Celebrating the 130th Anniversary of Wuhan University on Land Science

A special issue of Land (ISSN 2073-445X).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2023) | Viewed by 14950

Special Issue Editors


E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Resource and Environmental Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430079, China
Interests: sustainable utilization of land resources and ecological effect; spatial planning; geospatial modeling and applications using geographic information systems
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Resource and Environmental Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430079, China
Interests: spatial modeling; spatial planning; landscape design; landscape ecology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Resources and Environment, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
Interests: land use; spatial analysis; geographic information system; clustering; remote sensing; genetic algorithm; artificial neural networks; urbanism; cartography; land use planning

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Resource and Environmental Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430079, China
Interests: rural settlements planning; land consolidation; land use; ecological effects
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
School of Resource and Environmental Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430079, China
Interests: urban land use; urban expansion; urban sprawl; sustainable development goals (SDGs); remote sensing of night-time light
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Wuhan University (WHU) was founded on 29th November 1893. The year 2023 marks the 130th anniversary of the founding of Wuhan University. WHU is a comprehensive and key national university directly under the administration of the Ministry of Education of China. It is also one of the “211 Project” and “985 Project” universities, provided with full support with its construction and development from the central and local government of China. Wuhan University has built an elegant palatial architectural complex of primitive simplicity, perfectly blending the Eastern architectural style with that of the West, and it has since been honored as the “Most Beautiful University in China”. Wuhan University celebrates a glorious, innovative tradition and enjoys a very high level of academic prestige. It has 34 schools in 6 faculties and 3 A-Level-Grade-III-affiliated hospitals, covering 12 areas. The prominence of education has led to Wuhan University achieving a world-renowned reputation, leading to booming international exchange and cooperation in recent years.

Wuhan University is one of the first universities in China to establish a major degree in land resources management. A master’s program was approved in 1997, followed by a doctoral program in 2003, and the university was recognized as the founding site of the national first-class undergraduate major in 2019. After nearly 30 years of development, it has built a multi-level talent training system, including bachelor's, master's, and doctoral and postdoctoral fellows, and constitutes an important training base for senior talents in land management in China. In 2008 and 2013, land management was selected as a key discipline in Hubei Province, and in 2016, it was rated as a Class A discipline in the fourth round of discipline evaluation by the Ministry of Education. In 2021, it ranked 2nd in the best Chinese Majors Ranking.

To celebrate the 130th anniversary of WHU, Land is publishing this Special Issue, entitled “Celebrating the 130th Anniversary of Wuhan University in Land Science”. We welcome all scholars within the broad scope of land science to join us in contributing to this Special Issue! Potential topics include but are not limited to:

  • Land system science and social–ecological system research;
  • Land/land-use/land-cover change;
  • Sustainable land and natural resource governance;
  • UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration (UN-DER);
  • Soil ecology and land degradation;
  • Soil carbon and nitrogen cycling;
  • Urban planning for carbon neutrality;
  • Biodiversity, wildlife, and nature conservation in urban ecosystems;
  • Urban green infrastructure and nature-based solutions;
  • Land–climate interactions;
  • Landscape ecology and biodiversity;
  • Geospatial information analysis and modeling in land science.

Prof. Dr. Dianfeng Liu
Prof. Dr. Jianhua He
Prof. Dr. Limin Jiao
Prof. Dr. Xuesong Kong
Dr. Gang Xu
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Land is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 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 (11 papers)

Order results
Result details
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

27 pages, 5840 KiB  
Article
Identifying Ecological Security Patterns Considering the Stability of Ecological Sources in Ecologically Fragile Areas
by Jianfang Ma, Lin Li, Limin Jiao, Haihong Zhu, Chengcheng Liu, Feng Li and Peng Li
Land 2024, 13(2), 214; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13020214 - 08 Feb 2024
Viewed by 626
Abstract
Ecological security patterns (ESPs) provide an effective spatial approach for identifying critical conservation areas and ensuring regional ecological security. However, prior research has not paid much attention to the importance of the stability of ecological sources in time-series changes, which is especially critical [...] Read more.
Ecological security patterns (ESPs) provide an effective spatial approach for identifying critical conservation areas and ensuring regional ecological security. However, prior research has not paid much attention to the importance of the stability of ecological sources in time-series changes, which is especially critical for maintaining ecological functions in ecologically fragile areas. Focusing on the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region (NHAR) of China, this study evaluated the spatiotemporal change patterns in ecosystem services importance (ESI) from 2000 to 2020, integrating the spatial principal component analysis (SPCA) and circuit theory to propose a novel ESP construction framework that aims to address the issue of insufficient consideration of source stability. A total of 93 stable ecological sources were identified, with the capacity to ensure the continuous provision of high-level ecosystem services and resistance to external disturbances. The extraction of 234 ecological corridors and 430 ecological nodes effectively enhanced the stable flow of ecological processes and connectivity. The stable ESP, constituted by the above ecological elements, can serve as core ecological space and basic skeleton to maintain the regional sustainable landscape. This study provides scientific references for identifying key priority conservation areas and formulating targeted ecological conservation and restoration strategies in ecologically fragile areas. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Celebrating the 130th Anniversary of Wuhan University on Land Science)
Show Figures

