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Urban and Social Geography and Sustainability
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Urban and Social Geography and Sustainability

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Sustainability in Geographic Science".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2023) | Viewed by 53701

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Bin Meng

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Urban Sciences, College of Arts & Sciences, Beijing Union University, Beijing 100191, China
Interests: big data mining; spatial data analysis; spatiotemporal behavior; cultural perception
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Dongsheng Zhan

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Management, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310023, China
Interests: urban and regional development; human well-being; housing and real estate econonomics
Dr. Ran Liu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Resource Environment and Tourism, Capital Normal University, Beijing 100048, China
Interests: migration; urbanization; land; housing and communities; urban theories

Special Issue Information

In the post-panemic era, human society faces more uncertainties in economic development. In highly populated urban areas especially, people's production and lifestyle have undergone tremendous changes, and the social differentiation of different classes of people has become more complex. In this context, sustainable development issues face more challenges, such as the construction of environment-friendly cities, the sustainability of urban spatial planning, the construction of livable communities, the construction of urban resilience, the upgrading of industrial structures, the protection of traditional culture and the sustainable development of cities. At the same time, new data and technologies also bring new opportunities for urban sustainable development, such as big data analysis, urban computing, etc., which can provide new perspectives on the evaluation of sustainability. Therefore, this Special Issue focuses on the research on sustainable urban development in this new era, and hopes to jointly promote the further improvement of related research in terms of urban sustainable development theories, methods and applications.

Prof. Dr. Bin Meng
Dr. Dongsheng Zhan
Dr. Ran Liu
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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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

  • environmentally friendly cities
  • resilient city
  • livable city
  • city health examination
  • urban planning
  • social differentiation
  • urban computing
  • big data analysis
  • sustainability

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Published Papers (21 papers)

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Research

17 pages, 7712 KiB  
Article
Spatial Distribution and Influencing Factors of Single-Person Households with Social Isolation in Seoul, South Korea
by Sunwoong Yoon and Kyusang Kwon
Sustainability 2024, 16(3), 1280; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16031280 - 2 Feb 2024
Viewed by 1456
Abstract
Previous studies on social isolation and quality of life in single-person households (SPHs) faced limitations in identifying socially isolated groups in a citywide and detailed spatial range. The emergence of big data from various sources offers new possibilities for studying the relationship between [...] Read more.
Previous studies on social isolation and quality of life in single-person households (SPHs) faced limitations in identifying socially isolated groups in a citywide and detailed spatial range. The emergence of big data from various sources offers new possibilities for studying the relationship between SPHs and social isolation. This study examined the spatial distribution of SPHs at high risk of social isolation by age group and the influencing factors for Seoul, South Korea, using Seoul Citizen Life Data. Local indicators of spatial association clustering and spatial econometric models were used for the analyses. The results show, first, that SPHs are concentrated in areas with a high proportion of small- and medium-sized houses and non-apartment-type housing. Second, clear spatial distribution patterns based on life-cycle characteristics exist, with young people clustering near universities and employment centers and older people clustering in residential areas. Third, these life-cycle patterns are not as evident for SPHs with a higher risk of social isolation. Our findings show that not all SPHs can be considered a group with a high risk of social isolation, and the residential patterns of socially isolated SPHs differ from those of typical SPHs throughout their life cycle. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Urban and Social Geography and Sustainability)
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26 pages, 20799 KiB  
Article
Sustainable Development in Old Communities in China—Using Redesigned Nucleic Acid Testing Booths for Community-Specific Needs
by Jun Wu, Wenzhe Luo, Jiaru Chen, Rungtai Lin and Yanru Lyu
Sustainability 2024, 16(3), 1099; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16031099 - 27 Jan 2024
Viewed by 1444
Abstract
The sustainable development of urban communities has attracted widespread attention from all sectors. So, the question regarding how to promote sustainable development in communities has become an important issue that warrants consideration and research. Sustainable development thinking can help create more effective strategies, [...] Read more.
The sustainable development of urban communities has attracted widespread attention from all sectors. So, the question regarding how to promote sustainable development in communities has become an important issue that warrants consideration and research. Sustainable development thinking can help create more effective strategies, enhance the ability to organize information, and build a preferred future. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the nucleic acid testing booths in China played an important role in providing fast screening to determine community outbreaks and effectively prevent the spread of the virus. However, with the overall relaxation of the zero COVID-19 policy, many nucleic acid testing booths are currently largely idle. The question regarding how to leverage these testing booths scientifically and reasonably by redesigning them for local conditions is a ready-to-research topic. Based on theories such as future design and sustainable development construction of future urban communities, we focused on old urban communities in China and explored how to use idle testing booths by conducting field research and resident interviews. We thus aimed to explore how to redesign idle nucleic acid testing booths and transform them into products or smart mobile convenience service stations by applying the study’s qualitative results. Through a case analysis, we constructed design models for intelligent mobile convenience service stations in old communities that met the needs of the future urban community residents and promoted the sustainable development of the community. We hope that our results will be further verified via the design of intelligent convenience service stations in other cities. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Urban and Social Geography and Sustainability)
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32 pages, 7665 KiB  
Article
How Does Blue Infrastructure Affect the Attractiveness Rating of Residential Areas? Case Study of Olsztyn City, Poland
by Małgorzata Dudzińska, Agnieszka Dawidowicz and Marta Gross
Sustainability 2023, 15(24), 16843; https://doi.org/10.3390/su152416843 - 14 Dec 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1480
Abstract
Blue Infrastructure (BI) is a system of water-based ecological and engineering interactions that provides multiple social and ecosystem benefits in an urbanized environment. The study answers the questions: (1) Can the assessment of the attractiveness of residential areas be influenced by the availability [...] Read more.
