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Advances in Urban Green Development and Resilient Cities

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Sustainable Urban and Rural Development".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 March 2024 | Viewed by 23927

Special Issue Editors

Department of Agricultural, Forest, and Food Sciences, DISAFA, Ornamental Crops and Landscape Design, University of Turin, 10095 Grugliasco, Italy
Interests: historic and contemporary parks and gardens; agricultural landscape; green urban design; ornamental plants; postharvest cut flowers
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Department of Architecture and Engineering, Faculty of Architecture and Design, Polis University, 1051 Tirana, Albania
Interests: co-evolutive resilience; planning; urban and regional development; landscape
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Department of Agricultural, Forest, and Food Sciences, DISAFA, Ornamental Crops and Landscape Design, University of Turin, 10095 Grugliasco, Italy
Interests: micropropagation; horticulture; floriculture; medicinal and aromatic plants; sustainable cultivation; soilless cultivation; abiotic stress; secondary metabolites; biostimulants
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The 21st century has made it clear that global cities are increasingly subject to pressures of various kinds, the effects of which impact the socio-ecological sphere in increasingly dramatic ways. Despite the continuing digitally driven dematerialisation, urgent issues, such as climate change, remind us of the importance of the physical world and cities as settings and containers of life. Therefore, disciplines, such as urban planning, green urban design, architecture, agricultural and agronomic sciences, as well as medicine, among others, are increasingly being called upon to coordinate closely across disciplines to propose future solutions for cities that go beyond mere mitigation and adaptation.

This call aims to investigate how the combined contribution of these disciplines can produce resilient 'bounce-forward' solutions to future-proof the world's cities in 2050. In urban areas, green design is often in conflict with commercial demand and social needs. From this perspective, the sustainable use of ecosystem services is a key factor for the future of our urban areas. How should architecture and urbanism be rethought in order to continuously adapt to these changing conditions? Which settlement models should be opted for to respond to these emergencies, from a multi-level perspective? How and in what way can medicine and its branches return to direct planning choices? What proactive contribution can the agricultural, horticultural, forestry, and agronomic sciences offer to go beyond planning tools aimed at maintaining the status quo, such as green and blue infrastructures?

Theoretical and speculative proposals, practical case studies, and interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary research are strongly encouraged by this call. The idea is to build a registry of common actions and strategies, from a project perspective, that can effectively discuss and possibly update UN SDG 11 “Make cities inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable” (2015).

Prof. Dr. Marco Devecchi
Dr. Fabrizio Aimar
Dr. Matteo Caser
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. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly 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 2400 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

  • integrated planning policies and plans
  • city and its modifications: forms follow climate
  • regional development policies and programs
  • strategies and actions to future-proof cities
  • social, environmental, and economic sustainability
  • urban and peri-urban protection and enhancement
  • urban horticulture
  • sustainable cultivation
  • urban green design
  • ecosystem services

Published Papers (14 papers)

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Research

19 pages, 10026 KiB  
Article
Maintaining Community Resilience through Urban Renewal Processes Using Architectural and Planning Guidelines
by Hadas Shadar and Dalit Shach-Pinsly
Sustainability 2024, 16(2), 560; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16020560 - 09 Jan 2024
Viewed by 682
Abstract
The article deals with community resilience-oriented urban renewal in a geographical periphery, and the characteristic patterns of public housing built in the 1950s and 1960s. When the existing fabric is well-established and effectively serves the residents, demolition and redevelopment may not be the [...] Read more.
