Sustainable Development and Coordinated Governance of Urban and Rural Areas under the Guidance of Ecological Wisdom

Abstract submission deadline

30 September 2024

Manuscript submission deadline

31 December 2024

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20801

Topic Information

Dear Colleagues,

The goal of ecological civilization construction is to reshape the values of human social development—to position the relationship more accurately between human beings and nature. In the process of human social evolution, the premise of achieving sustainable development is to ensure the health of the population, which must deal with the temporal and spatial distribution of environmental resource utilization among human beings and other organisms, different human communities, and human generations. We should rationally treat the realistic predicament of human beings, evaluate the health of the human settlement environment, reduce morbidity and mortality, and realize the harmony between development and nature. This process not only needs to absorb ideas from the precious traditional culture in ecological wisdom but also needs to find methods and expand ways in combination with modern science and technology and health policy to create an era of sustainable development with ecological wisdom.

The ecosystem is not immutable; it is always in a delicate dynamic balance. The natural ecosystem is changing all the time. The same is true for urban and rural ecosystems. The benign succession means the improvement of "efficiency", and the optimization of ecosystem operation means higher resource, time, space, and system efficiency. In the future, urban areas, towns, villages, and nature will no longer be independent of one another but will be combined into a more complex global system based on the urban ecosystem network. As the most critical species in this evolution process, what kind of "wisdom" should human beings use to guide this complex system with science and technology? These are related to the common future of human beings as a whole and the human-centered ecosystem. This topic will integrate ecology, climatology, geography, land science, environmental science, health informatics, and other disciplines, promote urban and rural integration and regional coordinated development, accelerate the flow of urban and rural elements, improve urban and rural human settlement environments, promote high-quality development, create high-quality life, promote the harmonious coexistence of human beings and nature, promote the construction of a community for the shared future of mankind, and create a new form of human civilization from the policy system, technical specifications, research practice, and other aspects.

In this topic, we will focus on and are interested in receiving manuscript contributions in one or more of the following areas:

• Urban and rural spatial planning and construction under the guidance of ecological wisdom
• Urban renewal strategy
• Interaction and coordination of urban and rural ecology
• Urban and rural ecological security pattern maintenance
• Physical space construction strategy based on "ecological wisdom"

• Urban and rural environmental system optimization under the guidance of ecological operation mechanisms
• Ecological adaptability of urban and rural human settlements
• Sustainable and organic renewal of urban and rural human settlements
• Construction of urban and rural human settlement environment mechanisms based on multi-system coordination

• Technical optimization of urban and rural planning under the guidance of the benign operation demand of urban and rural ecosystem functions
• Update of urban and rural planning theory and technology systems under the guidance of optimization of material circulation mechanisms
• Update of urban and rural planning theory and technology systems guided by the energy structure revolution and transmission technology reform
• Update of ecological city planning theory and technology systems under the guidance of information dissemination mechanism reform
• Transformation of urban and rural spatial construction modes based on technology system integration

• Urban planning spatial strategy guidance and technology system construction under the guidance of the healthy city concept
• Evaluation of "health risk", "quality", and "fairness"
• Planning integration and optimization of pollution control and resource integration
• Health impact assessment
• Healthy community planning and healthy city design

• Theoretical change and technological innovation of urban resilient governance driven by multi-source big data
• Strategic change comparison and paradigm innovation of multi-regional urban resilient governance
• Systematic assessment and improvement strategy of urban and rural social spatial resilience
• Establishment and improvement of urban emergency response mechanisms for complex disaster events
• Application strategy and integration scheme of big data in the new era of urban resilience governance

• Monitoring and coordination of urban and rural construction and sustainable development with modern technology
• High-resolution remote sensing mapping of urban and rural areas
• Remote sensing monitoring of urban renewal
• Applying GIS technology to analyze the coordinated development of urban and rural areas
• Prediction and evaluation of artificial intelligence technology in urban and rural construction
• Progress and application of health informatics and healthcare materials

Prof. Dr. Jun Yang
Prof. Dr. Bing Xue
Dr. Zhi Qiao
Prof. Dr. Wei Sun
Prof. Dr. Xiangming Xiao
Dr. Jianhong (Cecilia) Xia
Dr. Heiko Thomas
Topic Editors