Blue Infrastructure (BI) is a system of water-based ecological and engineering interactions that provides multiple social and ecosystem benefits in an urbanized environment. The study answers the questions: (1) Can the assessment of the attractiveness of residential areas be influenced by the availability of water reservoirs with a specific functionality? (2) What are the indicators that determine this impact? The research aimed to develop a methodology for the evaluation of residential neighborhood spaces, considering the indicator of the functional value of water bodies and their accessibility. The following research hypothesis, that the recreational and esthetic functions of water bodies along with the accompanying infrastructure are the most attractive features that hold the greatest significance in evaluating residential areas close to them, was verified. Cartographic and field inventory studies were conducted to prove this. An inventory form was applied along with social research using a geo-survey to determine the ranking of individual water bodies. As part of the test of the developed method, all water bodies in the city of Olsztyn (northern Poland) were evaluated. The test revealed that the indicators related to the functional value of water bodies and their accessibility influence the assessment of the residential neighborhoods’ attractiveness. Therefore, they should be considered in the assessment of cities containing both natural and anthropogenic water bodies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Urban and Social Geography and Sustainability)
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15 pages, 5804 KiB  
Article
Examining Changes in Consumer Spatial Structure and Sustainable Development Issues in Beijing before and after the Outbreak of COVID-19
by Changsheng Shi, Bin Meng, Yuting Yuan, Zhiyuan Ou and Xiaohang Li
Sustainability 2023, 15(23), 16451; https://doi.org/10.3390/su152316451 - 30 Nov 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1050
Abstract
Urban consumption spatial structure has a direct impact on the sustainable development and quality of life of urban residents. This study investigates the impact of COVID-19 on Beijing’s urban consumption spatial structure within the Sixth Ring Road. Utilizing POI (Point of Interest) data [...] Read more.
Urban consumption spatial structure has a direct impact on the sustainable development and quality of life of urban residents. This study investigates the impact of COVID-19 on Beijing’s urban consumption spatial structure within the Sixth Ring Road. Utilizing POI (Point of Interest) data and the Kernel Density method, the spatial distribution of commercial centers is analyzed. Consumption data from China UnionPay for 2019 and 2020, along with the Weighted Voronoi diagram method, are employed to assess changes in the radiation range of commercial centers. The findings indicate that: (1) owing to the pandemic’s repercussions, commercial centers at different levels and locations have different changes. (2) There is an overarching decline in UnionPay consumer spending across diverse streets in Beijing. (3) Following the epidemic, large-scale consumption hubs have maintained their dominance, ensuring the overall stability of the city’s consumption spatial pattern. In conclusion, the changes in commercial centers and the significant decrease in consumer spending underscore the dynamic interplay between urban consumption and external shocks like the pandemic. These insights are crucial for urban planning strategies aiming to enhance both resilience and sustainability in the face of unforeseen challenges. The spatial restructuring of traditional commercial centers requires nuanced urban planning. Recognizing the resilience and expansion of smaller centers suggests the importance of fostering localized economic activities. Policymakers could incentivize their development to promote community engagement and economic sustainability. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Urban and Social Geography and Sustainability)
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21 pages, 18052 KiB  
Article
Evaluating and Analyzing Urban Renewal and Transformation Potential Based on AET Models: A Case Study of Shenzhen City
by Kaizhong Yao, Yuefeng Lu, Xiwen Li, Huaizhao Ruan, Feng Gao, Shiwei Shao, Ying Sun, Yanru Liu and Jing Li
Sustainability 2023, 15(18), 13528; https://doi.org/10.3390/su151813528 - 10 Sep 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 3560
Abstract
With the development of the urban economy and population growth, the demand for urban construction land continues to rise. Addressing the challenges of land protection and ecological security calls for the exploration of new approaches. This study emphasizes a sustainable solution by emphasizing [...] Read more.