The article deals with community resilience-oriented urban renewal in a geographical periphery, and the characteristic patterns of public housing built in the 1950s and 1960s. When the existing fabric is well-established and effectively serves the residents, demolition and redevelopment may not be the most strategic approach if they undermine the internal resilience of public housing based on functionality. The article addresses the question of how to add new construction and a new population to these patterns of public housing in the periphery without affecting the community resilience of longtime residents and the sense of urban vitality and innovation of the new population. In order to address this question, we examined the built environment’s qualities in relation to the population’s resilience. Specifically, we conducted a quality analysis of the built environment focusing primarily on walkability and connectivity, diversity and land uses, open public spaces, and visibility to internal and external views. The findings of the analysis recommend developing a multiple urban spatial network relying on the longtime community’s resilience and a new spatial network for the newcomers. This is a potentially win–win solution. The old neighborhoods remain, while at the same time an additional layer of housing and other land uses will be developed along the edges of existing neighborhoods. The proposed analysis will be demonstrated on the peripherical city of Kiryat Yam. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Urban Green Development and Resilient Cities)
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20 pages, 1039 KiB  
Article
The Impact of E-Commerce Transformation of Cities on Green Total Factor Productivity
by Mengqi Ding and Qijie Gao
Sustainability 2023, 15(24), 16734; https://doi.org/10.3390/su152416734 - 11 Dec 2023
Viewed by 2691
Abstract
The e-commerce-oriented transformation of cities is an important measure to enhance the vitality of economic development, improve the efficiency of resource allocation, and provide a new boost to the green and high-quality development of regions. Taking the quasi-natural experiment of national e-commerce demonstration [...] Read more.
The e-commerce-oriented transformation of cities is an important measure to enhance the vitality of economic development, improve the efficiency of resource allocation, and provide a new boost to the green and high-quality development of regions. Taking the quasi-natural experiment of national e-commerce demonstration city construction as the starting point, using the panel data of 281 prefecture-level cities in China from 2005 to 2021, we measure the green total factor productivity of cities by using the super-efficient SBM model with non-expected outputs and the global reference GML index method, and use the multi-period propensity score matching double-difference method to examine the impact of urban e-commerce-oriented transformation on the green total factor productivity of the city and the intrinsic mechanism of the effect. The results show that the urban e-commerce transformation policy can significantly promote regional green total factor productivity, and this result still holds after a series of robustness tests, such as changing the time point of the policy, randomly selecting the placebo proposal for the treatment group, and changing the matching method; the effect is regionally heterogeneous, and is more pronounced in large cities, non-provincial capitals, eastern cities, central cities, and non-resource-based cities; the urban e-commerce transformation mainly promotes the improvement of urban green total factor productivity through three channels: the industrial structure upgrading effect, the economic agglomeration effect, and the green technology innovation effect. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Urban Green Development and Resilient Cities)
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22 pages, 9294 KiB  
Article
Sustainability of Urban Parks: Applicable Methodological Framework for a Simple Assessment
by Teresa González, Pia Berger, Claudia N. Sánchez and Faezeh Mahichi
Sustainability 2023, 15(21), 15262; https://doi.org/10.3390/su152115262 - 25 Oct 2023
Viewed by 1483
Abstract
Urban parks are central to advancing urban sustainability and improving overall quality of life by providing green spaces that promote physical and mental well-being, mitigate environmental issues, and foster community cohesion. However, there is a lack of methodologies that measure these benefits and [...] Read more.
Urban parks are central to advancing urban sustainability and improving overall quality of life by providing green spaces that promote physical and mental well-being, mitigate environmental issues, and foster community cohesion. However, there is a lack of methodologies that measure these benefits and provide a sustainability rating. In this study, we propose a valuable tool for measuring the sustainability level of urban parks: low (0–50%), medium (51–79%), and high (80–100%). It employs effective and affordable measures for the daily management of urban parks. It is rooted in the three pillars of sustainability: environmental, social, and economic. We have defined 19 indicators (e.g., renewable energy and energy efficiency, environmental impact on society) and 50 criteria (e.g., clean energy generation, water workshops). A multi-criteria analysis facilitated the selection process for these indicators and criteria. This methodology is developed by characterizing and systematically documenting the park’s day-to-day operations. We present a case study of Cárcamos Park in Guanajuato, Mexico. Through this real-life scenario, we demonstrate our methodology’s high applicability and effectiveness. The sustainability assessment of Cárcamos Park reveals a level of 57%, with the environmental pillar at 47.7%, the economic pillar at 49%, and the social pillar at 75%. The adaptability of our methodology during the design phase of new parks plays a crucial role in shaping sustainable park layouts. Park managers can apply our procedure to any park, evaluate their sustainability status, and detect areas of opportunity. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Urban Green Development and Resilient Cities)
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19 pages, 4102 KiB  
Article
Urban Green Development and Resilient Cities: A First Insight into Urban Forest Planning in Italy
by Luca Battisti, Fabrizio Aimar, Giovanni Giacco and Marco Devecchi
Sustainability 2023, 15(15), 12085; https://doi.org/10.3390/su151512085 - 07 Aug 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1296
Abstract
The research proposes an application of a modification of the 3–30–300 rule to identify areas that require Urban Forestry implementation in small and medium-sized Roman and/or medieval urban areas. The selected case study is that of Asti in Piedmont, Italy. An open source, [...] Read more.
