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Land Planning and Urban Regeneration for Achieving Sustainable Development

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A special issue of Land (ISSN 2073-445X). This special issue belongs to the section "Land Planning and Landscape Architecture".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 March 2023) | Viewed by 25981

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Prof. Dr. Pasquale de Toro

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Department of Architecture, University of Naples Federico II, 80134 Naples, Italy
Interests: urban regeneration; multi-criteria decision analysis; integrated assessment; geographic information systems
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Francesca Nocca

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Department of Architecture, University of Naples Federico II, 80134 Naples, Italy
Interests: urban regeneration; circular economy; circular city; cultural heritage conservation and regeneration; integrated evaluation; multidimensional indicators
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Dr. Martina Bosone

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Institute for Research on Innovation and Services for Development, National Research Council (CNR-IRISS), 80134 Naples, Italy
Interests: urban regeneration; circular economy; cultural heritage; multidimensional indicators; common goods
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Francesca Buglione

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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The structure and organization of the city are increasingly being investigated, especially considering the current challenges (i.e., climate change, COVID-19 pandemic), accentuated by the ongoing health emergency. This has highlighted (and is still highlighting) the need to accelerate the transition towards more sustainable development.

The debates on urbanization and culture are intertwined. Some international organizations (such as UNESCO and ICOMOS) and scientific studies emphasize the crucial role that culture can play in the achievement of sustainable development. Furthermore, the United Nations recognizes cultural heritage and landscape as important factors for urban sustainable development in many points of the 2030 Agenda and of the New Urban Agenda.

Although there are many theoretical studies regarding the role of cultural heritage and landscape in sustainable development, there are fewer studies that concretely demonstrate the multidimensional benefits (economic, socio-cultural and environmental) produced by their conservation and regeneration.

The aim of this Special Issue is to investigate the contribution of cultural heritage and landscape to the achievement of sustainable development goals, also considering the current challenges that are changing the common vision about them (also in terms of use, accessibility, etc.). The urgency caused by these challenges has greatly accelerated the speed of transformational trends, allowing the identification of solutions that could be effective in the long term, regardless of the current health emergency.

In this context, evaluation tools, land planning, governance strategies, business and financial models play a fundamental role.

Current evaluation approaches are mostly sectoral, mainly focusing on individual dimensions (economic, social, environmental) rather than their interrelationships.

Considering the multiplicity of values and stakeholders involved in the cultural heritage and landscape conservation and regeneration processes, the produced impacts require adequate evaluation tools, such as multicriteria evaluation methods. The complexity of cultural heritage and landscape conservation and regeneration processes implies an interpretation of evaluation as a dynamic process.

On the basis of the above, contributions from the scientific community are welcome on issues related to the role of cultural heritage and landscape in sustainable development processes, also focusing on the implications on land planning ones, with particular reference to:

- Urban regeneration and land planning;

- Cultural heritage and landscape conservation and regeneration;

- Multicriteria evaluation;

- Sustainable cultural tourism;

- Digitalization and innovative technologies for cultural heritage;

- Participatory approaches.

Topics are suggested but not exclusive, and other proposals that address the above topic from different perspectives are welcome.

Prof. Dr. Pasquale de Toro
Dr. Francesca Nocca
Dr. Martina Bosone
Dr. Francesca Buglione
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.

Keywords

cultural heritage
landscape
urban sustainable development
urban regeneration
land planning
multicriteria evaluation

Published Papers (11 papers)

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Research

32 pages, 70064 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Sustainability Assessments of Peri-Urban Areas: An Evaluation Model for the Territorialization of the Sustainable Development Goals

by Pasquale De Toro, Enrico Formato and Nicola Fierro

Land 2023, 12(7), 1415; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12071415 - 14 Jul 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1424

