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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 April 2023) | Viewed by 12314

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Dr. Song Shi

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Guest Editor

School of Built Environment, Faculty of Design, Architecture and Building, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW 2007, Australia
Interests: regional and urban land use; real estate asset pricing; sustainable real estate development and finance; natural disaster and housing market; monetary policy and macroprudential tools on housing
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Prof. Dr. Chengdong Yi

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Guest Editor

School of Management Science and Engineering, Central University of Finance and Economics, Beijing 102206, China
Interests: real estate economics and finance; urban and regional studies; sustainable development

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Sustainable land resource management is an important topic in sustainability, especially in urban and rural land development. Climate change has generated significant risks for land users, including damage from floods, bushfires and extreme weather. Sustainable land use and development thus play a key role in urban and rural development. However, from looking at the literature, the following factors are still unclear: how sustainable land resource management should manifest; what the roles of government and private sectors are in sustainable urban and rural land development; and the fate of the financial performance of those real estate firms following sustainable land use/development principles in the real estate sector.

This Special Issue aims to enhance our understanding of the economics and business of sustainability in urban and rural land development by covering the following topics:

Case studies of sustainable land resource management programs in developing or developed countries;
Analysis of economic, social and political benefits in sustainable urban or rural land development;
Analysis of barriers and costs to implementing a sustainable land use or development program;
The role of real estate assets and capital market in sustainable urban and rural development;
Sustainable real estate asset pricing;
Sustainable real estate business;
Sustainable land development;
Climate change and decarbonization.

Dr. Song Shi
Prof. Dr. Chengdong Yi
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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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

sustainable real estate business
urban and rural land development
land resource management

Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

19 pages, 629 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Development-Induced Impacts on the Livelihoods of Displaced Communities: The Case of Bole Lemi Industry Park, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

by Fituma Lemessa, Belay Simane, Aseffa Seyoum and Girma Gebresenbet

Sustainability 2023, 15(13), 10719; https://doi.org/10.3390/su151310719 - 07 Jul 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1750

Abstract

Livelihood encompasses the resources and capabilities that individuals and households utilize to ensure their survival and to enhance their well-being. This study examined the impact of the Bole Lemi Industry Park on livelihood systems in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. It focused on how the establishment of the industrial park affected the livelihoods of displaced communities. A survey was conducted on 379 household heads who were displaced by the industrial park, ensuring representation across various factors such as gender, marital status, education level, ethnic group, and religion. Descriptive statistics, including frequency counts, mean values, standard deviations, and percentages, were used to analyze the data. Multiple linear regression models were employed to investigate how socioeconomic variables predicted the household heads’ annual income before and after the establishment of the park. The findings revealed that 84% of the household heads said that the BLIP has hurt their livelihoods. The majority of respondents (69%) became jobless as a result of the BLIP. Another 16% transitioned to urban lifestyles, while 7.3% shifted to semi-agrarian and 5.6% to trade and services. This study identified the balance gap between industrial development and the interests of local farming communities, and how it failed to ensure sustainable livelihoods. It is recommended that development projects in Addis Ababa prioritize the affected communities by offering compensation, support for resettlement, and opportunities for livelihood diversification. Taking a comprehensive and participatory approach to industrial park development is crucial for achieving sustainable and equitable economic growth while safeguarding the well-being of local communities. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Land Resource Management and Urban and Rural Development)

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11 pages, 1133 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Users’ Perceptions of the Contribution of a University Green Roof to Sustainable Development

by Hoai-Anh Nguyen Dang, Rupert Legg, Aila Khan, Sara Wilkinson, Nicole Ibbett and Anh-Tuan Doan

Sustainability 2023, 15(8), 6772; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15086772 - 17 Apr 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1434

Abstract

Universities are well placed to adopt and use the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) on their campuses to educate and showcase how the SDGs can be delivered in the built environment. Green infrastructure, such as green roofs, green walls, or green parks, are highly visual implementations with environmental and social benefits that contribute to several SDGs, such as 3 (good health and wellbeing), 10 (reduced inequalities), 11 (sustainable cities and communities), 13 (climate action) and 15 (life on land). These features may be referenced in sustainability teaching and learning, which may raise and heighten awareness of the social, economic, and environmental benefits of green infrastructure. In this study, we explored users’ perceptions of the extent to which a university campus green roof contributes to the SDGs and whether users focussed more on its social or environmental benefits. Statistical analyses, namely independent samples t-tests and analysis of variance, were conducted to determine what influenced users’ perceptions of the green roof. The analyses revealed that users’ perceptions did not differ largely by sociodemographic characteristics, though students perceived the social benefits as greater than university staff. Those with greater knowledge of green roofs perceived its environmental benefits as greater, but not the social benefits. The findings demonstrate the importance of green infrastructure on university campuses for encouraging engagement with the SDGs, whilst indicating that knowledge of such infrastructure increases appreciation of their environmental credentials. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Land Resource Management and Urban and Rural Development)

