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A Livable City: Rational Land Use and Sustainable Urban Space...
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A Livable City: Rational Land Use and Sustainable Urban Space (Second Edition)

A special issue of Land (ISSN 2073-445X). This special issue belongs to the section "Urban Contexts and Urban-Rural Interactions".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 October 2025 | Viewed by 5107

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Yangyi Wu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Urban Design, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
Interests: regional sustainable development; spatial modeling; statistics; spatiotemporal analysis; land use policy; sustainability in land management processes and urban planning; urban sprawl; coupled human–natural systems; environmental countermeasures
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The concept of livability in an urban context has increasingly become a central focus for researchers, policymakers, and urban planners. As the world's population continues to urbanize at an unprecedented rate, the question of how to make cities more livable, sustainable, and equitable has risen as a key concern. Given this background, this Special Issue, “A Livable City: Rational Land Use and Sustainable Urban Space (Second Edition),” aims to contribute to this crucial discourse by advancing urban planning strategies and practices.

The notion of a “livable city” encompasses a wide array of components, including environmental sustainability, social equity, economic viability, and cultural vibrancy. Thus, it is highly related to the spatial organizations of an urban environment, society, and economy, which constitute the essential targets of urban planning. Therefore, the concepts of rational land use and sustainable urban spaces are critical when addressing the multifaceted challenges that cities face today. As such, this Special Issue invites contributions that shed light on innovative urban planning strategies, policy interventions, and practical initiatives demonstrating the potential to transform cities into more livable spaces. Additionally, through articles with various foci, including empirical studies, theoretical explorations, and methodology contributions, this Special Issue aims to comprehensively evaluate current trends, challenges, and opportunities related to the concept of creating livable cities. We seek to foster a multidisciplinary dialogue that can inform and inspire urban planners, policymakers, and geographers committed to the vision of sustainable and equitable urban development.

The scope of this call encompasses (but is not limited to) the following areas:

  • Strategies for sustainable land use;
  • The impact of land-use regulations;
  • Innovative approaches to urban planning, design, and architecture;
  • New methods in urban spatial planning;
  • Smart city technologies in urban infrastructure management;
  • Addressing equity and inclusivity in urban development;
  • Economic impacts of urban planning decisions;
  • Public participation and governance in urban planning processes;
  • Adapting urban spaces to climate change challenges;
  • Strategies for resilient urban infrastructure.

Dr. Yangyi Wu
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. Land is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly 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 2600 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

  • rational land use
  • sustainable urban space
  • urban planning and design
  • spatial optimization
  • public participation and governance
  • land-use policy