The research proposes an application of a modification of the 3–30–300 rule to identify areas that require Urban Forestry implementation in small and medium-sized Roman and/or medieval urban areas. The selected case study is that of Asti in Piedmont, Italy. An open source, cross-platform desktop geographic information system is used to process geospatial datasets via qualitative analyses of electoral sections (or wards). An analysis of the number and distribution of trees around each building is performed, in addition to the calculation of tree canopy cover and distance between buildings and green spaces. Findings reveal that 64 out of 70 wards have an average of at least three trees per building and sufficient green areas of at least 0.5 hectares within 300 m of the buildings. Additionally, the tree canopy cover ranges from approximately 0.6% (lowest) to about 55% (highest) for the electoral sections. Lastly, findings suggest that the highly built-up urban fabric in these areas may significantly affect the availability and quality of green spaces. In conclusion, the case study proves the benefits of applying the 3–30–300 rule to small and medium-sized urban areas using an integrated assessment approach based on nature-based solutions and ecosystem services. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Urban Green Development and Resilient Cities)
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24 pages, 11353 KiB  
Article
How Does the Residential Complex Regulate Residents’ Behaviour? An Empirical Study to Identify Influential Components of Human Territoriality on Social Interaction
by Zahra Nowzari, Rachel Armitage and Mohammad Javad Maghsoodi Tilaki
Sustainability 2023, 15(14), 11276; https://doi.org/10.3390/su151411276 - 19 Jul 2023
Viewed by 1479
Abstract
Although urbanisation and urban land limitations are prevalent, residential complexes are seldom discussed as a means of compartmentalising social interactions and contributing to residents’ social interactions. Due to the spatial orientation of social interactions, semi-public spaces in these buildings are unable to host [...] Read more.
Although urbanisation and urban land limitations are prevalent, residential complexes are seldom discussed as a means of compartmentalising social interactions and contributing to residents’ social interactions. Due to the spatial orientation of social interactions, semi-public spaces in these buildings are unable to host residents’ interactions due to a lack of appropriate arrangements/establishment of tangible and visible objects. The influential components, however, have rarely been identified in residential complexes. To fill this gap, using the theory of human territoriality, the current study explores the influential physical components of human territorialities in semi-public spaces in four residential complexes and investigates whether a significant relationship exists between human territorialities’ physical components and social interactions. This study collected data from 264 residents of four residential complexes with different spatial configuration layouts. Pearson correlation and Spearman’s rank correlation are used to evaluate linear and monotonic relationships between study variables. The correlation between spatial configurations of physical components and residents’ interactions confirms that spatial configurations influence residents’ use of semi-public spaces. Social interaction can, therefore, be improved through green space, brightness, accessibility, and furniture in common areas. The findings prove that residential complexes with clustered arrangements have not performed well in creating social interaction due to the lack of defined spaces and territories for people, but multi-core, mixed, and linear complexes that define several open and semi-open spaces have been more successful in the amount of social interaction of residents. This study is one of the first to identify the influential components using the integration of residents’ perceptions and spatial configuration. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Urban Green Development and Resilient Cities)
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20 pages, 3898 KiB  
Article
Social Metabolism in Buruan SAE: Individual Rift Perspective on Urban Farming Model for Food Independence in Bandung, Indonesia
by Dwi Purnomo, Gregorio Laulasta Sitepu, Yoga Restu Nugraha and Muhammad Bayu Permana Rosiyan
Sustainability 2023, 15(13), 10273; https://doi.org/10.3390/su151310273 - 28 Jun 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1175
Abstract
This study focused on one of the formulas for assessing social metabolism, specifically derived from individual variables. The formula was utilized as a framework for analyzing agricultural activities and combatting food vulnerability in urban communities. Bandung, the capital city of West Java in [...] Read more.
