Land | Special Issue : The Eco-Environmental Effects of Urban Land Use

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14 pages, 1251 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Impacts of Urban Environments on Community Trust of the Low-Income Group: A Case Study for the Pearl River Delta Region

by Gang Xu, Yuxin Liao, Yixin Jiang, Peiyao Xu, Lilin Yang, Wenhua Huang, Manru Zhang and Rong Wu

Land 2023, 12(1), 61; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12010061 - 26 Dec 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1535

Abstract

Under the burgeoning development of urbanization in China, the low-income groups have received attention recently. By applying a linear regression model and utilizing the date from the 2016 China Labor-force Dynamics Survey, this study has explored the effects of urban environments on the [...] Read more.

Under the burgeoning development of urbanization in China, the low-income groups have received attention recently. By applying a linear regression model and utilizing the date from the 2016 China Labor-force Dynamics Survey, this study has explored the effects of urban environments on the community trust in low-income groups, paying particular attention to the difference between local residents and migrants in the Pearl River Delta (PRD). The empirical findings suggest the following: (1) community trust in low-income groups is influenced by social environment dimension, urban space dimension, and sociodemographic characteristics. Specifically, urbanization rate, population density, POl density, land development intensity, social contact, self-rated health, and age have significant effects on the community trust of low-income groups. (2) For local residents, social environment dimension (social contact), urban space dimension (urbanization rate), and sociodemographic characteristics (political status, hukou status, age, and self-rated health) have significant effects on community trust. (3) In the case of migrants, only the sociodemographic characteristics (working in private enterprises or organizations and in agriculture) have a significant impact on community trust. According to the empirical results, the optimization of physical space and social space should consider low-income groups’ needs in livable community planning. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Eco-Environmental Effects of Urban Land Use)

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15 pages, 3327 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Pollution Levels and Potential Health Risks of Potentially Toxic Elements in Indoor and Outdoor Dust during the COVID-19 Era in Gómez Palacios City, Mexico

by Miguel Santoyo-Martínez, Anahí Aguilera, Ángeles Gallegos, Cristo Puente, Avto Goguitchaichvili and Francisco Bautista

Land 2023, 12(1), 29; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12010029 - 22 Dec 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1790

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a decrease in outdoor activities, but an increase in indoor ones. This change in the intensity of land use has caused changes in pollution patterns. Urban dust contaminated with heavy metals can be a risk to the human [...] Read more.

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a decrease in outdoor activities, but an increase in indoor ones. This change in the intensity of land use has caused changes in pollution patterns. Urban dust contaminated with heavy metals can be a risk to the human population. Therefore, the objective of this work was to evaluate the pollution caused by heavy metals in urban dust indoors and outdoors due to changes in land use during the pandemic. Sampling was carried out by the Gomez Palacio citizens. The total number of urban dust samples was 330, 50% indoor samples and 50% outdoor sample. The elements studied were Ca, Cu, Fe, K, Mn, Ni, Pb, Rb, Sr, Ti, Y, Zn, and Zr. The heavy metals were measured through a portable XRF; the contamination factor and the load pollution index were used to assess the pollution level. The human health risk was evaluated with the USEPA methodology. Cu, Pb, and Zn presented higher concentrations indoors than outdoors, probably due to domestic factors, such as the age of the houses and the paint on the walls. Zn presented the highest pollution level among all the metals, outdoors and indoors; spatially, the sites sampled in the northwest, close to agricultural areas, presented the highest Zn pollution. Pb had a moderate pollution level in most of the samples (60%), but some samples showed a high Pb pollution. The health risk was considered within the acceptable levels for Cu, Fe, Ni, Pb, Zn. However, Mn deserves attention because the average of the samples slightly exceeded the USEPA safety limits for children. Children are at higher risk compared to adults. Indoor environments need to be better analyzed because they were shown to represent a higher risk to the population than outdoor ones due to heavy metal pollution by Zn, Cu, and Pb. The pandemic impacted land use intensity; this study reports an apparent effect of the pandemic on the amount and type of heavy metals indoors and outdoors. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Eco-Environmental Effects of Urban Land Use)

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16 pages, 1208 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Impact of Development Zones on China’s Urbanization from the Perspectives of the Population, Land, and the Economy

by Kaimeng Li, Shuang Gao, Yuantao Liao, Ke Luo and Shaojian Wang

Land 2022, 11(10), 1726; https://doi.org/10.3390/land11101726 - 05 Oct 2022

Viewed by 1567

Abstract

The sustainable development of urbanization is a necessary condition for China to realize modernization. Considering the importance of urbanization to China’s future development and the advantages of development zones in promoting urbanization, it is necessary to quantify the impact of establishing development zones [...] Read more.

The sustainable development of urbanization is a necessary condition for China to realize modernization. Considering the importance of urbanization to China’s future development and the advantages of development zones in promoting urbanization, it is necessary to quantify the impact of establishing development zones on urbanization development. Using the difference in difference (DID) model, this study takes the panel data of 235 cities in China from 1990 to 2017 to evaluate the policy effects of setting up development zones on urbanization from the perspectives of the population, land, and the economy. The results show that the development zone policy in the overall panel exerts a significant negative impact on land urbanization and a significant positive impact on economic urbanization but exerts no significant impact on population urbanization. The regression results of sub-regions show significant regional differences in the impact of development zones on urbanization. In the eastern region, the development zone policy has promoted the intensive use of urban construction land. For the central and western regions with weak development foundations, development zones play an important role in attracting the population and upgrading industries while reducing the intensive use of construction land. This study provides urban-level empirical evidence for evaluating the urbanization effects of development zone policies and puts forward policy recommendations for development zone construction to promote high-quality urbanization in China. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Eco-Environmental Effects of Urban Land Use)

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44 pages, 14063 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Evolution Mode and Driving Mechanisms of the Relationship between Construction Land Use and Permanent Population in Urban and Rural Contexts: Evidence from China’s Land Survey

by Xiao Zhu, Di Yao, Hanyue Shi, Kaichen Qu, Yuxiao Tang and Kaixu Zhao

Land 2022, 11(10), 1721; https://doi.org/10.3390/land11101721 - 05 Oct 2022

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1787

Abstract

(1) Background: Achieving harmonious human–land relations is one of the key objectives of sustainable urban–rural development, and the degree of decoupling of permanent population levels from changes in construction land use is an important factor in related analyses. Due to the existence [...] Read more.

