Governance and Spatial Planning for Sustainable Urban and Rural Development

A special issue of Land (ISSN 2073-445X). This special issue belongs to the section "Land Socio-Economic and Political Issues".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 25 November 2024 | Viewed by 2529

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
The Center for Modern Chinese City Studies, Institute of Urban Development, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200062, China
Interests: urban governance; spatial planning; resilience; digital transformation; urban creativity
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Guest Editor
Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment, Namibia University of Science and Technology, Windhoek 999122, Namibia
Interests: land governance; land tenure; tenure responsive land use planning; urban-rural land governance; urban-rural land linkages
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Guest Editor
Shanghai Academy of Social Science, Shanghai 200020, China
Interests: regional science and urban economics; urban innovation; industrial cluster; agglomeration economics; population economics; urban development

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Guest Editor
School of Social Development, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200241, China
Interests: urbanization; rural-urban governance; man-land relationship and spatial planning; population geography

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

With rapid globalization and urbanization, urban and rural development are encountering unparalleled challenges, such as the uneven distribution of resources, environmental degradation, and extensive social inequalities. These challenges have led to irreversible social, economic, and ecological changes, which have had an impact on sustainable development in various contexts. Therefore, it has become imperative to implement robust governance strategies and to advance spatial planning techniques to achieve long-term rural–urban development. Sustainability is now a crucial aspect of rural–urban planning and governance. This Special Issue is devoted to exploring innovative governance modes and spatial planning methods, evaluating their efficacy in promoting sustainable development in urban and rural areas.

The goal of this Special Issue is to collect papers (original research articles and review papers) to provide insights about case studies, theoretical advancements, methodological innovations, and empirical research that highlight successful practices, challenges, and lessons learned in implementing sustainable development goals through effective governance and spatial planning.

This Special Issue will welcome manuscripts that link the following themes:

  • The impact of governance on sustainable urban and rural development strategies;
  • Challenges and paths for sustainable urban and rural governance;
  • Theoretical frameworks and governance mechanisms for sustainable development;
  • The integration of environmental sustainability into spatial planning processes;
  • Climate change adaptation and resilience in spatial planning;
  • The intersection of spatial planning with environmental, social, and economic sustainability;
  • The role of technology and big data in enhancing governance and spatial planning;
  • Multi-scale governance cases for sustainable development;
  • Case studies of sustainable spatial planning initiatives.

We look forward to receiving your original research articles and reviews.

Prof. Dr. Chao Ye
Prof. Dr. Jinliao He
Prof. Dr. Uchendu Eugene Chigbu
Prof. Dr. Zhituan Deng
Prof. Dr. Liang Zhuang
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • sustainable development
  • sustainable theory and practice
  • sustainable governance and policy
  • sustainability strategies
  • urban and rural governance
  • cooperative governance
  • climate change adaptation
  • spatial planning
  • green infrastructure
  • technological innovations in planning