Keywords

Participating Journals

Journal Name	Impact Factor	CiteScore	Launched Year	First Decision (median)	APC
Applied Sciences applsci	2.7	4.5	2011	16.9 Days	CHF 2400	Submit
Healthcare healthcare	2.8	2.7	2013	19.5 Days	CHF 2700	Submit
Land land	3.9	3.7	2012	14.8 Days	CHF 2600	Submit
Remote Sensing remotesensing	5.0	7.9	2009	23 Days	CHF 2700	Submit
Systems systems	1.9	3.3	2013	16.8 Days	CHF 2400	Submit

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Published Papers (15 papers)

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24 pages, 6655 KiB  

Open AccessArticle

A Coupled InVEST-PLUS Model for the Spatiotemporal Evolution of Ecosystem Carbon Storage and Multi-Scenario Prediction Analysis

by Yan Zhang, Xiaoyong Liao and Dongqi Sun

Land 2024, 13(4), 509; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13040509 - 12 Apr 2024

Viewed by 442

Abstract

In investigating the spatiotemporal patterns and spatial attributes of carbon storage across terrestrial ecosystems, there is a significant focus on improving regional carbon sequestration capabilities. Such endeavors are crucial for balancing land development with ecological preservation and promoting sustainable, low-carbon urban growth. This [...] Read more.

In investigating the spatiotemporal patterns and spatial attributes of carbon storage across terrestrial ecosystems, there is a significant focus on improving regional carbon sequestration capabilities. Such endeavors are crucial for balancing land development with ecological preservation and promoting sustainable, low-carbon urban growth. This study employs the integrated InVEST-PLUS model to assess and predict changes in ecosystem carbon storage under various land use scenarios within the Chengdu urban cluster, a vital region in Central and Western China, by 2050. The results indicate the following. (1) A linkage between land use dynamics and ecosystem carbon storage changes: over two decades, a 7.5% decrease in arable land was observed alongside a 12.3% increase in urban areas, leading to an 8.2% net reduction in ecosystem carbon storage, equating to a loss of 1.6 million tons of carbon. (2) Carbon storage variations under four scenarios—natural development (NDS), urban development (UDS), farmland protection (FPS), and ecological protection (EPS)—highlight the impact of differing developmental and conservation policies on Chengdu’s carbon reserves. Projections until 2050 suggest a further 5% reduction in carbon storage under NDS without intervention, while EPS could potentially decrease carbon storage loss by 3%, emphasizing the importance of strategic land use planning and policy. This research provides a solid theoretical foundation for exploring the relationship between land use and carbon storage dynamics further. In summary, the findings highlight the necessity of incorporating ecological considerations into urban planning strategies. The InVEST-PLUS model not only sheds light on current challenges but also presents a method for forecasting and mitigating urbanization effects on ecosystem services, thus supporting sustainable development goals. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Sustainable Development and Coordinated Governance of Urban and Rural Areas under the Guidance of Ecological Wisdom)

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19 pages, 10085 KiB  

Open AccessArticle

Evaluation of the Impact of VR Rural Streetscape Enhancement on Relaxation–Arousal Responses Based on EEG

by Hongguo Ren, Yujun Wang, Jing Zhang, Ziming Zheng and Qingqin Wang

Appl. Sci. 2024, 14(7), 2996; https://doi.org/10.3390/app14072996 - 03 Apr 2024

Viewed by 478

Abstract

As the quality of life and the spiritual and cultural well-being of the inhabitants progress, the current rural infrastructure has challenges in adequately addressing the physical and psychological requirements of individuals. This work presents a method for evaluating rural habitats by utilizing electroencephalography [...] Read more.