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Related Special Issue

Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

49 pages, 31316 KB  
Article
Identifying and Prioritising Public Space Demands in Historic Districts: Perspectives from Tourists and Local Residents in Yangzhou
by Jizhou Chen, Xiaobin Li, Jialing Chen, Lijun Xu, Hao Feng and Rong Zhu
Land 2025, 14(9), 1921; https://doi.org/10.3390/land14091921 - 20 Sep 2025
Viewed by 317
Abstract
With the ongoing advancement of urban renewal and cultural tourism, public spaces within historic cultural districts face dual challenges of structural complexity and diverse user demands. There is an urgent need to establish a scientific, user-oriented evaluation system to enhance spatial quality and [...] Read more.
With the ongoing advancement of urban renewal and cultural tourism, public spaces within historic cultural districts face dual challenges of structural complexity and diverse user demands. There is an urgent need to establish a scientific, user-oriented evaluation system to enhance spatial quality and user satisfaction. This study takes the Nanhesha Historic and Cultural Quarter in Yangzhou as a case study, focusing on two primary user groups: tourists and local residents. Employing semi-structured interviews and grounded theory, it distils a demand evaluation framework comprising four dimensions—spatial structure, environmental perception, socio-cultural aspects, and facility systems—with a total of 21 indicators. Subsequently, employing the Delphi method, experts were invited to refine the indicators through two rounds of deliberation. The Kano model was then applied to classify the demand attributes of different groups, identifying five common demands and sixteen differentiated demands. These were categorised into three sensitivity levels. Further integrating the Satisfaction Increment Index (SII), Dissatisfaction Decrement Index (DDI), and sensitivity values, a two-dimensional prioritisation model was constructed. This yielded a unified three-tier priority system alongside independent ranking frameworks for each user group. Findings reveal that visitors prioritise immediate experiential attributes such as spatial accessibility, appropriate scale, and environmental cleanliness, whereas residents favour long-term usage-oriented aspects including cultural expression, convenient facilities, and climate adaptability. This research not only enriches the theoretical framework for studying public space perception in historic cultural districts but also provides actionable evaluation criteria and practical pathways for multi-stakeholder spatial optimisation design. It offers guidance for the high-quality, refined development of public spaces within historic quarters. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue A Livable City: Rational Land Use and Sustainable Urban Space (Second Edition))
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19 pages, 7584 KB  
Article
Coupling Coordination of Built-Up Land Intensity and Green Land-Use Efficiency in Hainan Island Based on Multi-Source Heterogeneous Data Fusion
by Man Jiao and Boqun Li
Land 2025, 14(9), 1913; https://doi.org/10.3390/land14091913 - 19 Sep 2025
Viewed by 265
Abstract
Aligning urban land development intensity with green land-use efficiency (GLUE) is crucial for fostering high-quality regional growth. This study aims to examine the coupling and coordination between built-up land intensity (BUI) and GLUE by utilizing multi-source heterogeneous data for Hainan Island (2017, 2020). [...] Read more.
Aligning urban land development intensity with green land-use efficiency (GLUE) is crucial for fostering high-quality regional growth. This study aims to examine the coupling and coordination between built-up land intensity (BUI) and GLUE by utilizing multi-source heterogeneous data for Hainan Island (2017, 2020). A coupling coordination degree model and Geographical Detector are applied to quantify BUI, GLUE, and their coupling coordination, while also identifying the underlying driving factors. The results reveal the following: (i) Following the Free Trade Port initiative, BUI increased by 15.8%, while GLUE grew by 4.9%; (ii) The BUI–GLUE system is still in an adjustment phase, with 94% of jurisdictions showing low coordination; (iii) The primary drivers of coupling have shifted from economic fundamentals to policy and institutional guidance, with their interactions demonstrating significant synergies. These findings suggest that policy-induced land expansion may outpace improvements in GLUE, potentially leading to an imbalance in the land system. This paper introduces an innovative Driver–Response–Feedback and Production–Living–Ecological (DRF–PLE) framework and develops a transferable diagnostic tool for evaluating land-use system sustainability in rapidly urbanizing regions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue A Livable City: Rational Land Use and Sustainable Urban Space (Second Edition))
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40 pages, 9028 KB  
Article
Decoding Socio-Cultural Spatial Patterns in Historic Chinese Neighborhoods: A Pattern Language Approach from Chengdu
by Yaozhong Zhang and Branka Dimitrijevic
Land 2025, 14(9), 1803; https://doi.org/10.3390/land14091803 - 4 Sep 2025
Viewed by 754
Abstract
As cities densify and lifestyles become increasingly individualized, older adults face heightened risks of isolation and reduced wellbeing. Yet in historic Chinese neighborhoods, everyday socio-cultural practices—square dancing, Mahjong, community gardening and street markets—continue to foster social cohesion and spatial familiarity. This study employs [...] Read more.
As cities densify and lifestyles become increasingly individualized, older adults face heightened risks of isolation and reduced wellbeing. Yet in historic Chinese neighborhoods, everyday socio-cultural practices—square dancing, Mahjong, community gardening and street markets—continue to foster social cohesion and spatial familiarity. This study employs Christopher Alexander’s pattern-language framework to examine how these practices are spatially embedded across six traditional neighborhoods in Chengdu. Drawing on systematic field observation, photographic surveys and typological mapping, it identifies recurring spatial configurations that support older adults’ participation and cultural continuity. While many canonical patterns remain relevant, the analysis shows how several require contextual reinterpretation to reflect Chinese collectivism, threshold sociability and informal public-space use. Synthesizing these insights, the paper develops a pattern-based design toolkit for culturally sensitive urban regeneration, contributing to age-friendly planning grounded in lived spatial practices. Although centered on six historic neighborhoods in Chengdu, the findings are intended primarily for Chinese heritage-led regeneration and—where comparable high-density morphologies, edge conditions and management regimes exist—are cautiously transferable to heritage districts elsewhere. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue A Livable City: Rational Land Use and Sustainable Urban Space (Second Edition))
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19 pages, 2122 KB  
Article
Spatial–Temporal Variation and Influencing Mechanism of Production–Living–Ecological Functions in the Yangtze River Economic Belt
by Ying Huang, Lan Ye, Qingyang Jiang, Yufeng Wang, Guo Wan, Xiaoyu Gan and Bo Zhou
Land 2025, 14(9), 1720; https://doi.org/10.3390/land14091720 - 25 Aug 2025
Viewed by 399
Abstract
Optimizing the regional spatial pattern of land use and high-quality economic development requires an accurate understanding of the multifunctional evolution of land use. Based on remote sensing data and socio-economic data from 2000 to 2023, this study utilizes a land transfer matrix, an [...] Read more.
