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The rapid increase in urbanization has led to a concentration of population and buildings, resulting in reduced green spaces and disrupted ecological balance. This trend negatively affects the well-being and quality of life in cities. Designing green spaces according to planning standards and protecting these areas is crucial for the sustainability of urban environments and the preservation of livable spaces for future generations. In light of these challenges, it is vital to preserve and expand green spaces for both environmental and social reasons. This study aims to evaluate the spatial distribution, size, and adequacy of existing green spaces in 16 neighborhoods of Atakum, a district in Samsun that has recently undergone intense urbanization. It also assesses the accessibility of these spaces using Geographic Information Systems (GIS). The analysis of urban green spaces in Atakum was conducted through spatial and buffer zone analyses using the Spatial Analyst tool in ARCGIS 10.7, revealing the current situation of these vital areas. The findings highlight the significance of green spaces in ensuring livable and sustainable urban development, especially in rapidly urbanizing areas. The research identifies substantial disparities in the distribution and accessibility of open and green spaces in Atakum, indicating an urgent need for improved urban planning. Using GIS analysis, the study compares the availability of green spaces against the World Health Organization’s recommended standard of 10 m² per person. Results show that many neighborhoods fall short of this benchmark, a situation exacerbated by rapid urbanization and population growth. This deficit adversely impacts residents' physical and mental well-being, as adequate green space is essential for public health, social cohesion, and environmental sustainability. Additionally, the analysis reveals that existing green spaces primarily serve recreational purposes and lack multifunctionality, limiting their usability for diverse community needs. To address these deficiencies, the study recommends a multi-faceted urban planning approach, emphasizing the equitable distribution of green spaces, the design of multifunctional areas, and robust community engagement in the planning process. It also stresses the need for stronger legal frameworks to preserve and create green spaces, advocating for the integration of research and data analysis to inform evidence-based policies. In conclusion, this research contributes to understanding how urban green spaces can enhance livability, particularly in the context of climate resilience. The findings underscore the importance of strategic planning in fostering sustainable and inclusive urban environments in Atakum, offering valuable insights for future urban studies in similar contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Enhancing urban ecological resilience (UER) is important in promoting sustainable urban development, and developing new quality productivity (NQP) is an intrinsic requirement to promote industrial change and high-quality development. The coordinated development of UER and NQP can help realize the green transformation and upgrading of various industries. This study considered 30 provinces in China as research objects, quantified their UER from nature, economy, and society, and explored the essential connotation of NQP under the guidance of Marx's productivity theory. The entropy weight-CRITIC method and TOPSIS model were used to comprehensively measure the development levels of the UER and NQP from 2011 to 2022, and their coupling coordination degree (CCD) of UER and NQP was measured by combining the coupling coordination degree model. Consequently, the Global Moran's I index and Geographical and Temporal Weighted Regression (GTWR) model were used to explore the effects of different influencing factors on the CCD from the spatiotemporal variability perspective. The results indicated the following: (1) UER and NQP improved during the study period but with large differences between the regions. (2) The overall CCD evolved from a mild imbalance to primary coordination. The average CCD values ranged from low to high in the northeastern, western, central, and eastern regions. (3) The GTWR results showed that the levels of economic development, urbanization rate, and technological innovation contributed positively to the CCD, with the urbanization rate having the strongest positive effect. Foreign investment, environmental regulations, and industrial structure generally negatively inhibit the CCD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of African & Mediterranean Journal of Architecture & Urbanism (AMJAU) is the property of Ecole Nationale d'Architecture and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The rapid urbanization witnessed in recent years has led to the deterioration of urban ecosystems, resulting in various environmental and socioeconomic challenges. In response to these concerns, the implementation of Green and Blue Infrastructures (GBI) has gained prominence as a sustainable urban planning approach. GBI is a planned network system of natural and semi-natural spaces, along with other environmental elements, managed and designed to provide a wide range of ecosystem services and improve ecological conditions, thereby contributing to citizens' wellbeing and quality of life. This study presents a comprehensive assessment of the costs, benefits (ecosystem services), and impacts (ecosystem dis-services) associated with the incorporation of GBI in urban environments using the technique of emergy accounting. To achieve this, the research paper introduces a novel integrated valuation framework. This framework encompasses key components such as constructing/maintenance costs, ecosystem services, needed costs to human health and biodiversity damage, as well as ecosystem dis-services. Furthermore, the study conducts a comparative analysis of the costs, benefits, and impacts associated with different urban GBIs via ternary phase diagram, shedding light on their varying contributions to the urban ecosystem. The findings reveal that green roofs offer more ecosystem benefits as compared to other GBIs, but this study also highlights that green roof entail higher initial construction costs and produce a greater number of dis-services. Conversely, street trees have lower initial costs and impacts yet generate higher benefits. Furthermore, green walls, despite having a lower input emergy value and fewer benefits, result in higher impacts compared to other green-blue ecosystems. These findings provide valuable insights for urban planners, policymakers, and stakeholders, enabling them to make informed decisions in developing sustainable cities for the wellbeing of present and future generations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The design of urban systems that allow growth while also maximising ecosystem services is identified as an important priority for creating a Good Anthropocene. An ecosystem service (ES)-based approach to landscape interventions maximises the provision of ESs, and in doing so, repairs and reinforces threatened ecological planetary boundaries. As an urbanising planet, cities are critical frontiers of human interaction with these planetary boundaries, and therefore a critical arena for ES-based intervention. Globally, the predominant pattern of urbanisation is dedensification, an outwardly expanding trend where cities are growing in physical extent at a higher rate than their population growth. We therefore require spatially explicit tools capable of reconciling dedensification and Good Anthropocene visions. We propose a methodology that integrates agroecology and urbanisation and is focussed specifically on the supply of targeted regulating ESs. This 'Agroecology for the City' differs from conventional urban agriculture discourse and its preoccupation with food security. Our research interest is agroecological farm systems' (AFSs) capacity to provide critical life support services in a spatially effective manner to urban systems. Our recent research introduced a new GIS-based model (ESMAX) and a spatial agroecology approach that identified AFS configurations at a 1 ha scale which maximised the supply of three regulating ESs, as well as multifunctional performance across all three ESs combined. In the present research, we apply this process at a larger scale, with 1 ha and 4 ha AFS parcels being integrated with a real-world 200 ha peri-urban residential development. The AFS parcels and built-up areas are configured differently to maximise the supply of ESs identified as critical by the local community. We found that arrangements with AFS parcels interspersed evenly with built-up areas provided the best multifunctionality across the four ESs tested. This supports pathways for a Good Anthropocene that work with the global urbanising reality of dedensification and underpin the need for a hybrid science of rural/urban systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Green infrastructure (GI) in cities plays significant role to provide various ecosystem services and enhance the urban health wellbeing. Recently, rapid urbanization and climate change has become one of the serious challenges to GI that may cause deterioration of urban environmental sustainability. This study aims to assess the pattern of place attachment and pro-environmental behaviour (Pro-environmental behaviour) towards GI in Kolkata megacity, India. Questionnaire survey was performed to glean the pattern of place attachment and pro-environmental behaviour from urban and peri-urban GI from multiple perspectives. The questionnaire used was divided into five major parts, namely-socio-demographic profile of the respondents, and place attachment, positive perception to GI, environmental attitudes, and environmentally responsible towards the GI. Results showed that the respondents had a high level of place attachment with GI (with mean score of 2.5 out of 5). The respondents showed positive