With the development of the urban economy and population growth, the demand for urban construction land continues to rise. Addressing the challenges of land protection and ecological security calls for the exploration of new approaches. This study emphasizes a sustainable solution by emphasizing in-depth exploration of existing land resources, moving away from the traditional “expanding the pie” model of urban development. Specifically, we selected land parcels in Shenzhen city from 2010 to 2020 that met the criteria for urban renewal and transformation as evaluation units, further categorized into residential, industrial, and commercial land for transformation. From multiple perspectives, including geological conditions, building conditions, agglomeration, social factors, and the degree of completeness of public facilities, we constructed an evaluation system comprising 23 indicators to quantify the potential for urban renewal of these units. Through the AET (AHP-EWM-TOPSIS) model analysis for assessing the potential of urban renewal and transformation, we classified the transformation parcels into different potential levels based on the optimized solutions from the model. Finally, we validated the results using the planned land units implemented in Shenzhen from 2010 to 2020, achieving an accuracy of 81% in matching the spatial distribution of potential levels with the actual situation. The comprehensive evaluation results from the model provide a basis for optimizing and enhancing sustainable urban renewal. This research contributes to the formulation of informed decisions and strategic urban development planning, enabling a more cautious and resource-efficient approach to address the challenges of urban expansion. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Urban and Social Geography and Sustainability)
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20 pages, 4890 KiB  
Article
Multidimensional Evaluation of Urban Land-Use Efficiency and Innovation Capability Analysis: A Case Study in the Pearl River Delta Region, China
by Yanxi Lei, Zuoji Dong, Jichang Dong and Zhi Dong
Sustainability 2023, 15(8), 6387; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15086387 - 7 Apr 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2301
Abstract
With China’s rapid industrialization and urbanization, sustainable urban development is one of the most significant challenges that the country will face in the future, and the rational evaluation and improvement of urban land-use efficiency (ULUE) are becoming crucial for land and urban development. [...] Read more.
With China’s rapid industrialization and urbanization, sustainable urban development is one of the most significant challenges that the country will face in the future, and the rational evaluation and improvement of urban land-use efficiency (ULUE) are becoming crucial for land and urban development. Existing studies rarely examine ULUE, and there is a dearth of urban land use analysis in terms of different functions, regional differences in levels of development, and innovation capacity. Therefore, we take the Pearl River Delta (PRD), China’s economic and innovation center, as our research target and propose a new framework to analyze its comprehensive ULUE. First, we summarized the patterns of land-use change in the PRD region as a whole along with nine major cities from 2000 to 2020 on the basis of data from the China Land Survey. Then, we constructed a multidimensional evaluation model for ULUE and analyzed the spatial differences and causes of multidimensional performance in nine major cities. Finally, we calculated the innovation capability index of the PRD region and established a coupling coordination–evaluation model to analyze the coordination relationship between innovation capability and urban land use. The three main findings of this study are as follows. (1) The growth rate of urban land in the PRD region as a whole exhibited stage differences. (2) The comprehensive ULUE in the PRD urban agglomeration was high, and the spatial variability of functional performance in each dimension was obvious. (3) The level of coordination between innovation capability and urban land use in the PRD region was high, and the coupled coordinated development exhibited a decreasing spatial distribution pattern. Thus, the PRD region mainly relies on the cities of Shenzhen and Guangzhou to drive innovation development of the region. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Urban and Social Geography and Sustainability)
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18 pages, 1370 KiB  
Article
Interest Equilibrium and Path Choice in the Development of Construction Land Decrement: A Theoretical Analysis Based on the Multi-Agent Game Model
by Zhifa Jiang, Qiang Li, Wei Gao, Huiyue Su and Yuansuo Zhang
Sustainability 2023, 15(6), 4734; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15064734 - 7 Mar 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1121
Abstract
High-quality development is a new-era requirement for modern urban construction. The implementation of construction land decrement has become an inevitable choice to solve the urban land use dilemma and achieve high-quality social and economic development. It is a game process for stakeholders. Based [...] Read more.
High-quality development is a new-era requirement for modern urban construction. The implementation of construction land decrement has become an inevitable choice to solve the urban land use dilemma and achieve high-quality social and economic development. It is a game process for stakeholders. Based on the multi-agent game model, this research analyzes the game relationship and strategy selection between governments, government and farmers, government and developers, and developers and farmers and examines the balance of interests among multiple subjects. From the perspective of space dimension, index dimension, use dimension and time dimension, a game path is constructed for construction land decrement. The research shows the following: There is a clear relationship between the supervision cost of the higher-level government and the intensity of rewards and punishments for the lower-level government and the implementation of the decrement. The district (county) government’s compensation plan and farmers’ perceptions of the success of the boycott will affect the strategic choices of both parties. Governments at all levels play a direct role in restraining development behavior and supervising rent-seeking behavior after developers intervene in volume reduction. It also proposes optimizing the ratio of game factors such as costs, benefits, rewards, verification and punishment to achieve the game equilibrium of the expression of the interests of village residents, developers and governments at all levels. Based on the path planning and coupling of response, the multi-scheme dynamic path selection for the development of construction land decrement is realized. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Urban and Social Geography and Sustainability)
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23 pages, 2705 KiB  
Article
Evaluation and Spatial Correlation Analysis of Green Economic Growth Efficiency in Yangtze River Delta Urban Agglomeration
by Jialu Su, Zhiqiang Ma, Yan Wang and Xinxing Wang
Sustainability 2023, 15(3), 2583; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15032583 - 31 Jan 2023
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1764
Abstract
The Yangtze River Delta urban agglomeration has an extremely important strategic location in the national regional development pattern, is the engine of China’s green economic development, and plays an important role in promoting the green transformation of the national economy. It is important [...] Read more.