(1) Background: Achieving harmonious human–land relations is one of the key objectives of sustainable urban–rural development, and the degree of decoupling of permanent population levels from changes in construction land use is an important factor in related analyses. Due to the existence of huge urban–rural differences, rethinking China’s human–land relations from the perspective of integrating urban and rural areas is of great value for the advancement of high-quality urban–rural development. (2) Methods: By studying the lower reaches of the Yangtze and Yellow Rivers of China, and based on data from the second and third national land surveys of China, this paper analyzes the spatio-temporal evolution of urban and rural population, construction land use, and human–land relations from 2009 to 2019 using exploratory spatial data analysis (ESDA) and a decoupling model; in addition, this paper proposes a differentiated zoning management strategy and establishes a new framework that integrates evolutionary patterns, human–land relations, spatial effects, and policy design. (3) Results: The geographic distribution patterns of urban and rural population and construction land use remained stable over time, with high levels of spatial heterogeneity, agglomeration, and correlation. Changes in urban and rural population levels and construction land use are becoming increasingly diversified and complex, with both increases and reductions existing side by side. Based on a Boston Consulting Group matrix, the evolution patterns of urban and rural population and construction land use are divided into four types, referred to as star-cities, cow-cities, question-cities, and dog-cities. Over the time period examined in this paper, the spatial autocorrelation of urban land evolution patterns turned from negative to positive; however, that of rural land, as well as those of urban and rural population evolution patterns, were statistically insignificant. Urban human–land relations are coordinated, in general, and are mostly in a state of either weak decoupling or expansive coupling. In contrast, rural human–land relations are seriously imbalanced, and most of them are in a state of strong negative decoupling. Human–land relations are dominated by regressive changes in urban areas but remain unchanged in rural areas. Cold- and hot-spot cities are concentrated in clusters or in bands, forming a core-periphery structure. The formation and evolution of the decoupling relationship between construction land use and permanent population are the results of multiple factors, including urbanization, industrialization, globalization, and government demand and policy intervention. The interaction effects between different factors show bifactor enhancement and nonlinear enhancement, with complex driving mechanisms and large urban–rural differences. It should be highlighted that the influence intensity, operation mechanism, and changes in the trends for different factors vary greatly. Urbanization rate, gross domestic product, and government revenue are key factors that exert a strong direct driving force; international trade, foreign direct investment, and per capita GDP are important factors, while the remaining factors are auxiliary factors that remain heavily dependent on interaction effects. (4) Conclusions: To further transform human–land relations from imbalanced to coordinated, we divide the study area into four area types based on the concept of urban–rural community: urban and rural intensive policy areas, urban intensive policy areas, rural intensive policy areas, and urban and rural controlled policy areas. Furthermore, we put forward suggestions on the differentiated management of land use for the four types of policy areas. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Eco-Environmental Effects of Urban Land Use)

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21 pages, 23065 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Land Space Change Process and Its Eco-Environmental Effects in the Guanzhong Plain Urban Agglomeration of China

by Yongyong Song, Siyou Xia, Dongqian Xue, Shuai Luo, Liwei Zhang and Donghua Wang

Land 2022, 11(9), 1547; https://doi.org/10.3390/land11091547 - 12 Sep 2022

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1875

Abstract

Urban agglomeration is the strategic core area of social–economic high-quality development in the world. However, high-density agglomeration and high-speed expansion have caused dramatic changes in land space, leading to prominent eco-environmental problems and, thus, threatening human well-being. How to solve the contradiction between [...] Read more.

Urban agglomeration is the strategic core area of social–economic high-quality development in the world. However, high-density agglomeration and high-speed expansion have caused dramatic changes in land space, leading to prominent eco-environmental problems and, thus, threatening human well-being. How to solve the contradiction between urban agglomeration land expansion and eco-environment protection has become an urgent scientific problem. In this paper, we constructed a framework of assessing land space change and its eco-environmental effects in the urban agglomeration by using the Geo-informatic Graphic, eco-environmental quality index (EQI), and eco-environmental contribution rate. We then quantitatively analyzed the characteristics of land space transition as well as its eco-environmental effects in the Guanzhong Plain urban Agglomeration (GPUA) based on the land use data in 1990, 2000, 2010 and 2020. The results indicated that from 1990 to 2020, the production space of the GPUA continued to shrink, the living space continued to expand, and the ecological space showed a fluctuating increasing trend. There were significant regional differences in the land space change of the GPUA, with 92.2% of the counties showing a significant contraction in agricultural production space, 93.3% and 91.1% showing a significant expansion in urban and rural living space, and 64.4% showing an increase in woodland ecological space. Agricultural production space is transformed into ecological space and living space, and living space occupies ecological space and agricultural production space, which is the main mode of land space transition in the GPUA. With the continuous expansion of low-quality and high-quality areas of the eco-environment and the continuous contraction of medium-quality areas, the improvement and deterioration of the eco-environmental quality of the GPUA have coexisted, first showing a trend of deterioration and then improvement. The transition of agricultural production space into grassland and woodland ecological space improved the eco-environmental quality, while the transition of grassland ecological space into agricultural production space, and the occupation of agricultural production space by urban and rural living space as well as industrial and mining production space resulted in the deterioration of eco-environmental quality. The findings of this study may provide a theoretical basis for optimizing the allocation of land space resources in ecologically fragile urban agglomeration. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Eco-Environmental Effects of Urban Land Use)