Abstract

This research tests a sustainability assessment based on the 2030 Agenda’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through a process of their territorialization and implementation. This process enables the development of a spatial decision support system (SDSS) that can be integrated with strategic environmental assessments in urban planning. The assessment takes place on the transversality of the sustainability concept, considering the three dimensions (environmental, social, and economic) in a single assessment through the spatial sustainability assessment model (SSAM) by integrating geographic information systems (GIS) and multicriteria analyses. Economic development, social equity, and ecological integrity represent the three common visions for rethinking peri-urban edges. The choice of key indicators is due to the possibilities for action of urban plans and the vision of SDG 11a, which aims to support ‘positive economic, social, and environmental links among urban, peri-urban and rural areas by strengthening national and regional development planning’. In addition, they were selected to be representative of sustainable planning processes in the peri-urban area. In recognizing the limits of urban expansion processes, in the peri-urban area, it is necessary to promote a different growth based on agri-environmental values, the production of biodiversity reserves and corridors, new models of inhabiting open space, and the consolidation of civic and collective uses. The paper tests the assessment methodology in two urban plans of the Metropolitan City of Naples that address the development of the peri-urban area with different strategies. This provides insight into how to support decision-making processes so that economic development, social equity, and ecological integrity represent three common and integrated visions to enable development that is consistent with SDGs. The results show that it is possible to identify trade-offs among the three dimensions. In fact, where there are environmental subtractions necessary to accommodate peri-urban land-relation functions, these are offset by the social values of collective use and by the values of the current economy that aim to redistribute present resources. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Land Planning and Urban Regeneration for Achieving Sustainable Development)

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17 pages, 5808 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Spatial Liminality as a Framework for Revitalising Dilapidated Abandoned Buildings in Historic Cities: A Case Study

by Hamed Tavakoli, Massoomeh Hedayati Marzbali and Mohammad Javad Maghsoodi Tilaki

Land 2023, 12(4), 931; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12040931 - 21 Apr 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1531

Abstract

This paper develops the theory of liminality as a guideline for revitalising disused urban fabrics in historic cities. Since Middle Eastern historic cities exist as a transitional phenomenon, spatial liminality is identified as an epistemological tool for their investigation. This paper sets up a mixed-method approach based on questionnaire surveys and field studies in twelve urban blocks in historic Yazd and Kashan. Using an interpretive historical study, it is verified that, during the premodern eras, spatial liminality has been synonymous with the formation of sense of place/citizenship, mainly generated as a result of the existence of in-between spaces in historic cities, which, in turn, could have facilitated the rites of passage for residents. In a quantitative layer, the correlation between dilapidated abandoned buildings (DABs) (i.e., disused urban fabrics) and sense of place/citizenship is investigated in case studies, which unfolds associations that lack of sense of place amongst local communities could convey to the meaning of spatial liminality. The analysis demonstrates DABs are associated with lack of spatial liminality, contributing to the breakdown of sense of community identification/place. Therefore, DABs need to be reutilized while maintaining their heritage values. The discourse identifies in-between spaces that once facilitated spatial liminality and demonstrates a guideline for revitalising historic cities. This study put forward a theoretical contribution that enables the use of spatial liminality to guide the understanding and management of historic cities. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Land Planning and Urban Regeneration for Achieving Sustainable Development)

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31 pages, 13600 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Research on the Slope Gradient Effect and Driving Factors of Construction Land in Urban Agglomerations in the Upper Yellow River: A Case Study of the Lanzhou–Xining Urban Agglomerations

by Hanxuan Zhang, Xiangjuan Zhao, Jun Ren, Wenjing Hai, Jing Guo, Chengying Li and Yapei Gao

Land 2023, 12(4), 745; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12040745 - 26 Mar 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1339

Abstract

Analyses of the scale and structural characteristics of construction land serve as the basis for optimizing the spatial pattern of territorial planning. Existing studies have focused mainly on the horizontal expansion of urban construction land. Therefore, based on the Google Earth Engine (GEE) platform, in this paper, we use high-precision land-use cover data, DEM data and socioeconomic data to construct the standard dominant comparative advantage index (NRCA) using the geological mapping analysis method and we systematically analyze the horizontal scale, slope spectrum characteristics, gradient effects and driving factors of construction land in the Lanzhou–Xining urban agglomeration (LXUA) from 1990 to 2020 at four scales: the urban agglomeration, provincial area, typical city and county (district) scales. The results of the study show that urban construction land, rural settlement land and other construction land in the LXUA show “linear”, inverted-“U” and “J” growth patterns, respectively. Three types of construction land show different spatial transfer characteristics. The scale and extent of climbing of urban construction land in the LXUA is gradually decreasing over time, and the number of climbing rural settlement lands in 2000–2010 was as high as 34 counties (districts), while the number of counties (districts) with strong climbing degrees of other construction land rose to 12 from 2010 to 2020. The relative hotspots of the slope-climbing phenomenon of the three types of construction land have gradually expanded spatially, with Lanzhou city and Xining city as the center, and the overall spatial characteristics are “more in the east and less in the west”. The population and GDP are the main factors influencing the slope-climbing phenomenon of urban construction land, while rural settlements are influenced mainly by natural conditions, and accessibility is the key factor affecting other construction land. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Land Planning and Urban Regeneration for Achieving Sustainable Development)