This study focused on one of the formulas for assessing social metabolism, specifically derived from individual variables. The formula was utilized as a framework for analyzing agricultural activities and combatting food vulnerability in urban communities. Bandung, the capital city of West Java in Indonesia, has implemented an urban agricultural program called Buruan SAE, using a policy formulation oriented towards food self-sufficiency for low-income citizens. This program utilized a policy formulation that involved using empty residential land owned by low-income citizens, distributing food to surrounding residents indiscriminately, and working towards anticipating nutritional vulnerability (stunting). However, the implementation had the opposite effect and pushed urban agriculture into becoming stagnant and undeveloped. This study aims to use individual rift theory as the analytic axiom to discuss the stagnation in the implementation of policy. The analysis was performed using a social monitoring method to form policy instruments that analyze Buruan SAE’s stagnation in Bandung City. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Urban Green Development and Resilient Cities)
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28 pages, 4755 KiB  
Article
Exploration of Coupling Effects in the Digital Economy and Eco-Economic System Resilience in Urban Areas: Case Study of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Urban Agglomeration
by Kai Yuan, Biao Hu, Xinlong Li, Tingyun Niu and Liang Zhang
Sustainability 2023, 15(9), 7258; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15097258 - 27 Apr 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1246
Abstract
Exploring the interaction and coupling effects within the digital economy and eco-economic system resilience in urban agglomeration areas is conducive to promoting high-quality sustainable urban development. Based on the coupling effect perspective, we construct a coupling coordination and development system with multiple elements, [...] Read more.
Exploring the interaction and coupling effects within the digital economy and eco-economic system resilience in urban agglomeration areas is conducive to promoting high-quality sustainable urban development. Based on the coupling effect perspective, we construct a coupling coordination and development system with multiple elements, information, and interaction flow. The JJJ urban agglomeration from 2010 to 2019 was used as the study sample. The spatiotemporal differences and spatial effects of the coupled coordination were evaluated by combining the tools of combined weight model, coupled coordination model, nuclear density estimation, and exploratory spatial data analysis. The main results can be summarized as follows. (1) From 2010 to 2019, the digital economic index and eco-economic system resilience index of JJJ urban agglomeration maintained an upward trend, and the time series characteristics of the two sides showed a significant positive correlation. Additionally, the overall digital economic development index is better than the resilience development index of the urban eco-economic system. (2) In terms of the type of coupling coordination, the JJJ region has experienced a dynamic evolution process from the imbalance in 2010 to the primary coordination in 2019. The coupling and coordinated development levels of Beijing and Tianjin are obviously better than those of Hebei Province as a whole. (3) The coupling coordination of the system shows certain characteristics of spatial agglomeration and distribution. The overall spatial pattern presents a development pattern with Beijing and Tianjin as the core, and the gap between the north and the south is gradually narrowing. (4) Spatial spillovers and diffusion effects are evident. However, the influential factors have significant differences in the coupling and coordinated development between this region and neighboring regions. The results may provide theoretical support for the continuous improvement of ecological environment quality and green sustainable economic efficiency in urban agglomeration. It provides decision-making reference for promoting regional synergistic development strategy and optimizing spatial pattern of regional integration. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Urban Green Development and Resilient Cities)
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23 pages, 3438 KiB  
Article
The Resilience of a Resettled Flood-Prone Community: An Application of the RABIT Framework in Pasig City, Metro Manila
by Nikko Torres Ner, Seth Asare Okyere, Matthew Abunyewah, Louis Kusi Frimpong and Michihiro Kita
Sustainability 2023, 15(8), 6953; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15086953 - 20 Apr 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2940
Abstract
Resilience measurement is an emerging topic in the field of disaster risk reduction. However, its application in Global South cities has proven to be a challenge due to the uniqueness of southern urbanisms and data challenges. As a result, the Resilience Benchmarking Assessment [...] Read more.
