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A special issue of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (ISSN 1660-4601). This special issue belongs to the section "Environmental Earth Science and Medical Geology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 November 2022) | Viewed by 13705

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Prof. Dr. Yongli Cai

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Guest Editor

School of Design, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan RD., Minhang District, Shanghai 200240, China
Interests: urban and regional ecosystem services; landscape planning and ecological restoration
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Xiaokun Gu

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Guest Editor

Associate Professor, China Institute for Urban Governance, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
Interests: urban and rural planning; land use policy; land consolidation; urban governance; rural spatial reconstruction

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In the 21st century, the largest wave of urbanization in human history was witnessed, which has brought about economic development, progress in society, and the improvement of living standards; with it has come many crises and challenges such as ecological degradation, global warming, the overutilization of resource, species loss, unbalanced development, and so on. In 2015, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were proposed by the United Nations to build more inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable cities and communities and to promote the transition towards sustainable development.

Territorial space is the spatial carrier of sustainable development of cities and communities. In the process of urbanization, land use has been faced with such problems as disorder development, loss of cultivated land, extensive resource utilization, fragile ecological environment, and so on. Solving these spatial utilization problems and realizing sustainable development through territorial spatial planning and governance are facing challenges in theory, methods, and practice. This Special Issue aims to explore current and emerging trends in the field of territorial spatial planning and governance.

The topics of this Special Issue include, but are not limited to, the following:

Theory and methods in territorial spatial planning and governance
Assessment of a case in territorial spatial planning and governance
Territorial spatial governance and public participation
Ecological restoration and comprehensive land governance
Carbon neutralization and territorial spatial planning.

Prof. Dr. Yongli Cai
Dr. Xiaokun Gu
Guest Editors

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Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2500 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Published Papers (8 papers)

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Research

18 pages, 1558 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Cross-Regional Cooperation and Counter-Market-Oriented Spatial Linkage: A Case Study of Collaborative Industrial Parks in the Yangtze River Delta Region

by Shaobo Wang, Junfeng Liu, Kunyao Xu, Meicheng Ji and Feifei Yan

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(2), 1055; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijerph20021055 - 06 Jan 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1089

Abstract

At present, collaborative industrial parks (CIPs) in the Yangtze River Delta Region (YRDR) have become an important spatial strategy for coordinating regional development. However, existing studies tend to focus on individualized micro-studies, ignoring the regional-scale production space reconstruction by the geographical expansion of CIPs. Based on this, this study takes the YRDR, where the development of CIPs is relatively mature, as an example and systematically analyzes their geographic expansion process and driving mechanism. The results found that CIPs in the YRDR have gone through three stages: the exploration period of CIP construction under the guidance of assistance policies; the blowout development period of CIPs under the demonstration effect; and the complete cluster formation period of CIPs. Regional central cities, such as Suzhou, Hangzhou, Nanjing, and underdeveloped cities, such as Tongling and Xuancheng, are core nodes, with Shanghai–Nantong; Shanghai–Anqing; Nanjing–Huainan; Wuxi–Xuzhou; Suzhou–Suqian; and Jiaxing–Lishui being important elements in the flow channel. The CIP network is basically formed. During this period, the degree of all nodes increased to 134, the network connection rate increased to 2.26, and the network complexity was more significant. Furthermore, CIPs are essentially a form of capital re-territorialization and space restoration organized and coordinated by the government (provincial government or central government). In the meantime, the market and the social environment, such as residents’ living standards, urban development foundation, urban transportation, and urban investment, also have an important impact on the geographic expansion of CIPs. In the regression results, the coefficients of popu, finance, labor, and passenger are significantly negative, but the coefficients of wage, gdp, freight, and govrd are significantly positive. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Frontiers in Territorial Spatial Planning and Governance)

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15 pages, 1016 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Relationship between Environmental Regulation, Industrial Transformation Change and Urban Low-Carbon Development: Evidence from 282 Cities in China

by Kun Chen, Yinrong Chen, Qingying Zhu and Min Liu

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(19), 12837; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijerph191912837 - 07 Oct 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1251

