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Sustainability
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The New Science of Cities and Urban Growth Sustainability
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The New Science of Cities and Urban Growth Sustainability

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Sustainability in Geographic Science".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 January 2023) | Viewed by 26566

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Yichun Xie

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute for Geospatial Research and Education, Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti, MI 48197, USA
Interests: geographic information science; spatial modelling; remote sensing theory and methodology; spatiotemporal modelling of urban growth; grassland ecosystem; coupled impacts of human dynamics and environmental change on resource management and ecosystem recovery; land-use and land-cover changes
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Bin Jiang

grade E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Division of GIScience, Faculty of Engineering and Sustainable Development, University of Gävle, SE-801 76 Gävle, Sweden
Interests: city science; big data analytics; sustainable urban planing; city structure and dynamics; the livingness of space
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Urban sustainability is a comparatively new research theme, but has attracted a broad spectrum of audiences. Like the three-pillar ecosystem model of the environment, economy, and social system, many notions concerning ecosystem sustainability are dominant in urban sustainability studies. This Special Issue provides a unique opportunity for examining urban growth sustainability from the perspectives of geographical science and complex urban system modeling.

Cities are not simply places, but complex systems of networks and flows, which can be examined better by using urban complexity theories. About 36 years ago, Professor Michael Batty developed the idea that cities might grow through self-similar generating processes like fractals from bottom cells to city structures (Batty and Longley, 1994). Batty has argued that cities should be examined as complex systems (Batty, 2007) through the lens of “the new science of cities” (Batty, 2013), and that the future of sustainable cities can only be invented by human societies (Batty, 2018).

The new science of cities encompasses a suite of evolving computational theories and geospatial technologies, including geo-computational simulations powered by the cellular automata model, multi-agent-based model, and artificial intelligence for assessing how land-use changes impact urban growth sustainability. These tools build on Geographic Information Systems (GIS), remote sensing, and spatial statistics for analysing dynamic urban changes and their spatiotemporal variations. This Special Issue invites new applications, theoretical exploration, conceptual innovation, algorithmic advancement, big data analytics, and computational learning in these geo-computation fields concerning current urban structures and future growth. This Special Issue intends to provide peer-reviewed opportunities for collecting the most prominent research findings for analysing, modelling, and planning sustainable cities. Submissions may include research papers, reviews, or case studies, as long as they are related to urban growth sustainability.

References:

Batty, M.; Longley, P. Fractal Cities; Academic Press: London, UK, 1994.

Batty, M. Cities and Complexity; MIT Press: Cambridge, MA, USA, 2007.

Batty, M. The New Science of Cities; MIT Press—Journals, 2013.

Batty, M. Inventing Future Cities; MIT Press—Journals, 2018.

Prof. Dr. Yichun Xie
Prof. Dr. Bin Jiang
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

  • agent-based modelling
  • big data and urban analytics
  • cellular automata urban simulation
  • complexity city science
  • computational urban modelling
  • fractal cities
  • geographical simulation
  • spatial analysis
  • urban and regional sustainability
  • virtual geographical urban environments

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

Published Papers (8 papers)

