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Land Consolidation, Land Management and Rural Areas Development in Sustainability

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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 (25 March 2024) | Viewed by 16293

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Katarzyna Kocur-Bera

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Guest Editor

Faculty of Geoengineering, Department of Geoinformation and Cartography, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, 10-719 Olsztyn, Poland
Interests: land management; land consolidation; countryside and climate change; cadastral data; rural development; countryside valuation; the phenomenon of shrinkage in countryside

Dr. Jacek Rapinski

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Guest Editor

Faculty of Geoengineering, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, 10-719 Olsztyn, Poland
Interests: spatial data processing; GNSS; remote sensing
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Prof. Dr. Przemysław Leń

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Guest Editor

Faculty of Environmental Engineering and Geodesy, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, 20-950 Lublin, Poland
Interests: land consolidation; multifunctional and sustainable development of rural areas; reconstruction of the spatial structure of rural areas; programming of agricultural arrangement works

Dr. Monika Siejka

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Guest Editor

Faculty of Environmental Engineering and Land Surveying, Department of Land Surveying, University of Agriculture in Krakow, 31-120 Kraków, Poland
Interests: land management; modernization of cadastral data in aspects of land management; surveying of rural areas; remote sensing for land management; sustainability and land management; sustainability and land consolidation; natural hazards and land consolidation; multi-criteria methods in local investments site selection

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

We would like to invite you to contribute to our upcoming Special Issue of Sustainability titled “Land Consolidation, Land Management and Rural Areas Development in Sustainability”. Sustainability and sustainable development cover environmental, social, and economic dimensions and require a multi-disciplinary approach in order to examine, explore and critically engage with issues and advances in these and related areas. Land, as the basic guarantee of human survival, is facing the double dilemma of "resources shortage" and "extensive utilization", especially under the influence of global climate change.

The optimal utilization of land resources needs to take into account multiple aspects of land systems and interactions with other physical and socioeconomic systems (e.g., ecosystem, climatic system, and human activities).

Relationships between humans and nature, and the interactions of various related systems, including economics, and databases that document elements of the environment, allow us to be more educated about land/space and make decisions in the process of land use that supports sustainable management.

The Special Issue focuses on original research articles and comprehensive reviews regarding the sustainable development of rural areas in different dimensions. In this framework, both specialized and interdisciplinary manuscripts concerning the following topics are welcome.

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.

Dr. Katarzyna Kocur-Bera
Dr. Jacek Rapinski
Prof. Dr. Przemysław Leń
Dr. Monika Siejka
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

land consolidation
land management
climate change and land consolidation
shrinking villages, municipalities, etc. cadastral data on land consolidation
cadastral data on rural development
modernization of cadastral data in aspects of land management
rural areas databases
surveying of rural areas
environment and land consolidation
remote sensing for land consolidation/land management
big and spatial data processing for land management
sustainability and land management
sustainability and land consolidation
natural hazards and land consolidation
multi-criteria methods in local investment site selection and land management

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Published Papers (10 papers)

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Research

21 pages, 27446 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Applying GIS in Blue-Green Infrastructure Design in Urban Areas for Better Life Quality and Climate Resilience

by Szymon Czyża and Anna Maria Kowalczyk

Sustainability 2024, 16(12), 5187; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16125187 - 18 Jun 2024

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1529

Abstract

The expansion of urban centers and peri-urban zones significantly impacts both the natural world and human well-being, leading to issues such as increased air pollution, the formation of urban heat islands, and challenges in water management. The concept of multifunctional greening serves as a cornerstone, emphasizing the interconnectedness of ecological, social, and health-related factors. This study aimed to identify potential locations for three specific types of blue-green infrastructure (BGI): bioswales, infiltration trenches, and green bus stops. Leveraging geospatial datasets, Geographic Information System (GIS) technology, and remote sensing methodologies, this study conducted a comprehensive analysis and modeling of spatial information. Initial cartographic representations were developed to identify specific locations within Olsztyn, a city in Poland, deemed appropriate for the implementation of the designated blue-green infrastructure (BGI) components. Following this, these models were combined with two additional models created by the researchers: a surface urban heat island (SUHI) model and a demographic model that outlined the age structure of the city’s population. This synergistic approach resulted in the development of a detailed map, which identified potential locations for the implementation of blue-green infrastructure. This was achieved by utilizing vector data acquired with a precision of 1 m. The high level of detail on the map allows for an extremely accurate representation of geographical features and infrastructure layouts, which are essential for precise planning and implementation. This infrastructure is identified as a key strategy for strengthening ecosystem resilience, improving urban livability, and promoting public health and well-being. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Land Consolidation, Land Management and Rural Areas Development in Sustainability)

