Research

27 pages, 3829 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Policy Evolution Characteristics of Regional Integration Development in the Yangtze River Delta: A Quantitative Analysis Based on Policy Texts from 2003 to 2022

by Junjun Niu and Chunmei Mao

Sustainability 2023, 15(20), 14938; https://doi.org/10.3390/su152014938 - 16 Oct 2023

Viewed by 939

Abstract

The systematic analysis of policy texts on promoting regional integration in the Yangtze River Delta region is of great significance for promoting higher-quality development of this Chinese region. By collecting 803 policy texts from 2003 to 2022 and using policy text and social [...] Read more.

The systematic analysis of policy texts on promoting regional integration in the Yangtze River Delta region is of great significance for promoting higher-quality development of this Chinese region. By collecting 803 policy texts from 2003 to 2022 and using policy text and social network analysis methods, we statically reveal the evolution patterns of integration policies in the Yangtze River Delta under different dimensions. According to our research, the types of policies for integration in the Yangtze River Delta are diverse and flexible, with agreement policies being the main focus; the number of annual policy releases shows a trajectory of first fluctuating and then stabilizing growth; policy makers are mainly based on multi-department joint formulation across departments, levels, and administrative regions, supplemented by individual provinces and cities under the guidance of the central government; the integration coverage rate is gradually increasing, but there are differences in the level of emphasis within the field and among provinces and cities; and there is an imbalance in the use of both policy tools as a whole and sub-tools. Based on this, while prioritizing the integrated development of ecology, technology, economy, and other fields, while also promoting comprehensive integration in education, law, information, food safety, and other fields; policy makers should appropriately increase the use of contractual economic tools, maintain the current use trend of structural forcing tools, and enhance the stability of the use of interactive impact tools to ensure the balance and effectiveness of the use of policy tools. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovation in Planning and Governance for Urban Sustainability)

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21 pages, 1775 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Prospective Research Trend Analysis on Zero-Energy Building (ZEB): An Artificial Intelligence Approach

by Byoungsam Jin and Youngchul Bae

Sustainability 2023, 15(18), 13577; https://doi.org/10.3390/su151813577 - 11 Sep 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1050

Abstract

While global attention to zero-energy building (ZEB) has surged as a sustainable countermeasure to high-energy consumption, a congruent expansion in research remains conspicuously absent. Addressing this lacuna, our study harnesses public research and development grant data to decipher evolving trajectories within ZEB research. [...] Read more.

While global attention to zero-energy building (ZEB) has surged as a sustainable countermeasure to high-energy consumption, a congruent expansion in research remains conspicuously absent. Addressing this lacuna, our study harnesses public research and development grant data to decipher evolving trajectories within ZEB research. Distinctively departing from conventional methodologies, we employ state-of-the-art natural language processing (NLP) artificial intelligence models to meticulously analyze grant textual content pertinent to ZEB. Our findings illuminate an expansive spectrum of ZEB-related research, with a pronounced focus on the holistic continuum of energy supply, demand, distribution, and actualization within architectural confines. Theoretically, this work delineates key avenues ripe for future empirical exploration, fostering a robust academic foundation for subsequent ZEB inquiries. Practically, the insights derived bear significant implications for practitioners, informing optimal implementation strategies, and offering policymakers coherent roadmaps for sustainable urban development. Collectively, this study affords a panoramic perspective on contemporary ZEB research contours, enhancing both scholarly comprehension and practical enactment in this pivotal domain. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovation in Planning and Governance for Urban Sustainability)

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24 pages, 980 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Do Innovative Provincial Policies Promote the Optimization of Regional Innovation Ecosystems?

by Jun Liu, Yikun Zhang, Xiaoyu Ma and Huilin Wang

Sustainability 2023, 15(16), 12575; https://doi.org/10.3390/su151612575 - 18 Aug 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 999

Abstract

Innovative provinces are essential to innovative countries and robust support for constructing national and regional innovation systems. Based on the panel data of 28 provinces from 2016 to 2019, this paper builds a regional innovation ecosystem performance evaluation system from five dimensions: innovation [...] Read more.

