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A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Environmental Sustainability and Applications".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 August 2021) | Viewed by 29617

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Szymon Chmielewski

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Guest Editor

Department of Grassland and Landscape Studies, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Akademicka 15 St., 20-950 Lublin, Poland
Interests: visual landscape; visibility analysis; land use changes; urban studies; citizen science
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Agnieszka Olszewska-Guizzo

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Guest Editor

1) NeuroLandscape Foundation, Suwalska 8/78, 03-252 Warsaw, Poland
2) Institute for Health Innovation & Technology (iHealthtech) MD6, 14 Medical Drive, #14, Singapore 117599, Singapore
Interests: landscape; architecture; design; urban; mental health; well-being; neuroscience; eeg; contemplative; environment; brain
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Mahyar Masoudi

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Guest Editor

Department of Architecture in the School of Design and Environment, National University of Singapore, Singapore
Interests: environmental, ecological and social impacts of urbanization; ecosystem services & nature-based solutions; distribution of ecosystem services from the environmental justice perspective to ensure that all citizens are benefiting from the benefits of nature equitably; development of scaled indicators in order to quantify spatial pattern and its relationship with ecological, environmental and social processes across a range of scales

Dr. Magdalena Szczepańska

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Guest Editor

Faculty of Human Geography and Planning, University of Adam Mickiewicz in Poznań, Poznań, Poland
Interests: landscape architecture; cultural landscape; green areas; urban agriculture; rural areas; tourism and recreation

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The landscape is a resource that determines the environmental quality and people's well-being at scales that are larger to be addressed by local, sectorial stakeholders. In this special issue, we first intend to outline the visual landscape analysis and its implications for sustainable land use planning strategies. Further, we intend to present recent methods, concepts and reviews which found their way to landscape aesthetics, citizen well-being, visual design in the landscape, urban space revitalizations as well as landscape co-design and public participation frameworks.

According to the European Landscape Convention (ELC-2000), landscape is an important component of people's lives, however, civilization development and land consumption pose a number of threats to this multi-dimensional resource. Thus, landscape and its physiognomy protection require a land use planning which adopts an integrated socio-ecological-technological approach and carefully considers sustainable development goals (SDGs). Such an integrated, multi-faceted and holistic approach is believed to be able to address the diverse needs of multiple stakeholders and create landscapes that are ecologically, economically, and socially sustainable. Despite an increasing body of knowledge on landscape ecology (e.g. landscape diversity, connectivity), there is still a lack of research focusing on landscape analysis that helps quantify and characterize the visual landscape resources, specifically landscape physiognomy and visual character. Sustainable management and conservation of aforementioned visual resources, means ensuring the attainment and continued of human aesthetic needs, cultural identity and well-being for the present and future generations.

At this point, we would like to invite all authors whose research concerns landscape analysis with implications for sustainable land use planning. The special issue emphasises the visual landscape, landscape character assessment, landscape services, nature-based solutions which could be useful for decision making in the context of land use planning and sustainable cities development. We welcome all theoretical, methodological and practical (both qualitative and quantitative) research that examines landscape approaches to sustainable land use planning. Since geoinformatics and GeoWeb plays a key role in the landscape analysis, we especially welcome approaches incorporating GIS and remote sensing data into method workflow. Regarding socio-ecological issues of the landscape, the crowdsourcing and citizen science as well as data mining approaches would be warmly welcomed too. We also encourage the discussion and reviews of legal solutions for landscape protection in accordance with ELC-2000 and SDGs.