The Yangtze River Delta urban agglomeration has an extremely important strategic location in the national regional development pattern, is the engine of China’s green economic development, and plays an important role in promoting the green transformation of the national economy. It is important to clarify the region’s current situation and the space–time characteristics of green economic growth. This study uses a super-efficiency dynamic Slacks-Based Measure (SBM) model to measure the green economic growth efficiency (GEGE) of 41 cities in the Yangtze River Delta urban agglomeration. Based on this, the exploratory spatial data analysis (ESDA) method is used to analyze the spatial correlation of the GEGE. Differently from previous studies, this paper evaluates the GEGE based on a dynamic perspective, considering the intertemporal role of capital. At the same time, the space–time analysis of regional systems (STARS) is used to explore the long-term development pattern and transition path of the GEGE in the Yangtze River Delta urban agglomeration. The results show the following: (1) The GEGE in the Yangtze River Delta urban agglomeration shows a fluctuating downward trend. The efficiency values of the Shanghai, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Anhui are significantly different, showing the distribution law of “high in the east and low in the west”. (2) The global spatial autocorrelation has weakened, but the characteristics of local agglomeration are obvious. (3) The space–time transitions show high spatial stability and path dependence. The findings highlight that the economic development of the Yangtze River Delta urban agglomeration is undergoing a difficult period of transition. Despite a decline in the GEGE, the overall regional linkage shows a positive trend. The conclusions can provide a reference for enhancing the green economic development of the Yangtze River Delta urban agglomeration. The implications of this research are important for the implementation of a regional integration strategy and the early achievement of the emission peak and carbon neutrality goals. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Urban and Social Geography and Sustainability)
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14 pages, 280 KiB  
Article
The Influence of Geopolitical Risk on International Direct Investment and Its Countermeasures
by Miaozhi Yu and Na Wang
Sustainability 2023, 15(3), 2522; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15032522 - 31 Jan 2023
Cited by 14 | Viewed by 11362
Abstract
Recent years have seen frequent geopolitical conflicts and the world economy has fallen into a recession. In order to explore how wars, terrorist attacks and international tensions affect foreign direct investment (FDI), this paper uses the fixed-effect model to investigate the impact of [...] Read more.
Recent years have seen frequent geopolitical conflicts and the world economy has fallen into a recession. In order to explore how wars, terrorist attacks and international tensions affect foreign direct investment (FDI), this paper uses the fixed-effect model to investigate the impact of geopolitical risks on FDI flows in 41 countries during 2003–2020 from the perspective of market seeking, natural resource seeking and strategic resource seeking. The results show that, on the whole, geopolitical risks can significantly inhibit the inflow of foreign direct investment and hinder the development of domestic economy. The market size, natural resources and science and technology of the host country are important factors to attract foreign investment. Trade dependence has a moderating effect on the negative impact of geopolitical risks. Countries that depend on international trade may eliminate geopolitical frictions through economic cooperation. The impact of geopolitical risk is heterogeneous in countries with different levels of economic development. The impact of geopolitical risk on foreign direct investment in developed economies is not significant. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Urban and Social Geography and Sustainability)
32 pages, 4127 KiB  
Article
The Spatial Pattern of Deprivations and Inequalities: The Case of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
by Gizachew Berhanu Gelet, Solomon Mulugeta Woldemichael and Ephrem Gebremariam Beyene
Sustainability 2023, 15(3), 1934; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15031934 - 19 Jan 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 3784
Abstract
Addis Ababa is a metropolitan area faced with the challenges of Ethiopia’s urbanization, such as poverty, unemployment, informal settlements, an acute housing shortage, and environmental hazards. Yet, the non-practicality of area-based policy using the Multiple Deprivation Index (MDI) exacerbates the polarization of poverty [...] Read more.