As the quality of life and the spiritual and cultural well-being of the inhabitants progress, the current rural infrastructure has challenges in adequately addressing the physical and psychological requirements of individuals. This work presents a method for evaluating rural habitats by utilizing electroencephalography (EEG) signals and virtual reality (VR) technology to address the existing gap in physiological data evaluation in rural areas. We choose as experimental images the current situation (C1–C5) scenes of five rural main street nodes as well as the comparative transformation scenes (T1–T5). It then assesses the subjects’ subjective cognition and level of relaxation–arousal responses using the α/β value in the EEG data and the three subjective scale indexes of “Interest”, “Comfort”, and “Vitality”. The study’s findings demonstrated the following: 1. All three scores increased in the transformation scenarios, and subjects’ subjective assessments varied significantly across all five sets of scenes. 2. In all α/β values where significant differences existed, every electrode demonstrated a relaxation response in the transformation scenes (T1–T5) compared to the current scenes (C1–C5), whereas the T8 electrode demonstrated the only arousal response. 3. The Pz electrode in the parietal lobe area was found to be the most sensitive to the visual response to the green landscape and the form of the building façade along the street, and the T8 electrode in the right temporal lobe area was the most sensitive to the response to the overall perception of the surrounding environment, according to a comparison of the longitudinal α/β value. More options for rural streetscape design as well as fresh insights and methodologies for assessing the rural human environment in the future are anticipated from this study. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Sustainable Development and Coordinated Governance of Urban and Rural Areas under the Guidance of Ecological Wisdom)

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24 pages, 2357 KiB  

Open AccessArticle

Exploring the Rural Revitalization Effect under the Interaction of Agro-Tourism Integration and Tourism-Driven Poverty Reduction: Empirical Evidence for China

by Debin Ma, Dongqi Sun and Ziyi Wang

Land 2024, 13(1), 60; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13010060 - 03 Jan 2024

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1586

Abstract

Under the robust impetus of China’s rural revitalization strategy, agro-tourism integration and tourism-driven poverty reduction have profoundly impacted various aspects of China’s economy, society, and ecology. This has propelled coordinated urban–rural development and the sustainable development of the tourism industry. This study introduces [...] Read more.

Under the robust impetus of China’s rural revitalization strategy, agro-tourism integration and tourism-driven poverty reduction have profoundly impacted various aspects of China’s economy, society, and ecology. This has propelled coordinated urban–rural development and the sustainable development of the tourism industry. This study introduces an analytical framework encompassing tourism-driven poverty reduction, agro-tourism integration, and rural revitalization. Through PVAR and threshold models, it empirically examines the interactive effects, dynamic relationships, and threshold effects between agro-tourism integration, tourism-driven poverty reduction, and rural revitalization. The conclusions are as follows: Firstly, the indices of rural revitalization and the level of agro-tourism integration show an increasing trend across Chinese provinces, with varying trends in tourism-driven poverty reduction efficiency. Secondly, there is a significant dynamic relationship among these factors, with the explanatory power of tourism-driven poverty reduction and agro-tourism integration gradually strengthening. Agro-tourism integration is identified as the most effective means of driving rural revitalization, while tourism-driven poverty reduction has a relatively weaker direct impact. Thirdly, tourism-driven poverty reduction exhibits a positive impulse response to agro-tourism integration. The improvement in tourism-driven poverty reduction efficiency propels further development in agro-tourism integration, thereby fostering rural revitalization. The efficiency of tourism-driven poverty reduction presents a single threshold effect in the process of agro-tourism integration promoting rural revitalization. Fourthly, the development of China’s tourism industry has become an indispensable means of promoting rural revitalization and poverty reduction. However, rural revitalization is a comprehensive project influenced by various factors, requiring improvements and development across multiple aspects. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Sustainable Development and Coordinated Governance of Urban and Rural Areas under the Guidance of Ecological Wisdom)

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19 pages, 14473 KiB  

Open AccessArticle

Spatiotemporal Evolution and Rank–Size Pattern of Chinese Urban Settlements

by Jing Zhang, Chunlin Li, Baolei Zhang, Yuanman Hu, Hao Wang, Zhenxing Li and Qian Zhang

Remote Sens. 2024, 16(1), 19; https://doi.org/10.3390/rs16010019 - 20 Dec 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 676

Abstract

Accurate and timely urban boundaries can effectively quantify the spatial characteristics of urban evolution and are essential for understanding the impacts of urbanization processes and land-use changes on the environment and biodiversity. Currently, there is a lack of long time-series, high-resolution, nationally consistent [...] Read more.