We would like to invite colleagues to submit articles about their recent research on any of the following topics but not restricted to:

landscape analysis
sustainable land use planning and landscape management
landscape services
landscape character assessment and landscape units
landscape visibility and visual impact assessment
quantitative approaches to landscape design
nature-based solutions
edible landscape and urban agriculture
effectiveness of revitalization strategies
environmental, ecological and social impacts of land use planning
urban and rural landscapes’ effects on individual and community health
co-design and participatory mapping in landscape research
applications of citizen science in landscape research and success stories with GeoWeb
geoprocessing tools and algorithms for landscape analysis
use of remote sensing data in landscape analysis
the theory of landscape sustainability

Dr. Szymon Chmielewski
Dr. Agnieszka Olszewska-Guizzo
Dr. Mahyar Masoudi
Dr. Magdalena Szczepańska
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

landscape studies
sustainable land use planning
landscape character assessment
landscape quality assessment
public perception of the landscape
public participation in land use planning
landscape design
landscape visualization

Published Papers (9 papers)

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Research

25 pages, 6644 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Walkability Compass—A Space Syntax Solution for Comparative Studies

by Kestutis Zaleckis, Szymon Chmielewski, Jūratė Kamičaitytė, Indre Grazuleviciute-Vileniske and Halina Lipińska

Sustainability 2022, 14(4), 2033; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14042033 - 11 Feb 2022

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 4074

Abstract

The ongoing discourse on air quality and climate changes positions walkability as a pivotal point of sustainable urban planning. Urban studies examine a city’s walkability in terms of pedestrian flows, design qualities, and street network topology, leaving walkability comparative frameworks under development. Building on the space syntax theory, this research introduces a “walkability compass”, a four spatial indicator-designed tool for city walkability assessment and comparison. The tools are being tested on eight Baltic region cities: Vilnius, Kaunas (LT), Malmö (SE), Riga (LV), Tallinn (ES), Gdansk, Bialystok, Lublin (PL). The nine-step method framework integrates four indexes: Gravity (Gr), Reach (Re), Straightness (St), and Population density (Pop). The “walkability compass” results reveal significant Re and St correlations; thus, visual and cultural aspects become the main factors in pedestrian-friendly cities. The spatial pattern typology has matched similar cities (Malmö and Kaunas) to work closely on sustainable urban planning development. In all case studies, specific walkability zones were mapped, but the Gr zones turned out to be the most compact ones (the Z-score of Gr was ranged from 355.4 to 584; other indexes oscillated between 209.4 and 542.6). The walkability mapping results are publicly shared via WebMap to stimulate the participatory discussion on case studies cities further development. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Quantifying Landscape for Sustainable Land Use Planning)

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22 pages, 6722 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Mapping Green Infrastructure Based on Multifunctional Ecosystem Services: A Sustainable Planning Framework for Utah’s Wasatch Front

by Richard leBrasseur

Sustainability 2022, 14(2), 825; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14020825 - 12 Jan 2022

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2339

Abstract

Most sustainable planning frameworks assess natural and social–economic landscape systems as separate entities, and our understanding of the interrelationships between them is incomplete. Landscape classification in urbanizing environments requires an integrated spatial planning approach to better address the United Nation’s sustainable development challenges. The objective of this research is to apply a multicriteria evaluation which ranked diverse ecosystem–service producing landscapes and synthesize the findings within a unique green infrastructure spatial planning framework. Local government stakeholder derived weighting and GIS classification were operated to map both the urban and natural landscapes of the Salt Lake City region of Utah, one of the most rapidly urbanizing areas in North America. Results were assimilated through five regional landscape typologies—Ecological, Hydrological, Recreational, Working Lands, and Community—and indicated those highest ranked landscape areas which provided multiple ecosystem services. These findings support collaborative decision making among diverse stakeholders with overlapping objectives and illustrates pathways to the development of ecosystem service criteria. This paper contributes to a better understanding of how to integrate data and visualize the strategic approaches required for sustainable planning and management, particularly in urban and urbanizing regions where complex socioecological landscapes predominate. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Quantifying Landscape for Sustainable Land Use Planning)

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14 pages, 3890 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