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19 pages, 6784 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Urban Commons between Ostrom’s and Neo-Materialist Approaches: The Case of Lido Pola in Naples, Southern Italy

by Maria Patrizia Vittoria, Stefania Ragozino and Gabriella Esposito De Vita

Land 2023, 12(3), 524; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12030524 - 21 Feb 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1573

Abstract

The main aim of the study was reflecting on performative implications of the urban commons and their relational ability (i.e., inter- and/or intra-actioning) within an inclusive governance model and policy design context through two interpretative keys: Ostrom’s idea of sustainability and the recent hybrid neo-materialist urban and organizational theoretical path grounded within the Metzger–Barad–Latour analyses. Firstly, we focused on defining the theoretical setting, background and selected codes. The resulting scheme was tested with a mixed methodology within the case study of the Lido Pola Commons in Naples, Southern Italy. Empirical analysis benefits from long-lasting research experience on the area and an action-research processes aimed at codesigning a living civic lab. The discussion illustrates the main pivots of the internal/external validation of the case study results, thus contributing to enhancing a participatory policy design by raising awareness regarding social intra/interactions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Land Planning and Urban Regeneration for Achieving Sustainable Development)

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23 pages, 2484 KiB

Open AccessArticle

How Can the Risk of Misconduct in Land Expropriation for Tract Development Be Prevented and Mitigated: A Study of “Good Land Governance” Inspection in China

by Lingling Li, Yansong He and Changjian Li

Land 2022, 11(11), 2019; https://doi.org/10.3390/land11112019 - 11 Nov 2022

Viewed by 1514

Abstract

In the context of China’s new round of land reform, narrowing the scope of land expropriation, standardising the procedures for land expropriation, and building a unified urban and rural construction land market have become the objectives of land expropriation reform. The new Land Management Law of the People’s Republic of China confirms land expropriation for tract development as a new situation for the land acquisition system. However, in the process of implementing the system, the new land acquisition mode is plagued by the dual dilemma of the falsification of public interests and the lack of a mechanism to realise public interests, which leads to the real risk of misconduct in standards. The concept of the coordination of interests and co-operative governance in “Good Land Governance” is a sure way to overcome this structural risk. The article analyses the causes through the lens of “Good Land Governance” and concludes that the risk of failure of the standards can be addressed through the binary public good remedy: On the one hand, from the perspective of coordination of interests, drawing on the principle of proportionality, the system can be built by improving the way of purposeful examination, so as to achieve the effect of preventing the risk of deflating and generalising public interests in order to achieve the effect of realising and reinforcing public interests. On the other hand, from the perspective of synergistic shared governance and drawing on the logic of land justice, institutional insight can be built by way of establishing a pattern of shared public interest, thus achieving the effect of preventing the risk of public interest erosion in order to achieve the effect of shared public interest replenishment. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Land Planning and Urban Regeneration for Achieving Sustainable Development)

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14 pages, 4230 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Evaluation Method of Composite Development Bus Terminal Using Multi-Source Data Processing

by Tao Zhang, Yibo Yan, Qi Chen and Ze Liu

Land 2022, 11(10), 1757; https://doi.org/10.3390/land11101757 - 09 Oct 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2299

Abstract

Given the accelerating speed and scale of urbanization in China, a rational formulation of a composite development plan to increase the vitality and value of various areas is required. Thus, this study proposes a method for evaluating the spatial relationship among facilities around bus terminals by combining urban points-of-interest data and street view image data from two perspectives: the current level of development and potential of the terminals, and an evaluation of the surrounding pedestrian environment. This is in response to the lack of quantitative descriptions of the composite development of existing bus terminals. The validity and applicability of the methods are verified using the samples of five planned composite development bus terminals in the city of Zhengzhou. These results offer strategic suggestions for the composite development of the Zhengzhou bus terminals. This study demonstrates innovation in integrating geographic information data and street view image data. It reflects the spatial characteristics of the built environment using geographic information data and the visual characteristics of the built environment using street view images. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Land Planning and Urban Regeneration for Achieving Sustainable Development)