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

19 pages, 4166 KiB  
Article
Assessing Uneven Regional Development Using Nighttime Light Satellite Data and Machine Learning Methods: Evidence from County-Level Improved HDI in China
by Xiping Zhang, Jianbin Xu, Saiying Zhong and Ziheng Wang
Land 2024, 13(9), 1524; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13091524 - 20 Sep 2024
Viewed by 530
Abstract
Uneven regional development has long been a focal issue for both academia and policymakers, with numerous studies over the past decades actively engaging in discussions on measuring regional development disparities. Generally, most existing studies measure the Human Development Index (HDI) using relatively simple [...] Read more.
Uneven regional development has long been a focal issue for both academia and policymakers, with numerous studies over the past decades actively engaging in discussions on measuring regional development disparities. Generally, most existing studies measure the Human Development Index (HDI) using relatively simple indicators, with a focus on national and provincial scales. As a crucial component of regional development, counties can directly reflect the regional characteristics of socio-economic progress. This study employs a multi-dimensional approach to develop an improved Human Development Index (improved HDI) system, using machine learning techniques to establish the relationship between nighttime light (NTL) data and the improved HDI. Subsequently, NTL data are utilized to infer the spatial distribution characteristics of the improved HDI across China’s county-level regions. The improved HDI for county-level areas in the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region was validated using a machine learning model, resulting in a Pearson correlation coefficient of 0.93. The adjusted R-squared value for the linear fit was 0.86, and the residuals were relatively balanced, ensuring the accuracy of the simulations. This study reveals that 1439 county-level units, representing 50% of all county-level units in China, have development levels at or above the medium level. At the provincial and national levels, the improved HDI shows significant clustering, characterized by a multi-center pattern with declining diffusion. The spatial distribution of the improved Human Development Index remains closely associated with the natural geographic background and socio-economic development levels of the county regions. Lower HDI values are predominantly found in the inland areas of central and western China, often in ecologically sensitive areas, inter-provincial border zones, and mountainous regions of mainland China, sometimes forming contiguous distribution patterns. This underscores the need for the government and society to focus more on these specific geographic development areas, promoting continuous improvements in health, education, and living standards to achieve coordinated regional development. Full article
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22 pages, 4775 KiB  
Article
Spatial Distribution, Influencing Factors and Sustainable Development of Fishery Cultural Resources in the Yangtze River Basin
by Qin Li, Yunlong Sun, Zifei Liu, Bo Ning and Zhilong Wu
Land 2024, 13(8), 1205; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13081205 - 5 Aug 2024
Viewed by 682
Abstract
Agricultural cultural heritage is crucial in advancing comprehensive rural revitalization. The Yangtze River Basin is rich in biodiversity and abundant in fishery cultural resources. The cultural resources not only reflect the ecological wisdom of harmonious coexistence and the human–land relationship between humans and [...] Read more.
Agricultural cultural heritage is crucial in advancing comprehensive rural revitalization. The Yangtze River Basin is rich in biodiversity and abundant in fishery cultural resources. The cultural resources not only reflect the ecological wisdom of harmonious coexistence and the human–land relationship between humans and nature but also provide critical cultural support for rural revitalization and watershed sustainable development. This study investigates the spatial distribution, influencing factors, and historical evolution of fishery cultural resources in the Yangtze River Basin. The highest proportions of significant resources are found in fishery engineering and landscapes, culinary flavors, fishery customs, dances, fishery gear, and poetry. By analyzing 14 categories of fishery cultural resources and 157 national and provincial intangible cultural heritage items, this study reveals a significant geographical clustering of these resources in the mid-lower reaches, particularly around the middle reaches of the Yangtze River and Poyang Lake Basin, Wuhan and Dongting Lake, and the lower reaches of the Taihu Lake Basin. This study underscores the role of natural geographical conditions, aquatic biodiversity, socio-economic factors, and historical–cultural backgrounds in the distribution and evolution of fishery cultural resources, with these factors interacting dynamically. By advocating for a comprehensive approach to coordinating fishery culture preservation with rural revitalization, this study outlines a multidimensional strategy for the preservation and sustainable development of fishery cultural resources. Full article
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22 pages, 22089 KiB  
Article
Study on Spatial Distribution Dispersion Evaluation and Driving Forces of Rural Settlements in the Yellow River Basin
by Heying Li, Jianchen Zhang, Yamin Shan, Guangxia Wang, Qin Tian, Jiayao Wang and Huiling Ma
Land 2024, 13(8), 1181; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13081181 - 31 Jul 2024
Viewed by 625
Abstract
The spatial distribution pattern of rural settlements in the Yellow River Basin is scattered and numerous. It is of great significance to study the discrete distribution of rural settlements for achieving high-quality development and promoting rural revitalization strategy. In this paper, we propose [...] Read more.
The spatial distribution pattern of rural settlements in the Yellow River Basin is scattered and numerous. It is of great significance to study the discrete distribution of rural settlements for achieving high-quality development and promoting rural revitalization strategy. In this paper, we propose an enhanced evaluation model for assessing the spatial distribution dispersion of rural settlements, incorporating the weight of road grade (the road grade refers to the ranking of traffic capacity and importance of a particular type of road, indicating varying levels of time accessibility). We investigate the dispersion characteristics of rural settlements in the Yellow River Basin in 2020, focusing on both county and city scales. Furthermore, we conduct a comprehensive analysis of the spatial differentiation and scale effects of dispersion evaluation outcomes and their driving forces. Our findings reveal the following insights: (1) The road grade significantly influences the dispersion evaluation. When considering road grade in the dispersion calculation, the results align more closely with the actual situation. (2) The dispersion of rural settlements in the Yellow River Basin exhibits a decreasing trend from west to east. Specifically, the dispersion is higher in the upper reaches compared to the middle and lower reaches. Both city and county scales show spatial autocorrelation in dispersion, with a positive spatial correlation observed. High dispersion values cluster in the west, while low values concentrate in the east. Notably, the agglomeration degree is more pronounced at the county scale than at the city scale, highlighting more localized patterns of agglomeration and dispersion. (3) The multiscale geographically weighted regression model emerges as the optimal model for analyzing the driving forces of dispersion. At the city scale, factors such as river density, road density, and rural economy negatively impact dispersion. However, at the county scale, average elevation and rural economy positively affect dispersion, whereas river density, road density, and rural population density have a negative influence. By incorporating the weight of road grade into our evaluation model, we provide a more nuanced understanding of the spatial distribution dispersion of rural settlements in the Yellow River Basin. Our findings offer valuable insights for policymakers and planners seeking to optimize rural settlement patterns and promote sustainable rural development. Full article
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