The Use of Selected Landscape Metrics to Evaluate the Transformation of the Rural Landscape as a Result of the Development of the Mining Function—A Case Study of the Puchaczów Commune

by Sylwia Barwicka and Małgorzata Milecka

Sustainability 2021, 13(21), 12279; https://doi.org/10.3390/su132112279 - 7 Nov 2021

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2296

Abstract

Landscape metrics have been used for years in research on the evolution of landscapes. They are also important in the process of monitoring changes taking place in the functional and spatial structure of rural areas. The main aim of this article is to assess the transformation of the rural landscape of the Puchaczów commune, which is based on a comparative analysis of selected landscape metrics. In the Puchaczów commune, due to the availability of raw materials, a mining industry has developed, which has a decisive influence on the development of the region. The study included schemes of the commune’s land cover from four periods: the pre-war period, the 1960s and the 1970s (i.e., shortly before the construction of the hard coal mine), 1990–2000, and 2020. Then, for the given time frames, with the help of the FRAGSTATS version 4.2 program, the following landscape indicators were calculated: the percentage of the landscape coverage by particular land cover units, the number of patches, the mean class area, the Shannon diversity index, and the Simpson diversity index. A comparative analysis of landscape metrics showed that the landscape of the Puchaczów commune was constantly transformed in the years 1937–2020. Despite the decrease in the area of agricultural land, agricultural production remains the dominant function of the commune. The percentage of industrial areas is the smallest, but the metric values do not reflect the enormous environmental impact of the mine. A broader description of the changes taking place in the landscape of the Puchaczów commune can therefore be obtained only by combining research with the use of landscape metrics and analyses of the impact of land cover units on the environment. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Quantifying Landscape for Sustainable Land Use Planning)

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19 pages, 1052 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Rich Diversity of Urban Allotment Gardens in Europe: Contemporary Trends in the Context of Historical, Socio-Economic and Legal Conditions

by Lidia Poniży, Monika J. Latkowska, Jürgen Breuste, Andrew Hursthouse, Sophie Joimel, Mart Külvik, Teresa E. Leitão, Andrzej Mizgajski, Annette Voigt, Ewa Kacprzak, Barbara Maćkiewicz and Magdalena Szczepańska

Sustainability 2021, 13(19), 11076; https://doi.org/10.3390/su131911076 - 7 Oct 2021

Cited by 14 | Viewed by 3694

Abstract

Urban allotment gardens (AGs) provide a unique combination of productive and recreational spaces for the inhabitants of European cities. Although the reasons behind the decision to have a plot, as well as the mode of use and gardening practices, are well recognised in the literature, these issues are mainly considered in relation to particular case studies within a single country. The regional diversity of European allotment gardens is still poorly understood, however. This knowledge gap became an incentive for us to carry out the present study. The research was conducted in seven countries: Austria, Estonia, Germany, France, Portugal, Poland and the UK. Surveys were used to assess the motivations of users regarding plot uses and gardening practices. Information was also collected during desk research and study visits, making use of available statistical data. Allotment gardens in Europe are currently very diverse, and vary depending on the historical, legal, economic and social conditions of a given country, and also as determined by geographical location. Three main types of plots were distinguished, for: cultivation, recreation–cultivation, and cultivation–recreation. The recreational use of AGs has replaced their use for food production in countries with a long history of urban gardening. The only exception is the UK. In some countries, the production of food on an AG plot is still its main function; however, the motivations for this are related to better quality and taste (the UK), as well as the economic benefits of self-grown fruits and vegetables (Portugal, Estonia). Among the wide range of motivations for urban gardening in Europe, there is increasing emphasis on active recreation, contact with nature and quality food supply. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Quantifying Landscape for Sustainable Land Use Planning)

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19 pages, 4085 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Landscapes of Prosperity, Youth, Femininity, Temptation, Friendship, Transition, Money, and Survival in Terms of Evolutionary Psychology

by Agnieszka Kępkowicz and Halina Lipińska

Sustainability 2021, 13(19), 11046; https://doi.org/10.3390/su131911046 - 6 Oct 2021