Abstract

Environmental regulation (ER) plays an important role in urban low-carbon development (ULCD). First of all, we evaluate the ULCD level of 282 cities in China from 2005 to 2020 by constructing an index group and entropy method. Two panel models are then used to test the spillover effects and threshold effects of ER and industrial structure on ULCD. The results show that the ULCD level of most cities is still in grade III (0.27–0.38) or IV (0.38–0.49), and the level of central-western cities is generally lower than that of eastern cities. Furthermore, the spillover effect of ER and industrial structure upgrading (UIS) on ULCD is positive in eastern cities (0.038) but opposite in central or western cities (−0.024). Further results show that the positive effects of optimization of industrial structure (OIS) and UIS are gradually increasing with the improvement of ER. However, the positive effects are more beneficial to the eastern cities. Therefore, the conclusions of this study can provide a decision-making reference for local government to comprehensively formulate environmental and industrial policies to enhance the low-carbon development of cities. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Frontiers in Territorial Spatial Planning and Governance)

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20 pages, 3325 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Scarcity Value Assessment of Ecosystem Services Based on Changes in Supply and Demand: A Case Study of the Yangtze River Delta City Cluster, China

by Xiaoping Zhou, Lan Yang, Xiaokun Gu, Lufa Zhang and Li Li

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(19), 11999; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijerph191911999 - 22 Sep 2022

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1659

Abstract

Rapid urbanization and economic development have resulted in a mismatch between the supply and demand of ecosystem services. The theoretical value of ecosystem services (ESTV) is not suitable for determining ecosystem service compensation, posing challenges for integrated regional ecological development. A scarcity value model was used to analyze the influence of changes in supply and demand on the scarcity value of ecosystem services (ESSV) in the context of land-use change. The spatio-temporal distribution characteristics and trends of the ESSV from 2010 to 2020 were assessed in the Yangtze River Delta (YRD) urban agglomeration in China, and the driving factors were analyzed to provide theoretical guidance for horizontal ecological compensation across regions. The results show the following: (1) In the scenario that did not consider the impact of supply and demand changes on the scarcity value, the total ESTV decreased by 8.67% from 2010 to 2020, and high-value areas shifted to the west and south, whereas low-value areas shifted to the central and northern region and the Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Shanghai Ringbelt. The ESTV was low in Shanghai and Jiangsu and high in Zhejiang. (2) In the scenario that considered changes in the supply and demand of ecosystem services, the ESSV increased from RMB 213 million in 2010 to RMB 1.323 billion in 2020; an increase of 521.13%. The scarcity value showed high variability within the provinces, with a larger difference between Zhejiang and Jiangsu and a smaller difference between Anhui and Shanghai. The ESSV was higher in counties with increased urbanization and high population density and lower in counties with slower economic growth and fewer people. (3) Regional ecological integration planning and management should be strengthened, and the ESSV might be considered as the reference standard for ecological compensation. The ESSV showed that spatio-temporal heterogeneity might guide the conversion from ecological resources to ecological capital and promote the regulatory role of market mechanisms to achieve horizontal payments for ecosystem services across regions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Frontiers in Territorial Spatial Planning and Governance)

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19 pages, 4670 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Impact of Accessibility to Cities at Multiple Administrative Levels on Soil Conservation: A Case Study of Hunan Province

by Yunzhe Dai, Xiangmei Li, Dan Wang and Yayun Wang

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(18), 11768; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijerph191811768 - 18 Sep 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1253