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20 pages, 13253 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Land-Use Change Dynamics in Areas Subjected to Direct Urbanization Pressure: A Case Study of the City of Olsztyn

by Andrzej Biłozor, Iwona Cieślak, Szymon Czyża, Karol Szuniewicz and Tomasz Bajerowski

Sustainability 2024, 16(7), 2923; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16072923 - 31 Mar 2024

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1221

Abstract

Urbanization is one of the most visible symptoms of global changes. This process has been driven by the evolution of life on Earth, and it gradually modifies the structure of land use. Urban development is the most apparent indicator and measure of urbanization. The demand for vacant land and sustainable spatial development plans require new methods that support decision-making in the process of changing land use in suburban areas. The aim of this study was to describe a methodology for identifying and localizing urban development boundaries with the use of fuzzy set theory, to evaluate the degree of urbanization, and to analyze the dynamics of land-use changes in areas subjected to direct urbanization pressure with the use of photogrammetric data for 2005, 2010, 2017, and 2022. A case study was conducted in the Polish city of Olsztyn. The study’s results determined the degree of urbanization of the areas in the [0, 1] range, as well as the dynamics of change in each of the twenty-four adopted forms of land use. The results indicate that the proposed methods are useful for identifying the rate and direction of urbanization, and can be applied to optimize and counterbalance the development of settlements and infrastructure. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Land Consolidation, Land Management and Rural Areas Development in Sustainability)

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26 pages, 9713 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Analysis of the Functionality of a Mobile Network of Sensors in a Construction Project Supervision System Based on Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

by Michał Strach, Krzysztof Różanowski, Jerzy Pietrucha and Jarosław Lewandowski

Sustainability 2024, 16(1), 340; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16010340 - 29 Dec 2023

Viewed by 1488

Abstract

This manuscript presents the results of a project related to the construction and testing of selected devices included in a space inspection and worker supervision system. The most important components of this system are a swarm of unmanned aerial vehicles, a docking station for the automatic charging of many drones, monitoring sensors, and user software that integrates all components responsible for mission planning (UAV raids) and measurement data processing. All components were built according to an original solution. The main part of this manuscript is a description of tests used to verify the functionality of a sensor network for monitoring infrastructural elements and moving objects, including people working on a construction project. As part of this research, procedures for testing sensor networks under laboratory and field conditions were developed. The tests performed demonstrated the ability of the MESH network to self-organize depending on the location of the elements in the network. The system that was built ensured the transmission of data from telemetric devices during UAV flights, regardless of the coverage of terrain by other networks, such as Wi-Fi and GSM networks. Data were sent to the end user via a LAN network based on the IP protocol. The maximum range between devices forming the network and the range limitations caused by various terrain obstacles were also determined. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Land Consolidation, Land Management and Rural Areas Development in Sustainability)

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30 pages, 17270 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Quantitative Analysis Village Spatial Morphology Using “SPSS + GIS” Approach: A Case Study of Linxia Hui Autonomous Prefecture

by Yuyuan An, Xiao Wu, Rui Liu, Lu Liu and Pengquan Liu

Sustainability 2023, 15(24), 16828; https://doi.org/10.3390/su152416828 - 14 Dec 2023

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1805

Abstract

This research comprehensively analyzes the spatial morphology of 177 traditional villages within Linxia Hui Autonomous Prefecture, Gansu Province. The study delineates these characteristics utilizing a combination of five quantitative measured indices—ratio, boundary, saturation, building density, and dispersion coefficients. Leveraging sophisticated analytical techniques facilitated by “SPSS + GIS” integration, the investigation systematically explores the intricate details of village spatial form. Their overarching distribution patterns, and the determinant factors influencing them, provide insights across both granular and broad-scale dimensions. The aim is to establish a robust quantitative data analysis framework, facilitating a precise description of traditional villages’ spatial dynamics. The findings categorize the spatial morphology of Linxia’s traditional villages into three distinct types: linear multi-point concentration, dense clustering, and irregular dispersion. Common traits among these categories include widespread dispersal, small settlements, and a mix of dwellings. Spatial distribution patterns vary, with dense clusters forming an “olive-shaped” trend in the southeast–northwest direction, while irregularly dispersed villages develop along mountains and valleys, exhibiting multi-core structures. Additionally, linear multi-point concentrated villages display a random, multi-point distribution interspersed with dense clusters. The survival strategies of these commercial, subsistence, and resource-based villages are shaped by a confluence of factors such as elevation, river proximity, ancient road networks, and the interplay between Han Chinese and Tibetan cultural influences. The implications of this study are significant for understanding traditional village dynamics, promoting sustainable development, and refining quantitative methods for rural studies. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Land Consolidation, Land Management and Rural Areas Development in Sustainability)

