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Land
Special Issues
Blue-Green Infrastructure Solutions: A Sustainable Way to Urban Development
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Blue-Green Infrastructure Solutions: A Sustainable Way to Urban Development

A special issue of Land (ISSN 2073-445X). This special issue belongs to the section "Land Environmental and Policy Impact Assessment".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (12 May 2023) | Viewed by 9915

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Zobaidul Kabir

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Environmental and Life Sciences, University of Newcastle, Ourimbah, NSW 2258, Australia
Interests: environmental impact assessment; strategic environmental assessment; renewable energy; climate change
Dr. Salim Momtaz

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Environmental and Life Sciences, University of Newcastle, Ourimbah, NSW 2258, Australia
Interests: urban planning; impact assessment; community engagement; climate change
Dr. Mahfuz Kabir

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies (BIISS), Dhaka-1000, Eskaton, Bangladesh
Interests: international trade; macroeconomic modelling; climate change; SEEA; SAM
Dr. Mashura Shammi

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Environmental Sciences, Jahangirnagar University, Dhaka 1342, Bangladesh
Interests: biogeochemistry; environmental pollution; policy analysis; environmental assessment
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Rapid urbanization is a recent phenomenon all over the world due to rapid rural–urban migration in developing countries. At the same time, climate change and environmental degradation are putting increasing pressure on urban resilience, and therefore, making cities more livable through approaches including smart buildings, transportation, parks, green space, housing, water, and energy is a timely demand. In this context, blue-green infrastructure solutions can enhance climate resilience and restore the health of urban ecosystems, which in turn enhances the physical and mental wellbeing of residents. Indeed, combining green and blue aspects can be an effective approach to sustainable nature-based solutions (NbSs) to urban development. Blue-green spaces and related ecosystem services (ES) can be critical resources for sustainable urban development and need to be integrated into urban policy and planning. However, there is an inadequate understanding of blue-green solutions in some countries, and therefore, a deeper understanding of blue-green infrastructure solutions can address the problems associated with urban development.

For this Special Issue, we are interested in contributions that link blue-green infrastructure solutions to sustainable cities through either empirical research or conceptual/theoretical works, examining any key processes. These may be research articles or review papers, and they may focus on but are not limited to:

  • Urban water conservation, including wetlands or water bodies;
  • Impact assessment for urban planning;
  • Spatial planning for urban development;
  • Ecosystem services and urban development;
  • Nature-based solutions and urban development;
  • Green space and urban development;
  • Land use planning;
  • Livability and urban development;
  • Participatory urban development.

Dr. Zobaidul Kabir
Dr. Salim Momtaz
Dr. Mahfuz Kabir
Dr. Mashura Shammi
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. 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

  • sustainability
  • urban resilience
  • blue-green infrastructure
  • nature-based solutions
  • environmental assessment
  • spatial planning

Published Papers (5 papers)