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1508

Abstract

Assessment of landscape attractiveness often struggles with the challenge of differences in human tastes. In the present study, the relationship between preferences shaped by the biological and cultural evolution of mankind and the qualities of landscape attractiveness were examined. The aim of the study was to determine the types of landscape as related to evolutionary behavior patterns and preferences regarding the choice of a partner in different types of relationships. The research hypothesis was that the sets of traits preferred by human partners can be reflected in sets of preferred qualities of landscape attractiveness. The translation of human qualities into qualities of landscape was done through anthropomorphization using the phenomenological method and research techniques based on branding (e.g., the brand personality construct). During the investigation, the following types of landscape attractiveness were identified: Landscape of Prosperity, Youth, Femininity, Temptation, Friendship, Transition, and Money. The developed typological division is a step towards recognizing new sources of preferences for aesthetic and cognitive landscape values. This framework could be interesting for landscape valuation and planning, as well as research on the cultural character of the landscape, as a resource important in the context of sustainable development. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Quantifying Landscape for Sustainable Land Use Planning)

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14 pages, 15950 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Significance of Allotment Gardens in Urban Green Space Systems and Their Classification for Spatial Planning Purposes: A Case Study of Poznań, Poland

by Dominika Dymek, Agnieszka Wilkaniec, Leszek Bednorz and Magdalena Szczepańska

Sustainability 2021, 13(19), 11044; https://doi.org/10.3390/su131911044 - 6 Oct 2021

Cited by 12 | Viewed by 2557

Abstract

Almost five thousand allotment gardens divided into one million plots are used by roughly 10% of Polish society. Several studies have emphasized their social importance and significance for enlargement of the area and the integrity of urban spatial greenery systems. However, the area of allotment gardens in Polish cities has been decreasing since the changes in the post-communist country in the 1990s. There is a lack of a simple method of classification and valuation of allotment gardens in relation to their significance in urban green space systems that could be used by officials and city planners. Hence, this study aims to examine the significance of allotment gardens in the spatial development of the green space system of Poznań and classify them with a simple and universal method of valuation which could be used in urban planning. The location of allotment gardens in the urban green space system in Poznań was examined with the classification method elaborated here. It was based on the valuation of several internal and external features of individual allotment gardens. The results showed that allotment gardens are important areas and spatial elements of the green space system in Poznań. Over 30% of allotment gardens are of high significance in the green space system of the city. Nevertheless, according to urban planning documentation, there are plans to reduce the area of allotments in Poznań. Even gardens indicated in the research to be of high significance to the integrity and enlargement area of the urban green space system are planned to be liquidated. Use of the developed classification could influence the decision-making process regarding the liquidation of allotment gardens and preserve the most valuable objects. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Quantifying Landscape for Sustainable Land Use Planning)

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31 pages, 2057 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Assessment of Blue and Green Infrastructure Solutions in Shaping Urban Public Spaces—Spatial and Functional, Environmental, and Social Aspects

by Kinga Kimic and Karina Ostrysz

Sustainability 2021, 13(19), 11041; https://doi.org/10.3390/su131911041 - 6 Oct 2021

Cited by 17 | Viewed by 6669

Abstract

Blue and Green Infrastructure (BGI) provide one of the key Nature Based Solution (NBS) approaches for sustainable stormwater management in cities, in conjunction with extending the scope of Ecosystem Services (ES). In both the process of planning and designing highly urbanized areas, the implementation of BGI is important for the improvement of living conditions and counteracting the negative effects of climate change. Based on the literature review, 19 BGI solutions were identified and then valorized in relation to the following three key aspects: spatial and functional, environmental, and social. The results of the assessment were derived using the scoring method and allowed for the identification of BGI solutions with a high, medium or low value for shaping sustainable urban public spaces. Using the potential of analyzed BGI solutions to improve the functioning and attractiveness of urban areas requires a comprehensive approach. Conscious planning and designing should use the knowledge presented to make the implementation of BGI solutions as effective as possible in relation to the above-mentioned aspects of shaping urban public spaces. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Quantifying Landscape for Sustainable Land Use Planning)