Addis Ababa is a metropolitan area faced with the challenges of Ethiopia’s urbanization, such as poverty, unemployment, informal settlements, an acute housing shortage, and environmental hazards. Yet, the non-practicality of area-based policy using the Multiple Deprivation Index (MDI) exacerbates the polarization of poverty and spatial inequality to create a divided city. The study developed the MDI for 2007 and 2016. The study’s objective was to justify the area-based policy by analyzing the overlaps of deprivations based on the relationship of pertinent indicators and components, the spatial pattern of inequality and deprivations, and the relationship of deprivation with population size and density. The findings of the study were triangulated and validated with the deductive theoretical, empirical, and SDG frameworks to replicate external validity. The research design included both descriptive and correlational methods. The inductively derived pattern using PCA (principal component analysis) and LISA (local spatial association index) of MDI components revealed spatial inequality and poverty polarization. The index of concentrated poverty was revealed by global spatial autocorrelation. The statistical and spatial trend analysis revealed concentrated poverty, especially in the inner-city slums and the peri-urban informal settlements. Most of the findings conformed to deductive theoretical and SDG frameworks, while the analysis of MDI indicators and components revealed additional slum indicators and the relevance of integrating other SDG indicators with SDG 11 for realizing sustainable urbanization. Due to spatial inequality, patterns of concentrated poverty, a large, deprived population, and easing future urbanization challenges, the study rationalized area-based policy for reducing inequality and poverty polarization. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Urban and Social Geography and Sustainability)
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13 pages, 1612 KiB  
Article
Subjective Well-Being of Historical Neighborhood Residents in Beijing: The Impact on the Residential Environment
by Yazhuo Jiang, Li Chen, Yangyang Xie, Yang Li and Ting Li
Sustainability 2023, 15(3), 1847; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15031847 - 18 Jan 2023
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1999
Abstract
The protection of historical neighborhood blocks is the key to maintaining Beijing’s historical and cultural significance. These districts in Beijing carry the history and culture of the city, however, their increasingly crowded environments and lack of infrastructure significantly affects the quality of life [...] Read more.
The protection of historical neighborhood blocks is the key to maintaining Beijing’s historical and cultural significance. These districts in Beijing carry the history and culture of the city, however, their increasingly crowded environments and lack of infrastructure significantly affects the quality of life for residents. A regression analysis model is constructed in this paper based on data from a 2019 urban physical examination questionnaire deployed in Beijing. Beijing’s historical districts are taken as the research unit to analyze current residents’ satisfaction with the living environment, supporting further discussion on residents’ subjective well-being. Residents report low satisfaction overall with air pollution, service facilities, parking facilities, childcare facilities, daily shopping facilities, and other factors, suggesting that targeted improvements thereto may significantly improve residents’ subjective well-being. Analysis of different groups with different attributes reveals that the older residents of these areas tend to have higher education and income levels. It is believed that improvement in various factors of the living environment may improve subjective well-being; further, dissatisfaction with the living environment has a significant negative effect on the subjective well-being of, particularly, women and people with children in the family. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Urban and Social Geography and Sustainability)
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19 pages, 9109 KiB  
Article
Anticipating Spatial–Temporal Distribution of Regional Highway Traffic with Online Navigation Route Recommendation
by Yuli Fan, Qingming Zhan, Huizi Zhang, Zihao Mi and Kun Xiao
Sustainability 2023, 15(1), 314; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15010314 - 25 Dec 2022
Viewed by 1512
Abstract
Detailed anticipation of potential highway congestion is becoming more necessary, as increasing regional road traffic puts pressure on both highways and towns its passes through; tidal traffic during vacations and unsatisfactory town planning make the situation even worse. Remote sensing and on-site sensors [...] Read more.
Detailed anticipation of potential highway congestion is becoming more necessary, as increasing regional road traffic puts pressure on both highways and towns its passes through; tidal traffic during vacations and unsatisfactory town planning make the situation even worse. Remote sensing and on-site sensors can dynamically detect upcoming congestion, but they lack global and long-term perspectives. This paper proposes a demand-network approach that is based on online route recommendations to exploit its accuracy, coverage and timeliness. Specifically, a presumed optimal route is acquired for each prefecture pair by accessing an online navigation platform with its Application Programming Interface; time attributes are given to down-sampled route points to allocate traffic volume on that route to different hours; then different routes are weighted with the origin–destination traveler amount data from location-based services providers, resulting in fine-level prediction of the spatial–temporal distribution of traffic volume on highway network. Experiments with data in January 2020 show good consistency with empirical predictions of highway administrations, and they further reveal the importance of dealing with congestion hotspots outside big cities, for which we conclude that dynamic bypassing is a potential solution to be explored in further studies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Urban and Social Geography and Sustainability)
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22 pages, 2811 KiB  
Article
How Do Block Built Environments Affect Daily Leisure Walking among the Elderly? A Empirical Study of Gaoyou, China
by Yang Cao, Hao Wu, Hongbin Wang, Yawei Qu, Yan Zeng and Xiyu Mu
Sustainability 2023, 15(1), 257; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15010257 - 23 Dec 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1832
Abstract
Currently, the major global economies have entered an aging society. The promotion of physical activity is an important way to improve the health level of the elderly, and the study of health geography is a popular interdisciplinary research topic. This study selected 12 [...] Read more.
