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Formal urban land is market unable to supply adequate residential plot that could shoulder the prevailing demand from low- and middle-income people and hence, the aim of the paper was meant to explore the informal land buyers’ expectations of infrastructure and various related municipal services that they deprive themselves of. A mixed-method approach was used, combining a survey of 186 respondents in informal land markets, observation, and focus group discussions with municipal experts. Secondary data from formal land markets in Dilla municipality from 2017-2023 were analyzed using descriptive statistics. The result of the study revealed that the pushing factors of informal land market proliferation in Dilla city is due to the lack of formal land supply from Dilla municipality which is only 6.6% so that the remaining great majority (97.3%) of the study area residents expect at least one service (road, water, electricity, drainage, monitoring services) from Dilla municipality to improve deprivation of basic infrastructural services, notwithstanding the need of land monitoring services such as surveying and title deeds. The situations call for design a pro-poor land and housing policy, adequate compensation during expropriation of farmers for serviced supply of land, creating awareness about formal land markets, and working in collaboration with rural counterparts in basis of rural – urban collaboration frameworks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Modern Movement has left a wide and varied architectural repertoire, clearly visible, in the urban landscape of Havana. Although the specialized literature has addressed certain edges, there are still little explored territories that deserve their study, in order to contribute to achieving a more complete and comprehensive vision of this legacy on a national scale. The research analyzes the residential architecture of four modern neighborhoods of the current Cerro municipality, by identifying features and qualities of their buildings. It was methodologically structured in three stages, which included field work and archiving, and theoretical, empirical, quantitative and qualitative methods were used in combination for the analyses. The study made it possible to demonstrate the coexistence of unique works and serial housing complexes, with high construction and design quality, harmonically conceived for predetermined contexts, that constitute a living testimony of the architecture of the peripheral areas of Havana in the 1950s. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to achieve growth in fiscal revenue and the regional economy under the Chinese decentralization system, the land resources misallocation (LRM) among different industries was promoted through the differentiated land supply strategy, which has a vital role in carbon emissions. This study theoretically analyzes the overall effect and the effect of the intermediate LRM mechanism on carbon emissions and empirically tests the impact of LRM on carbon emissions based on panel data collected from 30 provinces in China from 2005 to 2017 using the environmental Kuznets curve theory. The results show that (1) the local governments have monopolized the primary land market across the nation, leading to resource misallocation among industrial, commercial, and residential land. This inefficient and unsustainable allocation aggravated the release of carbon emissions. (2) The impact of LRM on carbon emissions has varied among different regions. LRM in the eastern and central regions significantly exacerbated carbon emissions. A greater impact on carbon emissions occurred in the eastern region, while the impact was insignificant in the western region. (3) There are two mechanisms through which LRM affects carbon emissions. One is the restraint of upgrading industrial structure, and the other is the restriction of technological innovations. In conclusion, speeding up the reform of the tax sharing system is suggested to reduce the excessive dependence of local governments on land resources. Meanwhile, in order to reduce carbon emissions, the land acquisition and transfer system should be reformed to gradually achieve the market-oriented allocation of land resources, and the benefits coordination mechanism of different land transfer modes should be established. Finally, we propose different carbon emission reduction policies for the heterogeneity of regional economic development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A spatial and temporal heterogeneity analysis of residential land prices, in general, is crucial for maintaining high-quality economic development. Previous studies have attempted to explain the geographical evolution rule by studying spatial-temporal heterogeneity, but they have neglected the contextual information, such as school district, industrial zone, population density, and job density, associated with residential land prices. Therefore, in this study, we consider contextual factors and propose a revised local regression algorithm called the contextualized geographically and temporally weighted regression (CGTWR), to effectively address spatiotemporal heterogeneity, and to creatively extend the feasibility of importing the contextualization into the GTWR model. The quantitative impact of contextual information on residential land prices was identified in Shijiazhuang (SJZ) city from 1974 to 2021. Empirical analyses demonstrated that school district and industrial zone factors played important roles in residential land prices. Notably, the distance from a residential area to an industrial zone was significantly positively correlated with residential land prices. In addition, a positive relationship between school districts and residential land prices was also observed. Finally, the R² value of the CGTWR model was 92%, which was superior to those of ordinary least squares (OLS, 76%), geographically weighted regression (GWR, 85%), contextualized geographically weighted regression (CGWR, 86%), and GTWR (90%) models. These evaluation results indicate that the CGTWR algorithm, which incorporates contextual information and spatiotemporal variation, could provide policy makers with evidence for understanding the nature of varying relationships within a land price dataset in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The historic reconstruction of residential land cover is of significance to uncover the humanenvironment relationship and its changing dynamics. Taking into account the historical census data and cadastral maps of seven villages, this study generated residential land cover maps for the Bursa Region in the 1850s using a model based on natural constraints, land zoning, socio-economic factors and residential suitability. Two different historical reconstructions were generated; one based on a high density residential model and another based on a low density model. The simulated landcover information was used as an ancillary data to redistribute aggregated census counts to fine scale raster cells. Two different statistical models were developed; one based on probability maps and the other applying regression models including Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) and Geographically Weighted Regression (GWR) models. The regression models were validated with historical census data of the 1840s. From regression models, socio-economic and physical characteristics, accessibility and natural amenities showed significant impacts on the distribution of population. Model validation analysis revealed that GWR is more accurate than OLS models. The generated residential land cover and gridded population datasets can provide a basis for the historical study of population and land use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article provides information on the history of turfgrass use in the landscape in the U.S. including production and management of turfgrass in the country, rampant consumerism and a disregard for the natural environment. Topics include advertising by lawn care companies, residential landscapes and experimental grass garden.