Accurate and timely urban boundaries can effectively quantify the spatial characteristics of urban evolution and are essential for understanding the impacts of urbanization processes and land-use changes on the environment and biodiversity. Currently, there is a lack of long time-series, high-resolution, nationally consistent Chinese urban boundary data for urban research. In this study, the city clustering algorithm was used to generate urban settlement boundaries in China based on the local density, size, and spatial relationships of impervious surfaces. The results showed that both the area and the number of urban settlements in China revealed an upward trend from 1985 to 2020, with East China (EC) being much higher than other regions and South China showing the most significant growth rate. The average area ratio of urban green space in China was 41.68%, with the average area ratio in EC being higher than in other regions. Meanwhile, Zipf’s law was used to verify the universality of urban settlement rank–size; the changes in the Zipf index from 1985 to 2020 also revealed that China’s urban size tended to be concentrated, and the development of large urban settlements was relatively prominent. The urban definition method we propose in this study can divide urban boundaries efficiently and accurately, identify urban expansion hotspots, and promote research on farmland loss and ecological land degradation, further exploring the impacts of urbanization on food security, biodiversity, and carbon sequestration. By coupling big data such as economy, energy, and population with urban evolution patterns, urban managers can analyze current and future problems in urban development, thereby providing scientific decision-making for urban sustainability. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Sustainable Development and Coordinated Governance of Urban and Rural Areas under the Guidance of Ecological Wisdom)

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24 pages, 1312 KiB  

Open AccessArticle

Evaluation Model and Application of the Implementation Effectiveness of the River Chief System (RCS)—Taking Henan Province as an Example

by Jianting Liu, Xuanyu Chen, Limin Su, Yanbin Li, Yanxue Xu and Lei Qi

Systems 2023, 11(9), 481; https://doi.org/10.3390/systems11090481 - 20 Sep 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1052

Abstract

To scientifically evaluate the implementation of the River Chief System (RCS), accelerate the overall improvement of the water ecological environment, and promote the sustainable development of river and lake functions, this study selects 26 evaluation indicators from six aspects, including the effectiveness of [...] Read more.

To scientifically evaluate the implementation of the River Chief System (RCS), accelerate the overall improvement of the water ecological environment, and promote the sustainable development of river and lake functions, this study selects 26 evaluation indicators from six aspects, including the effectiveness of organization and management, the effectiveness of water resources protection, the effectiveness of water environment management, the effectiveness of water pollution prevention and control, the effectiveness of water ecological restoration, and the effectiveness of the management of the waterside shoreline, and establishes an evaluation system for the effectiveness of the implementation of the RCS. Among the 26 indicators, data for the qualitative indicators mainly come from a series of statistical yearbooks and RCS reports, while data for the quantitative indicators are obtained through scoring by more than 20 experts and calculating the average. The CRITIC objective weighting method is improved from three aspects of comparison intensity, correlation coefficient, and degree of variation, and the subjective weighting of indicators is carried out using the AHP 1–5 scale method. The optimal linear combination of subjective and objective weighting results is obtained using the combination weighting method with game theory, which is auxiliary to the set pair analysis. Considering the “certainty” and “uncertainty” in the evaluation process, the four-element connection number model of set pair analysis is established to evaluate the implementation effect of the RCS in Henan Province from 2018 to 2021. The results show that the implementation effect of the RCS in Henan Province improves year by year and reaches excellent in 2019. The results of this study can be used as a reference for evaluating the work of the RCS in other regions and can also provide a reference for the study of evaluation problems in other fields. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Sustainable Development and Coordinated Governance of Urban and Rural Areas under the Guidance of Ecological Wisdom)

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26 pages, 2031 KiB  

Open AccessArticle

Measuring the Construction Efficiency of Zero-Waste City Clusters Based on an Undesirable Super-Efficiency Model and Kernel Density Estimation Method

by Xuhui Cong, Peikun Su, Liang Wang, Sai Wang, Zhipeng Qi, Jonas Šaparauskas, Jarosław Górecki and Miroslaw J. Skibniewski

Systems 2023, 11(9), 473; https://doi.org/10.3390/systems11090473 - 14 Sep 2023

Viewed by 1181

Abstract

The global total amount of generated solid waste is currently on a rapid growth trend. China, as the largest developing country, promulgated its Pilot Work Plan for the Construction of Zero-Waste Cities led by the new development concept in 2018 after recognizing the [...] Read more.