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22 pages, 1356 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Space Reproduction in Urban China: Toward a Theoretical Framework of Urban Regeneration

by Yafei Liu

Land 2022, 11(10), 1704; https://doi.org/10.3390/land11101704 - 30 Sep 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 3128

Abstract

As China’s urbanization enters the middle and late stages, urban regeneration has risen to the strategic level of building a new national development pattern and promoting high-quality urban development. Due to the wide range of disciplines and content involved in urban regeneration, there remains a lack of systematic and comprehensive theories and frameworks to lay a theoretical foundation for academic research and provide guidance for renewal practice. Therefore, this paper aims to construct a systematic and comprehensive theoretical framework of urban regeneration from the perspective of space reproduction, by employing the theory of the production of space as the basis of interdisciplinary research, and integrating related theories and research. The current paper proposes a theoretical framework that includes four core elements, namely the government, the market, society and space reproduction. Subsequently, the paper summarizes the subject, power, capital and interest of the three types of stakeholders (government, market, and society), their different emphases in the reproduction mechanism, and their various cooperative modes in practices. Meanwhile, under the concept of sustainable development and “people-oriented” approach, this paper emphasizes the importance of social factors and the suitability of the multi-stakeholder co-governance model of government, market and society. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Land Planning and Urban Regeneration for Achieving Sustainable Development)

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27 pages, 1005 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Multidimensional Evaluation of Cultural Heritage Regeneration Projects: A Proposal for Integrating Level(s) Tool—The Case Study of Villa Vannucchi in San Giorgio a Cremano (Italy)

by Francesca Nocca and Mariarosaria Angrisano

Land 2022, 11(9), 1568; https://doi.org/10.3390/land11091568 - 14 Sep 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2343

Abstract

The challenges of sustainable development are mainly concentrated in the cities. Therefore, they represent a key place for implementing strategies and actions to achieve (or not achieve) sustainable development objectives. In this perspective, the circular city model represents a new way of organizing the city. As demonstrated by a variety of best practices, the entry points for triggering circular processes at the urban scale are various. In this paper, cultural heritage is presented as the entry point for the implementation of this new urban development model. The focus here is on the implementation tools, with a particular emphasis on the evaluation tools for assessing the effectiveness and efficiency of this model, that is, the multidimensional benefits that it can produce. The Level(s) tool, proposed by the European Commission in 2017, is the only officially recognised assessment tool related to the circular economy at the European level. It aims to evaluate the performance of new buildings from a circular economy perspective. This paper intends to expand the field of action of the aforementioned tool to projects related to cultural heritage. Nevertheless, the Level(s) tool has some weaknesses in relation to values and attributes that need to be considered when dealing with cultural heritage. This paper proposes an evaluation framework for assessing cultural heritage renovation and reuse projects, considering all its values and the multidimensional impacts that they are able to produce (economic, social, environmental impacts) in the city. The starting point for the development of the proposed evaluation framework is the Level(s) tool by the European Commission. On the basis of critical considerations, this tool is integrated with criteria and indicators deduced from other previous studies and other official tools on this issue (Green Building Council and Heritage Impact Assessment tools). The evaluation framework is here tested to evaluate the renovation/reuse project of Villa Vannucchi, a historic building located in the city of San Giorgio a Cremano in the metropolitan city of Naples (Italy). Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Land Planning and Urban Regeneration for Achieving Sustainable Development)

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16 pages, 4708 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Typology, Preservation, and Regeneration of the Post-1949 Industrial Heritage in China: A Case Study of Shanghai