Innovative provinces are essential to innovative countries and robust support for constructing national and regional innovation systems. Based on the panel data of 28 provinces from 2016 to 2019, this paper builds a regional innovation ecosystem performance evaluation system from five dimensions: innovation subject, innovation environment, innovation resource, resource flow, and interaction intermediaries. The index weighting is carried out using the principal component analysis method, and the innovation ecosystem performance of various provinces is evaluated and analyzed to determine the regional distribution status of innovation ecosystem performance. Based on a multi-period difference-in-differences model, this paper empirically tests the impact of innovative provincial policies on the innovation ecosystem performance of each region in the former innovation development stage. The results show that innovative provincial policies significantly positively impact the regional innovation ecosystems, which are multi-dimensional, long-term, and stable. The three secondary indicators, including ecological composition, resource input, and circulation flow, show a positive impact. Further research reveals that the main pathways of the effects are promoting the expansion of innovation inputs and the increase of interaction intermediaries among innovation subjects. Finally, combining the contents and impact of the previous innovative provincial policies, this paper puts forward corresponding thoughts and suggestions for the next phase of regional pilot-type innovation policies. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovation in Planning and Governance for Urban Sustainability)

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17 pages, 1498 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Research on the Characteristics and Influencing Factors of Provincial Urban Network from the Perspective of Local Governance—Based on the Data of the Top 100 Enterprises in Four Categories in Fujian Province

by Jialiang Zhao, Suqiong Wei and Qingmu Su

Sustainability 2023, 15(12), 9368; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15129368 - 09 Jun 2023

Viewed by 705

Abstract

With the development of the division of labor in product value chains and the specialization of urban functions, the network link structure model among cities is being reshaped. Studying the structure of urban networks and its related theories in the context of scale, [...] Read more.

With the development of the division of labor in product value chains and the specialization of urban functions, the network link structure model among cities is being reshaped. Studying the structure of urban networks and its related theories in the context of scale, place and policy is still an open area. This study constructs a research framework to study the urban network formed by the synergy of scale, place and policy. It mainly takes enterprises in different industries in different provinces as the empirical scale and object, and uses methods such as a social network and Geo Detector to analyze the characteristics and influencing factors of the provincial network relationship mode of enterprises among cities. The main findings are as follows. (1) Firstly, the urban network linkage in general shows strong coastal centrality and small-world network characteristics. The urban network linkages reflected by different types of enterprises all have obvious spatial directionality and polarization effects. (2) Coastal cities have strong centrality, and the specialized division of urban functions emerges, with large cities becoming a concentration area for different types of corporate headquarters, while small- and medium-sized cities carry a large number of processing and assembly enterprises. (3) The networks of different types of enterprises have different sensitivity to each influencing factor. For example, emerging industries have the strongest correlation with the economic scale and social services; manufacturing industries are most influenced by the public services, administrative level and development zone level; and service industries are most influenced by science and technology expenditure and the same metropolitan area. In conclusion, this study contributes to the understanding of network heterogeneity at the provincial scale and provides policy support for the local governance scale, as well as promotes the expansion of the urban network theory to network governance applications in the “flow space”. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovation in Planning and Governance for Urban Sustainability)

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19 pages, 461 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Environmental Identities and Attitude towards Crude Oil Pipeline Vandalism in Niger Delta Oil-Producing Communities

by Peterval E. Ozougwu, Christian N. Madu, Johnbosco C. Chukwuorji, Augustine O. Ozougwu and Stella U. Ozougwu

Sustainability 2023, 15(6), 5610; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15065610 - 22 Mar 2023

Viewed by 2078

Abstract

Environmental identities and attitude towards oil pipeline vandalism in Niger Delta oil-producing communities were examined to show whether low environmental identity is associated with an environmentally destructive attitude, as well as how such issues may be connected with incidents of oil pipeline vandalism [...] Read more.

Environmental identities and attitude towards oil pipeline vandalism in Niger Delta oil-producing communities were examined to show whether low environmental identity is associated with an environmentally destructive attitude, as well as how such issues may be connected with incidents of oil pipeline vandalism in the area. A survey of youths (N = 603) from selected oil-producing communities in the Niger Delta area was conducted. A subset of the sample participated in focus group discussions, and ten experts were interviewed. Socioeconomic and demographic factors of participants were also investigated, as they might be associated with environmental identities and attitudes. The study found that the youths who scored medium to high on the environmental identity scale are more likely to be pro-environmental. There was also a significant association between gender and environmental identity scores. Occupation, education, and income levels were also associated with attitude towards oil pipeline vandalism. However, there was no significant association between environmental identity and attitude towards oil pipeline vandalism. The strong associations between socioeconomic factors, environmental identity, and attitude towards pipeline vandalism suggest that improved socioeconomic status may help to curb oil pipeline vandalism in the Niger Delta. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovation in Planning and Governance for Urban Sustainability)

17 pages, 1402 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Construction and Demonstration of the Evaluation System of Public Participation Level in Urban Planning Based on the Participatory Video of ‘General Will—Particular Will’

by Zongxiang Wang, Tianhao Chen, Wei Li, Kai Zhang and Jianwu Qi

Sustainability 2023, 15(2), 1687; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15021687 - 16 Jan 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1825

Abstract

Under the requirement of the modernization of the national governance system and governance capacity, it is an important measure for the government to respond to the demands of the public in the process of urban governance to explore more extensive and more universal [...] Read more.