The global total amount of generated solid waste is currently on a rapid growth trend. China, as the largest developing country, promulgated its Pilot Work Plan for the Construction of Zero-Waste Cities led by the new development concept in 2018 after recognizing the inadequacy and urgency of solid waste management, and the lack of valuable experience and benchmark cities for the construction of zero-waste cities. This study uses the undesirable super-efficiency model and kernel density estimation method to measure the efficiency of zero-waste city construction in 16 prefecture-level cities in Shandong Province and analyze their spatial and temporal differences. Three major problems were found, namely, low regional coordination, the rigid policies of some local governments, and the unbalanced development of scale efficiency and pure technical efficiency. Results show that the zero-waste city construction efficiency as a whole shows a declining and then fluctuating growth trend, and that low-scale efficiency is the main reason behind the decrease in construction efficiency. Suggestions are then provided considering three aspects: improving regional synergy; improving government quality and capacity, and strengthening government supervision and revitalizing the market; and introducing social capital for environmental pollution treatment. These suggestions ultimately help improve the level of zero-waste city construction. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Sustainable Development and Coordinated Governance of Urban and Rural Areas under the Guidance of Ecological Wisdom)

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17 pages, 7509 KiB  

Open AccessArticle

Spatiotemporal Gravitational Evolution of the Night Land Surface Temperature: An Empirical Study Based on Night Lights

by Qiang Fan, Yue Shi, Bwalya Mutale and Nan Cong

Remote Sens. 2023, 15(17), 4347; https://doi.org/10.3390/rs15174347 - 04 Sep 2023

Viewed by 837

Abstract

Land surface temperature (LST) is closely associated with urban and rural development. To study the spatiotemporal evolution of the LST, we used daily night light and LST data as well as the gravity model, coupling coordination model, standard deviation ellipse, and other methods. [...] Read more.

Land surface temperature (LST) is closely associated with urban and rural development. To study the spatiotemporal evolution of the LST, we used daily night light and LST data as well as the gravity model, coupling coordination model, standard deviation ellipse, and other methods. Under the analysis–coordination–gravity framework, we studied the spatiotemporal and gravitational evolution of the nighttime LST in the Henan Province in 2013, 2016, 2019, and 2022. Our research revealed significant differences in the high-brightness values of nighttime lighting between different years and seasons. The maximum offset distance occurred in the winters of 2013–2016 at 20,933.28 m, whereas the minimum offset distance was observed in the autumns of 2019–2022 at 1196.03 m. In addition, the spatiotemporal gravity of the LST exhibits a certain evolution pattern. Although differences in the direction of evolution and the distribution of high gravity density were found, a homogenization trend was observed for the distribution of gravity in the spring of 2016, autumn of 2019, and summer of 2022. LST shows different characteristics over changing space and seasons, and its gravity shows the characteristics of spatial aggregation. The results provide new ideas for LST studies and are of significance for the restoration of ecosystems. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Sustainable Development and Coordinated Governance of Urban and Rural Areas under the Guidance of Ecological Wisdom)

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21 pages, 4062 KiB  

Open AccessArticle

Exploring the Spatial Relationship between the Ecological Topological Network and Carbon Sequestration Capacity of Coastal Urban Ecosystems: A Case Study of Yancheng City, China

by Nanyan Zhu, Jingwen Ai, Zhen Zeng and Chunhua Zhou

Remote Sens. 2023, 15(16), 4007; https://doi.org/10.3390/rs15164007 - 12 Aug 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1024

Abstract

Improving the carbon sequestration capacity (CSC) of an ecosystem by optimizing urban ecological networks is one of the effective ways to achieve the goal of “carbon neutrality” in the world. The contradiction between the irreplaceable ecological function and economic development of Yancheng City [...] Read more.

Improving the carbon sequestration capacity (CSC) of an ecosystem by optimizing urban ecological networks is one of the effective ways to achieve the goal of “carbon neutrality” in the world. The contradiction between the irreplaceable ecological function and economic development of Yancheng City is prominent. Therefore, taking Yancheng City as an example, this paper adopted the morphological spatial pattern analysis–minimum cumulative resistance (MSPA-MCR) model to establish the ecological network of Yancheng City in 2020 and combined it with complex network theory to evaluate its ecological base, network quality, and CSC. The results show that the ecological network of Yancheng City has obvious characteristics of coastal cities. There is a significant positive correlation between CSC and the clustering efficiency of ecological sources, and improving the clustering efficiency of vegetation and water ecological nodes is conducive to enhancing the CSC of ecological networks. In terms of functional restoration of ecological networks, four types of 13 ecological stepping stones and 12 ecological corridors have been designed to strengthen the connectivity and balance of the network, and the improvement of network robustness before and after optimization verifies that the optimization scheme is reasonable and effective. This study improved the optimization method of ecological networks in Yancheng City based on enhancing the CSC of ecological nodes, which provided a theoretical framework and practical reference for the realization of global strategic goals of carbon neutrality. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Sustainable Development and Coordinated Governance of Urban and Rural Areas under the Guidance of Ecological Wisdom)