Figure 1

17 pages, 2567 KiB  
Article
Return-Migrant Urbanisation in Inland China: The Case of Hubei Province
by Le Yu, Zhigang Li and Da Liu
Land 2024, 13(2), 190; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13020190 - 05 Feb 2024
Viewed by 824
Abstract
Since China entered the 21st century, a phenomenon of return migrants moving back from urban to rural areas has been noted, especially in central regions such as Hubei Province. Despite its significance, this phenomenon remains inadequately understood. Employing ethnographic research methods, we conducted [...] Read more.
Since China entered the 21st century, a phenomenon of return migrants moving back from urban to rural areas has been noted, especially in central regions such as Hubei Province. Despite its significance, this phenomenon remains inadequately understood. Employing ethnographic research methods, we conducted multiple rounds of fieldwork in Guangzhou, Wuhan, and three of Wuhan’s neighbouring county-level cities—Hanchuan, Xiantao, and Tianmen—where rising garment industrial enclaves and return migration have been observed. Our findings reveal that the pro-growth policies of megacities like Wuhan and Guangzhou, aimed at industrial transformation while eliminating ‘low-end’ manufacturing, have forced migrants to leave large cities. Among these individuals, return-migrant entrepreneurs (RMEs), comprising entrepreneurs and family workshop owners, have had a profound impact on advancing county urbanisation in Hubei Province. Specifically, we identified three features for return-migrant urbanisation. First, entrepreneurs took their return as an opportunity to expand and promote their businesses, thereby fostering industrialisation in Hanchuan. Second, local state activities in Xiantao, encompassing the construction of highways, logistics systems, and other facilities, coupled with institutionalised arrangements, triggered return migration and township urbanisation. Third, households and individuals with entrepreneurship dominated the development of the informal workshop industry in Tianmen. Overall, our study contributes to the nuanced understanding of new types of urbanisation in China. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Celebrating the 130th Anniversary of Wuhan University on Land Science)
Show Figures

Figure 1

18 pages, 11751 KiB  
Article
The Influence of Urban Form on Land Surface Temperature: A Comprehensive Investigation from 2D Urban Land Use and 3D Buildings
by Jinlong Yan, Chaohui Yin, Zihao An, Bo Mu, Qian Wen, Yingchao Li, Yali Zhang, Weiqiang Chen, Ling Wang and Yang Song
Land 2023, 12(9), 1802; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12091802 - 18 Sep 2023
Viewed by 1091
Abstract
Urban form plays a critical role in shaping the spatial differentiation of land surface temperature (LST). However, limited research has investigated the underlying driving forces and interactions of multidimensional urban form, specifically considering two-dimensional (2D) urban land use and three-dimensional (3D) buildings, on [...] Read more.
Urban form plays a critical role in shaping the spatial differentiation of land surface temperature (LST). However, limited research has investigated the underlying driving forces and interactions of multidimensional urban form, specifically considering two-dimensional (2D) urban land use and three-dimensional (3D) buildings, on LST. Furthermore, their multi-scale outcomes remain unclear. Taking the main urban area of Wuhan City as an example, a total of nine indicators—the proportion of administration land (PA), the proportion of commercial land (PB), the proportion of industrial land (PM), the proportion of residential land (PR), the proportion of water area (PE), the building density (BD), the building height (BH), the floor area ratio (FAR), and the sky view factor (SVF)—were selected; this paper used the geographic detector model to investigate the driving force of LST spatial differentiation in winter and summer, as well as the interaction of various influencing factors from a multi-scale perspective. The results showed that (1) the average LST in industrial land was higher than that in commercial land, both in summer and winter. The LST in administration land was higher than that in residential land, while in winter, it is the opposite. (2) The spatial differentiation of summer LST was mainly dominated by 3D buildings, while the spatial differentiation of winter LST was mainly dominated by 2D land use. (3) BD was the leading driving force of LST spatial differentiation in summer, and the interaction between BD and any other indicator showed the most significant explanatory power, which is the same for PM in winter. (4) As scale increased, the explanatory power of 2D urban land use for LST spatial differentiation gradually increased both in winter and summer, while the explanatory power of PE on LST spatial differentiation decreased. The explanatory power of BD, FAR, and SVF on LST spatial differentiation remains basically unchanged. The explanatory power of BH on summer LST spatial differentiation decreases with increasing scale, while the explanatory power of BH on winter LST spatial differentiation remains in a stable state. (5) The interaction among all urban form factors primarily increases as the scale increases, except for the interaction between BH and 2D urban land use in summer, and the interaction between PE and PR in winter. The research can provide scientific decision-making support for the collaborative optimization of multiscale urban forms to improve the urban thermal environment. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Celebrating the 130th Anniversary of Wuhan University on Land Science)
Show Figures