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21 pages, 11389 KiB  
Article
Assessment of Heat Mitigation Services Provided by Blue and Green Spaces: An Application of the InVEST Urban Cooling Model with Scenario Analysis in Wuhan, China
by Yanxia Hu, Changqing Wang and Jingjing Li
Land 2023, 12(5), 963; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12050963 - 26 Apr 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2746
Abstract
Natural infrastructure is essential in reducing thermal discomfort caused by the urban heat island (UHI) effect. Optimizing and planning green and blue spaces can help establish nature-based urban heat mitigation strategies that benefit sustainable urban development. Most current studies on urban heat mitigation [...] Read more.
Natural infrastructure is essential in reducing thermal discomfort caused by the urban heat island (UHI) effect. Optimizing and planning green and blue spaces can help establish nature-based urban heat mitigation strategies that benefit sustainable urban development. Most current studies on urban heat mitigation have focused on the single heat reduction effect of green space or blue space, while there has been a lack of research on the combined cooling effects of blue and green spaces. Moreover, existing heat mitigation models and methods cannot directly guide the optimization of blue–green spatial patterns at the urban scale. This has led to an unclear relationship between heat mitigation effects and blue–green spatial patterns. Based on land use data, meteorological data, and biophysical information as inputs, this paper utilized the InVEST urban cooling model (UCM) and scenario analysis method to simulate urban heat mitigation patterns by setting up different blue–green space configuration scenarios. The relative contribution of blue–green space changes to the variation of heat mitigation benefits was quantitatively estimated using the difference comparison method, and the relationship between heat reduction effects and urban blue–green spatial patterns was elucidated using spatial analysis methods. The results show that the InVEST UCM captured some of the variability in the surface thermal response of Wuhan and can be applied to the modeling of urban heat mitigation patterns. Furthermore, they show that consideration of the cooling effect of water evaporation can improve the simulation accuracy to some extent. In Wuhan, there were regional differences in heat mitigation patterns and the heat mitigation effect was significantly higher in the suburbs than in the city. Additionally, urban parks, lakes, and mountains with surface or block distribution had noticeable cooling benefits. Finally, the scenario simulation results demonstrate that green space was more efficient at mitigating heat, while blue space was more critical for the geographical partitioning of the UHI. These findings can provide a reference for the planning and optimal management of urban blue and green spaces, as well as for the design of heat reduction policies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Blue-Green Infrastructure Solutions: A Sustainable Way to Urban Development)
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18 pages, 1789 KiB  
Article
Caring for Blue-Green Solutions (BGS) in Everyday Life: An Investigation of Recreational Use, Neighborhood Preferences and Willingness to Pay in Augustenborg, Malmö
by Misagh Mottaghi, Jonas Nordström, Salar Haghighatafshar, Karin Jönsson, Mattias Kärrholm and Catharina Sternudd
Land 2023, 12(2), 336; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12020336 - 26 Jan 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1804 | Correction
Abstract
In this article, we explore the production of socio-cultural values around blue-green solutions (BGS) through the perspective of care. We explore how values and preferences are formed through the complexity of everyday life engagements in a BGS environment. The data come from a [...] Read more.
In this article, we explore the production of socio-cultural values around blue-green solutions (BGS) through the perspective of care. We explore how values and preferences are formed through the complexity of everyday life engagements in a BGS environment. The data come from a questionnaire answered by 328 households in the neighborhood of Augustenborg in Malmö, Sweden. The questionnaire collects detailed information about inhabitants’ possible recreational use (through Likert scale questions) and willingness to pay (WTP) (estimated through contingent valuation). The study evaluates if and how people care to use, care to live with, and care to pay for BGS. The result shows that people in Augustenborg relate in different and sometimes contradictory ways to BGS. A well-used BGS environment does not per se make the environment successful or result in people preferring a BGS environment in the future. In addition, recreational use and building awareness about BGS flood mitigation seem to increase the willingness to pay, whereas living longer in the area seems to decrease it. The study reveals a landscape of care that is constantly being formed and transformed. This suggests that both planning and research needs to focus more on the relation between BGS and social use over time. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Blue-Green Infrastructure Solutions: A Sustainable Way to Urban Development)
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14 pages, 4867 KiB  
Article
Deploying the Total Operating Characteristic to Assess the Relationship between Land Cover Change and Land Surface Temperature in Abeokuta South, Nigeria
by Thomas Mumuni Bilintoh, Juwon Isaac Ishola and Adeline Akansobe
