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Sustainable Transformation of Urban and Region: Design, Planning and Governance
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Sustainable Transformation of Urban and Region: Design, Planning and Governance

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Sustainable Urban and Rural Development".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2024 | Viewed by 4933

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Suocheng Dong

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
Interests: regional economic geography; regional ecological economics; green development; planning of regional sustainable development; circular economics; eco-tourism; eco-city; ecological civilization; resources and environment scientific expedition; the belt and road; China–Mongolia–Russia economic corridor
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Zehong Li

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
Interests: resource economics; regional ecological economics; resource recycling and strategic resource guarantee; resources and environment effect of regional development and its dynamic mechanism; dynamic simulation of regional eco-economic system; interdisciplinary application of resources, environment, and ecology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Bing Xia

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
Interests: eco-efficiency; sustainable tourism; carbon effect; environmental–social–economic footprints
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The connotation of green low-carbon circular transformation development is the mode formed by resource-saving and environmentally friendly low-carbon, with the concept of green low-carbon circular development being pertinent in the fields of production, circulation, and consumption. Urban and regional areas are important carriers and growth poles of world sustainable development, as well as one of the main driving forces for the continuous progress of human civilization. However, the sustainable transformation of urban and regional areas, for the future of mankind, is facing a greater challenge because of the increased pressure brought about by climate change. This Special Issue of Sustainability aims to actively assess the role of interactions between economies, resources, and the environment in urban and regional areas, exploring sustainable development modes of green and low-carbon eco-cities, and the new theory and methodology of urban design, planning, and governance. Therefore, we must achieve the sustainable transformation of urban and regional economies, which is not only a key issue and one of the main advances in urban and regional innovation research but also an important task for human beings to obtain the objectives of sustainable development, especially the key path to achieve the 11 SDGs that aim to construct inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable cities and human habitats. This Special Issue aims to promote theoretical and methodological innovation in urban and region design, planning, governance, as well as urban geography, regional economies, and regional ecological economies, which are of great significance for achieving the sustainable development targets of world cities and regional economies and strengthening the ability of the response and mitigation of global climate change.

At present, the sustainable transformation of urban and other regions mainly faces the following urgent problems. The first is the theory and mode innovation of sustainable urbanization and green and low-carbon eco-cities. The second is sustainable urban and regional design and planning in terms of quantitative expression, evaluation, and innovation. The third is the mechanism and effect of the sustainable transformation of urban and regional economies. The fourth is the interaction mechanism and coordination of urban and regional economies and ecological environment and carbon and other effects, such as the accounting, dynamic simulation, and sustainable development of urban and regional economies. The fifth is the path of governance to achieve the sustainable transformation of urban and regional areas. The purpose of this Special Issue is to focus on the above scientific issues that urgently need to be solved, and to bring together well-known scholars from different disciplines, such as urbanization, urban and regional design and planning, urban and regional governance, the sustainable development of regional economies, and ecological economies, to explore and analyze the modes and policies of innovation of urban and regional design and planning, sustainable transformation, and sustainable development modes and governance policies of regional economies. The theme of this Special Issue, titled “Sustainable Transformation of Urban and Region: Design, Planning, and Governance”, is highly connected with Sustainability’s theme of social economy, science, and comprehensive methodologies of sustainable development. We aim to actively promote the interdisciplinary integration and innovative breakthrough of sustainable development at multi-disciplinary, cross-regional, and multi-spatial scales, which will help to cope with response and mitigate the pressure of global climate change, as well as promote the realization of the goals of more sustainable urbanization, urban and regional planning innovation, eco-city construction, and sustainable transformation and sustainable development of urban and regional areas.

In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome. Research areas may include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Theory and mode innovation of green and low-carbon eco-city development;
  • Regional and urban design and planning theory and method innovation;
  • Sustainable transformation of regional economies and theory and method of regional ecological economies;
  • Experiences, lessons, modes, and policies of green transformation in resource-based cities;
  • Big data and information technology and methods application in urban and regional design, planning, and governance.

Prof. Dr. Suocheng Dong
Prof. Dr. Zehong Li
Dr. Bing Xia
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

  • sustainable transformation
  • urban and region governance
  • green development
  • regional economies
  • eco-economies
  • urban planning
  • low-carbon eco-city

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue polices can be found here.