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Research

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17 pages, 1477 KiB  
Article
Exploring the Relationship between Urbanization and Ikization
by Lü Ye, Yanguang Chen and Yuqing Long
Sustainability 2023, 15(12), 9622; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15129622 - 15 Jun 2023
Viewed by 1301
Abstract
The phenomenon of Iks was first found by anthropologists and biologists, but it is actually a problem of human geography. However, it has not yet drawn extensive attention of geographers. Based on the relationship between urbanization and ikization, this paper is devoted to [...] Read more.
The phenomenon of Iks was first found by anthropologists and biologists, but it is actually a problem of human geography. However, it has not yet drawn extensive attention of geographers. Based on the relationship between urbanization and ikization, this paper is devoted to constructing a model to explain ikization. The research methods include literature-based analogy, mathematical modeling, empirical analysis, and numerical experiments. The main findings are as follows. First, the generalized production function can be used to model the behavior of ikization resulting from dramatic changes in the geographical environment and sudden cultural rupture. Second, nonlinear replacement dynamic models can be used to explain the possibility of rapid urbanization leading to ikization. Observational data is utilized to verify the fast urbanization mode, and numerical experimentation is employed to reveal the possible key factor causing ikization. The principal conclusions can be reached that social transition should adopt a relatively mild approach to changing, and protecting the geographical environment and reviving traditional culture contribute to national sustainable development. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The New Science of Cities and Urban Growth Sustainability)
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20 pages, 2832 KiB  
Article
Network-Based Space-Time Scan Statistics for Detecting Micro-Scale Hotspots
by Shino Shiode and Narushige Shiode
Sustainability 2022, 14(24), 16902; https://doi.org/10.3390/su142416902 - 16 Dec 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1973
Abstract
Events recorded in urban areas are often confined by the micro-scale geography of street networks, yet existing spatial–analytical methods do not usually account for the shortest-path distance of street networks. We propose space–time NetScan, a new spatial–temporal analytical method with improved accuracy for [...] Read more.
Events recorded in urban areas are often confined by the micro-scale geography of street networks, yet existing spatial–analytical methods do not usually account for the shortest-path distance of street networks. We propose space–time NetScan, a new spatial–temporal analytical method with improved accuracy for detecting patterns of concentrations across space and time. It extends the notion of a scan-statistic-type search window by measuring space-time patterns along street networks in order to detect micro-scale concentrations of events at the street-address level with high accuracy. Performance tests with synthetic data demonstrate that space-time NetScan outperforms existing methods in detecting the location, shape, size and duration of hotspots. An empirical study with drug-related incidents shows how space-time NetScan can improve our understanding of the micro-scale geography of crime. Aside from some abrupt one-off incidents, many hotspots form recurrent hotbeds, implying that drug-related crimes tend to persist in specific problem places. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The New Science of Cities and Urban Growth Sustainability)
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21 pages, 1450 KiB  
Article
Urban Sustainability: Integrating Socioeconomic and Environmental Data for Multi-Objective Assessment
by Yichun Xie, Chao Liu, Shujuan Chang and Bin Jiang
Sustainability 2022, 14(15), 9142; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14159142 - 26 Jul 2022
Cited by 11 | Viewed by 3596
Abstract
The large concentration of the world’s population in cities, along with rapid urbanization, have brought numerous environmental and socioeconomic challenges to sustainable urban systems (SUS). However, current SUS studies focus heavily on ecological aspects, rely on SUS indicators that are not supported by [...] Read more.
The large concentration of the world’s population in cities, along with rapid urbanization, have brought numerous environmental and socioeconomic challenges to sustainable urban systems (SUS). However, current SUS studies focus heavily on ecological aspects, rely on SUS indicators that are not supported by available data, lack comprehensive analytical frameworks, and neglect SUS regional differences. This paper develops a novel approach to assessing urban sustainability from regional perspectives using commonly enumerated socioeconomic statistics. It integrates land use and land cover change data and ecosystem service values, applies data mining analytics to derive SUS indicators, and evaluates SUS states as trade-offs among relevant SUS indicators. This synthetic approach is called the integrated socioeconomic and land-use data mining–based multi-objective assessment (ISL-DM-MOA). The paper presents a case study of urban sustainability development in cities and counties in Inner Mongolia, China, which face many environmental and sustainable development problems. The case study identifies two SUS types: (1) several large cities that boast well-developed economies, diversified industrial sectors, vital transportation locations, good living conditions, and cleaner environments; and (2) a few small counties that have a small population, small urban construction areas, extensive natural grasslands, and primary grazing economies. The ISL-DM-MOA framework innovatively synthesizes currently available socioeconomic statistics and environmental data as a unified dataset to assess urban sustainability as a total socio-environmental system. ISL-DM-MOA deviates from the current indicator approach and advocates the notion of a data-mining-driven approach to derive urban sustainability dimensions. Furthermore, ISL-DM-MOA diverges from the concept of a composite score for determining urban sustainability. Instead, it promotes the concept of Pareto Front as a choice set of sustainability candidates, because sustainability varies among nations, regions, and locations and differs between political, economic, environmental, and cultural systems. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The New Science of Cities and Urban Growth Sustainability)
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20 pages, 5240 KiB  
Article
VGEs as a New Platform for Urban Modeling and Simulation
by Hui Lin, Bingli Xu, Yuting Chen, Wenhang Li, Lan You and Jie He
Sustainability 2022, 14(13), 7980; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14137980 - 30 Jun 2022
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 2825
Abstract
The complexity of interrelationships between urban natural environments and human environments is increasing with rapid urbanization. This brings new challenges to urban modeling and simulation in simultaneously meeting the comprehensive needs of the dual integration of data and models, multi-type visualizations, human-centered simulation, [...] Read more.
The complexity of interrelationships between urban natural environments and human environments is increasing with rapid urbanization. This brings new challenges to urban modeling and simulation in simultaneously meeting the comprehensive needs of the dual integration of data and models, multi-type visualizations, human-centered simulation, geographic collaboration, and interactions between physical and virtual spaces. We here propose virtual geographic environments (VGEs) as a new platform of urban modeling and simulation. After discussing the evolution, definition, and features of VGEs, we design a VGE framework for urban system modeling and simulation. Two typical cases are provided to illustrate how VGEs support urban modeling and simulation on different scales: VGE-based collaborative modeling and the simulation of air pollution dispersion in the Pearl River Delta (PRD) urban agglomeration, and fire emergency crowd evacuation simulation. In the future, VGEs may also play an important role in digital twin cities and urban metaverses. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The New Science of Cities and Urban Growth Sustainability)