Figure 1

25 pages, 8970 KiB  
Article
Integrating Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs and Ecosystem Services into Spatial Optimization of Urban Functions
by Tianlin Zhai, Mingyuan Chang, Yingchao Li, Longyang Huang, Ye Chen, Guanyu Ding, Chenchen Zhao, Ling Li, Weiqiang Chen, Panfeng Zhang, Enxiang Cai, Caiyan Lei and Jing Wang
Land 2023, 12(9), 1661; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12091661 - 24 Aug 2023
Viewed by 1262
Abstract
It is vital to conduct urban ecosystem service evaluations and demarcate ecological management zoning to preserve regional ecological security and the spatial optimization of urban functions. This study assessed and examined the spatial distribution characteristics of the supply and demand of five typical [...] Read more.
It is vital to conduct urban ecosystem service evaluations and demarcate ecological management zoning to preserve regional ecological security and the spatial optimization of urban functions. This study assessed and examined the spatial distribution characteristics of the supply and demand of five typical ecosystem services in Zhengzhou and their matching pattern. Based on Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, urban ecological management zoning was demarcated to guide the spatial optimization of urban functions. The results showed that most of the ecological goods and services in Zhengzhou were generally provided in the west and south of the city. High-value areas of ecosystem service demand were mainly found in the urban center. There was a definite circle structure of total ecosystem service demand. Carbon sequestration, grain production, water yield, and habitat maintenance in the urban center area indicated an ecological deficit. Soil conservation in most regions was a surplus trend. Zhengzhou was demarcated into five groups of ecological management zoning. Different preferences had an impact on the ecosystem service supply and demand. The rise in living conditions led to an increase in the demand for high-level ecological services. This study can provide an essential theoretical basis and practical assistance for urban space optimization and ecosystem service management. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Celebrating the 130th Anniversary of Wuhan University on Land Science)
Show Figures

Figure 1

15 pages, 1910 KiB  
Article
Spatial Agglomeration and Coupling Coordination of Population, Economics, and Construction Land in Chinese Prefecture-Level Cities from 2010 to 2020
by Enxiang Cai, Xinyu Zhao, Shengnan Zhang and Ling Li
Land 2023, 12(8), 1561; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12081561 - 07 Aug 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 847
Abstract
Exploring the spatial pattern and development strategies of urbanization from the perspective of the multi-dimensional coordination of population, economy, and land is the key to solving the problems of the urban–rural gap and human–land contradiction. This paper analyzed the spatial agglomeration of population, [...] Read more.
Exploring the spatial pattern and development strategies of urbanization from the perspective of the multi-dimensional coordination of population, economy, and land is the key to solving the problems of the urban–rural gap and human–land contradiction. This paper analyzed the spatial agglomeration of population, economy, and construction land area growth rates and explored their coordinated development in Chinese prefecture-level cities from 2010 to 2020 by using the spatial autocorrelation model, elasticity coefficient model, and coupling coordination model. The results are as follows: (1) China’s population, economy, and construction land area were all growing, with the highest economic growth and the lowest population growth, and most prefecture-level cities in central and northeastern China had negative population growth. (2) The growth rates of the population, economy, and construction land in Chinese prefecture-level cities had significant positive spatial clustering characteristics; the spatial agglomeration of the economy was the most prominent and the high-value areas were mainly concentrated in western China. (3) The elasticity coefficients between the population, economy, and construction land in most Chinese prefecture-level cities indicate uneven development of urbanization, manifested as population growth lagging behind construction land expansion and further lagging behind economic development. (4) More than 56% of Chinese prefecture-level cities have uncoordinated development among the population, economy, and construction land mainly distributed in northeast China and central China. The results can provide references and decision-making support for promoting the sustainable development of China’s new urbanization. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Celebrating the 130th Anniversary of Wuhan University on Land Science)
Show Figures