by Chaoyu Mo, Lin Wang and Fujie Rao

Land 2022, 11(9), 1527; https://doi.org/10.3390/land11091527 - 09 Sep 2022

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 3110

Abstract

Industrial heritage is one of the most neglected types of cultural heritage and urban landscape, often being vulnerable to rather than blessed by urban (re)development. China is confronting an unprecedentedly intensive challenge of preserving industrial heritage, as the country has rapidly shifted towards post-industrialization only several years after being recognized as the “world’s factory” in the 21st century. However, none of the existing literature has systematically investigated the typology and preservation of China’s post-1949 industrial heritage. This research selects Shanghai—the largest metropolis and a prime industrial hub in China— for the case study, and examines 83 accredited modern industrial heritage sites in the city through typological analysis, descriptive statistical analysis, and GIS spatial analysis. Two principal findings are identified. First, there is a diverse range of the post-1949 industrial heritage in China, by industries, time, and spatial forms. Particularly the industrial block—where industrial development is intermingled with the surrounding urban fabric—is the dominant spatial type. Second, the preservation and regeneration of China’s post-1949 industrial heritage in the suburbs are substantially more complex and more threatened than those in the inner city. This study concludes by providing implications for enhanced management and investigation of China’s post-1949 industrial heritage preservation and regeneration. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Land Planning and Urban Regeneration for Achieving Sustainable Development)

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16 pages, 3986 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Comparative Residents’ Satisfaction Evaluation for Socially Sustainable Regeneration—The Case of Two High-Density Communities in Suzhou

by Jinliu Chen, Paola Pellegrini and Haoqi Wang

Land 2022, 11(9), 1483; https://doi.org/10.3390/land11091483 - 04 Sep 2022

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 3030

Abstract

With the 14th Five-Year Plan for Development, China is promoting people-oriented urban regeneration for residential communities built before 2000. Evaluations of quality of life (QoL) and considerations of social sustainability must play an important role in defining people-oriented regeneration projects. Residents’ satisfaction is an important indicator of QoL and is essential for achieving socially sustainable development. To contribute to the ongoing discussion about people-oriented urban regeneration, this paper studies the correlation between QoL and social sustainability, investigating residents’ perception in high-density communities through a satisfaction evaluation approach based on the QoL index. Two high-density communities in Suzhou were analyzed: Nanhuan, a high-rise, gated community in one of the first expansions of the city in the 80s; and Daoqian, a multi-story, non-gated community in the old town. Both communities have a typical urban morphology and were selected for their exemplary characteristics. The study used a mixed research method: field investigation, on-site interviews, and a survey with over 670 questionnaires conducted and analyzed. It also applied the Structural Equation Model (SEM) to explore and define the satisfaction evaluation factors. The two communities expressed concerns about different factors: in the case of the Nanhuan community, property management and spatial scenario creation were emphasized, whereas in the case of the Daoqian community, unrestricted space mobility, poor existing conditions, and the demand for various facilities and recreation spaces were most prominent. The research found that improving community environmental quality and facilities would, as one would expect, improve residents’ satisfaction in both communities. Still, our research also clearly indicated that diversified spatial activities, currently missing in both cases, and more opportunities for social interaction would enhance residents’ satisfaction. The findings of this study offer some insights regarding socially sustainable community regeneration, as well as decision-making processes and design strategies. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Land Planning and Urban Regeneration for Achieving Sustainable Development)

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19 pages, 3024 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Social Media as a Medium to Promote Local Perception Expression in China’s World Heritage Sites

by Xiaoxu Liang, Naisi Hua, John Martin, Elena Dellapiana, Cristina Coscia and Yu Zhang

Land 2022, 11(6), 841; https://doi.org/10.3390/land11060841 - 03 Jun 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 3020

Abstract

The assessment of public participation is one of the most fundamental components of holistic and sustainable cultural heritage management. Since the beginning of 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic became a catalyst for the transformation of participatory tools. Collaboration with stakeholders moved online due to the strict restrictions preventing on-site activities. This phenomenon provided an opportunity to formulate more comprehensive and reasonable urban heritage protection strategies. However, very few publications mentioned how social networking sites’ data could support humanity-centred heritage management and participatory evaluation. Taking five World Cultural Heritage Sites as research samples, the study provides a methodology to evaluate online participatory practices in China through Weibo, a Chinese-originated social media platform. The data obtained were analysed from three perspectives: the users’ information, the content of texts, and the attached images. As shown in the results section, individuals’ information is described by gender, geo-location, celebrities, and Key Opinion Leaders. To a greater extent, participatory behaviour emerges at the relatively primary levels, that being “informing and consulting”. According to the label detection of Google Vision, residents paid more attention to buildings, facades, and temples in the cultural heritage sites. The research concludes that using social media platforms to unveil interplays between digital and physical heritage conservation is feasible and should be widely encouraged. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Land Planning and Urban Regeneration for Achieving Sustainable Development)

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