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16 pages, 1043 KiB  
Article
Institutional Diversity of Transferring Land Development Rights in China—Cases from Zhejiang, Hubei, and Sichuan
by Chen Shi and Zhou Zhang
Sustainability 2021, 13(23), 13402; https://doi.org/10.3390/su132313402 - 3 Dec 2021
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2004
Abstract
With the continuous urbanization, China is facing a dilemma of achieving two conflicting targets in land governance, i.e., the continuous supply of urban construction land to support urbanization and the preservation of cultivated land for food security. Under China’s dual land system, the [...] Read more.
With the continuous urbanization, China is facing a dilemma of achieving two conflicting targets in land governance, i.e., the continuous supply of urban construction land to support urbanization and the preservation of cultivated land for food security. Under China’s dual land system, the implementation of the “Linkage between Urban-land Taking and Rural-land Giving” (Linkage) policy is of great significance in promoting more inclusive urbanization by commodifying the land development right and connecting urban and rural land markets. In the specific land property right system and changing land governance of China, this policy appears to provide an opportunity for stakeholders other than the state to compete for the value from the transfer of development rights (TDR) and triggers the emergence of diversified approaches in organizing land projects in rural China. Based on the theoretical perspective of New Institutional Economics and empirical evidence from Zhejiang Province, Hubei Province, and Sichuan Province, this paper conducts a comparative institutional analysis for China’s TDR practice and argues that the diversified operational approaches in China’s practice have aligned various interests of the stakeholders through flexible participation methods and elaborate reallocation of land property rights, in order to fit various institutional environments and material conditions Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The New Science of Cities and Urban Growth Sustainability)
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17 pages, 2694 KiB  
Article
Modeling Pedestrian Flows: Agent-Based Simulations of Pedestrian Activity for Land Use Distributions in Urban Developments
by Jesús López Baeza, José Carpio-Pinedo, Julia Sievert, André Landwehr, Philipp Preuner, Katharina Borgmann, Maša Avakumović, Aleksandra Weissbach, Jürgen Bruns-Berentelg and Jörg Rainer Noennig
Sustainability 2021, 13(16), 9268; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13169268 - 18 Aug 2021
Cited by 26 | Viewed by 6035
Abstract
Pedestrian activity is a cornerstone for urban sustainability, with key implications for the environment, public health, social cohesion, and the local economy. Therefore, city planners, urban designers, and decision-makers require tools to predict pedestrian mobility and assess the walkability of existing or planned [...] Read more.
Pedestrian activity is a cornerstone for urban sustainability, with key implications for the environment, public health, social cohesion, and the local economy. Therefore, city planners, urban designers, and decision-makers require tools to predict pedestrian mobility and assess the walkability of existing or planned urban environments. For this purpose, diverse approaches have been used to analyze different inputs such as the street network configuration, density, land use mix, and the location of certain amenities. This paper focuses on the location of urban amenities as key elements for pedestrian flow prediction, and, therefore, for the success of public spaces in terms of the social life of city neighborhoods. Using agent-based modeling (ABM) and land use floor space data, this study builds a pedestrian flow model, which is applied to both existing and planned areas in the inner city of Hamburg, Germany. The pedestrian flows predicted in the planned area inform the ongoing design and planning process. The flows simulated in the existing area are compared against real-world pedestrian activity data for external validation to report the model accuracy. The results show that pedestrian flow intensity correlates to the density and diversity of amenities, among other KPIs. These correlations validate our approach and also quantify it with measurable indicators. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The New Science of Cities and Urban Growth Sustainability)
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20 pages, 838 KiB  
Article
More from Less? Environmental Rebound Effects of City Size
by Joao Meirelles, Fabiano L. Ribeiro, Gabriel Cury, Claudia R. Binder and Vinicius M. Netto
Sustainability 2021, 13(7), 4028; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13074028 - 5 Apr 2021
Cited by 11 | Viewed by 3566
Abstract
Global sustainability relies on our capacity of understanding and guiding urban systems and their metabolism adequately. It has been proposed that bigger and denser cities are more resource-efficient than smaller ones because they tend to demand less infrastructure, consume less fuel for transportation [...] Read more.
Global sustainability relies on our capacity of understanding and guiding urban systems and their metabolism adequately. It has been proposed that bigger and denser cities are more resource-efficient than smaller ones because they tend to demand less infrastructure, consume less fuel for transportation and less energy for cooling/heating in per capita terms. This hypothesis is also called Brand’s Law. However, as cities get bigger, denser and more resource-efficient, they also get richer, and richer inhabitants consume more, potentially increasing resource demand and associated environmental impacts. In this paper, we propose a method based on scaling theory to assess Brand’s Law taking into account greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from both direct (energy and fuels locally consumed) and indirect (embedded in goods and services) sources, measured as carbon footprint (CF). We aim at understanding whether Brand’s Law can be confirmed once we adopt a consumption-based approach to urban emissions. By analyzing the balance between direct and indirect emissions in a theoretical urban system, we develop a scaling theory relating carbon footprint and city size. Facing the lack of empirical data on consumption-based emissions for cities, we developed a model to derive emission estimations using well-established urban metrics (city size, density, infrastructure, wealth). Our results show that, once consumption-based CF is considered, Brand’s Law falls apart, as bigger cities have greater purchase power, leading to greater consumption of goods and higher associated GHG. Findings also suggest that a shift in consumption patterns is of utmost importance, given that, according to the model, each new monetary unit added to the gross domestic product (GDP) or to other income variables results in a more than proportional increase in GHG emissions. This work contributes to a broader assessment of the causes of emissions and the paradigm shift regarding the assumption of efficiency in the relationship of city size and emissions, adding consumption behavior as a critical variable, beyond Brand’s Law. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The New Science of Cities and Urban Growth Sustainability)
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Review

