (4) Driving mechanisms—The primary factors affecting the CCD varied significantly over time. The living system was dominant in the PHS, whereas the human system was dominant in the RHS. The PHS had a greater effect than the RHS on the CCD. The study broadens the research scope of human settlements geography, establishes a scientific foundation for advancing urban HS construction in the UAMRYR, and offers theoretical support for the high-quality development of cities in the UAMRYR. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Urbanization and Environmental Sustainability—2nd Edition)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

23 pages, 3189 KiB  
Article
System Dynamics Simulation and Influencing Factors of the Interaction between Urbanization and Eco-Environment in Hebei Province, China
by Hefeng Wang, Jinshan Zhao, Ao Zhao, Yuan Cao and Kaihao Wei
Sustainability 2024, 16(8), 3365; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16083365 - 17 Apr 2024
Viewed by 1374
Abstract
Searching for an urbanization development model that is suitable for the eco-environment can provide important references for regional sustainable development. By comprehensively using models such as system dynamics (SD), distance coordination coupling degree, symbiosis degree, and grey correlation degree, the interaction between urbanization [...] Read more.
Searching for an urbanization development model that is suitable for the eco-environment can provide important references for regional sustainable development. By comprehensively using models such as system dynamics (SD), distance coordination coupling degree, symbiosis degree, and grey correlation degree, the interaction between urbanization and eco-environment in Hebei Province from 2020 to 2035 was dynamically simulated based on the historical data from 2000 to 2019. In addition, the key bidirectional influence factors of urbanization and eco-environment were identified. The entire process analysis from model construction, scenario simulation, and preferred scenarios to factor identification was achieved. The results showed the following. (1) The constructed SD model was reliable and effective, and could be used to simulate future strategies. (2) Three evaluation methods could effectively reveal the advantages and disadvantages of the phased scenario schemes during the simulation period, and the obtained results had strong consistency. The urbanization priority development scenario was more suitable for short-term and medium-term planning, while the friendly development scenario was more suitable for the entire simulation period. (3) Five indicators of urbanization and seven indicators of the eco-environment were highly relevant to the evaluation levels of the eco-environment and urbanization, respectively. The study extended the application of the symbiosis theory and the evaluation methods of scenario simulation schemes for urbanization and eco-environment systems. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Urbanization and Environmental Sustainability—2nd Edition)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-5
Back to TopTop