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26 pages, 1832 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Assessing Land Resource Carrying Capacity in China’s Main Grain-Producing Areas: Spatial–Temporal Evolution, Coupling Coordination, and Obstacle Factors

by Bing Jiang, Wenjie Tang, Meijia Li, Guangchao Yang, Xiaoshang Deng and Lihang Cui

Sustainability 2023, 15(24), 16699; https://doi.org/10.3390/su152416699 - 9 Dec 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1636

Abstract

The land resources in the main grain-producing areas (MGPAs) provide a solid foundation for grain production, and promotion of the sustainable utilization of land resources in these areas is crucial for ensuring national food security. To comprehensively assess the land resource carrying capacity (LRCC) in China’s MGPAs, we utilized the driver-pressure-state-impact-response (DPSIR) framework and applied the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) and entropy weight (EW) method to analyze the spatial–temporal evolution of LRCC in China’s MGPAs from 2000 to 2020. By establishing a coupling coordination model, we explored the coupling coordination relationships among LRCC subsystems and identified key factors hindering the balanced development of LRCC using an obstacle degree model. The research results indicate that the LRCC in China’s MGPAs generally shows an increasing trend with a continuously growing rate, with the LRCC in the southern regions surpassing that in the northern regions. The overall coupling coordination of LRCC demonstrates an increasing trend, although the growth rate is decreasing. The coupling coordination level of LRCC in the southern regions is generally higher than that in the northern regions, and the gap in coordination levels between various regions is narrowing. The state and pressure subsystems significantly influence the balanced development of LRCC. Indicators such as arable land area per capita, grain production yield per unit area of arable land, grain production yield per capita, forest land area per capita, and grassland area per capita play vital roles in the development of LRCC. Based on these findings, we have put forward targeted recommendations. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Land Consolidation, Land Management and Rural Areas Development in Sustainability)

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25 pages, 2526 KiB

Open AccessArticle

How Do Institutional Arrangements Affect Corporate Social Mobility? Evidence from Construction Land Reduction

by Jianglin Lu, Keqiang Wang and Hongmei Liu

Sustainability 2023, 15(23), 16146; https://doi.org/10.3390/su152316146 - 21 Nov 2023

Viewed by 942

Abstract

Enhancing corporate social mobility is of great practical importance for improving economic dynamism. There are new institutional arrangements in place to optimize construction land structure, i.e., construction land reduction. The impact of institutional arrangements on corporate social mobility has not yet been explored in academia. There is also a lack of academic discussion on how to enhance corporate social mobility. This paper investigates the impact of institutional arrangements on corporate social mobility using construction land reduction as an example. The following findings are discussed: (1) Construction land reduction is an important institutional arrangement for solving problems of inefficiencies such as inefficient corporates, the transfer of inefficient construction land, spatial quotas’ allocation, and macro use conversion. (2) Construction land reduction significantly promotes corporate social mobility. (3) Compared to non-cadre residents, cadres perceive greater corporate social mobility. (4) Compared to planned incremental-type areas, planned decremental-type areas are the key areas for construction land reduction, which can free up more space for construction land and is more conducive to improving corporate social mobility. Accordingly, policy implications are proposed to improve construction land reduction policies and promote corporate social mobility. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Land Consolidation, Land Management and Rural Areas Development in Sustainability)

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19 pages, 1035 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Rural Land Consolidation and Social Consciousness Change: A Case Study of a Land Consolidation Program in Rural Chongqing, China

by Qinwen Deng, Shuai Xiang and Boli Chen

Sustainability 2023, 15(22), 15853; https://doi.org/10.3390/su152215853 - 11 Nov 2023

Viewed by 1734

Abstract

With the changing relationship between urban and rural areas in China, the rural areas are experiencing rapid social transformation. To ensure successful implementation of the rural revitalization strategy, land consolidation has become a major measure of rural economic reform. Existing research focuses on quantitative studies exploring the relationship between land consolidation and rural economic development, but there is a lack of studies on the relationship between land consolidation and social change. In this study, we utilized Rocha’s conceptual framework for community empowerment and selected Jin’an Village as our study area, using semi-structured interviews and semi-participatory observation to obtain original materials, with the aim of providing a detailed description of the specific practice of land consolidation and analyzing the impact of land consolidation on the transformation of rural social consciousness. The study found that the participatory practices of Chinese rural villagers in the land consolidation process are consistent with the development process of community empowerment. Rural land consolidation involves villagers in the land consolidation process, which can effectively stimulate villagers’ participation in public affairs. Concurrently, the interaction between villagers and outside investors disrupts the conventional socialization model in rural areas and motivates villagers to act in accordance with contractual agreements. The conclusion is that land consolidation in rural areas can enhance the political democracy and legal consciousness of local villagers, which can lead to a change in local social consciousness. Our findings also emphasize the crucial necessity of providing rural villagers with improved accessibility to professional services and information, coupled with the continued promotion of land consolidation to advance modernization in these areas. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Land Consolidation, Land Management and Rural Areas Development in Sustainability)