Figure 1

23 pages, 24595 KiB  
Article
Spatiotemporal Variation in Ecosystem Health and Its Driving Factors in Guizhou Province
by Dan Ye, Liu Yang and Min Zhou
Land 2023, 12(7), 1439; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12071439 - 19 Jul 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 921
Abstract
Healthy ecosystems are crucial for sustainable regional development. The lack of spatial distribution patterns and driving factors of ecosystem health limited ecosystem management and urban planning. Understanding the spatiotemporal variation characteristics of ecosystem health and its driving factors can contribute to ecosystem management. [...] Read more.
Healthy ecosystems are crucial for sustainable regional development. The lack of spatial distribution patterns and driving factors of ecosystem health limited ecosystem management and urban planning. Understanding the spatiotemporal variation characteristics of ecosystem health and its driving factors can contribute to ecosystem management. Based on the “vigor–organization–resilience” (VOR) framework, this paper focuses on increasing ESs and forming an improved “vigor–organization–resilience–ecosystem services (VORS)” framework to evaluate the ecosystem health of Guizhou Province in 2010 and 2020. At the same time, we used the geographic detector model to investigate the driving factors of ecosystem health in the region. The results revealed the following: (1) The areas of forest land accounted for more than 52%. Simultaneously, farmland and forest land decreased, while construction land increased from 2010 to 2020. Construction land was mainly converted from forest land, grassland and farmland. (2) The level of ecosystem health in Guizhou Province spatially increased from northwest to southeast, with the central part exhibiting the lowest health level. The ecosystem health index (EHI) was mainly moderate, accounting for 78.32% and 83.80% in 2010 and 2020, respectively. (3) Among the 11 selected driving factors, the gross domestic product (GDP), general public budget revenue, annual average temperature, average annual precipitation, and night light index significantly affected ecosystem health. Our research refines ecosystem health research and the results will contribute to effective and precise decision-making in ecosystem management and the implementation of land use policies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Celebrating the 130th Anniversary of Wuhan University on Land Science)
Show Figures

Figure 1

25 pages, 5541 KiB  
Article
Spatiotemporal Variation of Rural Vulnerability and Its Clustering Model in Guizhou Province
by Min Zhou, Liu Yang and Dan Ye
Land 2023, 12(7), 1354; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12071354 - 06 Jul 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 971
Abstract
The vulnerability of China’s rural system is becoming increasingly obvious due to the multiple pressures of geological conditions and human interference. This study selected Guizhou Province to measure the degree of vulnerability and determine a rural system’s temporal and spatial characteristics. We select [...] Read more.
The vulnerability of China’s rural system is becoming increasingly obvious due to the multiple pressures of geological conditions and human interference. This study selected Guizhou Province to measure the degree of vulnerability and determine a rural system’s temporal and spatial characteristics. We select the county as the unit, build the vulnerability assessment of a rural system based on the three dimensions of exposure, sensitivity, and adaptability, and employ the combination weighting method. The final development indicator of the rural vulnerability measurement model was obtained using the Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to the Ideal Solution method. Further, SatScan v10.1 software was used for spatiotemporal scanning statistical analysis, and its clustering pattern was analyzed. Finally, visual analysis was conducted using ArcGIS 10.7 software. The results showed that exposure and sensitivity have an increasing fluctuation trend, while adaptability has a decreasing trend. The combined effect resulted in an increasing trend of vulnerability. The mean values of exposure, sensitivity, adaptation, and rural vulnerability in Yunyan are 0.906, 0.894, 0.772, and 1.028 higher than those in Nanming, i.e., 0.417, 0.426, 0.687, and 0.262, respectively. The vulnerability of the rural system shows a spatial pattern of “low in the middle and high on both sides,” with spatial clustering, and Guiyang and Zunyi are the cluster centers. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Celebrating the 130th Anniversary of Wuhan University on Land Science)
Show Figures