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18 pages, 6497 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Does Land Urbanization Affect the Catch-Up Effect of Carbon Emissions Reduction in China’s Logistics?

by Bingquan Liu, Yue Wang, Xuran Chang, Boyang Nie, Lingqi Meng and Yongqing Li

Land 2022, 11(9), 1503; https://doi.org/10.3390/land11091503 - 07 Sep 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1291

Abstract

Logistics is playing an important role in China with the rapid growth of the digital economy, and has caused large quantities of carbon emissions as an energy-intensive industry. Due to the extreme imbalance of land urbanization, the performance of carbon emissions reduction in [...] Read more.

Logistics is playing an important role in China with the rapid growth of the digital economy, and has caused large quantities of carbon emissions as an energy-intensive industry. Due to the extreme imbalance of land urbanization, the performance of carbon emissions reduction in logistics is significantly different among regions. This paper establishes a new indicator to describe the carbon emissions catch-up effect and decomposes the impact of land urbanization into 4 driving factors, thereby identifying the impact of land urbanization on carbon emissions catch-up effect in detail. The results indicate that: (1) at the national level, the catch-up effect of carbon emissions in logistics showed three stages of “catching up-lagging behind-catching up”, which was consistent with the development of logistics. (2) At the regional level, the land urbanization-related factors had significant but different impacts on the catch-up effect of carbon emissions. The spatial expansion and road network density effect were the main inhibitors for catch-up effect of the eastern region, and spatial structure effect was the main inhibitor for central and western regions. (3) At the provincial level, the impact of land urbanization-related factors on provinces at different development stages was different. Finally, some policy implications are proposed to achieve carbon neutrality targets. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Eco-Environmental Effects of Urban Land Use)

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24 pages, 6893 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Research on Spatio-Temporal Pattern Evolution and the Coupling Coordination Relationship of Land-Use Benefit from a Low-Carbon Perspective: A Case Study of Fujian Province

by Daichao Li, Kunkun Fan, Jiaqi Lu, Sheng Wu and Xiaowei Xie

Land 2022, 11(9), 1498; https://doi.org/10.3390/land11091498 - 07 Sep 2022

Cited by 13 | Viewed by 1970

Abstract

To accelerate the ecological civilization in the new era and coordinate the region’s ecological economic growth, land-use benefit pre-evaluations and coordination analyses must be carried out. These should be based on a land-use structure layout that is low-carbon oriented to ensure the land [...] Read more.

To accelerate the ecological civilization in the new era and coordinate the region’s ecological economic growth, land-use benefit pre-evaluations and coordination analyses must be carried out. These should be based on a land-use structure layout that is low-carbon oriented to ensure the land is utilized efficiently and sustainably. This paper studies Fujian Province, the national ecological civilization test area, and constructs a framework for land-use benefit evaluation and coupling coordination relationship analysis based on land-use structure from the low-carbon perspective. Based on land-use status data from 2000 to 2020, land-use simulation data under two development scenarios in 2030, and accounting for the different types of main functional areas, this paper establishes the land-use benefit evaluation model. The model uses aspects of carbon emission benefit, economic benefit, and ecological benefit to calculate the land-use benefit of counties (cities and districts) in Fujian Province from 2000 to 2030 by combining with the grey prediction model. The coupling coordination degree model is used to explore the coordination relationship between the above three types of benefits in different districts and counties in 2030 and to identify the main factors restricting the improvement of coupling coordination relationships in different regions in the future. The following results are found: (1) From the perspective of land-use efficiency, the coupling and coordination of land-use efficiency and benefits of counties (cities and districts) in Fujian Province continued to rise from 2000 to 2030 under the low-carbon development scenario, and the spatial agglomeration characteristics were obvious. By 2030, the coupling and coordination relationship of regional land-use efficiency was gradually optimized, and the development pattern with the Fuzhou metropolitan area and Xiamen-Zhangquan metropolitan area as the core was formed. (2) From the perspective of restrictive factors of land-use efficiency coupling coordination, the improvement of land-use efficiency coupling coordination relationship in each county (city and district) is affected by multiple factors. The influence degree is economic benefit > ecological benefit > carbon emissions. These results will help to promote the efficient and sustainable use of land resources and realize the comprehensive and coordinated development of a low-carbon economy and society. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Eco-Environmental Effects of Urban Land Use)

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19 pages, 601 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Impact of Urban Construction Land Use Change on Carbon Emissions: Evidence from the China Land Market in 2000–2019

by Jiaying Peng, Yuhang Zheng and Cenjie Liu

Land 2022, 11(9), 1440; https://doi.org/10.3390/land11091440 - 31 Aug 2022

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 1790

Abstract

Urban construction land has an increasing impact on ecological carbon storage capacity and carbon emissions. Based on the theoretical analysis framework and the panel data of 278 prefecture-level cities in China from 2000 to 2019, this paper analyzes the impact of changes in [...] Read more.

