Urban Ecosystem Services: 6th Edition

Dear Colleagues,

We are pleased to announce a Special Issue of Land titled "Urban Ecosystem Services: 6th Edition".

Urbanization, population growth, and climate change have negative impacts on ecosystem services (ES) in cities. Assessing and estimating the losses of ES due to rapid urban expansion plays a significant role in sustainable urban development [4]. However, studies on the effects of urbanization on ES have shown inconsistent and sometimes contradictory results [1–3].

Modern compact cities have been identified as having a high density and mixed-use pattern. Their features are believed to contribute to a form of functional urban design that supports sustainability and restresses the importance of ES. Urban green space plays a vital role in urban design and has an impact on how compact cities have developed; thus, a scientific debate on the amount of greenery that individuals require and to what extent contemporary approaches address this has been triggered. Given the meaningful influence of socio-ecological systems in cities, future cities should integrate them in their urban planning, management, and governance [3,5].

As a continuation of the last Special Issue on “Urban Ecosystem Services: 5th Edition”, this Special Issue will still seek to explore innovative approaches for enhancing urban sustainability and ES in the face of increasing urbanization concerns. Areas of interest include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Assessing natural capital and ecosystem services;
• Compact cities;
• Ecology in cities;
• Ecosystem services, ecosystem disservices, and well-being;
• Ecosystem service degradation;
• Edible green infrastructure;
• Green infrastructure;
• Green space;
• Green walls;
• Healing garden design;
• Landscape architecture and urban design;
• Mapping and assessing ecosystem services;
• Modelling ecosystem services;
• Nature-based solutions;
• Social-ecological systems;
• Sustainable urbanism;
• Urban agriculture;
• Urban biodiversity and ecosystem services;
• Urban biosphere reserve;
• Urban ecosystems;
• Urban forest;
• Urban geography and development;
• Urban–rural interface;
• Urban sustainability.

References

1. Wang, J.; Zhou, W.; Pickett, S.T.A.; Yu, W.; Li, W. A multiscale analysis of urbanization effects on ecosystem services supply in an urban megaregion. Total Environ. 2019, 662, 824–833.
2. Russo, A.; Cirella, G.T. Edible Green Infrastructure 4.0 for Food Security and Well-being: Campania Region, Italy. In International Guidelines on Urban and Territorial Planning. Compendium of Inspiring Practices: Health Edition; Quinlan, V., Ed.; UN Habitat, HS/080/18E: Nairobi, Kenya, 2018; p. 72.
3. Russo, A.; Cirella, G.T. Modern Compact Cities: How Much Greenery Do We Need? J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2018, 15, 2180.
4. Das, M.; Das, A. Dynamics of Urbanization and its impact on Urban Ecosystem Services (UESs): A study of a medium size town of West Bengal, Eastern India. Urban Manag. 2019, 1–15.
5. Schewenius, M.; McPhearson, T.; Elmqvist, T. Opportunities for Increasing Resilience and Sustainability of Urban Social–Ecological Systems: Insights from the URBES and the Cities and Biodiversity Outlook Projects. Ambio 2014, 43, 434–444.

Dr. Alessio Russo
Prof. Dr. Giuseppe T. Cirella
Guest Editors

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