perception towards GI stating the GI play significant role in maintaining good environment (mean score 4.5 out of 5). The overall mean score (%) of positive environmental attitudes was much higher (4.17) than negative environmental attitudes indicating that respondents held positive environmental attitudes towards GI. the mean score related to environmentally responsible attitude (ERA) clearly indicated that there were high levels of ERA towards GI. The study’s findings offer valuable insights into the human-nature relationship in large cities, highlighting the need for the development, monitoring, and management of GI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nature-based solutions are approaches that draw inspiration from and are supported by nature, offering environmental, social, and economic benefits for enhancing urban resilience and sustainability. One of the greatest land use changes affecting the urban landscape is agricultural land conversion which affects the food security. Urban agriculture will not only generate livelihood opportunity for the urban poor but be the urban lung and heat sink, allow solid and water waste disposal and facilitate eco-cultural community bonding. A vast majority of the global urban dwellers live in the small and medium sized cities. However very little study has been done on urban agriculture in these areas although agricultural loss is more pronounced here. The objective of this paper is to examine through remote sensing data, in a time series between 2011 to 2023, the loss in agricultural land in one such smaller city- Bhubaneswar, which lies on a very fertile agricultural belt. This paper examines the decline of agricultural land in comparison to the rise in built up area within the specified timeframe and goes on to suggest a nature-based solution which makes the city self-sufficient in terms of food security. The research methodology involves mapping the spatial distribution of both the supply and demand for ecosystem services and quantifying the impact of Agriculture land use conversion on agriculture production. It concludes by deriving a framework which will identify the policy and governance interventions required so that the SDG goals 2 and 11.3 are realized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The in-depth discussion and analysis of the synergistic effect of new-type urbanization, greening and digitalization (NUGD) is important for the achievement of sustainable social, ecological and economic development. Therefore, in this study, an evaluation index system composed of these three subsystems was constructed for Chinese cities from 2011 to 2021. The comprehensive and collaborative development levels of each subsystem were measured by means including the entropy weight method and the coupling coordination model, respectively. Then, methods such as ESDA and the Dagum Gini coefficient were applied to investigate the spatiotemporal evolution and spatial differences in the triple synergy effect of the NUGD system in Chinese cities. Finally, the constraining factors of the triple synergy effect were revealed using the obstacle degree model. The findings demonstrated the following: (1) Overall, the NUGD subsystems and their comprehensive levels were increasing, with moderate overall development levels. (2) The synergistic development of the NUGD system exhibited an upward trend. Spatially, the synergistic development level showed distinct differentiation, being higher in the east and lower in the west. The multidimensional dynamic variation characteristics obtained through kernel density estimation revealed that the triple synergy level exhibits high stability. (3) The differences within the east and between the eastern and western areas were the largest, with the intensity of transvariation as the main source. (4) The five criterion layers, including social and spatial urbanization variables, were the key constraints that affected the triple synergy of the NUGD in Chinese cities, and the restrictive role of factors such as the proportion of urban construction land and the per capita postal business volume should not be ignored. This study provides a valuable reference and decision-making guidance to promote China's acceleration toward a new urbanization path supported by both digitalization and green transformation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the 21st century, the world has increasingly focused on the issue of sustainable development, and the green transformation issues have become a new hot topic worldwide. Green and low-carbon transformation has become an international consensus. Urban agglomerations are important connections between urban development and regional coordination, as well as important spatial carriers for economic activities. They are not only the main source of carbon emissions, but also the main battlefield for energy conservation and emission reduction. As an important field for carbon reduction, the green transformation of cities is crucial for achieving the "dual carbon" goals. This article focuses on 48 cities in the three most mature and influential urban agglomerations in China from 2011 to 2019, namely, the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei urban agglomeration, the Yangtze River Delta urban agglomeration, and the Pearl River Delta urban agglomeration. The three-stage DEA model and Malmquist index model are used to measure the green transformation efficiency of the three urban agglomerations from both dynamic and static perspectives, and a Tobit regression model is constructed to explore the influencing factors of green transformation efficiency in urban agglomerations. Research has found that: 1) From a static perspective, the overall efficiency of green transformation in the three major urban agglomerations is at a high level, but from a temporal perspective, it shows a downward trend. The Pearl River Delta urban agglomeration is known for its green development, with the highest average efficiency of green transformation, followed by the Yangtze River Delta urban agglomeration. The Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei urban agglomeration has the lowest level of green transformation; 2) From a dynamic perspective, technological progress is the main driving factor for improving the efficiency of green transformation in the three major urban agglomerations. Therefore, the government should pay special attention to the progressiveness of technology when formulating relevant policies to promote urban green transformation; 3) From the perspective of spatiotemporal differences, there are significant differences in the spatiotemporal characteristics of green transformation among the three major urban agglomerations, and there are significant differences in green transformation strategies among different urban agglomerations. Eliminating environmental factors and random interference is necessary for accurately measuring the efficiency of green transformation in urban agglomerations; 4) From the perspective of influencing factors, factors such as industrial structure upgrading, green innovation level, and environmental regulation intensity jointly affect the efficiency of green transformation in urban agglomerations. Based on this, we should pay attention to the differences between urban agglomerations and implement policies tailored to local conditions; Strengthen the network system of urban agglomerations and avoid conflicts between cities; Encourage green technology innovation, accelerate industrial structure upgrading, and so on. This article focuses on the issue of green transformation in urban agglomerations, and conducts research from three perspectives: efficiency measurement, influencing factors, and implementation mechanisms. A relatively systematic theoretical framework for green transformation in urban agglomerations is formed, and an evaluation index system for green transformation efficiency in urban agglomerations is constructed and optimized. The composition mechanism of the five dimensional evaluation system for transformation efficiency is analyzed, and the bottleneck and breakthrough direction of the three major urban agglomerations in China in the development process are grasped. It has a good demonstration effect on the green transformation of other urban agglomerations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the context of ongoing global urbanization, the disparity in urban development, marked by the dual phenomena of urban sprawl and urban shrinkage at the regional level, has become increasingly evident. In this vein, two land-related governance strategies—smart growth (SG) and smart shrinkage (SS)—emerge as potential remedies to these challenges, targeting urban expansion and shrinkage, respectively. This study bridges the gap in the fragmented discourse surrounding SG and SS by conducting a comprehensive comparative review on the respective literatures. Utilizing the Scopus database, our research employs trend analysis, text and topic mining, time node analysis, and regional analysis, augmented by qualitative reviews of seminal papers. The findings reveal a notable shift in research focus, with interest in SS surging around 2010 (the number of SS-related papers published after 2010 accounts for 92.3% of the total number of the entire study period) as attention to SG waned, suggesting an impending paradigm shift in urban sustainability. The analysis indicates that SS research lacks the disciplinary diversity, thematic breadth, and empirical depth of SG studies, underscoring a need for a more robust theoretical foundation to support urban sustainability. Furthermore, while both SG and SS derive from environmental science foundations, SG predominantly addresses the physical and landscape attributes of urban areas, whereas SS focuses more on socio-economic dimensions. Our findings point to an intrinsic link between SG and SS, which could lay the groundwork for their integration into a unified theoretical framework to better advance urban sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relocation