Urban construction land has an increasing impact on ecological carbon storage capacity and carbon emissions. Based on the theoretical analysis framework and the panel data of 278 prefecture-level cities in China from 2000 to 2019, this paper analyzes the impact of changes in urban construction land on carbon dioxide emissions. Our results suggest that the increase in urban construction land significantly promotes carbon dioxide emissions, and this conclusion still holds after selecting geographic and historical data as instrumental variables and conducting a series of robustness tests. Importantly, the newly added construction land and industrial land are important sources of increased carbon dioxide emissions, and there exist heterogenous impacts of the urban construction land on carbon emissions across different geographical distributions and different urban sizes. In addition, the results of the quantile regression show that, as the quantile level increases, the impact of changes in urban construction land on urban carbon emissions shows an inverted U-shaped trend that first increases and then decreases. Thus, our results provide evidence for promoting the coordinated development of land transaction marketization and low-carbon urban construction. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Eco-Environmental Effects of Urban Land Use)

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30 pages, 591 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Land Misallocation and Carbon Emissions: Evidence from China

by Feng Han and Min Huang

Land 2022, 11(8), 1189; https://doi.org/10.3390/land11081189 - 29 Jul 2022

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 1968

Abstract

Based on the land market transaction data and city-level carbon emission data of 282 prefecture-level cities from 2005 to 2018 in China Land Market Network, this paper discusses the effect of land resource misallocation on carbon emissions and its influencing mechanisms. The research [...] Read more.

Based on the land market transaction data and city-level carbon emission data of 282 prefecture-level cities from 2005 to 2018 in China Land Market Network, this paper discusses the effect of land resource misallocation on carbon emissions and its influencing mechanisms. The research finds that, the local government’s strategy of “seek development with the land” has made a large amount of urban construction land being allocated to the industrial field, leading to the price of industrial land to be underestimated and obvious land resource misallocation. The land resource misallocation has significantly increased the level of urban carbon emissions through mechanisms such as hindering the upgrading of industrial structure, restraining technological innovation and weakening the effect of economic agglomeration. Moreover, the results are still robust after replacing the core variable indicators, considering extreme values and controlling endogeneity. Additionally, further study finds that land resource misallocation not only evidently aggravates the city’s own release of carbon emissions, but also has a remarkable spatial spillover effect on adjacent cities. Meanwhile, except for small cities, the misallocation of land resources in Type-I large cities and above, Type-II large cities and Medium-sized cities noticeably exacerbates urban carbon emissions, and the effect increases with the upgrading of city size. Regionally, the land misallocation on carbon emissions has significantly increased the carbon emissions in the eastern and central regions but has no significant impact on the carbon emissions in the western region. Finally, the conclusion of this paper will have important practical significance for further promoting the standardization of China’s land market and realizing the green and high-quality development of the urban economy. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Eco-Environmental Effects of Urban Land Use)

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16 pages, 2416 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Multidimensional Impact of Urbanization Process on Regional Net CO₂ Emissions: Taking the Yangtze River Economic Belt as an Example

by Xiaomei Shen, Hong Zheng, Mingdong Jiang, Xinxin Yu, Heyichen Xu and Guanyu Zhong

Land 2022, 11(7), 1079; https://doi.org/10.3390/land11071079 - 14 Jul 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1598

Abstract

Urbanization is a powerful symbol and an inevitable human economic and social development trend. This process affects carbon dioxide emissions by changing the human output and lifestyle and encroaches over the carbon sink areas by adjusting the land use types impacting the regional [...] Read more.

Urbanization is a powerful symbol and an inevitable human economic and social development trend. This process affects carbon dioxide emissions by changing the human output and lifestyle and encroaches over the carbon sink areas by adjusting the land use types impacting the regional carbon balance. We systematically analyzed the influence of urbanization on regional net CO₂ emissions (NCE) and built a quantitative model for the impact of urbanization on NCE based on population, economy, and land use. Based on this, the Yangtze River Economic Belt (YREB) in China has been selected as an example to measure the characteristics of the spatial and temporal evolution of NCE from 2005 to 2018 by empirically testing the contributions of population urbanization, economic urbanization, and land urbanization to the NCE changes in YREB. According to the study’s findings, the carbon-neutral pressure index of the YREB increased over the study period, with an increase in NCE from 1706.50 Mt to 3106.05 Mt. The contribution of urbanization in this process increased and subsequently decreased in an inverted U pattern with a drop in the cumulative net emission of 260.32 Mt. The inflection points of the cumulative impact of urbanization on NCE in the midstream and upstream regions occurred in 2011 and 2010, respectively. Due to the high degree of urbanization and economic growth in the downstream area, the urbanization impact demonstrated a constant reduction of NCE over the research period. In terms of sub-dimensions, the population and land urbanization effects were consistently positive, while the economic urbanization affected the NCE and displayed an inverted U pattern during the study period. If the variation in regional carbon sink space is ignored, the impact of urbanization on CO₂ emission reduction will be overestimated. We investigated the realization path of differentiated synergistic emission reduction strategies in the great river economic belts based on the empirical study on YREB. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Eco-Environmental Effects of Urban Land Use)

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15 pages, 2680 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Land Use Transformation Based on Production−Living−Ecological Space and Associated Eco-Environment Effects: A Case Study in the Yangtze River Delta Urban Agglomeration

by Kai Li, Beiying Zhang, Weidong Xiao and Yong Lu

Land 2022, 11(7), 1076; https://doi.org/10.3390/land11071076 - 14 Jul 2022

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 1869

Abstract

We investigate the eco-environmental effects and the driving factors of transforming the production–living–ecological space (PLES) land use function and offer a scientific foundation for developing regional territorial area and environmental preservation. Eco-environment quality index and ecological contribution ratio are used to analyze the [...] Read more.