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19 pages, 875 KiB  
Review
Multiscale Accessibility—A New Perspective of Space Structuration
by Nir Kaplan and Itzhak Omer
Sustainability 2022, 14(9), 5119; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14095119 - 24 Apr 2022
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2510
Abstract
Spatial accessibility is fundamentally related to the functional, economic and social performances of cities and geographical systems and, therefore, constitutes an essential aspect for spatial planning. Despite the significant progress made in accessibility research, little attention is given to the central role of [...] Read more.
Spatial accessibility is fundamentally related to the functional, economic and social performances of cities and geographical systems and, therefore, constitutes an essential aspect for spatial planning. Despite the significant progress made in accessibility research, little attention is given to the central role of accessibility in space organization and structuration. This study aimed to fill this gap. Based on an intensive literature review, our work shows the critical role of accessibility in space organization at different scales and sizes, starting from the basic concept of accessibility and its foundations in the classical locational theories and further to the methods and theories at the forefront of research. These processes also point to a unique contribution of multiscale accessibility in space structuration. Accordingly, we offer a conceptual framework to describe the multiscale process of space structuration with respect to local-urban, regional and national scales. We believe this framework may help in studying space and, more importantly, in understanding space. We hope this perspective forms an additional tier at the conceptual and methodological levels concerning accessibility and spatial organization and will encourage empirical studies in light of the suggested view. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The New Science of Cities and Urban Growth Sustainability)
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