of Indonesia's capital to the IKN (Ibu Kota Negara) Nusantara in East Kalimantan is leading to significant changes in land use, shifting from natural vegetation and agriculture to urban infrastructure. This transition brings about economic diversification and urban expansion, but it also raises concerns about its impact on society, the economy, and the environment. The rapid development affects biodiversity conservation, food security, and the livelihoods of rural and Indigenous communities, leading to conflicts across social and economic dimensions. This research uses qualitative and quantitative data to examine the socio-economic and environmental changes in the IKN Nusantara area from 2003 to 2023. The findings show a notable increase in built-up areas, indicating urbanization and a decrease in agricultural land. The study discusses the implications for local populations and ecosystems, emphasizing the need for inclusive governance, community participation, and conflict resolution. It also proposes a comprehensive policy framework that promotes sustainable land management, recognizes Indigenous and local rights, and fosters inclusive economic growth to respect Indonesia's rich environmental and cultural heritage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urbanisation is the process whereby cities are transformed into large sprawling areas. Urbanisation combined with a continuous increase in population makes food security crucial for sustainable development. Urbanisation poses a threat to agricultural land use within built-up and peri-urban areas. It has resulted in the rapid disappearance and/or total change of agricultural farmland in urban and peri-urban areas. To monitor the changes in agricultural farmland, an understanding of changes in the urban landscape is becoming increasingly important. In this study, multi-temporal Landsat imagery were used to analyse the impact of urbanisation on urban agriculture in the city of Niamey. Changes in the urban landscape were determined using the support vector machine (machine learning) algorithm. Results of this study showed a decrease in land with crops from 3428 ha to 648 ha and an increase in built-up areas from 1352 ha to 11,596 ha between 1975 and 2020. Urbanisation and population growth are the main drivers of urban landscape change in Niamey. There was also a decrease in bare land, rock and vegetation classes, while a small increase in rice and water body classes, comparing the 1975 and 2020 values. This study demonstrates the importance of remote sensing in showing the implications of urbanisation on urban agriculture. These results can assist city planners and resource managers in decision-making and adoption of sustainable mitigation measures which are crucial for urban development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban systems play a central role in the transition to the circular economy, and cities' role in consumption makes them essential for sustainable development. The transition to a circular city can help urban centers become consumers of waste and generators of the resources necessary for their maintenance through optimized and prolonged life cycles. In this sense, this article aims to identify the characteristics of a circular city and compare them to other sustainable urban typologies: sustainable city, green city, smart city, resilient city, eco-city, low-carbon city, and city with nature-based solutions. It follows a qualitative approach with a narrative review of the literature in articles from the Scopus database and reports from international organizations. This article demonstrates that a circular city adopts the 10R framework principles of a circular economy by implementing strategies to regenerate, share, optimize, cycle, and replace resources. It also highlights that the study of the methodologies and strategies for transition to a circular city interconnect with all sustainable urban typologies. Thus, the transition to a circular city contributes to urban sustainability in all dimensions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban agriculture refers to any type of activity located within or around a city designed to provide ecosystem services. Given the rapid population growth and urbanization, urban agriculture is seen as a potential alternative route to a more sustainable urban food system. This review answers the main question: What are the benefits of non-commercial of Urban Agriculture (NCUA) forms and its contribution towards food production? using a systematic literature review approach. The methodology involved capturing 1355 recent articles from qualified search engines, using key terms according to the defined question, then screened for relevance and the defined scope of this review, resulting in a final selection of 40 articles for analysis. The results show that implementing NCUA practices has multifaced social, economic, and environmental benefits, such as improving people's health, reducing expenditure on food and creating sustainable cities, highlighting the need to recognize the multifaceted role of NCUA in promoting a more sustainable lifestyle and strengthening local communities and engagement. Moreover, awareness of urban agriculture differs between developed and developing countries, as does the recognition and valorization of its benefits. Further research is needed to examine the enabling factors and barriers to NCUA adoption in different urban context, the resource implications, and the long-term sustainability of these practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China's current urban gardening promotion policies mainly focus on community gardens and lack in-depth research on the differentiated needs of different urban gardeners. To meet the diverse needs of China's gardeners, this study proposes a typology that classifies gardeners into urban native and migrant ones based on their urban and rural living experiences in China. A questionnaire survey conducted in the core area of Chongqing city revealed significant differences and some similarities in gardening motivations and behaviors between urban native and migrant gardeners: (1) Although most of the gardeners approved of the value of food production and green scenery creation that Chinese urban gardening has, and disapproved of its value for family income generation, the urban native gardeners' disapproving attitude towards family income generation, and their approval of green scenery creation were more assertive, while on the contrary, the urban migrant gardeners had a more robust approval attitude towards food production. (2) The urban native gardeners preferred proximity and small private spaces for a combination of ornamental vegetation and edible vegetables. In contrast, the urban migrated gardeners preferred larger areas for gardening in non-community spaces and leaned towards edible vegetables. (3) Both have shared motivations related to the recreation and ecological conservation values of urban gardening. Given the above differences and similarities, this paper proposes an urban gardening development strategy that meets the needs of the two types of gardeners in China, including space planning and design, operation, and management of gardening spaces, and organization of activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increasing land use and land cover change and climate change have considerable impacts on urban green spaces and their ecosystem services. These impacts result in a loss of urban green space and particularly weaken the climate resilience of urban populations. Landsat imagery data from 1990 to 2020 were used to track the spatio-temporal dynamics of urban sprawl and its influence on the loss of urban green space in Bamako and Sikasso in Mali. Furthermore, a survey of local stakeholders was conducted to capture the perceptions of the status of urban green space. The results of the land use/land cover analysis of the cities between 1990 and 2020 showed that most of the vegetation classes, mainly urban green spaces, have been converted into built-up and bare land in both cities during the last 30 years. In Bamako, built-up land has risen from 5421 hectares in 1990 to 13,350 hectares in 2020, and in Sikasso, from 929 hectares in 1990 to 2213 hectares in 2020. Respondents mentioned street trees as the prevalent type of urban green spaces in both cities (20% of the respondents in Bamako and 24% in Sikasso). In addition, the majority of respondents perceived urban green spaces in Sikasso as having a good status and in Bamako as having a good or moderate status. This study recommends improving the number and quality of urban green spaces, which are crucial for the provision of ecosystem services and for the resilience of cities against climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Promoting urban green growth necessitates a dual focus on reducing carbon emissions and fostering high-quality development. However, the body of research on the coupling relationship between high-quality urban development and carbon emissions remains remarkably limited. Taking Guangdong province as an example, this study strived to establish a comprehensive evaluation system for high-quality urban development encompassing economic, societal, and ecological dimensions and further conducted an in-depth examination of the spatiotemporal pattern and driving forces of coupling coordination degree between high-quality urban development and carbon emission intensity during 2000–2017. The coupling coordination degree in Guangdong province has shown continuous growth, transitioning from moderate incoordination to moderate coordination. The coupling coordination degree showed the overall spatial distribution characteristics of "high in southeast and low in others", with Zhuhai, Zhongshan, Foshan, Guangzhou, Dongguan, and Shenzhen as the core. Notably, technological advancement, environmental governance, and economic development emerge as pivotal factors that positively affect carbon emission intensity reduction, environmental quality