We investigate the eco-environmental effects and the driving factors of transforming the production–living–ecological space (PLES) land use function and offer a scientific foundation for developing regional territorial area and environmental preservation. Eco-environment quality index and ecological contribution ratio are used to analyze the spatial–temporal evolution characteristics and eco-environment effects of land use transformation in the Yangtze River Delta Urban Agglomeration (YRDUA) over the three time periods of 2000, 2010, and 2020, and the geographic detectors are used to analyze the factors that influence the spatial difference of eco-environment quality (EEQ). The findings indicate the following: (1) The land use transformation of YRDUA is primarily shown in the shrinkage of the production land area, the stability of ecological land, and the rapid increase of living land. The area of ecological land, such as water, forest, and pasture, has remained relatively steady from the perspective of secondary land types. In contrast, the area of urban and rural living land has significantly increased. (2) Most land use environment comprises the lower-value zone, accounting for about 50%. The area of the low-value zone has continued to rise owing to the rapid urban and rural living land development, tending to continuous growth. (3) Both the ecological improvement and degradation trends are present simultaneously, although the ecological improvement trend is less prominent than the environmental degradation trend. The primary factor is improving the eco-environment by transforming agricultural production land into forest, water, and ecological pasture land. The degradation of the regional EEQ is mostly due to the occupation of agricultural production land by urban and rural living land. (4) Considering natural elements such as altitude, precipitation, and slope, the extent of land use impacts the EEQ. The combination of several factors has changed the EEQ of the YRDUA. The effect of any two elements is stronger than that of a single factor. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Eco-Environmental Effects of Urban Land Use)

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19 pages, 5146 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Assessment of Spatial Temporal Changes of Ecological Environment Quality: A Case Study in Huaibei City, China

by Ruihao Cui, Jiazheng Han and Zhenqi Hu

Land 2022, 11(6), 944; https://doi.org/10.3390/land11060944 - 19 Jun 2022

Cited by 19 | Viewed by 2761

Abstract

Under the short-term economic development goal, the excessive exploitation of natural resources and the destruction of the ecological environment make the ecological environment of Huaibei cities increasingly fragile. This study constructed the Remote Sensing Ecological Index (RSEI) to evaluate the ecological environment change [...] Read more.

Under the short-term economic development goal, the excessive exploitation of natural resources and the destruction of the ecological environment make the ecological environment of Huaibei cities increasingly fragile. This study constructed the Remote Sensing Ecological Index (RSEI) to evaluate the ecological environment change trend and its driving factors in Huaibei City from 2000 to 2020. The barycenter migration model was used to determine the RSEI spatial change trend, and the geographic detector was used to analyze the influencing factors of the RSEI value change. The results showed that: (1) the average RSEI value of Huaibei City generally fluctuates within the range of good and excellent grades. (2) The migration direction of the barycenter of RSEI is similar when the level of RSEI improves or decreases from 2000 to 2020, and the barycenter migration is most severe from 2005 to 2015. (3) The driving factors of RSEI change were population density (0.47) > land use (0.24) > slope (0.14) > precipitation (0.08) > temperature (0.04) > altitude (0.03). All the factors had interaction effects on the RSEI, mainly with nonlinear enhancement. (4) From 2000 to 2010, urban construction encroached on all kinds of land, which was the direct reason for the decline in ecological environment quality. From 2010 to 2020, the surge of water and meadow areas improved the ecological environment quality of Huaibei city. Therefore, reducing the expansion of artificial land, returning farmland to forests and meadows, wetland park construction, and other ecological protection measures are the keys to ensuring the sustainable development of regional social and economic development. This study can provide a reference and scientific basis for sustainable development strategy and ecological protection planning to improve the ecological environment quality of Huaibei City. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Eco-Environmental Effects of Urban Land Use)

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14 pages, 4380 KiB

Open AccessArticle

City-Level Determinants of Household CO₂ Emissions per Person: An Empirical Study Based on a Large Survey in China

by Jiansheng Qu, Lina Liu, Jingjing Zeng, Tek Narayan Maraseni and Zhiqiang Zhang

Land 2022, 11(6), 925; https://doi.org/10.3390/land11060925 - 16 Jun 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1810

Abstract

Studies have shown that household consumption accounts for more than 60% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Reducing household CO₂ emissions (HCEs) can help combat climate change globally and can provide a wide range of environmental, financial and public health benefits. Here, [...] Read more.

Studies have shown that household consumption accounts for more than 60% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Reducing household CO₂ emissions (HCEs) can help combat climate change globally and can provide a wide range of environmental, financial and public health benefits. Here, we present data from a large survey on 14,928 households in eighty-eight Chinese cities to investigate the spatial patterns in HCEs per person (PHCEs) and the drivers behind these patterns based on a multi-scale geographically weighted regression (MGWR) model. We found that higher PHCEs were mainly in northern cities with a severe and cold climate. Our findings suggest that PHCEs could be modeled as a function of household size, education level, income level, consumption tendency and HCEs intensity. HCEs intensity was identified as the most important determinant, and its effect increased from eastern cities to central and western cities in China. The quantification of city-level PHCEs and their drivers help policy makers to make fair and equitable GHG mitigation polices, and they help achieve many of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, including affordable and clean energy, sustainable cities and communities, and climate action. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Eco-Environmental Effects of Urban Land Use)

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16 pages, 2727 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Detecting Differences in the Impact of Construction Land Types on Carbon Emissions: A Case Study of Southwest China

by Min Wang, Yang Wang, Yingmei Wu, Xiaoli Yue, Mengjiao Wang and Pingping Hu

Land 2022, 11(5), 719; https://doi.org/10.3390/land11050719 - 10 May 2022

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1450

Abstract

The area with the highest concentration of carbon emission activities is construction land. However, few studies have been conducted that investigated the different effects of various types of construction land on carbon emissions and the extent of their impact. To address this shortcoming, [...] Read more.