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21 pages, 3398 KiB  

Open AccessArticle

Influence of Intercity Network on Land Comprehensive Carrying Capacity: A Perspective of Population Flow

by Xiang Shi, Xiao Yu, Shijun Wang and Feilong Hao

Land 2023, 12(8), 1515; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12081515 - 30 Jul 2023

Viewed by 1104

Abstract

The world is experiencing the largest wave of urban growth in history. Maintaining the rapid growth of cities without causing land and resource shortages is a severe problem that must be solved urgently. With the rapid development of globalization and information technology, the [...] Read more.

The world is experiencing the largest wave of urban growth in history. Maintaining the rapid growth of cities without causing land and resource shortages is a severe problem that must be solved urgently. With the rapid development of globalization and information technology, the meaning of land comprehensive carrying capacity presents new changes. It is no longer entirely dependent on local resources and is likely to benefit from intercity connections beyond urban boundaries. However, can an inter-city network be a non-local solution to sustain urban growth without increasing land pressure? To address this question, this study adopted 287 cities in China as the research object to describe the spatial carrying characteristics of land at the national level by constructing an evaluation index system for land comprehensive carrying capacity. Furthermore, we constructed a population flow network model through social network analysis to explore the influence of intercity network on land comprehensive carrying capacity. Our findings are as follows: (1) The regional differentiation characteristics of land comprehensive carrying capacity at the national scale are evident, and reveal a spatial pattern significantly related to the urban economic development level. (2) The weighted in-degree, weighted degree centrality, and betweenness centrality in the intercity network positively impact the land comprehensive carrying capacity, and land use efficiency has a partial mediating effect. (3) Land comprehensive carrying capacity can be determined by non-local factors rather than local factors. As an effective non-local channel, strengthening intercity population flow and network integration can flexibly manage urban land scarcity. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Sustainable Development and Coordinated Governance of Urban and Rural Areas under the Guidance of Ecological Wisdom)

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25 pages, 671 KiB  

Open AccessArticle

Optimal Government Subsidy Decision and Its Impact on Sustainable Development of a Closed-Loop Supply Chain

by Yujie Gu, Menghao Xue, Mingxuan Zhao and Yufu Long

Systems 2023, 11(7), 378; https://doi.org/10.3390/systems11070378 - 23 Jul 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 989

Abstract

Government subsidies generally play an important role in the sustainable operations management of a closed-loop supply chain (CLSC). This paper investigates the optimal government subsidy decision and its influence on the sustainable development of the CLSC, consisting of one manufacturer, one retailer, and [...] Read more.

Government subsidies generally play an important role in the sustainable operations management of a closed-loop supply chain (CLSC). This paper investigates the optimal government subsidy decision and its influence on the sustainable development of the CLSC, consisting of one manufacturer, one retailer, and one third-party collector, from the economic, environmental, and social perspectives. Based on game analysis technology, different Stackelberg game models among the government and the CLSC members are formulated to analyze the optimal decisions under different power structures. By conducting theoretic comparative and sensitivity analyses and a case study, the effects of the government subsidy and the power structure are explored from the total profit, environmental benefit, and social welfare. Results show that the subsidy is good for sustainable development of the CLSC, which improves the total profit of the CLSC members, environmental benefit, and social welfare and the improvement effect is more prominent when the CLSC members have unequal bargaining power. Moreover, according to the growth proportion of profit, the retailer and collector benefit more from the subsidy among the CLSC members when they have different bargaining power, otherwise, the CLSC members benefit equally from the subsidy, and the subsidy is more beneficial to the environment compared with the total supply chain profit and social welfare. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Sustainable Development and Coordinated Governance of Urban and Rural Areas under the Guidance of Ecological Wisdom)

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27 pages, 19470 KiB  

Open AccessArticle

Physical Environment Study on Social Housing Stock in Italian Western Alps for Healthy and Sustainable Communities

by Yuqing Zhang, Bin Li, Luca Caneparo, Qinglin Meng, Weihong Guo and Xiao Liu

Land 2023, 12(7), 1468; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12071468 - 23 Jul 2023

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1273

Abstract

Climate change has reduced the comfort of community environments, and there is an urgent need to improve the health and well-being of low-income residents through design and technical measures. Therefore, this paper conducts research in the context of an ongoing social housing renovation [...] Read more.