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

25 pages, 21086 KiB  
Article
Refined Identification of Urban Functional Zones Integrating Multisource Data Features: A Case Study of Lanzhou, China
by Yixuan Wang, Shuwen Yang, Xianglong Tang, Zhiqi Ding and Yikun Li
Sustainability 2024, 16(20), 8957; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16208957 - 16 Oct 2024
Viewed by 355
Abstract
Identifying urban functional zones is one of the important foundational activities for urban renewal and the development of high-quality urban areas. Efficient and accurate identification methods for urban functional zones are significant for smart city planning and industrial layout optimization. However, existing studies [...] Read more.
Identifying urban functional zones is one of the important foundational activities for urban renewal and the development of high-quality urban areas. Efficient and accurate identification methods for urban functional zones are significant for smart city planning and industrial layout optimization. However, existing studies have not adequately considered the impact of the interactions between human activities and geographical space provision on the delineation of urban functional zones. Therefore, from the perspective of integrating the spatiotemporal characteristics of human activities with the distribution of urban functional facilities, by incorporating mobile signaling, POI (point of interest), and building outline data, we propose a multifactorial weighted kernel density model that integrates ‘human activity–land feature area–public awareness’ to delineate urban functional zones quantitatively. The results show that the urban functional zones in the central city area of Lanzhou are primarily characterized by dominant single functional zones nested within mixed functional zones, forming a spatial pattern of ‘single–mixed’ synergistic development. Mixed function zones are widely distributed in the center of Lanzhou City. However, the area accounted for a relatively small proportion, the overall degree of functional mixing is not high, and the inter-district differences are obvious. The confusion matrix showed 85% accuracy and a Kappa coefficient of 0.83. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Transformation of Urban and Region: Design, Planning and Governance)
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37 pages, 988 KiB  
Article
The Innovative Construction of Provinces, Regional Artificial Intelligence Development, and the Resilience of Regional Innovation Ecosystems: Quasi-Natural Experiments Based on Spatial Difference-in-Differences Models and Double Machine Learning
by Ruiyu Hu, Zemenghong Bao, Zhisen Lin and Kun Lv
Sustainability 2024, 16(18), 8251; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16188251 - 22 Sep 2024
Viewed by 1495
Abstract
Based on the theory of regional innovation niches, this study calculates the resilience of regional innovation ecosystems and constructs a comprehensive evaluation index system for regional artificial intelligence development, resulting in a panel dataset for 30 provinces in China from 2009 to 2021 [...] Read more.
Based on the theory of regional innovation niches, this study calculates the resilience of regional innovation ecosystems and constructs a comprehensive evaluation index system for regional artificial intelligence development, resulting in a panel dataset for 30 provinces in China from 2009 to 2021 (excluding Tibet, Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan). Within the framework of the construction of innovative provinces, regional artificial intelligence, and the resilience of regional innovation ecosystems, spatial double-difference and double machine learning models are employed for a quasi-natural experiment. The main research conclusions are as follows: (1) Both the construction of innovative provinces and artificial intelligence have a significant positive impact on the resilience of regional innovation ecosystems. (2) However, regional artificial intelligence exhibits a negative spatial spillover effect on the resilience of regional innovation ecosystems. (3) The construction of innovative provinces can positively moderate the effect of artificial intelligence on the resilience of regional innovation ecosystems. (4) Through the promotion of regional artificial intelligence, the construction of innovative provinces can indirectly enhance the diversity, evolutionary potential, buffering capacity, fluidity, and coordination of regional innovation ecosystems, thereby driving a leap in resilience. (5) The mechanisms by which the construction of innovative provinces stimulates regional intelligent input, application, innovation, and market dynamics to further enhance the resilience of regional innovation ecosystems are effective not only in the treatment group but also in the control group. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Transformation of Urban and Region: Design, Planning and Governance)
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24 pages, 3391 KiB  
Article
Estimation of Urban High-Quality Development Level Using a Three-Stage Stacks-Based Measure Model: A Case Study of Urban Agglomerations in the Yellow River Basin
by Sisi Liu, Suchang Yang and Ningyi Liu
Sustainability 2024, 16(18), 8130; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16188130 - 18 Sep 2024
Viewed by 509
Abstract
The high-quality development paradigm, which emphasizes the organic unity of efficiency, equity, and sustainability, has gained increasing global recognition as an extension of the concept of sustainable green development. In this study, we use green development efficiency as a metric of high-quality development [...] Read more.
The high-quality development paradigm, which emphasizes the organic unity of efficiency, equity, and sustainability, has gained increasing global recognition as an extension of the concept of sustainable green development. In this study, we use green development efficiency as a metric of high-quality development and employ a three-stage Stacks-based Measure Model (SBM) in order to assess the true green development efficiency (GDE) levels of urban agglomerations in China’s Yellow River Basin (YRB) from 2011 to 2020. The results indicate that external environmental factors significantly impacted the green development efficiency levels of these urban agglomerations; after removing these factors, their green development efficiency shifted from trendless fluctuations to more consistent upward trends. Additionally, the disparities between different urban agglomerations are the primary sources of overall differences in green development efficiency in the YRB. Influenced by economic development levels and administrative divisions, the degree of internal development imbalance varies among urban agglomerations; however, regional disparities show a decreasing trend, indicating a catch-up effect. Based on these findings, we further propose relevant policy recommendations in this paper. The results of this study help us to understand the current status and trends of high-quality development in the urban agglomerations of the YRB, providing empirical evidence for policy formulation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Transformation of Urban and Region: Design, Planning and Governance)