Resilience measurement is an emerging topic in the field of disaster risk reduction. However, its application in Global South cities has proven to be a challenge due to the uniqueness of southern urbanisms and data challenges. As a result, the Resilience Benchmarking Assessment and Impact Toolkit (RABIT) framework has recently been developed to support resilience assessment in informal, marginalized, and disaster-prone contexts of southern cities. This paper asserts the relevance of the RABIT framework and uses it to assess the resilience of Manggahan residences, a resettled marginalized community in Pasig City, Metro Manila. Drawing on a quantitative approach and using exploratory factor analysis (EFA), the study revealed that scale, robustness, and learning attributes of the RABIT framework are strong contributors to the community’s resilience. Self-organization, diversity, and redundancy have similar levels of contribution. Equality and rapidity were found to have the weakest relative contribution. The study findings emphasize the need to view resilience in resettled communities holistically and adopt an integrated and comprehensive approach that considers the multiple aspects of everyday life to proactively build adaptive and future resilient capacities. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Urban Green Development and Resilient Cities)
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26 pages, 4847 KiB  
Article
Coupled and Coordinated Analysis of Urban Green Development and Ecological Civilization Construction in the Yangtze River Delta Region
by Xinyu Hu, Chun Dong and Yihan Wang
Sustainability 2023, 15(7), 5955; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15075955 - 29 Mar 2023
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1490
Abstract
Managing the human–nature relationship is key to facilitating the sustainable development of cities. The coupled coordination relationship between ecological civilization construction and urban green development and influence of spatio-temporal heterogeneity has been insufficiently studied. We used the coupled coordination degree model (CCDM) and [...] Read more.
Managing the human–nature relationship is key to facilitating the sustainable development of cities. The coupled coordination relationship between ecological civilization construction and urban green development and influence of spatio-temporal heterogeneity has been insufficiently studied. We used the coupled coordination degree model (CCDM) and spatio-temporal weighted model (GTWR) to analyze the relationship and heterogeneity between ecological civilization construction and UGD and ECC in each city in the Yangtze River Delta region from 2010 to 2019. The results show that: (1) UGD and ECC coordination levels fluctuated more from 2010 until 2019. There was a transition from lagging UGD and ECC to lagging ecological civilization construction and a decreasing degree of coupling coordination in the Yangtze River Delta region from east to west from near imbalance to primary coordination. (2) The Yangtze River Delta’s negative UGD and ECC effect was concentrated in northwest inland cities; the positive UGD and ECC effect was concentrated in southeast coastal cities. Thus, UGD and ECC and ecological civilization construction complement each other. This study provides a scientific basis for analyzing the coordination between ecological civilization construction and UGD and ECC and provides practical guidance for formulating and implementing urban high-quality development countermeasures. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Urban Green Development and Resilient Cities)
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17 pages, 1909 KiB  
Article
Vulnerability Assessment of Ecological–Economic–Social Systems in Urban Agglomerations in Arid Regions—A Case Study of Urumqi–Changji–Shihezi Urban Agglomeration
by Xiaofen Zhang, Zibibula Simayi, Shengtian Yang, Yusuyunjiang Mamitimin, Fang Shen and Yunyi Zhang
Sustainability 2023, 15(6), 5414; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15065414 - 18 Mar 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1177
Abstract
This study aims to clarify the vulnerability characteristics of the ecological–economic–social system of oasis city clusters in arid zones, promote the deepening of research on the sustainable development of urban clusters, and provide crucial practical reference significance for solving the series of problems [...] Read more.