Abstract

The development of traffic infrastructure involves massive land use changes along the transportation routes and stimulates urban sprawl at transfer nodes, leading to a degradation in ecosystem services, including soil conservation. For developing countries, especially for China, it is very important to differentiate the influences between different standards of traffic infrastructure associated with the different administrative levels of the regions where they are constructed on soil conservation. In this study, we attempt to analyze the differences in the influence of accessibility at different levels on soil conservation, for the case study area in Hunan province in China. The results indicate that: (1) traffic conditions in Hunan province have witnessed continuous improvement, and the time taken to access mega-cities, prefecture-level cities, and county-level cities from various regions has been significantly reduced. (2) The total annual soil conservation in Hunan province is maintained at approximately 2.93 × 10⁹ t. However, the spatial heterogeneity shows severe degradation in regions with lower accessibility, and weak enhancement in regions with higher accessibility. (3) A negative spatial autocorrelationship exists between accessibility and soil conservation at all levels, with the increase of administrative rank of the destination making it more obvious and intense, along with an increased tendency for the spatial distribution to concentrate. (4) Building more railways and highways from prefecture-level cities with LH clusters nearby as transfer nodes, instead of the construction of national roads and provincial roads that diverge from these railways and highways, will help limit the massive expansion of construction land and soil erosion within prefecture-level cities, rather than spreading to towns of LH clusters. This research provides an important scientific basis for future regional planning and traffic infrastructure construction, and also a reference for traffic infrastructure development in other geographically similar regions on a synchronous development stage in the world. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Frontiers in Territorial Spatial Planning and Governance)

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20 pages, 2315 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Has China’s Low-Carbon City Construction Enhanced the Green Utilization Efficiency of Urban Land?

by Bing Kuang, Jinjin Liu and Xiangyu Fan

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(16), 9844; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijerph19169844 - 10 Aug 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1565

Abstract

China has implemented the low-carbon city pilot (LCCP) policy in the hopes of efficiently limiting carbon emission intensity to combat global warming and promote green economic growth. Urban land utilization, the second-largest source of carbon emissions, is key to the LCCP policy being able to have the desired effect, which has attracted widespread attention. Based on the panel data from prefecture-level cities in China from 2006 to 2019, this study used the propensity score matching difference-in-differences method (PSM-DID) to examine the impacts of LCCP policy on green utilization efficiency of urban land (GUEUL). The results reveal that LCCP policy has a beneficial impact on GUEUL and can effectively boost the future possibilities of green and low-carbon city development. Due to variances in regional economic and resource endowment level, the impacts of LCCP are different. The pilot has pushed GUEUL in the eastern region, western region, and growing resource-based cities, but has failed to improve GUEUL in other regions. Policymakers should adhere to the long-term sustainability of the LCCP policy and adopt differentiated action strategies to promote GUEUL when implementing it in different regions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Frontiers in Territorial Spatial Planning and Governance)

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21 pages, 35010 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Influences of Land Policy on Urban Ecological Corridors Governance: A Case Study from Shanghai

by Xiaoping Zhou, Duanshuai Shen and Xiaokun Gu

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(15), 9747; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijerph19159747 - 08 Aug 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1952

Abstract

The analysis of land use change (LUC) characteristics and the impact of policies related to urban ecological space is required to improve spatial planning and to support decision making regarding green infrastructure (GI) investment. This study employed Geo-informatic Tupu analysis and Fluctuation Potential Tupu analysis methods to analyze the characteristics of LUC in an urban ecological corridor (EC). To help understand the influence of land use policy on GI governance and support the optimization of spatial planning, we proposed a situation–structure–implementation–outcome (SSIO) policy cascade analysis framework. SSIO takes “place” as its starting point, then couples the local policy with the governance structure to promote the sustainability of urban commons governance. The results show that the land use type within an EC in the city is mainly cultivated land. However, between 2009 and 2019, cultivated land, construction land, and facility agricultural land all showed a decreasing trend, while forest land and garden land types underwent increasing trends. The LUC Tupu unit highlights the transition from cultivated land to forest land. Forest land has the greatest increase in area and accounts for 52.34% of the area of increasing land use. Cultivated land shows the greatest decrease in area and accounts for 70.30% of the area of decreasing trends. Based on the local policy situation of the metropolis, a land policy governance mechanism can be constructed by the establishment of a governance structure with local government as the core, using land consolidation as the platform, taking ecological spatial planning and inefficient construction land reduction as typical policy tools, and experimentally integrating the concept of Nature-based Solutions (NbS). In general, these findings may be applicable to other rapidly urbanizing cities around the world that are developing complex land use policies for ecological space governance. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Frontiers in Territorial Spatial Planning and Governance)