Figure 1

21 pages, 6234 KiB  
Article
Estimation and Climate Impact Analysis of Terrestrial Vegetation Net Primary Productivity in China from 2001 to 2020
by Zhaotong Chen, Jiangping Chen, Gang Xu, Zongyao Sha, Jianhua Yin and Zijian Li
Land 2023, 12(6), 1223; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12061223 - 12 Jun 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1104
Abstract
The net primary productivity (NPP) of vegetation is an important indicator reflecting the vegetation dynamics and carbon sequestration capacity in a region. In recent years, China has implemented policies to carry out ecological protection. To understand the changes in the distribution of vegetation [...] Read more.
The net primary productivity (NPP) of vegetation is an important indicator reflecting the vegetation dynamics and carbon sequestration capacity in a region. In recent years, China has implemented policies to carry out ecological protection. To understand the changes in the distribution of vegetation NPP in China and the influence of climate factors, the Carnegie–Ames–Stanford approach (CASA) model was used to estimate the NPP from 2001 to 2020. In this paper, several sets of measurement datasets and products were collected to evaluate the effectiveness of the model and suggestions were provided for the modification of the CASA model based on the evaluation results. In addition to the correlation analysis, this paper presents a statistical method for analyzing the quantitative effects in individual climatic factors on NPP changes in large regions. The comparison found that the model has a better estimation effect on grassland and needleleaf forest. The estimation error for the evergreen needleleaf forest (ENF) and deciduous broadleaf forest (DBF) decreases with the warming of the climatic zone, while the evergreen broadleaf forest (EBF) and deciduous needleleaf forest (DNF) do the opposite. The changes in total CASA NPP were consistent with the trends of other products, showing a dynamic increasing trend. In terms of the degree of correlation between the NPP changes and climatic factors, the NPP changes were significantly correlated with temperature in about 10.39% of the vegetation cover area and with precipitation in about 26.92% of the vegetation cover area. It was found that the NPP variation had a negative response to the temperature variation in Inner Mongolia grasslands, while it had a positive but small effect (±10 g C) in the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau grasslands. Precipitation had a facilitative effect on the grassland NPP variation, while an increase in the annual precipitation of more than 200 mm had an inhibitory effect in arid and semi-arid regions. This study can provide data and methodological reference for the ecological assessment of large-scale regional and climate anomalous environments. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Celebrating the 130th Anniversary of Wuhan University on Land Science)
Show Figures

Figure 1

21 pages, 4959 KiB  
Article
Optimal Modeling of Sustainable Land Use Planning under Uncertain at a Watershed Level: Interval Stochastic Fuzzy Linear Programming with Chance Constraints
by Bingkui Qiu, Yan Tu, Guoliang Ou, Min Zhou, Yifan Zhu, Shuhan Liu and Haoyang Ma
Land 2023, 12(5), 1099; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12051099 - 20 May 2023
Viewed by 1228
Abstract
In this paper, an uncertain interval stochastic fuzzy chance constraint land use optimal allocation method is proposed and applied to solve the problem of land use planning in river basins. The UISFCL-LUP method is an aggregation of interval parametric programming, fuzzy linear programming [...] Read more.
In this paper, an uncertain interval stochastic fuzzy chance constraint land use optimal allocation method is proposed and applied to solve the problem of land use planning in river basins. The UISFCL-LUP method is an aggregation of interval parametric programming, fuzzy linear programming and chance constraint programming which can cope with uncertain problems such as interval value, fuzzy set and probability. In this paper, the uncertain mathematical method is explored and studied in the optimal allocation of land use in the next two planning periods of Nansihu Lake Basin in China. Moreover, it was proved that ISFCL-LUP can deal with the uncertainty of interval, membership function and probability representation and can also be used to solve the land use planning and land use strategy analysis under uncertain conditions. On the basis of model calculations, we obtained the optimal allocation results for six types of land use in four regions over two planning periods based on different environmental constraints. The results show that the optimized λ value (that is, the degree of satisfaction with all the model conditions) is in the range of [0.54, 0.79] and the corresponding system benefits are between [18.4, 20.4] × 1012 RMB and [96.7, 109.3] × 1012 RMB. The results indicate that land managers can make judgments based on the different socio-economic development needs of different regions and determine strategic land use allocation plans under uncertain conditions. At the same time, the model obtained interval solutions under different system satisfaction and constraint violation probabilities, which helps land managers to analyze the importance of land system optimization and sustainable development more deeply. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Celebrating the 130th Anniversary of Wuhan University on Land Science)
Show Figures