Problem, research strategy, and findings: Residential landscapes are homogenizing the ecology of cities, and decisions about yard structure and management practices are the result of a complex mix of actors and institutions operating at multiple scales. In this study we examine how one such institution, the homeowners association (HOA), homogenizes yard ecology at the neighborhood scale through formal institutional rules. We examine a random sample of publicly recorded covenants, codes, and restrictions (CCRs) documents and a nonrandom sample of private architecture and landscaping guidelines for HOAs in Maricopa County (AZ). We find landscaping rules in CCRs have increased over time but are relatively small in number and generic in content, sometimes repeated municipal rules, and increasingly outsourced rules to architectural and landscaping guidelines. Rules about yard aesthetics or maintenance were required, whereas rules relating to environmentally sensitive landscaping were encouraged. We propose HOAs facilitate ecological homogenization by aggregating heterogeneous rule types to formulate a club good. Takeaway for practice: Our findings suggest planners can enact ordinances that influence residential landscape ecology in HOAs via statutory mandates because CCRs reinforce existing rules at the neighborhood scale. However, HOAs potentially inhibit adoption of voluntary programs directly or indirectly via approvals and restrictions. Moreover, the finding that HOAs are increasingly shifting regulations from publicly recorded CCRs to private documents reveals a challenge for planners because private contract law allows land use provisions in HOAs to remain "hidden" from the public domain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Residential fertilizer ordinances can inform and influence behaviors. • Linkages can be established between social drivers and ecological functions. • A response in water quality from a social change may take years to measure. Abstract Residential lawn fertilization is estimated to be the 2nd largest source of household nitrogen in the US causing environmental damage that may be irreversible unless alternative residential landscape practices are adopted in the future. Understanding residential landscape practices and the associated impact on water quality can inform the discourse on residential landscape reform and evaluate the effectiveness of strategies to reduce the impacts of residential landscapes. Our research collected residential awareness, knowledge and behavior data as well as stormwater and pond water nitrogen concentrations and loads in three counties where varying urban fertilizer ordinances were in place. We found that in the county with the strictest fertilizer control ordinance, residents were more aware of the ordinance and they were applying fertilizer less frequently. In the county with the least restrictive ordinance, residents were applying fertilizer more frequently and nitrogen loads were higher. We found seasonal variability associated with N source/sink dynamics that can confound N concentrations and loads. We conducted a power analysis to recommend monitoring needed to confidently measure a reduction in N concentrations in community stormwater and pond water. The results contribute to a critical missing gap of inter-disciplinary research to link a socio-political driver (fertilizer ordinance) to human behavior change and potential environmental effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Illustrates how choice experiments can inform residential landscape policies. • Individualizes status quo conditions to measure preferences for existing landscapes. • Existing landscape attributes have significant effect on residential lawn choices. • Status quo preferences should be quantified when proposing landscape alternatives. Abstract This paper contributes to the study of water use and policies governing land use in residential landscapes. We employed a discrete choice experiment to examine the effect existing lawn attributes have on stated preferences of residents of detached homes in the City of Kelowna, British Columbia, for four approaches to reducing the irrigation requirements for their residential lawns: restrictions on lawn sizes; the use of drought-tolerant turfgrass; restrictions on outdoor irrigation; and subsidies for removing or replacing lawns. Each respondent's current lawn (i.e., the status quo) was included as a possible choice in the choice sets, and the attributes of the current lawn were used in constructing the alternatives. Part-worth utilities for a conditional logit and mixed logit model with these status quo predictors were used to analyze the choice data and provide estimates for lawn choices. Results show that status quo conditions contribute to the estimation of utility coefficients for lawn features and lawn choices. Irrigation watering costs and low levels of subsidies to encourage lawn replacement were found to only marginally influence residents' landscaping decisions. Contrastingly, status quo factors representing the current fraction of turfgrass in the homeowner's total landscape was the strongest motivating factor driving residents' lawn choices. Residents with larger proportions of turfgrass were more likely to choose landscaping changes that featured smaller percentages of lawns. Another significant status quo factor in residents' lawn choices was turfgrass variety, where residents with traditional varieties of turfgrass were more likely to choose landscaping options with water conserving lawns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We hypothesize that lower public visibility of residential backyards reduces households’ desire for social conformity, which alters residential land management and produces differences in ecological composition and function between front and backyards. Using lawn vegetation plots (7 cities) and soil cores (6 cities), we examine plant species richness and evenness and nitrogen cycling of lawns in Boston, Baltimore, Miami, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Phoenix, Los Angeles (LA), and Salt Lake City (SLC). Seven soil nitrogen measures were compared because different irrigation and fertilization practices may vary between front and backyards, which may alter nitrogen cycling in soils. In addition to lawn-only measurements, we collected and analyzed plant species richness for entire yards—cultivated (intentionally planted) and spontaneous (self-regenerating)—for front and backyards in just two cities: LA and SLC. Lawn plant species and soils were not different between front and backyards in our multi-city comparisons. However, entire-yard plant analyses in LA and SLC revealed that frontyards had significantly fewer species than backyards for both cultivated and spontaneous species. These results suggest that there is a need for a more rich and social-ecologically nuanced understanding of potential residential, household behaviors and their ecological consequences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In parallel with industrialization and population growth, the need for housing areas in developing countries has also increased. Diminishing green areas in cities due to unplanned urbanization led people to search for new residential areas where they can meet with green and can satisfy their social and cultural needs. Trabzon city is located on the East Black Sea coast of Turkey. By virtue of the concentration of settlement in the city center and the problems it has caused, the residential areas have been directed to the eastern parts of the city. Kaşüstü is one of Trabzon's new and popular residential and commercial areas. As the study area, 3 different site areas in Kaşüstü region located in the Yomra district in the east of Trabzon were determined. In this study, it was aimed to determine the outdoor facilities and opportunities of different housing estates in Kaşüstü region. Outdoor activities, types of usages, preferences and requests of users in these areas were identified. Thus, outdoors in different housing estates in the same region and the usage types of these places were compared. In addition, new suggestions and alternatives for outdoor usage have been developed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In view of the “severe housing unaffordability” issue Hong Kong currently has, it is usually suggested in housing policy debates that the solution lies in the supply of more residential land sites (presumably leading to a higher supply of housing). Nevertheless, when considering the different ways in which land is supplied in Hong Kong and uncertainties in various aspects, how these factors affect developers’ timing of housing development is unclear. This is, thus, the focus of this study, in which short- and long-run effects of these factors on the amount of housing development (in GFA), from 1995:2 to 2016:4, is investigated, using Vector Error Correction Modeling. The findings first challenge the generally-perceived notion concerning land supply, as it only has a minimal positive impact on housing development in the long-run. Yet, the extent to which developers are involved in the land transaction process (i.e. land exchange), due to uncertainties in the negotiations between them and the government, is negatively related to the amount of housing development. Rather, housing development is highly subject to property price movements (both its expected movements and its volatilities). Also, it is found that volatilities in construction cost movements and in interest rate movements play much bigger roles than their respective expected movements in deciding the amount of housing space to be developed, in that developers tend to withhold housing construction when these factors become increasingly uncertain, hence delaying the supply of housing. Some implications on the current housing affordability situations are then discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims at providing a historical understanding of the role of gardens and green spaces in urbanization and urban planning, as well as in processes of social formation and social mobility that took place on the background of a changing spatial, socio-economical and political context in Belgium in the period 1889–1940. The research is based on a number of case studies, which represent different stages and themes in the evolution of garden design, urban planning and society: 1) vernacular versus designed gardens and landscapes; 2) the popularization of the garden and the development of a new framework for urban planning; 3) the garden city versus private arcadia and 4) modern garden design and the rise of the middle class (1930–1940). Through an analysis of designs and discourses of, amongst others, leading landscape architects/urban planners Louis Van der Swaelmen, Jules Buyssens and Jean Canneel-Claes, the paper exposes a number of ambiguities and tensions, for example between the ‘vernacular garden’ and the ‘garden of the establishment’ and between the deep-rooted dream of a privately owned house and garden, and attempts to create new social and spatial frameworks that surpass the individual lot. The paper concludes that these tensions can still be traced in the context in which landscape designers and urban planners work today. This historical awareness, however, can help them to set out strategic goals for the contemporary garden as a place of both production and consumption, and as a place where social identity is shaped. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The spatial arrangement of urban vegetation depends on urban morphology and socio-economic settings. Urban vegetation changes over time because of human management. Urban trees are removed due to hazard prevention or aesthetic preferences. Previous research attributed tree loss to decreases in canopy cover. However, this provides little information about location and structural characteristics of trees lost, as well as environmental and social factors affecting tree loss dynamics. This is particularly relevant in residential landscapes where access to residential parcels for field surveys is limited. We tested whether multi-temporal airborne LiDAR and multi-spectral imagery collected at a 5-year interval can be used to investigate urban tree loss dynamics across residential landscapes in Denver, CO and Milwaukee, WI, covering 400,705 residential parcels in 444 census tracts. Position and stem height of trees lost were extracted from canopy height models calculated as the difference between final (year 5) and initial (year 0) vegetation height derived from LiDAR. Multivariate regression models were used to predict number and height of tree stems lost in residential parcels in each census tract based on urban morphological and socio-economic variables. A total of 28,427 stems were lost from residential parcels in Denver and Milwaukee over 5 years. Overall, 7% of residential parcels lost one stem, averaging 90.87 stems per km 2 . Average stem height was 10.16 m, though trees lost in Denver were taller compared to Milwaukee. The number of stems lost was higher in neighborhoods with higher canopy cover and developed before the 1970s. However, socio-economic characteristics had little effect on tree loss dynamics. The study provides a simple method for measuring urban tree loss dynamics within and across entire cities, and represents a further step toward high resolution assessments of the three-dimensional change of urban vegetation at large spatial scales. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lahore City, on its way of becoming a Metropolis, has created serious urban problem of inadequate housing. In response to rapidly increasing housing deficit, the Government has now incorporated private developers. In this regard, Bahria Town has emerged as a big real estate brand causing land speculation. Land, which was used to be a resource, has now become a commodity. This paper investigates emerging trends, in the local real estate market by comparing speculation of residential serviced plots and built houses. In addition to that, it will also dig out respective causes and impacts on the price variances particularly in Bahria Town Lahore. The research presents that providing built houses instead of serviced plots in Bahria Town Lahore has been an effective tool in controlling residential land speculation and, hence, directly cutting down the demand for housing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neighborhood densification is a strategy primarily applied to reduce per capita infrastructure and land requirement. In particular, densification alters residential landscaping that in turn affects water distribution systems. An integrated study of the water-energy-carbon (WEC) dynamics of water distribution and residential landscaping under neighborhood densification is lacking in the published literature. A conceptual framework was developed and applied as a case study to a planned neighborhood in the Okanagan Valley (BC, Canada). For this neighborhood, 11 alternative designs with varying combinations of single-family and multi-family lots representing different residential densities were investigated. Water consumption, energy use, and net carbon emissions by water distribution and residential landscaping systems were combined and represented by ecological footprint. The results show that per capita ecological footprint has a power relationship with net residential density despite of a linear relationship between population and net residential density. The power relationship reveals a high dependency of per capita ecological footprint on residential density, which helps to identify an optimal density. Two-dimensional analysis of the WEC nexus scenarios indicates that xeriscaping can reduce per capita ecological footprint ranging from roughly 1% reduction in high density to 66% in low density neighborhood. Also, the effects of xeriscaping on the WEC nexus are highly density dependent. This research can be extended by including varying neighborhood configuration and building stories. The results emphasize the importance of amending relevant policies for constructing medium to high-density buildings in urban neighborhoods to achieve an optimal WEC nexus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines an unusual type of ‘cultural theme park’, one that is not based on simulating existing cultural diversity or historical places, but based in some senses on a ‘double simulation’. The theme park is based on an historical painting assumed to represent the North Song Dynasty period in Kaifeng, China; however, it is a representation that historians argue may never have existed. Utilising on-site interviews and participant observation, this paper traces the connections between the classic painting (清明上河图) and the actual historical landscape of Bianjing (the first simulation), and in so doing, unravels the links between the painting and the theme park (the second simulation) and the simulacra that are envisioned to form within the spaces of the theme park as a result