The area with the highest concentration of carbon emission activities is construction land. However, few studies have been conducted that investigated the different effects of various types of construction land on carbon emissions and the extent of their impact. To address this shortcoming, this study constructed a multi-indicator evaluation system with 393 counties in Southwest China and integrated ordinary least squares and spatial regression models to deeply analyze the different impacts of construction land types on carbon emissions. The results revealed that (1) in Southwest China, carbon emissions were generally distributed in clusters, with significant spatial variability and dependence; (2) the distribution of urban land scale, rural settlement land scale, and other construction land scale all showed obvious spatial clustering differences; (3) all three types of construction land’s effect on carbon emissions was positive, and the direction of impact was in line with theoretical expectations; and (4) the other construction land scale had the highest effect on carbon emissions, followed by rural settlement land scale, while the urban land scale was slightly lower. The findings help to further explain the different impacts of construction land types on carbon emissions and provide theoretical references for the government to formulate more refined emissions reduction policies. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Eco-Environmental Effects of Urban Land Use)

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15 pages, 3355 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Quantifying the Spatial Fragmentation Pattern and Its Influencing Factors of Urban Land Use: A Case Study of Pingdingshan City, China

by Li Yue, Hongbo Zhao, Xiaoman Xu, Tianshun Gu and Zeting Jia

Land 2022, 11(5), 686; https://doi.org/10.3390/land11050686 - 04 May 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2171

Abstract

In the context of rapid urbanization, the phenomenon of spatial fragmentation in Chinese inland central cities is significant. The scientific measurement and evaluation of urban spatial fragmentation are conducive to its transformation, advancement, and sustainable development. Based on the fractal dimension index and [...] Read more.

In the context of rapid urbanization, the phenomenon of spatial fragmentation in Chinese inland central cities is significant. The scientific measurement and evaluation of urban spatial fragmentation are conducive to its transformation, advancement, and sustainable development. Based on the fractal dimension index and Shannon index, this study measures urban spatial fragmentation in terms of form and function, respectively. In addition, multi-scale geographic weighted regression (MGWR) is used to study the influencing factors of spatial fragmentation. The conclusions are as follows: ① the measurement results of spatial form fragmentation and functional fragmentation of urban built-up areas are consistent. The fragmentation degree of the new urban area (new urban district and high-tech district) is higher than that of the old urban areas, and the urban space fragmentation degree around railways and rivers is high. The urban space fragmentation degree of coal resource concentrated distribution areas in the north is lower. The cold spot area of the fragmentation phenomenon appears in the old urban area, and the hot spot area is in the new urban area and along the railway. ② The positive influencing factors of urban spatial fragmentation in Pingdingshan city are the NDVI and the distance from CBD. The negative influencing factor is the number of bus stops per unit area. The DEM and population density have no significant impact on urban fragmentation in Pingdingshan city. ③ Among the variables with significance, its influence has a certain spatial heterogeneity. The spatial scale from small to large is the number of bus stops per unit area, NDVI, and the distance from CBD. The degree of urban fragmentation is very sensitive to the number of bus stops per unit area and the impact scale is quite small. The spatial impacts of the NDVI and the distance from CBD are relatively stable. This study provides a reference and basis for the spatial development of built-up areas of inland central cities and promotes the transformation, advancement, and sustainable development of inland central cities. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Eco-Environmental Effects of Urban Land Use)

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19 pages, 3862 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Which Factors Influence the Regional Difference of Urban–Rural Residential CO₂ Emissions? A Case Study by Cross-Regional Panel Analysis in China

by Zheng Wang, Shaojian Wang, Chuanhao Lu and Lei Hu

Land 2022, 11(5), 632; https://doi.org/10.3390/land11050632 - 25 Apr 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1835

Abstract

Residential CO₂ emissions (RCE) are an important component of anthropogenic CO₂ emissions. In order to formulate reasonable reduction policies and measures, it is necessary to understand the dynamics of RCE production and the factors that influence it. This paper explores the [...] Read more.

Residential CO₂ emissions (RCE) are an important component of anthropogenic CO₂ emissions. In order to formulate reasonable reduction policies and measures, it is necessary to understand the dynamics of RCE production and the factors that influence it. This paper explores the spatiotemporal evolution characteristics of RCE from the perspectives of eastern, central, and western China, as well as urban–rural areas, and analyzes the factors driving RCE based on the STIRPAT model. The results indicated that between 2010 and 2019 the eastern region contributed the greatest proportion of overall RCE and the central region saw the largest increase. Per capita RCE in urban areas was greater than in rural areas, except in eastern China. The factors affecting RCE showed regional and urban–rural differences. Population size and income per capita were two dominant factors affecting RCE for all regions. The per capita income plays a more important role in developed regions such as eastern regions and eastern urban areas. Urbanization contributed to RCE reduction in the eastern region but promoted RCE in the central and western regions. Energy structure shows a negative effect on RCE, particularly in central urban and western rural areas. Appropriate policies and measures need to be put forward to local conditions. Reduction policies and measures of each region and urban–rural area need to be based on the dominant factors driving CO₂ emissions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Eco-Environmental Effects of Urban Land Use)

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15 pages, 2308 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Early Effect of Black Land Protection Plan in Northeast China on Industrial Pollution Using Synthetic Control Method

by Zhipeng Tang, Wenming Song and Jialing Zou

Land 2022, 11(4), 585; https://doi.org/10.3390/land11040585 - 16 Apr 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2042

Abstract

This study used relevant industrial pollution emission data collected between 2004 and 2020 in northeastern China. It utilized the synthetic control method (SCM) and used entire county-level areas within the scope of the typical black land protection as the experimental group. Thirty regions [...] Read more.