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17 pages, 3025 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Regional Differences in the Quality of Rural Development in Guangdong Province and Influencing Factors

by Zhao-Jun Wu, Da-Fang Wu, Meng-Jue Zhu, Pei-Fang Ma, Zhao-Cheng Li and Yi-Xuan Liang

Sustainability 2023, 15(3), 1855; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15031855 - 18 Jan 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1800

Abstract

Achieving rural revitalization is the aim of building a strong modern socialist country. However, regional heterogeneity exists in rural development in general, and studying regional differences in rural development quality is an important prerequisite for developing specific policies for rural revitalization. This paper takes 20 prefecture-level cities in Guangdong Province as the research objects and constructs a rural-development-quality-evaluation system based on four dimensions: industrial revitalization, rural affluence, social development, and environmental livability; combines the entropy value method, hierarchical analysis method, and TOPSIS to complete the evaluation process; uses a spatial autocorrelation model and cold–hot spot analysis to explore the characteristics of regional heterogeneity of rural development in Guangdong Province; and relies on stepwise regression analysis to clarify the main influencing factors. The results show the following: (1) The average value of rural development quality in the province is 0.342, with “high in the middle and low in the surrounding area” as the main spatial characteristic. (2) The average value of environmental livability dimension is 0.580, and the high-value area is found in the northeastern part of the province. There is an outer circle distribution structure with Dongguan City as the core of the high-value area, and the score gradually decreases outward, while the average value of all other dimensions is less than 0.350. The mean value of all other dimensions is less than 0.350. (3) The social development dimension shows a cold–hot spot distribution of “hot in the northeast and low in the middle”, the rural development quality and other development dimensions show a cold–hot spot spatial pattern of “high value gathering in the middle and low value gathering in the northeast”, and there is no cold spot gathering in the environmental livability dimension. (4) The average collective assets and the construction rate of science-based communities are the main driving factors of rural development, while the coverage rate of service institutions and the Engel coefficient are the main hindering factors. This paper enriches the rural development level measurement system, clarifies the spatial differentiation and main influencing factors of rural development in Guangdong Province, and helps to provide scientific support and a theoretical basis for the differentiated promotion of rural revitalization. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Land Resource Management and Urban and Rural Development)

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18 pages, 864 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Do Honored Cities Achieve a Sustainable Development? A Quasi-Natural Experimental Study Based on “National Civilized City” Campaign in China

by Jingan Chen, Chengdong Yi, Yourong Wang and Tianyu Bi

Sustainability 2022, 14(24), 16872; https://doi.org/10.3390/su142416872 - 15 Dec 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1261

Abstract

As a new model of urban governance with Chinese characteristics, the national honored cities from city evaluation competitions, represented by the “National Civilized City” campaign, has always been popular among Chinese cities. Can the honored cities of the campaigns achieve sustainable development, and how? Based on the five concepts of sustainable development, which are innovation, coordination, green, openness and sharing, this study sets up a comprehensive index to measure the sustainability of the growth of a city. Then, the data of 242 Chinese cities from 2011 to 2019 and the difference-in-differences (DID) approach are used to evaluate the impacts of the Civilized City honored in the campaigns on the sustainability of growth. The results show that: (1) the “Civilized City” honor promotes sustainable development in Chinese cities; (2) the mechanism analysis shows that the “Civilized City” honor contributes to the sustainability of growth by effectively promoting the level of industrial agglomeration in cities; (3) further heterogeneity analysis shows that the effect of the “Civilized City” honor on the sustainability of growth varies by city size, the administrative level and the location of the city. By providing the evidence of economic effects of the “Civilized City” honor, this research rationalizes the city campaigns run by the Chinese government and provides important enlightenment for the continuous improvement of the selection mechanism of the national honored cities to promote sustainable development. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Land Resource Management and Urban and Rural Development)

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24 pages, 3559 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Status Quos and Causes of Concentrated Elderly Populations in Old Urban Communities in China

by Jinyi Xiao, Hongyu Liu and Jing Wu

Sustainability 2022, 14(19), 12612; https://doi.org/10.3390/su141912612 - 04 Oct 2022