of the interplay of simulations during theme park visits. The simulations and intended simulacra are ‘consumed’ to various degrees, suggesting that the representations of Kaifeng's historical past and culture have been impactful and (in)authenticity has not been an issue. Moreover, the theme park has served to entertain and, in some cases, inspire through playful appropriations of Kaifeng's past and culture. The resultant simulacra and its double simulations (in simulating both the real Bianjing and the neo-real landscape painting) contrast and simultaneously connect with rampant replications of the Occident in contemporary Chinese residential landscapes, townships and themed spaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We analyzed the relationship between crime and indicators of residential yard management in Baltimore City and County. Data came from a survey we conducted of over one thousand front yards that included more than 40 indicators relating to lawns, trees, shrubs, beds and other features. These indicators were related to point counts of crime at the 150 m scale using a combination of ordinary least squares, spatial error, and Poisson regressions. After controlling for income, population density, block-scale tree canopy, and housing type, we found a consistently significant relationship between crime and a number of indicators of yard management. Yard-level variables that were negatively associated with crime included: the presence of yard trees, garden hoses/sprinklers, and lawns, in addition to the percentage of pervious area in a yard. Those positively associated with crime included presence of litter, desiccation of the lawn, lack of cutting of the lawn, and number of small trees in front of or adjacent to the property. While these results do not establish causality, they add evidence to a growing literature that suggests the possibility of several mechanisms by which environmental design may reduce crime: “cues to care” (the inverse of the “broken window” hypothesis) can lead to reduced crime by signaling to criminals the presence of social capital and the active involvement of neighbors in community spaces; and more appealing landscaping draws more “eyes on the street,” which in turn deters criminals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Environmental horticulture firms provide a variety of commercial/residential landscape products and services encompassing ornamental plant production, design, installation, and maintenance. The companies generate tons of waste including plastic containers, trays, and greenhouse/field covers, creating the need to reduce and utilize plastic waste. Based on survey data collected in Georgia in 2013, this paper investigates determinants of the environmental horticulture firms’ recycling decision (plastic containers, flats, and greenhouse poly). Our findings indicate that the decision to discard vs. recycle plastic containers, flats, and greenhouse poly is significantly influenced by firm scope, size, location, and partnership with recycling providers, as well as whether recycling providers offer additional waste pickup services. Insights from this study are of use to local governments and environmental organizations interested in increasing horticultural firm participation in recycling programs and lowering the volume of plastic destined for landfills. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite a growing body of literature on China's household registration system and rural land transfer, few studies have examined the impact of the household registration system on peasants' willingness to return rural residential land. This paper aims to fill this gap and uses household survey data to measure the impacts of household registration system on peasants' willingness to return rural residential land. The results show that the household registration system reduced the farmers' enthusiasm to exit the rural residential land, that is, household registration system had a significant negative impact on farmers' willingness to return rural residential land. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents abstracts on urban restoration related topics which include the use of a framework for adapting urban forests into climatic changes and the strategies for incorporating ecological goals of urban birds and planting designs into residential landscapes.

The microclimate of a residential landscape can affect both the energy use in your home and the human thermal comfort in your garden, ultimately affecting the heat in the neighbourhood or precinct. A thermal imaging camera provides information about the temperature of surfaces. By using Stefan–Boltzmann’s law and the surface properties, these temperatures can be used to calculate the emission of longwave radiation (radiant exitance) in W m−2. A thermal camera was used to determine the amount of radiant exitance from a range of residential landscape elements. A standard procedure for capturing these images was developed, taking into account factors which affect the quality of the radiometric data. A quantitative database comparing this radiation has been compiled for different times of day and different seasons. The sky view factor of these elements was chosen such that it was as close to 1 as possible. For a particular landscape design, areas of each landscape element can be measured and the amount of radiation reduced or emitted at different times can be calculated. This data can be used to improve landscape designs to reduce home energy use and human thermal comfort through shading and reduction of surfaces which emit longwave radiation close to the house. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]