This study used relevant industrial pollution emission data collected between 2004 and 2020 in northeastern China. It utilized the synthetic control method (SCM) and used entire county-level areas within the scope of the typical black land protection as the experimental group. Thirty regions in China (excluding Tibet, Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan), including the three non-black land areas of Liaoning, Jilin, Heilongjiang, and Inner Mongolia, and the other 26 entire provinces were taken as the control group. We studied whether the Outline of Black Land Protection Plan in Northeast China (2017–2030) (BLPP) has reduced local industrial pollution emissions since it was issued in 2017. The study found that implementation of the BLPP reduced industrial wastewater and sulfur dioxide emissions in black land areas significantly. Between 2017 and 2020, local industrial wastewater production decreased by 29.3% compared to the period without implementation of the outline, while industrial sulfur dioxide decreased by 12%. These results remained robust under the placebo and difference-in-difference (DID) tests. This once again showed that implementation of the outline had a significant effect on reducing industrial pollutant emissions in the black land area of northeastern China. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Eco-Environmental Effects of Urban Land Use)

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19 pages, 46047 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Impact Mechanism of the Urban Network on Carbon Emissions in Rapidly Developing Regions: Example of 47 Cities in Southwest China

by Jie Su, Bo Zhou, Yuanpei Liao, Chaoshen Wang and Tian Feng

Land 2022, 11(4), 458; https://doi.org/10.3390/land11040458 - 23 Mar 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1832

Abstract

Southwest China faces harsh environmental pollution challenges and rapid development. Against this backdrop, exploring the impact mechanism of the urban network on carbon emissions in rapidly developing regions is of great significance to the balance between regional development and carbon emissions reduction, as [...] Read more.

Southwest China faces harsh environmental pollution challenges and rapid development. Against this backdrop, exploring the impact mechanism of the urban network on carbon emissions in rapidly developing regions is of great significance to the balance between regional development and carbon emissions reduction, as well as regional sustainable development. The objective of this study is to quantify the relationship between carbon emissions and the urban network, using panel data analysis for 47 cities in southwest China from 2010 to 2019. Therefore, several urban network indices were selected and quantitatively studied by using the spatial Durbin model to reveal the impact mechanism of the urban network on carbon emissions in rapidly developing regions. The results show that: (1) the growth of carbon emissions in a city has a significant positive spatial spillover effect on the surrounding areas; (2) the temporal and spatial distribution of carbon emissions is highly coincident with the urban network; (3) the urban network has a two-sided impact mechanism of promoting and inhibiting carbon emissions; and (4) the effect of the impact mechanism is affected by regional development conditions, and the promotion effect plays the main role in rapidly developing regions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Eco-Environmental Effects of Urban Land Use)

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18 pages, 20908 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Disturbances Brought about by Human Activities in Relation to the Eco-Environment of the Main Stream of the Tarim River, 2000–2020

by Yabo Zhao, Weiwei Zhang, Cansong Li, Shifa Ma, Xiwen Zhang and Haiyan Jiang

Land 2022, 11(3), 424; https://doi.org/10.3390/land11030424 - 15 Mar 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 5149

Abstract

The main stream of the Tarim River in China is typical of ecologically sensitive areas that have been heavily disturbed by human activities; as such, the monitoring of the quality of its eco-environment constitutes an important task for researchers. By using GlobeLand30 data [...] Read more.

The main stream of the Tarim River in China is typical of ecologically sensitive areas that have been heavily disturbed by human activities; as such, the monitoring of the quality of its eco-environment constitutes an important task for researchers. By using GlobeLand30 data and applying the disturbance degree model and revised ecosystem service value (ESV) model, the study presented in this paper undertook a quantitative estimation of the effects of the disturbance impacts of human activities on the eco-environment of this area in the period of 2000 to 2020. The main conclusions are as follows: (1) disturbance index values, which reflect disturbance to the local ecosystem by human activities, increased over the study period. Further, cultivated land experienced the largest increase, which, in turn, brought about the most significant disturbance to the eco-environment. High disturbance index values presented a patchy distribution in the west of the main stream of the Tarim River and formed bands and dots in the east; the area of land characterized by high and moderate disturbance index values increased, with growth areas taking on a scattered distribution of patches, bands, and dots without significant spatial continuity. (2) The total ESV increased, indicating the quality of the eco-environment improved. The increase of cultivated land offset the increase in ESV, which counteracted the effects of ecological governance measures. Areas with high ESV values were mainly located in the western and central parts of the study area, while low values were found in the middle east and east. Areas with higher increases in ESV were mainly located in the western and the western part of the middle reaches and took on a zonal distribution, while areas of decrease followed a scattered distribution, presenting as dots or patches. Using the quantitative analysis methods and high-resolution remote sensing data to evaluate the changes in the eco-environment was considered as the innovation of this study, and the findings are useful in exploring the influence of human activities on ecosystems and evaluating the eco-environment in the minor watershed of an arid area. This piece of quantitative research contributes to the task of monitoring eco-environmental changes using remote sensing techniques in ecologically sensitive areas. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Eco-Environmental Effects of Urban Land Use)

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20 pages, 3734 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Quantifying the Spatial-Temporal Variation of Population Urbanization and Affordable Housing Land in China

by Chunyan He, Ding Li and Junlin Yu

Land 2022, 11(2), 259; https://doi.org/10.3390/land11020259 - 09 Feb 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1550

Abstract

The governments of most countries are striving to coordinate residents’ housing demands with the supply of land to achieve high-quality urbanization and improve residents’ welfare. Based on the panel data of all Chinese provinces from 2010 to 2017, this study obtains 248 observations. [...] Read more.