Land 2022, 11(10), 1830; https://doi.org/10.3390/land11101830 - 18 Oct 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1369
Abstract
Urbanization affects land cover and a region’s prevailing land surface temperature (LST). As a result, understanding the effects of urbanization on LST and land cover change is critical for effectively planning, managing, and monitoring urban development and undesired LST change. This paper, therefore, [...] Read more.
Urbanization affects land cover and a region’s prevailing land surface temperature (LST). As a result, understanding the effects of urbanization on LST and land cover change is critical for effectively planning, managing, and monitoring urban development and undesired LST change. This paper, therefore, examines the relationship between the change in four land cover categories and LST during 1987–2004 and 2004–2021. Our approach uses the Total Operating Characteristic (TOC) to study the relationship between LST change and the losses and gains in four land cover categories: infrastructure, vegetation, water, and bare land in Abeokuta South, Nigeria. We derived the land cover and LST dataset from satellite imagery at time points 1987, 2004, and 2021. Our results show that most of the vegetation in the study area transitions to bare land and infrastructure during both time intervals, while most of the bare areas transition to infrastructure and vegetation. Furthermore, the TOC analysis shows vegetation loss, gain in infrastructure, and bare land occurs more intensively at segments between increased thresholds of LST values during both time intervals. Conversely, vegetation gain, infrastructure, and bare land loss occur more intensely at segments between decreased LST values. The methods discussed herein can reveal important insights and stimulate the needed conversation concerning the effective planning, managing, and monitoring of urban development and undesired LST change. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Blue-Green Infrastructure Solutions: A Sustainable Way to Urban Development)
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22 pages, 16548 KiB  
Article
Nature-Based Solutions in “Forest–Wetland” Spatial Planning Strategies to Promote Sustainable City Development in Tianjin, China
by Yangli Li, Gaoyuan Wang, Tian Chen, Rui Zhang, Long Zhou and Li Yan
Land 2022, 11(8), 1227; https://doi.org/10.3390/land11081227 - 3 Aug 2022
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2015
Abstract
Nature-based solutions are some of the most effective strategies to promote sustainable city development; however, existing research on NbS is mostly comprised of single variable studies rather than multiple variables. The purpose of this study was to explore the possibility of extending the [...] Read more.
Nature-based solutions are some of the most effective strategies to promote sustainable city development; however, existing research on NbS is mostly comprised of single variable studies rather than multiple variables. The purpose of this study was to explore the possibility of extending the NbS of a single variable to two variables for the better development of sustainable cities. Both forestation and wetland restoration are regarded as NbS for sustainable city development. The research approach of “forest–wetland” NbS was proposed and centers on the process and core issues of traditional NbS. Taking Tianjin as an example, the spatial patterns of forests and wetlands, correlation between the spatial distribution of forests and wetlands, and spatial correlation between the areas of forest growth and wetland growth within a certain distance in different years were studied using a spatial distribution pattern analysis, geographic concentration analysis, kernel density estimation and spatial autocorrelation analysis. Based on the core issues of NbS and the above spatial analysis, a “forest–wetland” spatial planning strategy was formulated. The main conclusions are as follows: forest and wetland were negatively correlated in the whole area of Tianjin, forest resources w mainly located in north, while wetland resources were mainly located in south. Compared with forests, the spatial distribution of wetlands in Tianjin was more balanced. There exist synergy and trade-offs between forest and wetland area under certain circumstances. Growth of forests was positively correlated with the growth of wetlands, within a distance of 0–400 m from 2000 to 2010, and within a distance of 0–600 m from 2010 to 2020. An increase in forest area will lead to an increase in evaporation, which in turn will hinder the growth of wetlands in Tianjin. Forest–wetland ecological network could promote synergistic between forest and wetland, and grey infrastructure to reduce potential trade-off between forest and wetland. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Blue-Green Infrastructure Solutions: A Sustainable Way to Urban Development)
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1 pages, 163 KiB  
Correction
Correction: Mottaghi et al. Caring for Blue-Green Solutions (BGS) in Everyday Life: An Investigation of Recreational Use, Neighborhood Preferences and Willingness to Pay in Augustenborg, Malmö. Land 2023, 12, 336
by Misagh Mottaghi, Jonas Nordström, Salar Haghighatafshar, Karin Jönsson, Mattias Kärrholm and Catharina Sternudd
Land 2023, 12(7), 1449; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12071449 - 20 Jul 2023
Viewed by 486
Abstract
There was an error in the original publication [...] Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Blue-Green Infrastructure Solutions: A Sustainable Way to Urban Development)
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