This study aims to clarify the vulnerability characteristics of the ecological–economic–social system of oasis city clusters in arid zones, promote the deepening of research on the sustainable development of urban clusters, and provide crucial practical reference significance for solving the series of problems brought about by urbanization. This article takes the arid zone oasis city cluster, the Urumqi–Changji–Shihezi urban agglomeration, as the research object and constructs an indicator system from three dimensions of ecological environment, regional economic, and social development, and adopts the comprehensive index method, GeoDetector, the GM(1, 1) gray prediction model, and other methods to study the vulnerability pattern and spatial and temporal changes of the urban cluster from 2009 to 2018. The results show that (1) from 2009 to 2018, the change in the integrated ecological–economic–social system vulnerability index of the Urumqi–Changji–Shihezi urban agglomeration shows a general downward trend, followed by significant differences in the vulnerability of each dimension, with an average vulnerability index of 1.8846, 1.6377, and 0.9831 for the social vulnerability, regional economic, and ecological environment dimensions, respectively; (2) the evolution of the spatial pattern of changes in the vulnerability index of different systems in each region of the Urumqi–Changji–Shihezi urban agglomeration tends to change from large to slight spatial differences, in which the social and ecological environmental vulnerability changes are more prominent in addition to the vulnerability changes of the regional economy; (3) parkland area per capita, arable land area per capita, GDP per capita, social fixed asset investment, population density, and urban road area per capita are the main drivers of decreasing vulnerability of ecological–economic–social systems in urban agglomerations; (4) by predicting and calculating the vulnerability index of each region of the ecological–economic–social system of urban agglomerations, it is found that the vulnerability index of urban agglomerations will show a decreasing trend from 2009 to 2018, and the difference of the vulnerability index between systems will narrow; (5) finally, targeted countermeasures and suggestions to reduce the vulnerability of ecological–economic–social systems are proposed to provide scientific references for the sustainable development of arid oasis cities. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Urban Green Development and Resilient Cities)
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17 pages, 3105 KiB  
Article
System Dynamics Theory Applied to Differentiated Levels of City–Industry Integration in China
by Yunchang Li, Xia Cao and Can Cui
Sustainability 2023, 15(5), 3987; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15053987 - 22 Feb 2023
Viewed by 1279
Abstract
The development of city–industry integration is crucial for modern cities and is a core element of city competitiveness enhancement and sustainable development. This study considers system dynamics theory to examine city–industry integration and constructs an index system to measure the degree of integration. [...] Read more.
The development of city–industry integration is crucial for modern cities and is a core element of city competitiveness enhancement and sustainable development. This study considers system dynamics theory to examine city–industry integration and constructs an index system to measure the degree of integration. For this purpose, 31 regions in China (including provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities directly under the central government) are considered as research samples. Objective evaluation methods such as factor analysis and entropy methods are applied to evaluate the target value. The research results reveal a wide gap in the levels of city–industry integration in various regions of China. Furthermore, the Middle East outperforms the Western and Northeastern regions. Accordingly, the advantages of the Central and Eastern regions should be combined, and a leading and radiation-driven role should be played. Moreover, capital investment in the Western and Northeastern regions should be increased, and emphasis should be placed on local characteristics. Moreover, urban economic development, industrial transformation, and industrial upgrading should be promoted, and the sustainable development capacity of cities should be enhanced. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Urban Green Development and Resilient Cities)
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18 pages, 6023 KiB  
Article
Providing an Integrated Vulnerability Assessment Indicator System (VAIS) to Measure the Spatial Vulnerability of Areas near Seveso Establishments in Thessaloniki (Greece)
by Spyridoula Kakia, Georgia Pozoukidou and Dimitra G. Vagiona
Sustainability 2023, 15(3), 2303; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15032303 - 27 Jan 2023
Viewed by 1216
Abstract
The most efficient way to reduce damage and losses in metropolitan areas with complex functions that are exposed to disaster risks is to reduce their vulnerability, which necessitates an assessment of the urban system’s vulnerability. Regarding the areas located near Seveso establishments, they [...] Read more.