improvement, and coupling coordination enhancement. This research provides valuable insights for achieving harmonized high-quality development in Guangdong province involving policies of regional differences, industrial competitiveness, and new-type urbanization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Connected and Autonomous Vehicles (CAVs) are reshaping urban systems, demanding substantial computational support. While existing research emphasizes the significance of establishing physical and virtual infrastructure to facilitate CAV integration, a comprehensive framework for designing CAV-related infrastructure principles remains largely absent. This paper introduces a holistic framework that addresses gaps in current literature by presenting principles for the design of CAV-related infrastructure. We identify diverse urban infrastructure types crucial for CAVs, each characterized by intricate considerations. Deriving from existing literature, we introduce five principles to guide investments in physical infrastructure, complemented by four principles specific to virtual infrastructure. These principles are expected to evolve with CAV development and associated technology advancements. Furthermore, we exemplify the application of these principles through a case study in Oxford, UK. In doing so, we assess urban conditions, identify representative streets, and craft CAV-related urban infrastructure tailored to distinct street characteristics. This framework stands as a valuable reference for cities worldwide as they prepare for the increasing adoption of CAVs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The unlimited outward and uncontrolled expansion of cities which connotes urban sprawl has been a major urban development issue over the years in the Global North and South due to concerns raised by many, especially academics and urban planners. Within the context of the Global South, the impact of urban sprawl remains contested in the conventional literature. While some research outputs contend that sprawl largely leads to livelihood loss particularly in the conversion of agriculture lands into residential and commercial developments, other schools of thought argues that sprawl leads to livelihood diversification in peri-urban communities and this could potentially enhance the incomes of households. Therefore, relying on the survey of 173 households and 4 institutional interviews, this study sought to clarify this contested issue in literature by assessing the effects of urban sprawl on livelihoods of settler communities in the Ga West and Juaben Municipalities in Ghana. The result of the study suggests a significant land cover change and diversification of livelihood activities from farm-based activities to other non-farm-based activities. This study therefore concludes that incidences of sprawl have both positive effects (livelihood diversification) and negative effects (adverse environmental effects). The present study recommends that urban development policies focus on effective ways of integrating these non-farm-based activities into urban growth policies whilst making significant efforts to halt the rate at which environmental resources are being lost to urban expansion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is growing interest globally in the potential of urban farming to respond to a breadth of urban sustainability challenges. Yet it is also recognised that the policy and implementation of this nature-based strategy is influenced by an underlying science–policy–practice community. The aim of this paper is to understand how different actors and knowledges come together to form a science–policy–practice community for a citywide urban farming initiative—Taipei Garden City. The result shows that the science–policy–practice community was formed in a dynamic 'top-down' and 'bottom-up' process. This allows long-term public–private partnership to be developed and enables different knowledges and experiences to co-exist in policies and practices. This study argues that in-between spaces and actors, who can cut across different fora, are vital to make urban farming interventions happen. Nonetheless, we also question the extent to which embodied and experiential knowledge is sufficient to support environmentally and socially appropriate outcomes for attaining urban sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increasing urbanization and climate change challenges are leading to relevant environmental, economic and social pressures on European cities. These include increasing flood hazards and the urban heat island (UHI) effect. Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) are increasingly recognized within strategies to provide multiple ecosystem services to mitigate existing risks and pressures, as well as to make cities more resilient and livable. Although being increasingly addressed within the literature, NBS implementation on the ground still faces many technical and financial barriers. This paper aims to test the potential of selected NBS in mitigating the effects of identified climate change risks, i.e., the UHI effect and urban floods, in the Turin urban area (north-western Italy). Four different intervention NBS-based scenarios are developed. The supply of ecosystem services by NBS in each scenario is assessed using InVEST models and the effectiveness of NBS investments is analyzed by calculating and comparing the associated costs and benefits. Different results in terms of effectiveness and economic viability are observed for each scenario and each NBS. Flood risk mitigation oriented NBS seem to have the most impact, in particular forested green areas and retention ponds. The results are relevant to suggest policy mix strategies to embed NBS in city planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mitigating the adverse effects of climate change and worldwide urbanization is one of the main tasks of local authorities and city managers. As a long-term solution, urban and periurban forests have the potential to mitigate the impacts of climate change by providing ecosystem services such as removing air pollutants, mitigating the urban heat islands, storing carbon, regulating local climate, limiting the risk of flooding, reducing noise levels, and improving the physical and mental health of citizens and their welfare. To promote, conserve, and enhance the benefits offered by the periurban forests, it is needed to adequately describe the forest ecosystems state, and understand well their structure and functionality. The objective of this study was to investigate the structure, diversity, and health status of one of the main periurban forest in Bucharest. In 2015 and 2020, biophysical measurements (diameter at breast height, total height, wood quality, cenotic class) and assessments of forest health status were conducted in a permanent sample monitoring network (PSMN). This PSMN consists of 46 sample plots located in the periurban Stefăneşti forest near Bucharest, Romania. The calculation included tree characteristics and stand volumes, while the tree species diversity was characterized using the Shannon (H) and Gini (G) indexes. Our study confirmed that higher diversity indexes of tree species and variability amongst the biometric characteristics at forest stand level sustain ecosystem resilience and adaptability to climate change, simultaneously bolstering their capacity to provide various ecosystem services. The gained insights are critical in helping forest managers, policymakers, and any stakeholders in the effort to evaluate and model the ecosystem services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Architectural Journal / Jian Zhu Xue Bao is the property of Architectural Journal Editorial Office and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Cities and urban areas are an important part of global sustainable development, and the health and well-being of urban residents are closely related to the quality, quantity, and diversity of urban ecosystem services. Although the rapid urbanization process has changed the structure and function of urban ecosystems, which is notably different from natural ecosystems, the affected ecosystem services and their interactions—the trade-off impact of urbanization intensity on ecosystem services—remain to be discussed. Using land use/land cover and impervious surface area remote sensing datasets, and InVEST and RUSLE-related ecosystem services models to evaluate seven typical ecosystem services in Shenzhen, this study explored the evolution of multiple ecosystem service trade-offs and synergies during the transition from a natural ecosystem to an urban ecosystem, and how they are affected by urbanization intensity through correlation analysis and a discrete time-step simulation model. The results show that: (1) from 1978 to 2018, in the process of ecosystem transformation, grain production dropped from 228,795 tons to 11,733 tons, fruit production peaked in 1990 at 271,508 tons, and service capacity of both showed obvious degradation. Conversely, the cultural service capacity was remarkably enhanced. (2) With the increase in urbanization level, the trade-off and synergy of ecosystem services gradually transition from linear to nonlinear. The rapid urbanization process drives the nonlinear degradation of ecosystem services and the nonlinear enhancement of synergy. (3) Over the past four decades, ecosystem service bundles within the same kilometer grid have shown a quadratic curve-like decrease with increasing impervious surface area, slowly in the early stages and faster in the later stages. This study concludes that urbanization intensity has a significant impact on ecosystem service trade-offs, which can provide support for the formulation of ecological protection and restoration strategies in territorial space based on ecosystem services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A recently conducted study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention encouraged access to urban green space for the public over the prevalence of