Optimizing the regional spatial pattern of land use and high-quality economic development requires an accurate understanding of the multifunctional evolution of land use. Based on remote sensing data and socio-economic data from 2000 to 2023, this study utilizes a land transfer matrix, an evaluation index system, an obstacle degree model, and regression analysis to deeply explore the spatial distribution characteristics and influencing factors of the production–living–ecological functions (PLEF) in the Yangtze River Economic Belt (YREB) over the 23-year period. The results show the following: ① the living function area of the YREB has increased by 22,400 km2, while the production function area has decreased by 20,600 km2, and the ecological function area has decreased by 1800 km2. ② The production and living function spaces are characterized by high values in the eastern region and low values in the western region, and the ecological function space is characterized by high values in the western region and low values in the eastern region. ③ In the YREB, production function was the main obstacle to the PLEF between 2000 and 2023. ④ Population growth, economic development, agricultural technology, and agricultural efficiency are the main factors that influence the spatial and temporal evolution of the PLEF. This study suggests exploring an interactive compensation mechanism of the PLEF that combines the government and the market to form a differentiated development strategy. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue A Livable City: Rational Land Use and Sustainable Urban Space (Second Edition))
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20 pages, 1392 KB  
Article
The Impact of Transportation Accessibility on Regional Land Price Disparities in South Korea, 2010–2019
by Kyungjae Lee, Dohyeong Choi and Seongwoo Lee
Land 2025, 14(8), 1515; https://doi.org/10.3390/land14081515 - 23 Jul 2025
Viewed by 598
Abstract
Transportation infrastructure is a fundamental driver of economic growth and regional connectivity; and the supply of this infrastructure is often assumed to reduce spatial disparities. This study investigates the impact of transportation accessibility on regional disparities in land prices across South Korea from [...] Read more.
Transportation infrastructure is a fundamental driver of economic growth and regional connectivity; and the supply of this infrastructure is often assumed to reduce spatial disparities. This study investigates the impact of transportation accessibility on regional disparities in land prices across South Korea from 2010 to 2019. Using spatial econometric models and geographically weighted regression (GWR), this study evaluates how variations in transportation networks influence land price differentials between regions. The results confirm that transportation accessibility positively affects land prices; but GWR coefficients reveal substantial regional variations in the extent to which accessibility improvements drive land price growth. Furthermore, while the overall distribution of transportation accessibility remained relatively stable, its influence on land price appreciation varied significantly, contributing to a widening gap in land values between regions. These findings underscore the critical role of transportation infrastructure in shaping regional inequalities and highlight the need for more equitable transportation policies to mitigate spatial disparities and promote balanced regional development Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue A Livable City: Rational Land Use and Sustainable Urban Space (Second Edition))
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27 pages, 1627 KB  
Article
A Study on the Expected Risk Tolerance Mechanism of Child-Friendly Environment Transformation in High-Density Communities
by Yan Liu, Xujie Wang and Yinan Sun
Land 2025, 14(7), 1490; https://doi.org/10.3390/land14071490 - 18 Jul 2025
Viewed by 498
Abstract
As urbanization intensifies, high-density communities have become a dominant urban form, making Child-Friendly Community (CFC) development crucial for sustainable urban growth. However, transforming these communities poses challenges, particularly regarding residents’ risk perceptions—an area largely overlooked in existing research. To address this gap, this [...] Read more.
As urbanization intensifies, high-density communities have become a dominant urban form, making Child-Friendly Community (CFC) development crucial for sustainable urban growth. However, transforming these communities poses challenges, particularly regarding residents’ risk perceptions—an area largely overlooked in existing research. To address this gap, this study introduces “Risk Tolerance (RT)” as a key variable and constructs a multidimensional model of Child-Friendly Community Transformation Risk Tolerance (CFCTRT) to examine its structure and influencing factors. Based on survey data from residents in high-density communities in China’s first- and second-tier cities, Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) is used for empirical analysis. The results show that residents exhibit lower tolerance toward changes in safety, economy, and daily life, but higher tolerance in resource and aesthetic dimensions. Expectations for CFCs and satisfaction with current communities both positively influence CFCTRT, with satisfaction also mediating the relationship between expectations and tolerance. These findings provide a novel perspective on residents’ psychological responses to CFC transformations and offer empirical support for more inclusive and adaptive urban planning strategies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue A Livable City: Rational Land Use and Sustainable Urban Space (Second Edition))
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16 pages, 1554 KB  
Article
The Relationship Between the Perceived Restorativeness of Urban Parks and Sociocultural Value: A Case Study of Labor Park in Dalian, China
by Jidong Guo and Hyeogin Kwon
Land 2025, 14(5), 1097; https://doi.org/10.3390/land14051097 - 18 May 2025
Viewed by 915
Abstract
Urban parks are important places, reflecting the culture of residential communities. The role of urban parks in providing cultural experiences and creating local cultural value is becoming increasingly prominent. Based on attention restoration theory (ART), this paper uses structural equation modeling (SEM) to [...] Read more.
Urban parks are important places, reflecting the culture of residential communities. The role of urban parks in providing cultural experiences and creating local cultural value is becoming increasingly prominent. Based on attention restoration theory (ART), this paper uses structural equation modeling (SEM) to verify the relationship between perceived restorativeness and various factors in the sociocultural value of urban parks. The results show that being away, fascination, coherence, and compatibility all have significant positive effects on residents’ aesthetics; being away and fascination have direct positive effects on well-being; and fascination, coherence, and compatibility have direct positive effects on place identity. Therefore, the paper concludes that urban parks play a key role as cultural spaces. A higher level of perceived restorativeness of urban parks helps to enhance the social and cultural value of the area, promote residents’ aesthetics and well-being, improve residents’ sense of local identity, help build community culture, and showcase local residents’ lives. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue A Livable City: Rational Land Use and Sustainable Urban Space (Second Edition))
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