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25 pages, 9490 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Potential of an Area in Terms of Pro-Climate Solutions in a Land Consolidation Project

by Katarzyna Kocur-Bera, Jacek Rapiński, Monika Siejka, Przemysław Leń and Anna Małek

Sustainability 2023, 15(12), 9306; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15129306 - 8 Jun 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1402

Abstract

Land consolidation plays an important role in promoting changes in agricultural land use and ensuring national food security. Moreover, it allows the land structure in rural areas to be built anew. By changing the spatial structure of the countryside, it is also possible to implement water and drainage measures as well as ecological and landscape measures aimed at improving farming conditions. At the same time, they have an impact on the climate. This study analysed the potential for the implementation of pro-climate solutions that can be applied when implementing a land consolidation project in terms of reducing wind speed, increasing humidity, and affecting carbon dioxide reduction. The analyses used an indicator of the potential for implementing pro-climate solutions based on an overall synthetic index taking into account 11 attributes. The results show that the micro-location potential in the context of the possibility of applying pro-climate solutions is not homogenous. It is affected, e.g., by the soil quality, the state of farming culture of the land in agricultural use, the resource and advancement of natural landscape components, and the local needs of agricultural producers to introduce environmental solutions that will simultaneously have a positive impact on farming conditions. According to research, peri-tree land can cluster, meaning that its character represents a spatial continuity. During the land consolidation process, this continuity should be preserved, especially in areas with inferior soil quality. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Land Consolidation, Land Management and Rural Areas Development in Sustainability)

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13 pages, 3297 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Automated Processing of Data in the Comparative Estimation of Land Value during Land Consolidation Works

by Przemysław Leń, Klaudia Maciąg, Michał Maciąg, Justyna Wójcik-Leń and Katarzyna Kocur-Bera

Sustainability 2023, 15(10), 8110; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15108110 - 16 May 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1172

Abstract

Estimation of the value of land, underlying the design of constituent plots of the farmstead, is a decisive element of the complex procedure of land consolidation and exchange. Correctly estimated value of agricultural land is a prerequisite for adequate and equitable delimitation of land plots to improve the living conditions of local residents and ensure efficient and profitable agricultural activity. The dynamic development of technology contributes to the development of multiple tools, considerably improving design works and field surveys in the land consolidation process. The world reference literature also gives numerous examples of surveys to optimise the methods for estimating a land value for consolidation projects. However, in our opinion, despite a vast collection of self-designed calculation methods, available sources insufficiently address the optimisation of existing methods based on the current legal framework and implementing practices. This paper presents a self-designed solution for the fully automated performance of complex comparative estimation of land based on the existing cadastral data and a simplified array showing the estimated value. The tool resulted in developing a set of data for directly importing the outcomes of calculations into land surveying software supporting steps of the land consolidation process. Following detailed evaluation, the proposed self-designed solutions were implemented at the Subcarpathian Office of Land Surveying, and Agricultural Areas in Rzeszow for land consolidation works in the Subcarpathian voivodeship in southeastern Poland. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Land Consolidation, Land Management and Rural Areas Development in Sustainability)

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21 pages, 1088 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Socialized Farmland Operation—An Institutional Interpretation of Farmland Scale Management

by Yiqing Su, Qiaoyuan Huang, Qi Meng, Liangzhen Zang and Hua Xiao

Sustainability 2023, 15(4), 3818; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15043818 - 20 Feb 2023

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1889

Abstract

Farmland scale management is an important approach for developing countries to ensure food security in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. At present, the realization of farmland scale management through the path of farmland use rights trading encounters obstacles in practice; moreover, the new model of farmland scale management has rarely been systematically discussed. Considering the farmland trusteeship practice implemented in Shandong Province of China as the research case, this study discusses the essence and realization premise of the new farmland scale management model represented by farmland trusteeship based on case analysis. The conclusions are as follows. (1) The high cost generated from farmland scale management is the main obstacle to realize this model. (2) The process of realizing farmland scale management through farmland trusteeship is actually the process of meeting the requirements of the socialization of farmland use, the socialization of the farmland management process, and the socialization of farmland output. Thus, in the context of the existence of a large number of small and scattered farmers in China, the socialized farmland operation is the essence of farmland scale management. (3) Effective collective action is the premise of realizing socialized farmland operation. Undeniably, a lot more systematic explorations are further demanded to strengthen the irrigation management and infrastructures, promote and ensure stable village leadership, and comprehensively improve the ability of rural collective action to ensure the further strengthening of socialized farmland operation so as to realize stable farmland scale management, which will be pursued in the future. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Land Consolidation, Land Management and Rural Areas Development in Sustainability)

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