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22 pages, 10810 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Estimating Carbon Sequestration Potential of Forest and Its Influencing Factors at Fine Spatial-Scales: A Case Study of Lushan City in Southern China

by Geng He, Zhiduo Zhang, Qing Zhu, Wei Wang, Wanting Peng and Yongli Cai

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(15), 9184; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijerph19159184 - 27 Jul 2022

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2286

Abstract

Accurate prediction of forest carbon sequestration potential requires a comprehensive understanding of tree growth relationships. However, the studies for estimating carbon sequestration potential concerning tree growth relationships at fine spatial-scales have been limited. In this paper, we assessed the current carbon stock and predicted sequestration potential of Lushan City, where a region has rich vegetation types in southern China, by introducing parameters of diameter at breast height (DBH) and tree height in the method of coupling biomass expansion factor (BEF) and tree growth equation. The partial least squares regression (PLSR) was used to explore the role of combined condition factors (e.g., site, stand, climate) on carbon sequestration potential. The results showed that (1) in 2019, the total carbon stock of trees in Lushan City was 9.22 × 10⁵ t, and the overall spatial distribution exhibited a decreasing tendency from northwest to south-central, and the carbon density increased with elevation; (2) By 2070, the carbon density of forest in Lushan City will reach a relatively stable state, and the carbon stock will continue to rise to 2.15 × 10⁶ t, which is 2.33 times of the current level, indicating that Lushan forest will continue to serve as a carbon sink for the next fifty years; (3) Excluding the effect of tree growth, regional forest carbon sequestration potential was significantly influenced on site characteristics, which achieved the highest Variable Importance in Projection (VIP) value (2.19) for slope direction. Our study provided a better understanding of the relationships between forest growth and carbon sequestration potential at fine spatial-scales. The results regarding the condition factors and how their combination characteristics affect the potential for carbon sequestration could provide crucial insights for Chinese carbon policy and global carbon neutrality goals. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Frontiers in Territorial Spatial Planning and Governance)

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26 pages, 8191 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Optimizing County-Level Land-Use Structure Method: Case Study of W County, China

by Lijing Tang, Yuanyuan Yang, Dongyan Wang and Qing Wei

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(9), 5281; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijerph19095281 - 26 Apr 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1747

Abstract

Planning has a direct impact on the formation of China’s land-use structure. In order to better play its role, China has proposed Multiple Planning Integration. As a part of reform for promoting ecological progress, it should have the concept of ecological progress, as well as the formation of land-use structure. Based on these, we focused on China’s land at the county level and developed a method to optimize its land-use structure catering to Multiple Planning Integration and ecological progress, using W County as a case study. This method mainly comprises three parts: calculating the demand area; calculating the carrying capacity; and optimizing the land-use structure. Models are constructed based on the ecological footprint theory. We found that setting unified targets as the link to integrating plans can effectively form the optimal land-use structure at county-level in the manner of “targets set—area determined”. There are three ways to integrate the concept of ecological progress into the optimization process. First, unified targets should be set for both ecological protection and socio-economic development, and priority should be given to the implementation of ecological protection; that is, in the process of optimization, the land area for the ecological redline of a county needs to be initially determined. Second, when optimizing the land-use structure, we should consider the carrying capacity of county-level land, in relation to demand related to the implementation of socio-economic development. Third, ecological balance should be ensured by comparing demands and the carrying capacities and maximizing the ecological service values of the land, which are important principles for determining the land-use structure. Our research provides a reference for optimizing land-use structure at the county level in China. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Frontiers in Territorial Spatial Planning and Governance)

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