Figure 1

20 pages, 15588 KiB  
Article
Spatial Optimization of Park Green Spaces by an Improved Two-Step Optimization Model from the Perspective of Maximizing Accessibility Equity
by Lei Mu, Lijun Xing, Ying Jing and Qinjiang Hu
Land 2023, 12(5), 948; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12050948 - 24 Apr 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1541
Abstract
As a type of public land, park green spaces (PGSs) carry the daily recreation and social communication of urban residents, and the inequity of their space accessibility has been widely confirmed. However, the optimized suggestions based on evaluations of accessibility and equity in [...] Read more.
As a type of public land, park green spaces (PGSs) carry the daily recreation and social communication of urban residents, and the inequity of their space accessibility has been widely confirmed. However, the optimized suggestions based on evaluations of accessibility and equity in previous studies cannot guide actual planning effectively because the reasonable locations and scales of construction of PGSs were difficult to accurately identify. This study first constructed two equity objective functions: the minimum standard deviation (SD) and the minimum Gini coefficient (GC) in accessibility; then an improved two-step optimization method considering location-allocation was adopted to maximal accessibility equity (MAE) for optimizing the spatial layout of PGSs and doing comparisons of these two objectives for further analysis. The results showed that the improved method based on covering the accessibility blind area and preserving the existing PGSs could optimize the location selection and rationally determine the area. The two objective functions were both effective for optimization, but the GC minimization is more advantageous than the SD for achieving the MAE. The accessibility value increased significantly in a higher proportion of regions, and the overall accessibility median increased by 0.0445. It is worth mentioning that the MAE optimization would lead to a new imbalance between supply and demand in some regions. This indicated that the strictly restricted area standard may lead to the oversupply of PGSs in some areas, while the improvement of equity might not mean the improvement of accessibility. The proposed optimization framework could achieve the optimal layout of PGSs on the goal of MAE. Our findings also could provide inspiration for the equity allocation of other types of public facility lands and support decision-making for government departments regarding management and planning. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Celebrating the 130th Anniversary of Wuhan University on Land Science)
Show Figures

Figure 1

17 pages, 3509 KiB  
Article
The Effect of Urban Form on Urban Shrinkage—A Study of 293 Chinese Cities Using Geodetector
by Qingsong He, Miao Yan, Linzi Zheng, Bo Wang and Jiang Zhou
Land 2023, 12(4), 799; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12040799 - 31 Mar 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1463
Abstract
Chinese cities are experiencing urban shrinkage due to demographic, environmental, economic, and political changes. However, urban form is another reason for urban shrinkage. This study first identified the shrinking of 293 cities in China based on the values of the change in brightness [...] Read more.
Chinese cities are experiencing urban shrinkage due to demographic, environmental, economic, and political changes. However, urban form is another reason for urban shrinkage. This study first identified the shrinking of 293 cities in China based on the values of the change in brightness extracted from multi-year nighttime light data. Next, the characteristics of construction land morphology from 2019 were analyzed using landscape pattern analysis. Finally, the impact of urban form on urban shrinkage was explored using Geodetector. The results show that: (1) In total, 293 cities experienced different degrees of shrinkage. Regions with severe shrinkage were concentrated in the underdeveloped provinces, and autonomous central and western regions of China; moreover, (2) All factors of urban form significantly affected urban shrinkage. The largest q-values were found in patch density (0.144) and urban area (0.133), indicating that the degree of construction land fragmentation and urban area scale affected urban shrinkage the most; and (3) The interaction effects of pairwise factors were mutually or nonlinearly enhanced. The influence of urban form and socio-economic factors was stronger than that of socio-economic factors alone. This shows that the coupling of urban form and socio-economic factors strengthens the impact of urban form on urban shrinkage. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Celebrating the 130th Anniversary of Wuhan University on Land Science)
Show Figures

Figure 1

Back to TopTop