Climate change has reduced the comfort of community environments, and there is an urgent need to improve the health and well-being of low-income residents through design and technical measures. Therefore, this paper conducts research in the context of an ongoing social housing renovation project in Aosta, Italy, in a cold winter and hot summer Alpine environment. The study combined interviews, field measurements, and multiple software simulations to analyze the home of an older adult experiencing energy deprivation. The study found that the indoor acoustic environment quality meets the requirements of various sound-related standards. Still, the lighting and thermal environment must be designed to reduce glare and western sun exposure, and the air quality could improve. Residents’ demand for renovation is low technology, low cost, and high comfort. Therefore, suggestions for combining active and passive transformation measures and maximizing the use of climate and resources are proposed. The lighting and thermal environment are optimized based on the green wisdom of the Haylofts building of the Walser family in the Alps: increase ventilation and reduce indoor air age to improve air quality. Overall, a comprehensive assessment of extreme climatic conditions facilitates the quantitative and qualitative study and control of social housing environments, improves occupant comfort, and decarbonizes such social building stock. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Sustainable Development and Coordinated Governance of Urban and Rural Areas under the Guidance of Ecological Wisdom)

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26 pages, 26730 KiB  

Open AccessArticle

Evaluation of the Intergenerational Equity of Public Open Space in Old Communities: A Case Study of Caoyang New Village in Shanghai

by Zelin Zhang, Xiaomin Tang and Yun Wang

Land 2023, 12(7), 1347; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12071347 - 05 Jul 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1702

Abstract

Public open space (POS) confers numerous physical and mental health benefits to people throughout life. The study applies POI and other multi-dimensional methods to examine the intergenerational equity of POS within a 15-min living circle of old communities in high-density cities. Firstly, an [...] Read more.

Public open space (POS) confers numerous physical and mental health benefits to people throughout life. The study applies POI and other multi-dimensional methods to examine the intergenerational equity of POS within a 15-min living circle of old communities in high-density cities. Firstly, an evaluation system for the comprehensive POS supply level in the community is constructed from the perspective of the quantity, quality, and spatial distribution of POS. Secondly, based on the idea of all-age sharing, the population in the community is divided into children, young and middle-aged, and elderly, and the factor “adaptation space share” is introduced to supplement the intergenerational equity evaluation system. The study takes Caoyang New Village in Shanghai as an example and the districts of the community committee as the basic evaluation units. The results show that the comprehensive supply of POS in Caoyang New Village is relatively high but there is still a mismatch between supply and demand; the intergenerational equity level is medium, and spatial alienation exists between POS supply and intergenerational equity; and the adaptation space share for children is much higher than that for the elderly, young and middle-aged people. Furthermore, young and middle-aged people are found to form a marginal group in spatial sharing and resource allocation. Finally, it is proposed that in community POS planning, attention should be focused on the differences in population age structure and on spatial cultural attributes and functional compounding on the basis of ensuring the comprehensive service of POS, so as to promote all-age sharing in community POS. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Sustainable Development and Coordinated Governance of Urban and Rural Areas under the Guidance of Ecological Wisdom)

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20 pages, 2311 KiB  

Open AccessArticle

Agricultural Green Ecological Efficiency Evaluation Using BP Neural Network–DEA Model

by Qiang Sun and Yu-Jiao Sui

Systems 2023, 11(6), 291; https://doi.org/10.3390/systems11060291 - 05 Jun 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1567

Abstract

The evaluation of agricultural green ecological efficiency can reflect the capacity of agriculture for sustainable development and reduce the endogenous pollution caused by agricultural waste in order to alleviate the weakening of agricultural ecosystems. Taking the agricultural green economy as the research object, [...] Read more.