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23 pages, 6130 KiB  
Article
Sustainable Development in Gansu Province: Theil Index and Cluster Analysis
by Peng Cao and Haijun Tao
Sustainability 2024, 16(11), 4518; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16114518 - 26 May 2024
Viewed by 1140
Abstract
With the advancement of the rural revitalization strategy, counties have emerged as vital platforms for supporting rural revitalization, underscoring the increasing importance of sustainable development in their economies. It is imperative to evaluate the sustainable development potential of county economies and implement precise [...] Read more.
With the advancement of the rural revitalization strategy, counties have emerged as vital platforms for supporting rural revitalization, underscoring the increasing importance of sustainable development in their economies. It is imperative to evaluate the sustainable development potential of county economies and implement precise measures accordingly. This paper selects relevant economic development indicators from 2016 to 2020 for 76 counties in Gansu Province, constructs an evaluation system for assessing their sustainable development potential, and employs methods such as the Theil index, spatial autocorrelation, principal component analysis, and cluster grouping classification. The evaluation considers three aspects: the county economic development gap, the development potential score, and cluster analysis. The findings reveal that the economic development of Gansu Province’s counties exhibits spatial characteristics of multi-point flowering and scattered distribution, with relatively weak communication and development between surrounding counties. Over the five-year period, significant disparities in economic development among Gansu Province’s counties are evident. Liangzhou District ranks highest in county economic development, while other counties with robust economic development are primarily concentrated in the Lanzhou–Baiyin metropolitan area, the Tianshui metropolitan area, the west entrance of the Hexi Corridor economic belt, and the Qingyang–Pingliang group area. These counties exhibit a spatial pattern of agglomeration towards the central and eastern regions. Moreover, some counties in the southeastern region of Longdong demonstrate promising economic development potential, forming an initial scale of contiguous development. This indicates favorable prospects for sustainable development in the region’s county economy. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Transformation of Urban and Region: Design, Planning and Governance)
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22 pages, 3068 KiB  
Article
Assessing the Need for and Environmental Acceptability of Infrastructural Facilities in Natural Areas with Special Management Status
by Natalia Lubsanova, Zehong Li, Svetlana Ayusheeva, Anna Mikheeva, Sembrika Ivanova, Taisiya Bardakhanova, Lyudmila Maksanova and Alexey Bilgaev
Sustainability 2024, 16(10), 4105; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16104105 - 14 May 2024
Viewed by 794
Abstract
(1) Background: The article discusses approaches to assessing the ecological acceptability of locating new facilities in areas with special natural resource management status. The presence of natural resources and environmental constraints determine the activity of such facilities. We selected the Central Ecological Zone [...] Read more.
(1) Background: The article discusses approaches to assessing the ecological acceptability of locating new facilities in areas with special natural resource management status. The presence of natural resources and environmental constraints determine the activity of such facilities. We selected the Central Ecological Zone of the Baikal Natural Territory as the object of study, where the fundamental principle of economic activity is ecological, namely through the prevention of the harmful impacts of production, population, and business on the Lake Baikal ecosystems and the surrounding environment, as well as the restriction of certain types of economic activities and more stringent environmental regulation. The study aims to develop a methodological approach for assessing the ecological acceptability of locating facilities in areas with environmental constraints. (2) Methods: We analyzed the possible risks of locating new facilities based on determining the environmental impact of economic activities and assessing the environmental and associated socio-economic consequences of this impact. We determined the ecological acceptability of existing types of economic activities within the proposed approach based on a multi-criteria analysis, including an assessment of the state and possible changes in pollution flows and natural potential of the territories, the anthropogenic state of natural complexes, external and internal costs, and compliance with the status of natural resource management and regulations. (3) Results: The research results indicate that in most of the Central Ecological Zone of the Baikal Natural Territory, the location of new facilities is acceptable in terms of the balance between ecological capacity, anthropogenic load, and economic damage from pollution. However, when locating, it is necessary to consider restrictions on pollutant and contaminant standards, hydrological risks in certain sections of the coast, and the limited labor resources in the Severo-Baykalsky district. (4) Conclusions: The obtained analytical results can be used to scientifically substantiate the location of new facilities in areas with special natural resource management status since the main criterion postulated is that the anthropogenic load on the territory should not exceed the self-recovery potential of the territory’s natural complex. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Transformation of Urban and Region: Design, Planning and Governance)
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