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Urban Science
Special Issues
Innovations in Land Resource and Environmental Governance for Future Cities
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Innovations in Land Resource and Environmental Governance for Future Cities

A special issue of Urban Science (ISSN 2413-8851).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 September 2024 | Viewed by 3428

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Xiang Zhao

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Resource and Environmental Science, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430079, China
Interests: land resource management; land-use/cover change; intelligent decision-support models for sustainable spatial planning and land resource management; spatial optimization; agent-based modelling

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

One of the most critical Sustainable Development Goals outlined in the UN 2030 Agenda (SDG11) is achieving sustainable urban development, which has led to an increased focus on sustainable development in cities. To achieve sustainable cities, it is essential to explore more effective land resources and environmental management. This exploration is crucial to help strike a balance between the competing demands of environmental protection, the needs of the people, and the maintenance of economic growth in urban development.

The SDGs 2030, set by the United Nations, not only provide a roadmap for achieving sustainable development in cities worldwide, but also introduce new demands for innovative theories, methods, and concepts in land resources and environmental management for urban areas. In recent years, the emergence of advanced technologies such as remote sensing, geographic information systems, spatiotemporal big data, artificial intelligence, and metaverse has presented significant opportunities for transforming the way we manage land resources and the environment. We believe that by leveraging these new technologies, we can make land resource and environmental management more intelligent and effective, which will enable us to better serve sustainable urban development and decision-making.

This Special Issue will focus on the role of land resources and environmental management in building sustainable cities and promoting sustainable development. We welcome submissions from a wide range of disciplines and encourage researchers to address the critical challenges facing sustainable cities today.

This Special Issue welcomes innovative research frameworks, theories, methods, and exemplary case studies related to land resources and environmental management in urban planning and management. We invite original contributions that present cutting-edge approaches to address the challenges of sustainable development in urban areas. Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following:

  • Innovations in research frameworks, theories, and methods for sustainable land resources and environmental management.
  • Smart city technology for sustainable land and environmental management.
  • Land-use change and its impact on urban sustainability.
  • Ecological conservation and restoration in urban areas.
  • Sustainable management of urban green spaces and parks.
  • Environmental impact assessment of urban development projects.
  • Climate change adaptation and mitigation in urban areas.
  • Urban waste management and resource recovery.
  • Sustainable transportation and mobility planning.
  • Community engagement and participation in urban land resource and environmental management.
  • Case studies on sustainable urban land resource and environmental management.

I look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Xiang Zhao
Guest Editor

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. Urban Science is an international peer-reviewed open access quarterly 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 1600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • sustainable cities
  • land resource management
  • environmental management
  • sustainable development goals
  • land-use planning
  • green urban planning

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

24 pages, 5001 KiB  
Article
Monitoring Net Land Take in a Metropolitan Region—Portugal
by Rita Nicolau and Beatriz Condessa
Urban Sci. 2024, 8(1), 8; https://doi.org/10.3390/urbansci8010008 - 18 Jan 2024
Viewed by 1419
Abstract
This study seeks to contribute to the definition of a “no net land take” policy by 2050 for Portugal’s second-largest metropolitan region (AMP, Porto Metropolitan Area) while sensitising those involved in regional and local planning to the European target. Based on an assessment [...] Read more.
This study seeks to contribute to the definition of a “no net land take” policy by 2050 for Portugal’s second-largest metropolitan region (AMP, Porto Metropolitan Area) while sensitising those involved in regional and local planning to the European target. Based on an assessment of land use changes in AMP and its municipalities during 2007–2018, soil sealing levels in 2018 and population evolution, the study quantifies the processes that may impart achievement of the 2050 objective and identifies the regional drivers of net land take, to support the definition of both interventions to decrease land take and soil sealing and related targets. The main contribution of the research is the exploration of new indicators in terms of soil sealing and population data to identify the potential for implementing interventions proposed by the EU Soil Strategy that do not jeopardise the maintenance of biodiversity in urban areas. The land take rate in the AMP was the highest among mainland Portugal regions. Its main drivers were the development of transport networks, industrial and commercial units and dispersed housing. The reuse and re-naturalisation of artificial land have seen little use in the region. Accordingly, the daily net land taken in the AMP (0.59 ha/day) still needs to decrease until 2050. While artificial land increased across the AMP, most of its municipalities lost population. To reverse this trend, the AMP should implement tighter control mechanisms that ensure that infrastructure and housing needs are fully met through the reuse of urban areas that are already sealed. However, given that the share of impermeable soil in most urban areas is already significantly high, there will have to be a careful choice of locations where intensifying land use will cause less environmental damage. It is concluded that the degree of soil sealing within urban areas is fundamental for deciding on the interventions to be carried out to reduce net land take and for defining a policy towards meeting the 2050 target. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovations in Land Resource and Environmental Governance for Future Cities)
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26 pages, 12702 KiB  
Article
Mitigation and Resilience of Local Climatic Zones to the Effects of Extreme Heat: Study on the City of Barcelona (Spain)
by David Hidalgo García and Julián Arco Díaz
Urban Sci. 2023, 7(4), 102; https://doi.org/10.3390/urbansci7040102 - 26 Sep 2023
Viewed by 1282
Abstract
Global warming is precipitating an amplification of severe meteorological occurrences such as prolonged dry spells and episodes of elevated temperatures. These phenomena are instigating substantial elevations in environmental warmth, with metropolitan regions bearing the brunt of these impacts. Currently, extreme heat is already [...] Read more.
Global warming is precipitating an amplification of severe meteorological occurrences such as prolonged dry spells and episodes of elevated temperatures. These phenomena are instigating substantial elevations in environmental warmth, with metropolitan regions bearing the brunt of these impacts. Currently, extreme heat is already impacting 30% of the global populace, and forecasts suggest that this figure will escalate to 74% in the forthcoming years. One of the objectives outlined in the United Nations 2030 agenda, specifically within Sustainable Development Goal 11 (SDG11), is the attainment of sustainable urban development. To achieve this, it is imperative to scrutinize and delve into urban environmental conditions in order to understand their dynamics comprehensively. This understanding serves as the foundation for implementing mitigation and resilience strategies against climate change, ultimately enhancing the well-being of city residents. In this context, the field of remote sensing and geographic information systems has made substantial advancements. Notably, the UrbClim model, developed by the European Space Agency, facilitates the assessment of environmental conditions within numerous European urban centers. This research, utilizing data from UrbClim, examines the evolution of the heat stress index (Hi) during extreme heat conditions in Barcelona during the summer of 2017. Leveraging Landsat 8 satellite imagery, we derived the following variables: the normalized difference vegetation index and the normalized building difference index. Our findings reveal that during extreme heat conditions, the Hi index experiences an escalation, with areas characterized by a higher population density and industrial zones displaying lower resistance in contrast to regions with a lower population density and rural areas, which exhibit greater resilience to Hi. This disparity can be attributed to higher vegetation coverage and reduced building density in the latter areas. In this way, Hi increases more quickly and intensely and decreases more slowly when using high temperatures compared to average temperatures. This is of utmost importance for the future planning of new urban developments. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovations in Land Resource and Environmental Governance for Future Cities)
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