Currently, the major global economies have entered an aging society. The promotion of physical activity is an important way to improve the health level of the elderly, and the study of health geography is a popular interdisciplinary research topic. This study selected 12 representative districts in Guoyu City, Jiangsu Province, to conduct a questionnaire survey on the activity range and behavior pattern of leisure walking among the elderly. We analyzed the relationship between the environment factors of different blocks and the walking activities of the elderly. The results showed that: (1) A range of 800 m from home is the most important leisure walking space for the urban elderly, and a distance between 800 and 1500 m is an important optional leisure walking space. (2) The density of open green space, commercial facilities, and public service facilities has a significant impact on the elderly’s leisure walking activities. (3) The socioeconomic background and health status of the elderly have a significant impact on their leisure walking activities. Healthy physical conditions can motivate the elderly to form good exercise habits. The government must optimize the built environment elements in a targeted living space to encourage physical activity among the elderly. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Urban and Social Geography and Sustainability)
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16 pages, 1165 KiB  
Article
Chinese Economic Growth Projections Based on Mixed Data of Carbon Emissions under the COVID-19 Pandemic
by Rong Fu, Luze Xie, Tao Liu, Juan Huang and Binbin Zheng
Sustainability 2022, 14(24), 16762; https://doi.org/10.3390/su142416762 - 14 Dec 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1531
Abstract
Current research on carbon emissions and economic development has tended to apply more homogeneous low-frequency data to construct VAR models with impulse responses, ignoring some of the sample information in high-frequency data. This study constructs a MIDAS model to forecast GDP growth rate [...] Read more.
Current research on carbon emissions and economic development has tended to apply more homogeneous low-frequency data to construct VAR models with impulse responses, ignoring some of the sample information in high-frequency data. This study constructs a MIDAS model to forecast GDP growth rate based on monthly carbon emission data and quarterly GDP data in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. The results show that: (1) The MIDAS model has smaller RMSE than the VAR model in short-term forecasting, and provides more stable real-time forecasts and short-term forecasts of quarterly GDP growth rates, which can provide more accurate reference intervals; (2) China’s future macroeconomic growth rate has recently declined due to the impact of the sudden epidemic, but the trend is generally optimistic. By improving urban planning and other methods, the authorities can achieve the two-carbon goal of carbon capping and carbon neutrality at an early date. In the context of the impact of COVID-19 on China’s economic development, we need to strike a balance between ensuring stable economic growth and ecological protection, and build environmentally friendly cities, so as to achieve sustainable economic and ecological development and enhance human well-being. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Urban and Social Geography and Sustainability)
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21 pages, 5413 KiB  
Article
Spatial Heterogeneity Analysis for Influencing Factors of Outbound Ridership of Subway Stations Considering the Optimal Scale Range of “7D” Built Environments
by Zhenbao Wang, Jiarui Song, Yuchen Zhang, Shihao Li, Jianlin Jia and Chengcheng Song
Sustainability 2022, 14(23), 16314; https://doi.org/10.3390/su142316314 - 6 Dec 2022
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2224
Abstract
The accuracy of the regression model of ridership of subway stations depends on the scale range of the built environment around the subway stations. Previous studies have not considered the Modifiable Area Unit Problem (MAUP) to establish the regression model of subway station [...] Read more.
The accuracy of the regression model of ridership of subway stations depends on the scale range of the built environment around the subway stations. Previous studies have not considered the Modifiable Area Unit Problem (MAUP) to establish the regression model of subway station ridership. Taking Beijing as an example, this paper expanded the built environment variables from “5D” category to “7D” category, added indicators such as parking fee standard and population density factor, and proposed a Multi-Scale Geographical Weighted Regression (MGWR) model of outbound ridership of subway stations with standardized variables. The goodness of fit of regression models under 10 spatial scales or built environment around subway stations are compared, and the spatial heterogeneity of built environment factors under the optimal spatial scale of outbound ridership of subway stations during the morning peak on weekdays is discussed. The results show that: (1) the scale range overlapped by 1000 m radius circular buffer zone and Thiessen polygon has the highest explanatory power for the regression model, and is regarded as the optimal scale range of built environment; (2) the density of office facilities, sports and leisure facilities, medical service facilities, building density and floor area ratio (FAR) has a significant impact on the outbound ridership of all subway stations; (3) office facilities, catering facilities, FAR, number of parking lots, and whether subway stations are transfer stations have a positive impact on outbound ridership. The number of medical service facilities, sports and leisure facilities, bus stops and building density have a negative impact on outbound ridership; (4) the two added factors in this study: parking charge standard and population density, as the influencing factors of the built environment, have a significant impact on the outbound ridership of some subway stations; and (5) the different local coefficients of the built environment factors at different stations are discussed, which indicate the spatial heterogeneity on the outbound ridership. The results can provide an important theoretical basis for the prediction and analysis of demand of ridership at subway stations and the integration of the built environment around the stations. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Urban and Social Geography and Sustainability)
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23 pages, 6573 KiB  
Article
Does Education Affect Economic Growth? A Re-Examination of Empirical Data from China
by Yu Zhang and Jianguo Liu
Sustainability 2022, 14(23), 16289; https://doi.org/10.3390/su142316289 - 6 Dec 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 3340
Abstract
From the perspective of the spatial differences of China’s educational development, exploring the impact of education on economic development is of great importance for alleviating the main contradiction between China’s inter provincial education and economic development. By collecting the spatial panel data from [...] Read more.