Viewed by 1473

Abstract

The global population is aging rapidly and irreversibly, posing severe challenges to sustainable development. In China, a rapidly senescent population elucidates the urgency of actualizing healthy aging which supports a harmonious intergeneration relationship and a dynamic economy. Previous studies have evidenced the adverse effects of poor housing conditions on the well-being of the elderly. This study highlighted the potential risks to healthy aging from concentrating the elderly population in antiquated urban communities in China. It illustrated the facts and explored the reasons for the agglomeration by conducting a theoretical analysis grounded in residential migration theories along with an empirical analysis using China’s 1% national population sample survey and the China Family Panel Studies (CFPS). First, the proportion of elderly residents of timeworn urban communities was found to be significantly 9.9% higher than the younger group, so senior populations were more likely to be exposed to isolation and health risks, physical and psychological, under poor housing conditions. Meanwhile, the elderly stayed in decaying habitations because of their disadvantageous economic status, less consciousness of upgrading demands, and close social connections. Therefore, the government should foster increasing cohesion between advancements in urban renewal and the refinement of the pension system to promote healthy aging in China. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Land Resource Management and Urban and Rural Development)

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18 pages, 6352 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Urban Resilience and Residential Greenery—The Evidence from Poland

by Joanna Dobrzańska, Adam Nadolny, Robert Kalbarczyk and Monika Ziemiańska

Sustainability 2022, 14(18), 11317; https://doi.org/10.3390/su141811317 - 09 Sep 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1703

Abstract

Social distancing and movement restrictions associated with COVID-19 have highlighted the role played by easily accessible greenery at one’s own residence, which is of key importance to people’s physical and psychological wellbeing. The main focus of this study is to provide insights into residential green areas in Wrocław, Poland in terms of knowledge, investment, trends and associated issues, as examined from the perspective of the potential to boost urban resilience. Sixty-six representative multi-family construction projects typical of Central European cities were analyzed. The study is divided into three stages: I—pre-construction (selection of locations), II—construction of a housing estate (clearance of vegetation, number of trees planted, use of pro-ecological solutions), and III—post-construction (monitoring of the condition of green areas by means of the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and data from Sentinel-2 satellites). The results highlighted the insufficient use of pro-ecological solutions (green roofs, fountains or ponds) and shortage of woody plants in residential green areas. Their implementation should be included in any strategies for Wrocław’s transformation toward a sustainable post-pandemic city. Furthermore, the main findings of the study also revealed an imbalance between the amount of vegetation cleared vs. vegetation planted during construction and unequal access to high-quality greenery for local residents. Although some positive trends in spatial planning were observed compared to previous studies, two construction projects were implemented in floodplains. NDVI analyses indicate the poor condition of residential green areas; moreover, the change in NDVI for the period 2015–2020 attests to the poor standards of vegetation maintenance. The results of this study suggest that the potential of residential green areas for boosting urban resilience has not been fully utilized in Wrocław. It is highly recommended to implement monitoring of the condition of green areas by means of NDVI and to introduce detailed provisions on the shaping of green estate areas in the Local Development Plans to enhance Wrocław’s resilience. The main findings being presented expand the directions of methods of monitoring residential areas’ conditions in terms of applied landscape research and boosting urban resilience. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Land Resource Management and Urban and Rural Development)

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16 pages, 653 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Influencing Factors of Farmers’ Land Circulation in Mountainous Chongqing in China Based on A Multi-Class Logistic Model

by Xusen Zhu, Chaofu Wei, Fengtai Zhang, Junyi Zhang, Yuedong Xiao and Xingyu Yang

Sustainability 2022, 14(12), 6987; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14126987 - 07 Jun 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1547

Abstract

The orderly circulation of land can affect the structure of the agricultural industry, improve the level of agricultural industrialization, and realize the sustainable development of agriculture. Located in the inland of southwest China, Chongqing is the core area of China’s Three Gorges Reservoir area, with obvious mountain characteristics. The characteristics and influencing factors of land transfer here can guide the reformation of land policy in other rural areas. Therefore, based on the survey data of 1015 mountain farmers in Chongqing, this paper employs a multi-class logistic model to analyze the above issues. The results show the following: (1) The phenomena of “zero rent” and “non-agreement” are widespread, and the spontaneous internal transfer among farmers is the main influencing factor. The decline in land value, the low degree of foreign investment, and the low average level of farmers’ understanding of land transfer policies are quite different from the economically developed plains in the east. (2) Different directions of land circulation have different influencing factors. (3) The main factors are the total population of rural households, the proportion of non-agricultural household income, the age of the head of the household, the education level of the head of the household, the degree of land division, and the quality of land grades that affect land transfer and development in mountainous areas. Thus, improving the education level or technological training of farmers, establishing effective market mechanisms, and increasing income from non-agricultural employment can effectively promote land transfer. Moreover, age-oriented land policy is easier to implement. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Land Resource Management and Urban and Rural Development)

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