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18 pages, 8027 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Sonic Tomograph as a Tool Supporting the Sustainable Management of Historical Greenery of the UMCS Botanical Garden in Lublin

by Margot Dudkiewicz and Wojciech Durlak

Sustainability 2021, 13(16), 9451; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13169451 - 23 Aug 2021

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2240

Abstract

The mission of botanical gardens is to work towards the conservation and sustainable use of plant diversity. In the case of gardens established on the premises of former manor estates, actions are also being taken to properly manage existing natural resources, e.g., historic tree stands. This article is based on the case study of the Botanical Garden in Lublin. To assess the health condition of the trees growing in the oldest part of the park—Kościuszko Redoubt—sonic tomography examinations were performed. The article presents the practical application of a newer form of digital imaging, put to the service of assessing the health of old trees in an important public space. The Redoubt is the only work of defense architecture in Poland related to the activity of General Tadeusz Kościuszko, the hero of Poland and the United States of America. It has survived in an excellent condition, preserved without significant changes, as an earth structure with ramparts; an interior, i.e., a yard; a cannon post located on an inaccessible cliff; and a brick basement serving as a shelter for soldiers and a warehouse. The entire surroundings also survived: ravines masked with a wild green, embankments with a safe hidden access road to the Redoubt, and a shaped defense line. The Botanical Garden area is located in the Sławinek district, in the valley of the Czechówka River, and includes a fragment of it and the slope adjacent to the west, cut by three loess ravines. The Botanical Garden was established in 1965, where there was a manor farm earlier, and then in the 19th century, a spa that was destroyed during World War I and II. Good soils and a varied microclimate provide the right ecological conditions for the high biodiversity of plants. With an area of 21.15 ha, the Garden area has the character of a landscape park with the theme of a manor garden from the turn of the 18th/19th century and a spa garden. The primary purpose of the work was to investigate the effectiveness of the use of computer tools in the sustainable management of historical greenery in the Botanical Garden. Research has shown that diagnostics with the use of sound waves allow for an accurate diagnosis and quick protective measures against the tree, improving the safety of visitors to the botanical garden. Moreover, the obtained results and a historical query were used to prepare an application to recognize Redoubt as a monument. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Quantifying Landscape for Sustainable Land Use Planning)

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17 pages, 7185 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Landscape Persistence Assessment of Częstochowa Upland: A Case Study of Ogrodzieniec, Poland

by Anna Żemła-Siesicka and Urszula Myga-Piątek

Sustainability 2021, 13(11), 6408; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13116408 - 4 Jun 2021

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1992

Abstract

Landscape permanence is understood as the temporal extent of the dominance of a given type of landscape, expressed by the temporal continuity of its use. This issue, already being the subject of much research, is important in proper landscape protection and management. In this paper, spatial landscape persistence and persistence of particular landscape types are presented for the Ogrodzieniec municipality, Częstochowa Upland, Poland. In addition, a background of landscape types and their changes in the Częstochowa Upland has been presented. Based on current and historical topographic maps, landscape types (forest, agriculture, settlement, fortified and industrial) were identified for the following studied periods: 1831, 1944, 1965, 2007, 2014 and 2020. After overlapping the maps, the persistence index was calculated, and isochrones of landscape persistence were determined. The term ‘landscape isochrones’ introduced in this paper is defined as theoretical lines of equal landscape time duration (iso-persistence line). The results show that the landscape of Ogrodzieniec can be considered to be persistent. The largest area of the municipality is occupied by the most permanent landscapes dating from before 1831. The most persistent is the fortified landscape. The method applied is important for planning sustainable development of the region, which is currently under intense tourist and economic pressure. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Quantifying Landscape for Sustainable Land Use Planning)

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