From the perspective of the spatial differences of China’s educational development, exploring the impact of education on economic development is of great importance for alleviating the main contradiction between China’s inter provincial education and economic development. By collecting the spatial panel data from 31 provinces in China between 2011 and 2020, the study adopted spatial autocorrelation analysis and spatial Dubin model and conducted an empirical exploring the impact between China’s education development and economic growth. The findings of the paper include the following: (1) From the perspective of spatial correlation of the education development level, the improvement of education in China’s provinces affects and promotes each other nationwide; the spatial correlation of the improvement of education level presents a situation of strong combination. In provinces with a higher education level, education resources are relatively concentrated. (2) From the perspective of the role of education in promoting the economy, the improvement of education has a significant impact in promoting China’s economic growth, but it is not significant in the western region of China. Based on the research results, efforts should be made to improve the level of spatial correlation among provinces and cities. This study further suggests that, in the future, vigorously developing industries and vocational education in the western region should be considered as an important measure for China in promoting the coordinated development of the inter provincial economy in the future. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Urban and Social Geography and Sustainability)
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14 pages, 973 KiB  
Article
An Evaluation of Factors Influencing Urban Integration and Livelihood of Eco-Migrant Families: Quantitative Evidence from Western China
by Rui Wang and Yuan Gao
Sustainability 2022, 14(23), 16249; https://doi.org/10.3390/su142316249 - 5 Dec 2022
Viewed by 1432
Abstract
Background. In China, the policy of ecological migration is a new approach to protect the urban ecological environment. However, the changes in livelihood capital before and after migration and the matching relationship between the livelihood capital and livelihood model of migrants are rarely [...] Read more.
Background. In China, the policy of ecological migration is a new approach to protect the urban ecological environment. However, the changes in livelihood capital before and after migration and the matching relationship between the livelihood capital and livelihood model of migrants are rarely explored. Our study aims to address these research gaps to determine factors affecting the urban integration of eco-migrant families and their means of sustainable livelihood. Methods. We used the survey data of migrant households in China in 2017 and 2018. Heckman’s two-stage model and the endogenous transformation regression model were applied for data analysis. Results. First, most migrants are willing to integrate into urban life after relocation, but the efficiency of their integration into urban life needs to be improved. Second, differences in demographic background and geographic location significantly affect the decisions of migrants in urban integration. Third, family heterogeneity has the greatest impact on the degree of urban integration, followed by geographical location. Lastly, the high degree of urban integration of migrants has a significant impact on their household income. Conclusions. Local governments and communities should provide immigrant families migrating from rural to urban China with more social and economic resources for their better socioeconomic integration. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Urban and Social Geography and Sustainability)
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15 pages, 4959 KiB  
Article
Type Identification of Land Use in Metro Station Area Based on Spatial–Temporal Features Extraction of Human Activities
by Dandan Xu, Xiaodong Zhang, Xinghua Zhang and Yongguang Yu
Sustainability 2022, 14(20), 13122; https://doi.org/10.3390/su142013122 - 13 Oct 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1672
Abstract
As a social carrier, a city is a place of human activities, and human activities also shape and influence the city through its dynamic demand. The in-depth understanding of urban functions is important for urban planning, and the full utilization of the spatial–temporal [...] Read more.
As a social carrier, a city is a place of human activities, and human activities also shape and influence the city through its dynamic demand. The in-depth understanding of urban functions is important for urban planning, and the full utilization of the spatial–temporal variation of human activities can be more effective in the identification of land functions. However, the complete extraction of time series features is one of the difficulties. To solve the above problems, the paper explores the identification of land use types based on human activity feature extraction, by taking Beijing as an example. Firstly, this paper constructs a time series that characterizing the change of passenger flow in the metro station area with AFC data, and realizes the feature extraction and type clustering of the time series. Secondly, this paper forms an index system for land use type identification by introducing POI-based indicators, which achieves a comprehensive representation of population activity data. Finally, this paper constructs a land use type identification model based on multi-source human activity data by using GBDT classifier. The results show that the model has high recognition accuracy. It is found that the fusion application of AFC and POI improves the land use recognition accuracy in the case of “Consistent change in time series but different types of demand”, and the different POI triggers the seemingly overall stable but random activity demand within the city. The research results promote the innovative application of open-source big data in the field of urban planning. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Urban and Social Geography and Sustainability)
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15 pages, 1497 KiB  
Article
The Oasis of Peace? Social Perception of Urban Parks from the City-Dwellers’ Perspectives
by Bohuslav Binka, Martin Čech and Jan Činčera
Sustainability 2022, 14(18), 11460; https://doi.org/10.3390/su141811460 - 13 Sep 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2546
Abstract
The article focuses on the social perception of urban parks, from the perspective of city dwellers. For the analyses, eight focus groups with N = 48 participants were organized. The findings indicated urban parks as a meaningful part of the city dwellers’ place [...] Read more.