The governments of most countries are striving to coordinate residents’ housing demands with the supply of land to achieve high-quality urbanization and improve residents’ welfare. Based on the panel data of all Chinese provinces from 2010 to 2017, this study obtains 248 observations. It uses the coupling coordination degree, the Mann–Kendall trend test, and spatial autocorrelation methods to analyze the temporal and spatial variation of the coordination degree of population urbanization and affordable housing land supply. The study aims to clarify the temporal trend further and identify the spatial mismatch of affordable housing land resource allocation and apply a panel fixed model to determine its driving factors. The regional differentiation of the coordinated development level of population urbanization and affordable housing land in China’s provinces is apparent. The overall spatial distribution characteristics of coordination are opposite to the development of its economic level. The Mann–Kendall trend test indicated that the coupling coordination degree had a significant upward trend nationwide. Moreover, the coupling coordination degree shows a strong positive global spatial correlation. The local spatial agglomeration characteristics of the coordination are significant and primarily manifested in high–high and low–low agglomeration. A negative correlation exists between the degree of coupling coordination and the dependence of local governments on land finance and housing prices. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Eco-Environmental Effects of Urban Land Use)

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15 pages, 2125 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Did Polycentric and Compact Structure Reduce Carbon Emissions? A Spatial Panel Data Analysis of 286 Chinese Cities from 2002 to 2019

by Kai Zhu, Manya Tu and Yingcheng Li

Land 2022, 11(2), 185; https://doi.org/10.3390/land11020185 - 24 Jan 2022

Cited by 22 | Viewed by 3067

Abstract

Curbing carbon emissions by restricting economic growth could decrease human well-being across the world and especially in developing countries, suggesting that we need to find alternative approaches to reducing carbon emissions. Against this background, this paper investigates the relationship between urban spatial structure [...] Read more.

Curbing carbon emissions by restricting economic growth could decrease human well-being across the world and especially in developing countries, suggesting that we need to find alternative approaches to reducing carbon emissions. Against this background, this paper investigates the relationship between urban spatial structure and carbon emissions in the Chinese context from 2002 to 2019. Specifically, urban spatial structure of 286 Chinese cities, represented by the two dimensions of polycentricity and compactness, are calculated based on the gridded (1 km × 1 km) LandScan dataset on population, while carbon emissions of these cities are aggregated from the gridded (1 km × 1 km) Open-source Data Inventory for Anthropogenic CO2 (ODIAC) dataset on carbon emissions. The empirical results based on different regression models find that overall (1) more dispersed and less monocentric (i.e., less compact and more polycentric) cities are often associated with lower levels of carbon emissions, ceteris paribus; (2) the impact of polycentricity on carbon emissions could be moderated by the economic development levels of Chinese cities. For cities with gross domestic product of more than 173 billion yuan, a more polycentric spatial structure is usually associated with a higher level of carbon emissions; (3) a city’s urban spatial structure could have positive spatial spillovers on carbon emissions of its neighboring cities. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Eco-Environmental Effects of Urban Land Use)

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19 pages, 311 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Dynamic Value of China’s High-Tech Zones: Direct and Indirect Influence on Urban Ecological Innovation

by Siying Yang, Wei Liu and Zhe Zhang

Land 2022, 11(1), 59; https://doi.org/10.3390/land11010059 - 01 Jan 2022

Cited by 26 | Viewed by 3013

Abstract

China’s High-tech Industrial Development Zones (HTZ) are industrial agglomeration areas established by the local government to foster economic innovation. As springboards for cities to implement innovation-driven development strategies, HTZs have significant spillover and driving effects on urban ecological innovation. Based on panel data [...] Read more.

China’s High-tech Industrial Development Zones (HTZ) are industrial agglomeration areas established by the local government to foster economic innovation. As springboards for cities to implement innovation-driven development strategies, HTZs have significant spillover and driving effects on urban ecological innovation. Based on panel data taken from 215 cities between 2003 and 2016, this paper empirically analyzes the impact of HTZ construction and its mechanisms as they pertain to urban ecological innovation. This analysis is framed by the double difference model and the intermediary effect model. It found that HTZ construction can effectively enhance urban ecological innovation, and formidably promote ecological innovation in central and eastern cities, as well as cities with superior scientific and educational resources. The intermediary mechanism analysis revealed that HTZs result in a policy depression effect, which may promote the agglomeration of urban innovation factors (including high-quality talents and investment), thereby bolstering urban ecological innovation. Moreover, HTZs’ investment agglomeration effect is primarily responsible for driving urban ecological innovation. Indeed, the HTZ construction may not only promote the local ecological innovation, but also have a significant spillover effect on the ecological innovation activities of other cities in the province. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Eco-Environmental Effects of Urban Land Use)

Review

Jump to: Research

20 pages, 2823 KiB

Open AccessReview

The Impacts of Urban Form on Carbon Emissions: A Comprehensive Review

by Changlong Sun, Yongli Zhang, Wenwen Ma, Rong Wu and Shaojian Wang

Land 2022, 11(9), 1430; https://doi.org/10.3390/land11091430 - 30 Aug 2022

Cited by 15 | Viewed by 3724

Abstract

As a result of global climate change and urban development, the interaction between urban form and carbon emissions has become a frontier issue and a key area of carbon emission research. This paper presents a scientometric analysis of 2439 academic publications between 2002 [...] Read more.

As a result of global climate change and urban development, the interaction between urban form and carbon emissions has become a frontier issue and a key area of carbon emission research. This paper presents a scientometric analysis of 2439 academic publications between 2002 and 2021 on urban form and carbon emissions to explore the current state of global research and future development potential. Citespace and VOSviewer were the primary analysis tools. The results showed the following: (1) The number of articles published on urban form and carbon emission research shows an increasing trend, especially after 2012. (2) Scientific research institutions and authors in developed countries paid attention sooner to the urban ecological environment. With the deepening of economic globalization, developing countries began to pay more attention to the urban environment. (3) Through an analysis of keyword clusters, timelines, and stacked area charts, the development of the urban form and carbon emissions can be divided into the following three stages. The first is the budding stage, which is characterized by preliminary research on the atmospheric environmental impact factors. The second stage is the development stage, with urban areas becoming the leading research object of carbon theory. The third stage is the mature stage, which is characterized by an emphasis on the optimization of carbon emissions. (4) Finally, the influence of urban form on carbon emissions includes four main aspects: land use, built environment, transportation networks, and development patterns. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Eco-Environmental Effects of Urban Land Use)

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