The most efficient way to reduce damage and losses in metropolitan areas with complex functions that are exposed to disaster risks is to reduce their vulnerability, which necessitates an assessment of the urban system’s vulnerability. Regarding the areas located near Seveso establishments, they are characterized by high levels of vulnerability, both spatially and sectorally, as they present an increased risk due to the possible occurrence of large-scale industrial accidents. In this study, a vulnerability assessment indicator system (VAIS) that assesses the vulnerability presented in the areas located near Seveso facilities was proposed. The VAIS consisted of social, environmental and spatial indicators, and an assessment of the indicators was carried out by collecting the appropriate data. The study area is located in the western part of Thessaloniki and includes the Seveso site and the adjacent municipal districts. Prioritization of the examined municipal districts based on their overall vulnerability was carried out using multicriteria analysis methods. The results showed that there was a convergence among the three categories of vulnerability (social, environmental and spatial) in the areas that presented the highest vulnerability. The MD of Kalochori (MD7) was the most vulnerable MD in the study, while the less vulnerable ones varied depending on the vulnerability category (social, environmental or spatial) considered each time. The proposed methodology may prove to be a highly useful tool in decision-making processes when used by the relevant authorities who are qualified to define and implement a site-specific security management system. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Urban Green Development and Resilient Cities)
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17 pages, 2936 KiB  
Article
Twenty Years of Urban Reforestation: Overstory Development Structures Understory Plant Communities in Lexington, KY, USA
by Kenton L. Sena, Zachary J. Hackworth, Julia Maugans and John M. Lhotka
Sustainability 2023, 15(3), 1985; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15031985 - 20 Jan 2023
Viewed by 1259
Abstract
Urban forests provide critical ecosystem services in an increasingly urbanized global landscape. The reforestation of undeveloped parcels and serially mowed grasslands can increase urban forest cover, but plant community development in planted urban forests is poorly understood. We conducted a study to elucidate [...] Read more.
Urban forests provide critical ecosystem services in an increasingly urbanized global landscape. The reforestation of undeveloped parcels and serially mowed grasslands can increase urban forest cover, but plant community development in planted urban forests is poorly understood. We conducted a study to elucidate the roles of time since tree planting, invasive species abundance, and other abiotic and biotic site-level factors in structuring understory plant communities within a 20-year chronosequence of planted urban forests in Lexington, KY, USA. We assessed the percent of groundcover of all understory species in fixed-radius plots on the site. Understory herbaceous plant communities demonstrated shifts from graminoid dominance to forb dominance over time, and plant communities in successively younger sites were increasingly dissimilar from that of the 20-year-old site. Invasive plant species were abundant, representing 21% of total groundcover across all surveyed plots, and became increasingly prevalent over time. Understory plant diversity was negatively associated with invasive species abundance. Overall, site factors, including time since planting, forest canopy closure, density of tree and shrub reproduction, and soil pH, accounted for much of the variability among understory communities. Understory plant communities across the chronosequence of planted sites demonstrated apparent structural shifts with overstory canopy development, but the increasing prevalence of invasive species and their negative impacts to plant diversity warrant future management to ensure the continuation of the desired successional trajectories. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Urban Green Development and Resilient Cities)
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15 pages, 8046 KiB  
Article
Influence of the Urban Green Spaces of Seville (Spain) on Housing Prices through the Hedonic Assessment Methodology and Geospatial Analysis
by Emilio Ramírez-Juidías, José-Lázaro Amaro-Mellado and Jorge Luis Leiva-Piedra
Sustainability 2022, 14(24), 16613; https://doi.org/10.3390/su142416613 - 12 Dec 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1935
Abstract
The city of Seville (Spain) is made up of a historical network of pre-existing city overlaps, which increase the economic and heritage value of certain urban areas. To date, green spaces are one of the most important variables in determining the economic value [...] Read more.
The city of Seville (Spain) is made up of a historical network of pre-existing city overlaps, which increase the economic and heritage value of certain urban areas. To date, green spaces are one of the most important variables in determining the economic value of housing. Thus, this paper uses the hedonic technique and geostatistical analysis with GIS as a methodological approach to infer the economic influence of urban green spaces on housing prices. Along with the traditional variables used to explain dwelling prices, the size of the green space has also been taken into account as an environmental variable affecting prices. The sample consists of 1000 observations collected from Seville. According to the findings, the most relevant variables depend on the hedonic model. Still, in general terms, a dwelling’s selling price is related to basic explanatory variables such as living area, number of rooms, age, and number of baths. The green area per inhabitant present in a dwelling’s district is also included as part of these basic explanatory variables. In conclusion, the hedonic linear model is the model that best fits housing prices where the values are similar to those obtained by kriging regardless of the district. Based on this research, each square meter of green space per inhabitant in a district raises the housing value by 120.19 €/m2. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Urban Green Development and Resilient Cities)
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