The article focuses on the social perception of urban parks, from the perspective of city dwellers. For the analyses, eight focus groups with N = 48 participants were organized. The findings indicated urban parks as a meaningful part of the city dwellers’ place identity, who interpret them as an “oasis of peace” or “places for meeting”. The article further analyzes the conflicts emerging from the clashes of different perspectives on how urban parks should be used, what functions they should fulfil, or what characteristics they should have. The article discusses the possible implications of some of these contradictions, connected with the changing nature–culture understanding in contemporary society and the unresolved marginalization of some of the social groups. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Urban and Social Geography and Sustainability)
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19 pages, 1985 KiB  
Article
The Impact of the Neighborhood Built Environment on the Commuting Patterns and Health of Patients with Chronic Diseases: A Case Study of Changshu, China
by Hao Wu, Hongbin Wang, Duanyang Liu, Yang Cao and Yawei Qu
Sustainability 2022, 14(18), 11201; https://doi.org/10.3390/su141811201 - 7 Sep 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1719
Abstract
The health of patients with chronic diseases is affected not only by factors such as eating and living habits, but also by the neighborhood built environment, and by travel conditions. Using 18 blocks in the main urban area of Changshu, China, we performed [...] Read more.
The health of patients with chronic diseases is affected not only by factors such as eating and living habits, but also by the neighborhood built environment, and by travel conditions. Using 18 blocks in the main urban area of Changshu, China, we performed structural equation modelling, to explore the relationships between the neighborhood built environment, the commuting patterns of patients with chronic diseases, and patient health. We first divided the commuting patterns into four categories—walking/biking, public transportation, electric vehicles/motorcycles, and cars—and conducted a street-scale questionnaire survey. Secondly, we divided ‘health’ into three latent variables—physical health, mental health, and healthy behavior—and analyzed the factors influencing the street environment. Finally, we verified our theoretical framework through a mathematical statistical analysis model. We found that: (1) service facility, environmental quality, and community safety perception in the neighborhood built environment significantly impacted commuting patterns; (2) the patient’s physical health was significantly correlated with healthy behaviors and daily commuting patterns; and (3) socioeconomic attributes directly affected neighborhood environmental satisfaction, and indirectly affected the patient’s health. Neighborhood environmental satisfaction also directly affected the patient’s health, and there was a cross-influence relationship between these factors. We propose strengthening the walkability and connectivity of the neighborhood built environment, and improving the health awareness of patients, and their willingness to participate in healthy behaviors. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Urban and Social Geography and Sustainability)
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18 pages, 3907 KiB  
Article
The Spatial Spillover Effect and Its Impact on Tourism Development in a Megacity in China
by Yajun Cao and Jianguo Liu
Sustainability 2022, 14(15), 9188; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14159188 - 27 Jul 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1991
Abstract
By utilizing the tourism development data of Beijing for the period from 2010 to 2019, this study examined the spatial pattern distribution of tourism development in Beijing using the coefficient of variation and Moran’s I index. In addition, the geographic detector method was [...] Read more.
By utilizing the tourism development data of Beijing for the period from 2010 to 2019, this study examined the spatial pattern distribution of tourism development in Beijing using the coefficient of variation and Moran’s I index. In addition, the geographic detector method was employed to explore the impact of tourism resource investment, tourism reception facilities, and urban development level on the spatial pattern of tourism development. The results indicate that the spatial differences in tourism development in various Beijing districts are gradually expanding, mainly focusing on the differences between urban function expansion regions. The number of tourists shows a spatial distribution pattern including a core area, urban function expansion area, ecological conservation area, and new urban development area. The spatial correlation of tourism development increases gradually, and some parts show the spatial correlation form of low–high aggregation. Tourism resource investment, tourism reception facilities, and urban development level all play a significant role in promoting the spatial pattern of tourism development, among which the most obvious role is the interactive effect of tourism reception facilities, star-rated hotels, and openness. Therefore, to improve the development of Beijing’s tourism industry, the government needs to pay attention to the differences in the expansion of urban functions, the degree of contact between regions, the number of tourism reception facilities, and the level of regional openness. The significance of this research is in promoting spatial governance, coordinated development among regions, and the high-quality development of tourism in Beijing, and laying down a foundation for the introduction of spatial collaborative governance policies in other megacities in China. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Urban and Social Geography and Sustainability)
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