COVID-19 in that exposure to urban green space can positively affect the physical and mental health, including the reduction rate of heart disease, obesity, stress, stroke, and depression. COVID-19 has foregrounded the inadequacy of green space in populated cities. It has also highlighted the extant inequities so as to unequal access to urban green space both quantitatively and qualitatively. In this regard, it seems that one of the problems related to Malatya is the uncoordinated distribution of green space in different parts of the city. Therefore, knowing the quantity and quality of these spaces in each region can play an effective role in urban planning. The aim of the present study has been to evaluate urban green space per capita and to investigate its distribution based on the population of the districts of Battalgazi county in Malatya city through developing an integrated methodology (remote sensing and geographic information system). Accordingly, in Google Earth Engine by images of Sentinel-1 and PlanetScope satellites, it was calculated different indexes (NDVI, EVI, PSSR, GNDVI, and NDWI). The data set was prepared and then by combining different data, classification was performed according to support vector machine algorithm. From the landscaping maps obtained, the map was selected with the highest accuracy (overall accuracy: 94.43; and kappa coefficient: 90.5). Finally, by the obtained last map, the distribution of urban green space per capita and their functions in Battalgazi county and its districts were evaluated. The results of the study showed that the existing urban green spaces in the Battalgazi/Malatya were not distributed evenly on the basis of the districts. The per capita of urban green space is twenty-four regions which is more than 9m2 and in twenty-three ones is less than 9m2. The recommendation of this study was that Türkiye city planners and landscape designers should replan and redesign the quality and equal distribution of urban green spaces, especially during and following COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, drawing on the Google Earth Engine cloud system, which has revolutionized GIS and remote sensing, is recommended to be used in land use land cover modeling. It is straightforward to access information and analyze them quickly in Google Earth Engine. The published codes in this study makes it possible to conduct further relevant studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cities have exhibited spatial patterns of expansion or compacting in the process of economic and population growth. South Korea is a well-known example of a country that has experienced rapid economic growth and urbanization. This study's target area, Busan Metropolitan City (BMC), experienced urban growth but, over the past 20 years, underwent economic and population stagnation. How will urban growth patterns change if economic and population growth stagnates? This study aimed to identify changes in urban growth patterns using population and urbanized areas in BMC, South Korea, from 1980 to 2020. It uses Exploratory Spatial Data Analysis, Bachi's Index and the Standard Deviational Ellipse, and Social Network Analysis to identify population concentration, changes in centrality, inland expansion of urbanized land, and centrality of migration. The results showed that (1) BMC's urban growth pattern extended outward, despite population and economic stagnation since 2000; (2) population and economic stagnation over the next 20 years expanded population polarization in the city's urban center and outskirts; (3) the built-up area expanded in all directions for 40 years—the centrality of the urbanized area was seen in and around the urban center in 1980 but moved northeast in 2020; and (4) since 2000, when population stagnation first emerged, the centrality of the population in migration has been more evident in the outskirts. These results suggest that if there is no sustainable urban planning and development strategy when growth is stagnant, expansionary urban growth will continue, and cities will reach the growth limit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the spatial development of urban systems is a complex and controversial issue. The physical growth of cities creates different spatial patterns which could lead to economic, social, and ecological effects. The purpose of this study is to identify and model the factors affecting the building density of Hamadan. The present study has analyzed the changes in density types and their spatial changes in the neighborhoods of Hamadan with a descriptive-exploratory and survey approach. According to the results of spatial concentration, residential densities and population are seen as scattered spots in the city, especially in the western and southeastern parts. The pattern of spatial concentration of building density in the city of Hamedan is a cluster that is mostly seen as a semicircle on the southern edge of the central core. The entropy coefficient obtained for all indicators and variables shows their almost balanced distribution in urban neighborhoods, which is less observed in the building density index. The slope of the line has also been decreasing for both building and population densities, that is, their values are decreasing with the distance from the city center. Also, using Geographical Weight Regression (GWR) analysis, the effect of each of the independent variables in building density modeling in different parts of the city has been determined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes a new approach in urban ecological design, referred to as social–ecological urbanism (SEU). It draws from research in resilience thinking and space syntax in the analysis of relationships between urban processes and urban form at the microlevel of cities, where social and ecological services are directly experienced by urban dwellers. The paper elaborates on three types of media for urban designers to intervene in urban systems, including urban form, institutions, and discourse, that together function as a significant enabler of urban change. The paper ends by presenting four future research frontiers with a potential to advance the field of social–ecological urbanism: (1) urban density and critical biodiversity thresholds, (2) human and non-human movement in urban space, (3) the retrofitting of urban design, and (4) reversing the trend of urban ecological illiteracy through affordance designs that connect people with nature and with each other. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plant communities in urban gardens consist of cultivated species, including ornamentals and food crops, and wild growing species. Yet it remains unclear what significance urban gardens have for the plant diversity in cities and how the diversity of cultivated and wild plants depends on the level of urbanization. We sampled plants growing within 18 community gardens in Berlin, Germany to investigate the species diversity of cultivated and wild plants. We tested species diversity in relation to local and landscape-scale imperviousness as a measure of urbanity, and we investigated the relationship between cultivated and wild plant species within the gardens. We found that numbers of wild and cultivated plant species in gardens are high – especially of wild plant species – independent of landscape-scale imperviousness. This suggests that all community gardens, regardless of their urban contexts, can be important habitats for plant diversity along with their role in urban food provision. However, the number of all species was negatively predicted by local garden scale imperviousness, suggesting an opportunity to reduce imperviousness and create more habitats for plants at the garden scale. Finally, we found a positive relationship between the number of cultivated and wild growing species, which emphasizes that community gardens present a unique urban ecosystem where land sharing between cultivated and wild flora can transpire. As the urban agriculture movement is flourishing worldwide with gardens continuously and spontaneously arising and dissipating due to urban densification, such botanical investigations can support the argument that gardens are places for the reconciliation of plant conservation and food production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban Agro-forestry and Landscaping (UAL) is a term referring to farming systems and technologies to transform unused urban landforms into a beautiful and attractive piece of land by combining trees, crops, flower cultivation and as well as livestock keeping. UAL has been touted to reduce the effect of urbanization by enhancing biodiversity, food production, and livelihoods, promote ecotourism and urban beatifications as well as increasing urban resilience. To exemplify the contribution of UAL to urban tourism, a cross-section research design using questionnaires and interview was conducted in Mwanza city. A total of 114 enterprises involved in UAL were surveyed. Findings indicate that UAL are contributing to expanding tourism satisfactions in Mwanza city tours. Among the 114 enterprises surveyed 54 enterprises (47%) often receive tourists as part of Mwanza city tours while 60 enterprises (53%) often don't receives tourists at their sites. Tourists usually visits these UAL enterprises for photographing (36%), organizing events (23%), Trees and flowers collection (15%) urban farms and livestock walking tours (9%), Visiting Agro-forestry markets (9%) and others (8%). Interestingly, name and identity of some areas in Mwanza city notably Mkuyuni and Mkolani are related to indigenous fig tree "nkuyu" (Ficus sycomorus) and pod mahogany "nkola" (Afzelia quanzensis) which existed in this area. Some of the trees and flowers such as ginger bush (Tetradenia riparia), Life plant (Bryophylum pinnatum) basil "kashwagala" (Ocimum basilicum), blue gum (Eucalyptus globulus) lemon (Citruslimon), lime (Citrus aurantiifolia) guava (Psidium guajava) have medicinal values and were linked to low Covid-19 incident within Mwanza city in 2020 and are still being used for same purposes by administering either orally or through self steaming. Similarly, UAL contributed significantly to city beautification, cultural food supply, green environment and clean air which contribute a resiliency and sustainable development of city tourism. This suggests UAL is paramount concept in enlarging urban tourism and it should be incorporated in urban policy and planning in order to broaden tourist experiences in urban areas as well as reducing the negative effects of urbanization in Tanzania. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nature-based solutions (NBS) were introduced as integrated, multifunctional and multi-beneficial solutions to a wide array of socio-ecological challenges. Although principles for a common understanding and implementation of NBS were already developed on a landscape scale, specific principles are needed with regard to an application in urban areas. Urban areas come with particular challenges including (i) spatial conflicts with urban system nestedness, (ii) specific urban biodiversity, fragmentation and altered environments, (iii) value plurality, multi-actor interdependencies and environmental injustices, (iv) path-dependencies with cultural and planning legacies and (v) a potential misconception of cities as being artificial landscapes disconnected from nature. Given these challenges, in this perspective paper, we build upon and integrate knowledge from the most recent academic work on NBS in urban areas and introduce five distinct, integrated principles for urban NBS design, planning and implementation. Our five principles should help to transcend governance gaps and advance the scientific discourse of urban NBS towards a more effective and sustainable urban development. To contribute to resilient urban futures, the design, planning, policy and governance of NBS should (1) consider the need for a systemic understanding, (2) contribute to benefiting people and biodiversity, (3) contribute to inclusive solutions for the long-term, (4) consider context conditions and (5) foster communication and learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biodiversity in urban ecosystems has the potential to increase ecosystem functions and support a suite of services valued by society, including services provided by soils. Specifically, the sequestration of carbon in soils has often been advocated as a solution to mitigate the steady increase in CO2 concentration in the atmosphere as a key driver of climate change. However, urban ecosystems are also characterized by an often high level of ecological novelty due to profound human‐mediated changes, such as the presence of high numbers of non‐native species, impervious surfaces or other disturbances. Yet it is poorly understood whether and how biodiversity affects ecosystem functioning and services of urban soils under these novel conditions.In this study, we assessed the influence of above‐ and below‐ground diversity, as well as urbanization and plant invasions, on multifunctionality and organic carbon stocks of soils in non‐manipulated grasslands along an urbanization gradient in Berlin, Germany. We focused on plant diversity (measured as species richness and functional trait diversity) and, in addition, on soil organism diversity as a potential mediator for the relationship of plant species diversity and ecosystem functioning.Our results showed positive effects of plant diversity on soil multifunctionality and soil organic carbon stocks along the entire gradient. Structural equation models revealed that plant diversity enhanced soil multifunctionality and soil organic carbon by increasing the diversity of below‐ground organisms. These positive effects of plant diversity on soil multifunctionality and soil fauna were not restricted to native plant species only, but were also exerted by non‐native species, although to a lesser degree.Synthesis. We conclude that enhancing diversity in plants and soil fauna of urban grasslands can increase the multifunctionality of urban soils and also add to their often underestimated but very valuable role in mitigating effects of climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban agriculture (UA) encompasses different practices and dissimilar agendas, not all environmentally and socially savoury, ranging from food security to leisure and recreation. Although there is a wealth of literature on UA, little research has investigated its presence and role in a Chinese global city against the backdrop of unbridled urbanisation. This article focuses on Nanshan District in Shenzhen, a vast, rapidly urbanising region in China. We analyse the social and spatial characteristics of UA and its regulation. Employing a mixed-method approach that combines spatial analysis and in-depth semi-structured interviews, the results demonstrate the coexistence and interaction of diverse types of UA. What emerges is a socio-biologically rich heterogeneity of precarious practices, overlooked by the local authorities, but contributing to stewardship, social development and community engagement, while preserving a precious agricultural heritage. This article presents policy insights and advocates for government involvement in recognising the social significance of UA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A fruitful approach to the sustainability of cities is described through criteria and indicators that measure the effectiveness of urban operations. To create a sustainable urban environment, an effective strategic approach must be developed that achieves sustainability criteria and indicators. It is difficult to evaluate sustainability strategies due to a sheer number of indicators or the heterogeneity of evaluating options and their relevance. In this context, the research is concerned with reviewing the previous literature for sustainable standards and indicators by specialized international organizations. For achieving a proposed structure of indicators that is easy to implement and includes the essential aspects of sustainability to serve as a priority setting support to propose a sustainable strategic approach. The analytical approach was used in the current situation of Abu Teeg City in Assiut using SWOT technology to examine the internal and external factors through questionnaires and discussions with experts, then applying the AHP method to prioritize the factors to make them measurable. Hence, an effective approach to city sustainability can be discussed using TOWS matrix. The proposed approach relates to the promotion of heritage tourism, infrastructure, environmental development, agriculture, economic and social development of the population, sustainable management, and the housing sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tools purposed towards supporting the transition to more sustainable urban futures typically focus on specific phenomena at the local level. Whilst such approaches remain valuable, there is a need to complement this micro approach with broader integrated methods which deal with the interaction between different urban components as well as their relation to processes and policies enacted at higher scales. Through the adaptation of the World3 global model of Meadows et al. (The limits to growth, Universe Books, New York, 1972; Limits to growth: the 30-year update. Earthscan, London 2005), integrating both an urban system layer, and a national data layer inputting new data, we develop a proof-of-concept multi-scale integrated assessment model. This model is used to explore the relationship between the sustainability of the urban system relative to higher-scale contexts. By emphasising feedback, cascading effects, and unintended consequences, such a modelling framework allows for deeper consideration of coupling mechanisms between subsystems both within the urban system and across broader scales. Following the description of our model, we take Meadows et al. (2005)'s 'Scenario 3' as a starting point to generate several scenarios exploring potential intervention taken at the level of the individual urban system to tackle food security and localised pollution. Our results demonstrate that the evolution of the urban system is sensitively dependent on wider global events, and that while concerted intervention may mitigate some effects, the future of an individual system is largely at the mercy of the evolution of the global system. We argue that the results of this exercise suggest an important role for multi-scale models for informing the wider context of policy measures taken across different hierarchical scales. In an extended discussion section, we outline barriers and potential routes for building our work beyond a proof-of-concept relating to data, boundaries, politicisation, and building confidence in model outputs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is to explore how underused brownfield sites could be transformed by employing smart city elements into positive energy districts. This paper introduces the analysis of good practices in construction of smart districts, focusing on the construction possibilities of smart district Špitálka in the Czech Republic. Methodologically, the paper is based on qualitative semi-structured interviews with experts on urban policies and desk research method of available information. This paper presents both the conceptualization of smart city and theoretical approaches to the smart districts. Then an international research of smart districts in French Bordeaux and Austrian Vienna is presented. The author pursues to make recommendations for the Czech smart district based on the best practices of selected case studies for the Brno Špitálka project. Findings of this research point out the importance of taking the inspiration of best practices for post-socialistic cities from Western European countries in the process of redevelopment brownfield areas into the so-called smart districts. One of the possible ways is joining the lighthouse projects of European Union. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this perspective, we present how three initial landmark papers on urban sustainability research contributed to the larger sustainability science scholarship and paved the way for the continued development of urban sustainability research. Based on this, we propose three conceptual innovation pathways to trace the progression of urban sustainability science: First, urban sustainability from a system's perspective, meaning that urban sustainability requires integrative solutions to work in the tripled social-ecological-technological system setting. Second, urban sustainability from a (people and place) relational perspective, meaning urban sustainability is a contested and dynamic social-ecological contract of cities. As a governance mission, urban sustainability requires evidence from research that can inform coordinated action to bridge people, places, meanings, visions and ecosystems. Third, urban sustainability from a transformative science perspective, meaning that for urban sustainability to be achieved and progressed, deep transformations are required in systems, relations, policies and governance approaches. Our proposal for the future of urban sustainability science centres on emphasizing the relevance and policy applicability of systems' thinking, value and place thinking and transitions/transformations thinking as fundamental to how knowledge is co-produced by research science, policy and society and becomes actionable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many cities worldwide are using re-greening strategies to help reverse urbanization patterns that aggravate environmental issues. Green infrastructure (GI) has become a significant and effective strategy to address environmental problems. To better understand GI, this study uses CiteSpace to analyze 5420 published papers in the field of GI on the Web of Science database from 1990–2020. This bibliometric analysis will help new scholars and researchers to better understand the current status and trends in GI research, as well as identify further research needed in the field. This study evaluated research on GI trends according to publication amounts, keywords, journals, disciplines, countries, institutions, and authors. Results show that, first, GI research has experienced rapid growth since 2014. Second, GI, ecosystem services, and city are the top three keywords related to GI research, with green roof as the keyword with the strongest linkage. Third, Sustainability, Urban Forestry and Urban Greening, and Landscape and Urban Planning are the top three journals publishing GI research. Fourth, the top three disciplines researching GI are environmental science, engineering, and science and technology. Fifth, the USA is the top ranked country in terms of the number of published GI-related papers (1514 papers), followed by China (730 papers) and England (546 papers). Sixth, the US Environmental Protection Agency (84 papers) is the top institution in terms of publications, followed by the Chinese Academy of Science (83 papers) and the Swedish University of Agriculture (66 papers). Finally, D. Haase has the most published articles (29 papers), followed by S. Pauleit (28 papers) and P. Angelstam (26 papers). These findings indicate that GI has developed significantly in the last 30 years, with a high probability for increased growth in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the face of increased housing demand and climatic change, sustainable urban drainage systems (SuDS) are often viewed as an alternative to traditional piped drainage networks, offering multiple benefits. However, whilst design guidelines for SuDS exist, there is little systematic understanding of how SuDS perform for different urban forms at a neighbourhood scale. This paper, therefore, explores the response of a one hectare urban area to rainfall events of varying magnitude under a range of different scenarios for the built environment (development density, SuDS type, residence type and SuDS deployment extent), using the Stormwater Management Model (SWMM). It finds that whilst increased development density leads to an increased peak runoff rate, in some cases lower SuDS deployment in higher density scenarios leads to lower runoff rates than higher deployment in a lower development density. The type of SuDS also has a considerable impact on runoff dynamics, with those constructed on existing infrastructure offering greater proportional reductions in runoff rates than those constructed on previously undeveloped land. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As urbanization affects the quality of regional ecosystems, which are needed to ensure the well-being of residents, urban land management plans should consider ecosystem services. While several studies have assessed urbanization impacts on regional ecosystem services in developing urban areas, they used limited approaches that only considered options pertaining to urban green space management. A modeling approach that simulates changes in urban land use and associated ecosystem services can better support urban land management decisions by comparing the effects of different scenarios. We simulated urban land use change impacts on regional ecosystem services using a patch-based cellular automata model and assessment tools for seven ecosystem service indicators in different urban management scenarios regarding green space policies in Ansan, South Korea. The simulation results showed spatial patterns of land use changes and impacts on associated ecosystem services although their impacts varied according to different service types. While urbanization affected regional ecosystem services to a lesser extent than land use changes, urban green space policies contributed to increasing ecosystem services. Our approach provides useful information for improved policy decisions with regard to coupling urban management with ecosystem services, as urban green spaces are necessary for residents' well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Land use change is the most prominent feature of Chinese urbanisation. In China, the expansion of land consumed for urban development is inevitable given the rapid increases in the urban economy and urban population, but also in meeting the population's increasing demand for better quality of life. This paper is based on a research study of Wujiang district in Suzhou, which is considered representative of many of the rapid urbanisation areas within the nation. The objective is to develop an in-depth understanding of the characteristics of land use change and how this change contributes to environmental deterioration, as assessed by changes in the ecosystem service value (ESV). In this study, ESV is defined as the environmental products and functions provided for human well-being. Based on local planning documents, Landsat TM remote-sensing images and field surveys, the research analyses the cost to the environment when traditional land uses are transformed into urbanisation. The research demonstrates that conversion to urban land use which ignores the limit and capacity of the environment can generate significant environmental costs, as assessed by ESV, which in turn, can lead to a deterioration of quality of life for inhabitants, the exact opposite of the original intention. The research demonstrates that by mapping the spatial distribution of ecological service values, ESV can be used as a guide to urban sustainable development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to reflect ecosystem services in environmental policies, it is necessary to assess multiple ecosystem services as well as the correlations among them in complex urban landscapes. Although landscape multifunctionality based on different land use statuses and intensity cause variations in the ecosystem services of complex urban landscapes, research that connect the urban landscape multifunctionality in terms of ecosystem services and urbanization processes is limited. In this study, we assessed ecosystem services and their correlations using correlation and principal component analysis. Then, we identified the urban landscape multifunctionality using ecosystem service bundles with diversity and capacity indices in two coastal cities of South Korea. Subsequently, five landscapes were categorized according to ecosystem services, which reflected landscape multifunctionality in accordance with urbanization levels. The provision of ecosystem services is affected by levels of urbanization from coast areas toward forest areas with increase in diversity and capacity indices. This study contributes to realistically examining the dimensions of regional ecosystem services within complex landscapes with land use changes. The results will support effective management plans and could be applied to other landscapes at various spatial scales. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increasing global emissions has led to research on the role of innovations play combating emissions. Mitigations from innovation perspective have mainly been focused on the role of patent, ignoring the role of trademarks. We therefore investigate the mitigating power of patent and trademarks in the OECD economies, benchmarking patent as the traditional mitigation strategy. Examining the complimentary role, we created an interaction term between patent and trademark. Our study divided the OECD economies into four subpanels which are OECD America, OCED Asia, OECD Europe, and OECD Oceania. We employed the Im, Pesaran and Shin W-stat, Augmented Dickey-Fuller, and Phillips Perron unit root tests, as well as cross-sectional dependence and Westerlund cointegration tests for the preliminary test on the variables. We also adopted ARDL approach to cointegration, Granger causality test, and OLS in examining the relationship between CO2 and patent, trademark, urbanization, and economic growth. Findings show that jointly, eco-patents and trademarks mitigate CO2 emissions. Also, bidirectional or unidirectional causal relationship was established between our variables of study, an indication that most of our variables can be used in forecasting one other. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study presents a multidimensional analysis of land-use efficiency in terms of per-capita built-up area over 417 metropolitan regions from 27 European countries. The study period encompasses two urban phases including economic expansion (2000-2007) and crisis (2008-2015). Multiple geographical gradients were identified as relevant predictors of land-use efficiency across Europe. The socioeconomic variables most associated with high land-use efficiency were per-capita disposable income (in Western, Atlantic and Central Europe) and income growth during 2000-2007 (in Eastern Europe), indicating that wealthier cities are characterized by higher land-use efficiency. Land-use efficiency increased in contexts with diversified urban landscapes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) is one of the most urbanized and biologically diverse regions in the world but is often characterized by weak environmental governance and socioeconomic inequalities. Given large expanses of intact biomes, a long history of pre-Colombian civilizations, and recent urbanization trends, the urban ecosystem services (UES) concept has the potential to address issues of well-being for its citizens. We review relevant regional and global literature and use expert-based knowledge to identify the state of the art of the UES concept as applicable to green spaces in LAC and elucidate three overarching guidelines for management and future research needs: 1. LAC cities can be socio-ecologically unique; 2. Drivers of UES in LAC can be different than in other regions; and 3. Context and demand need to be accounted for when valuing UES. Overall, we show that research on UES is mostly from the global north and rarely accounts for the diverse and complex socio-political and ecological drivers of LAC's urbanization processes. We find that, as in other regions, the biophysical context and land use policies play a major role on UES provision. However, socioeconomic inequalities and weak governance are key drivers in UES supply and demand in LAC. Context-specific information on how to promote, educate, and apply UES is particularly important, not only in LAC, but in other regions where inequities, rapid urbanization, and climate change effects are stressing socio-political and ecological systems and their adaptive capacities. Standardized approaches from developed countries should be used to complement - not substitute - LAC context specific approaches for studying and applying UES. We suggest that improved research funding and local governance can also provide critical strategies, information and the means for more effective management, planning, and equitable provision of UES. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urbanization can profoundly alter socioecological relationships, but its influence on how people perceive and value ecosystem services (ES) is poorly understood. We reviewed an emerging literature in which sociocultural valuation of ES is compared among urban and rural dwellers. This research suggests that, although regulating and cultural ES were highly valued by both rural and urban dwellers, urban dwellers tended to value provisioning ES less than rural dwellers did. Differences in ES valuation could result from different experiences, uses, and needs for ES of urban and rural dwellers. We also identified two key gaps in the literature that relate to understanding how diverse ES contribute differently to the well-being of rural and urban populations (and the relevance of these differences for environmental education and policy) and the changing roles of ES in developing countries and vulnerable ecosystems, such as small islands, that face pressing environmental, social, and economic challenges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The compact city is globally acknowledged as the most adequate urban model to encourage sustainable urban development. Its validity is often assumed, despite the lack of clarity on what such compactness entails. The knowledge gap is even wider regarding how different drivers and pressures influence the development of more compact cities. Therefore, the authors analyse indirect and underlying processes (drivers) and more direct events, actions, and processes (pressures) affecting compact city development. Since compact city driving forces are extensively influenced by local situations, their research focused on district-level case studies within the compact city of Barcelona Municipality. Mixed methods were used, and the authors used both qualitative and quantitative data. The results revealed that drivers and pressures can both support and counteract compact city qualities and therefore any intervention has to be tailored to local conditions. In particular, the results of the in-depth analysis of local pressures and their progression over time foster an understanding of context-related nuances, thereby shifting attention from taken-for-granted compact city qualities to the driving forces that produce beneficial compactness. The authors conclude that the diversity of drivers and pressures requires the involvement of a multiplicity of stakeholders and actors in urban planning, implementation, and management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Protecting wetlands in cities is challenging. A cost-effective spatial prioritization approach taking into account stakeholder motivations is needed to identify wetlands of conservation interest.Objectives: This study aims to optimize the efficiency of a systematic conservation planning (SCP) approach to protect nine urban wetland ecosystem services (ES) and biodiversity.Methods: First, we mapped ES supply and demand to capture their spatial variation as they occur at the wetland scale. Secondly, using wetland property value as cost data, we compared the efficiency of SCP to two multicriteria scoring approaches. Thirdly, we compared SCP alternatives by changing the planning unit scale and conservation objectives (i.e. emphasizing ES demand and focusing on the most important ES).Results: The total cost of the scoring approach networks was minimally 13 times higher, when compared to the SCP approaches. Consequently, the scoring approaches were at least five times less efficient than SCP per unit of network area ($/m2). Decreasing the size of planning units resulted in further cost reduction, with networks that were up to 92% less costly. We also highlighted that beneficiary demand fulfillment in networks could be optimized without a loss in efficiency. Finally, SCP secured nine ES for the same expenditure as that required to protect four public safety related ES. However, planning solely for these four important ES failed to represent those of other ES.Conclusions: Our results may provide a tool to better inform land use decision planning in order to mitigate the impacts of urban growth on ES. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The challenges accompanying socio-ecological and demographic transformations in the urban areas necessitate for coordinated efforts to ensure urban ecological resilience. Trans-disciplinary analytical construct of urban ecosystem services (UES) empowers the policy makers and urban planners to synchronize the orientations of human impacts and resilience of ecological resources in urban areas. The current study provides a systematic overview about the research orientations, approaches and techniques used in the recent studies regarding UES. The study examined: what types of evaluation methods were adopted in the recent UES research? What is their spatial and temporal pattern? What types of UES were focused and environmental components relied upon for the assessment? To address these questions, 116 relevant publications were scrutinized by using a set of assessment criteria. The findings indicated a lesser focus in research towards UES in developing countries as compared to the volume and increasing share of their urban population. The study also establishes that an overwhelming proportion of the UES research was carried out in the industrialized countries of the northern hemisphere but rather skewed towards studying regulatory ecosystem services. The recommendations for improving the relevancy of contemporary research for stakeholders were made. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rapid urbanisation, lack of proactive planning and improper allocation of resources may result in socio-economic disparity among and within cities, causing social unrest and environmental injustice in the neighbourhoods. This study aims to examine whether the planning standards for housing schemes in Pakistan are able to maintain equitable access to green spaces within the cities. Ten residential sites in Sheikhupura city with different housing unit sizes and densities were selected for the study. The supply of urban green infrastructure in housing scheme has been assessed: (i) by comparing the percentage of green spaces, including community parks and open spaces and street landscape; and (ii) by calculating per dwelling unit and per capita share of green spaces. These indicators have been studied against the housing density and population density of the schemes by applying correlation and linear regression models. The results show that all the housing schemes plans provide for similar amounts of green space as a percentage of total area. The per capita share of green spaces is very low in high-density areas, but interestingly, the street landscape has a higher potential to contribute to the overall landscape in high-density neighbourhoods, compensating for low per capita green space. Housing unit density and population density must be incorporated in planning standards so planners can effectively devise a mix of community parks, street landscape and private green spaces to help maintain per capita green spaces, and hence environmental resource equality in different parts of the city. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]