Under the requirement of the modernization of the national governance system and governance capacity, it is an important measure for the government to respond to the demands of the public in the process of urban governance to explore more extensive and more universal means of public participation. With the advent of the Internet era, the communication method of using images as media has made public participation across time and space simple and convenient compared with the background, whereby the participation channels in past urban planning processes could not fully meet the public’s demands. We Media, represented by participatory videos, has had a huge impact on public participation with the help of the widespread influence of the Internet. Using the political analysis framework of “general will—particular will”, it is proposed that coordination between the cognitive level and the practical level is key to evaluate the level of public participation in participatory video intervention in urban planning. AHP and Delphi are used to build the index system. On the basis of adopting a comprehensive evaluation index, a coupled coordination model is introduced to build the public participation evaluation system of urban planning based on the participatory video of ‘general will—particular will’. Through the evaluation of 4770 image samples and 200 survey materials from 11 communities in Xi’an, the index system is found to display good validity. Finally, from the perspective of different stakeholders, the implementation of participatory video intervention in public participation is summarized. This paper has important theoretical value and guiding significance in clarifying the impact of participatory video intervention on public participation in urban and rural planning and promoting the effective improvement of public participation in urban planning. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovation in Planning and Governance for Urban Sustainability)

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16 pages, 2908 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Micromunicipality (MM) and Inner Areas in Italy: A Challenge for National Land Policy

by Bernardino Romano, Francesco Zullo, Lorena Fiorini and Cristina Montaldi

Sustainability 2022, 14(22), 15169; https://doi.org/10.3390/su142215169 - 16 Nov 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1367

Abstract

The following paper examines urban and territorial planning in Italy, where decision-making is entrusted almost exclusively to the almost 8000 small municipalities present in the country. Plans for and the transformation of built-up areas, infrastructure and social services of all types, and serving [...] Read more.

The following paper examines urban and territorial planning in Italy, where decision-making is entrusted almost exclusively to the almost 8000 small municipalities present in the country. Plans for and the transformation of built-up areas, infrastructure and social services of all types, and serving all purposes in a national territory of more than 300,000 square kilometers, are controlled by a multitude of Mayors, Boards and Municipal Councils that govern plots of land consisting of polygons of a few kilometers per side. This is generally achieved using urban planning tools developed without any general rule or protocol. Often, most of their content is even ignored as a result of national legislation that weakens them, making them largely irrelevant. This is a European example of urban mismanagement that should be brought to the wider attention of the European technical–scientific community because the debate developed so far on this topic—even by eminent and authoritative urban planners—has been almost entirely published in Italian only. Public and political attention around the issue is still extremely limited, although the serious effects of this “molecular planning” are beginning to be perceived: unjustified overurbanization and very disorganized, extremely energy-intensive and ecosystemically destructive urban layouts that are completely at odds with the public interests of environmental and urban quality. In the following paper, we make some comparisons with other European countries and outline some possible directions—certainly very difficult to follow—to rethink and remedy these negative effects. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovation in Planning and Governance for Urban Sustainability)

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19 pages, 5238 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Low-Cost Web Application System for Monitoring Geometrical Impacts of Surface Subsidence

by Nixon N. Nduji, Christian N. Madu and Chukwuebuka C. Okafor

Sustainability 2022, 14(21), 14240; https://doi.org/10.3390/su142114240 - 31 Oct 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1281

Abstract

This paper develops a low-cost web application system for monitoring geometrical impacts of surface subsidence. In many of the developing countries, the method of extraction of minerals such as coal is often impractical and uneconomical, especially with surface mining. With global warming, rapid [...] Read more.

This paper develops a low-cost web application system for monitoring geometrical impacts of surface subsidence. In many of the developing countries, the method of extraction of minerals such as coal is often impractical and uneconomical, especially with surface mining. With global warming, rapid population growth, and fast-growing urbanization with a disregard for sustainability, the overall subsidence risk has significantly increased. Despite the maturity of Differential Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (DInSAR) for timely monitoring of subsidence hazards, the potential of SAR constellations has been under-exploited, as most applications focus mainly on mapping unstable areas. The developed web application system exploits Sentinel-1 SAR constellation and Small-BAseline Subset (SBAS-DInSAR) technique, to provide new streamlines of information for monitoring solutions and improve disaster risk decision making. We illustrate the model by investigating and measuring potential surface subsidence caused by underground hard coal mining activities and exponential urban population growth within a major coalmine in Nigeria. Results of the yearly cumulative amount of horizontal and vertical deformation between 2016 and 2020 range from −25.487 mm to −50.945 mm and −24.532 mm to −57.161 mm, for high and low risks, respectively. Under the influence of external factors such as rising poverty and fast-growing urbanization, the destruction of in situ stress distributions will likely increase nonlinear deformations. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovation in Planning and Governance for Urban Sustainability)

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