The evaluation of agricultural green ecological efficiency can reflect the capacity of agriculture for sustainable development and reduce the endogenous pollution caused by agricultural waste in order to alleviate the weakening of agricultural ecosystems. Taking the agricultural green economy as the research object, an evaluation index system based on the theories of green economic efficiency and economic growth for agricultural green ecological efficiency was constructed, and the impact mechanisms of specific indicators on agricultural green ecological efficiency were empirically explored. In addition, based on the data envelopment analysis (DEA) model, the overall agricultural green ecological efficiency of China from 2002 to 2021 was evaluated and the efficiency characteristics were analyzed from multiple perspectives. Then, the indicators of policy, finance, communication, society and other aspects were added in order to construct a comprehensive evaluation model of agricultural green ecological efficiency using a combination of DEA and a BP neural network, and the feasibility of the model was verified. The results indicate that the agricultural green ecological efficiency increased from 0.7340 in 2002 to 0.8205 in 2021, an increase of 11.78%. Additionally, the technological efficiency of China’s agricultural green ecological system did not show a very obvious trend of divergence. The results of the BP neural network were consistent with those obtained using DEA, and the overall evolution trend of the calculated BP neural network and DEA were mutually verified and integrated. The effectiveness and accuracy of the BP neural network was verified via a comparison with DEA. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Sustainable Development and Coordinated Governance of Urban and Rural Areas under the Guidance of Ecological Wisdom)

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19 pages, 12011 KiB  

Open AccessArticle

Spatial-Temporal Variation Characteristics and Obstacle Factors of Resilience in Border Cities of Northeast China

by Kaiping Jiang, Kaichao Li, Nan Cong, Siyu Wu and Fei Peng

Land 2023, 12(5), 958; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12050958 - 26 Apr 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1358

Abstract

The study of border resilience is an effective means to analyze the development status of border cities. This study constructs a border city resilience assessment framework, measures the urban resilience level of 13 prefecture-level administrative regions in China’s northeastern border region from 2010 [...] Read more.

The study of border resilience is an effective means to analyze the development status of border cities. This study constructs a border city resilience assessment framework, measures the urban resilience level of 13 prefecture-level administrative regions in China’s northeastern border region from 2010 to 2019, reveals their temporal and spatial differentiation characteristics, analyzes the main obstacles, and proposes development strategies. This study reveals the following: (1) The overall resilience of the northeast border cities is at a medium level, and differences between regions and cities are large. (2) The resilience of the northeast border cities increased rapidly between 2010 and 2015, especially in the western area; the improvement effect was poor between 2015 and 2019, and except for the increased resilience of individual cities in the eastern area, the development of other cities was slow and some even declined. (3) At the city scale, the development potential, economic structure, residents’ security, and environmental governance capabilities are the main factors restricting improvement in the basic resilience of the northeast border cities. Insufficient national policy support and the poor development of neighboring countries have become obstacles to cities’ exclusive resilience. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Sustainable Development and Coordinated Governance of Urban and Rural Areas under the Guidance of Ecological Wisdom)

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16 pages, 2857 KiB  

Open AccessArticle

CiteSpace and Bibliometric Analysis of Published Research on Forest Ecosystem Services for the Period 2018–2022

by Chenxi Li, Zhihong Zong, Haichao Qie, Yingying Fang and Qiao Liu

Land 2023, 12(4), 845; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12040845 - 07 Apr 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1737

Abstract

With the development of the social economy, human demand for forest ecosystem service functions is increasing, and at the same time, higher requirements are being put forward for forest ecosystems. Therefore, a more comprehensive and scientific evaluation of forest ecosystem service functions is [...] Read more.

With the development of the social economy, human demand for forest ecosystem service functions is increasing, and at the same time, higher requirements are being put forward for forest ecosystems. Therefore, a more comprehensive and scientific evaluation of forest ecosystem service functions is needed. In order to understand the current status and trends of research on forest ecosystem service functions and value assessment, this study used bibliometric methods and CiteSpace visual analysis to organize and summarize the relevant research. The results show that current research focuses on three aspects: the formulation of forest ecosystem service assessment issues, the classification of ecosystem service functions, and ecosystem service assessment methods. The focus of future research on forest ecosystem services can be summarized as follows: refining the indicators and methods for assessment, extending the research area and scope, analyzing the spatial and temporal dynamics, conducting research on mechanisms of forest ecosystem service functions, and transforming the evaluation results. This study provides an initial insight into the study of forest ecosystem services and a reference for future scholarly research. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Sustainable Development and Coordinated Governance of Urban and Rural Areas under the Guidance of Ecological Wisdom)

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