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Land
Special Issues
Urban Morphology, Sustainability, and Regional Development
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Urban Morphology, Sustainability, and Regional Development

A special issue of Land (ISSN 2073-445X).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 October 2023) | Viewed by 7720

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Carmen Delgado-Viñas

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Geography, Urban and Regional Planning, E.T.S. of Civil Engineers, University of Cantabria, 39005 Santander, Cantabria, Spain
Interests: mountain areas; rural areas dynamics; rural depopulation; rural development; urbanization processes
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Efstathios Margaritis

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Spatial Planning and Environment, The University of Groningen, 9712 CP Groningen, The Netherlands
Interests: urban morphology; spatial analysis; GIS;

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

(1) Introduction, including scientific background and highlighting the importance of this research area.

This Special Issue focuses on the relationship between urban morphology and sustainable territorial development.

The study of urban morphology has a long tradition and a notable multidisciplinary and cross-cutting character (urbanism and urban planning, geography, history, archaeology, architecture, landscaping, etc.) since the beginning of the 20th century (Otto Schlüter). For more than a century, the main thematic axes have been the analysis of urban forms and the processes and the urbanizing agents that have shaped them (morphogenesis). These issues have been treated, preferably, through analysis of the mapping of physical morphology and by studying the zoning of land uses and the spatial distribution of social groups (socioeconomic morphology).

More recent approaches have been incorporated into these approaches. Thus, the environmental point of view that is manifested in urban ecology, urban landscape and heritage emphasizes the identification of physical morphology with the urban landscape and its conservation and protection as heritage value.

More recently, the need to insist on the analysis of the nature of urbanization processes and of current urban models (compact urban versus urban sprawl) in relation to the sustainable development of cities and the territory in general has been added. Therefore, current research on urban morphology focuses more on the study of the impact of urban form on people's lives and their environment. They are new approaches that are committed to new paradigms related to "good urban form" (Lynch, 1981) and the "art of creating habitable places" (Hall, 2014).

These new paradigms are closely related to the Sustainable Development Goals proposed by the United Nations in 2015, which are aimed at the sustainability of urban settlements as inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable places (SDG 11). On the other hand, in its validity and consolidation, the incidence of COVID-19 and the effects of urban morphology on public health have become important. In the wake of COVID-19, a lot of speculation has been put on the design of the post-pandemic city. This discussion has highlighted the key role of urban morphology and brought the principles of sustainable urbanism and the discussion around spatial indicators towards healthy and sustainable cities back to the spotlight. Moreover, the quality of visual elements and cognition of space coupled with the aesthetic form in responsive environments is still underdeveloped. Calls to link urban morphology with big data under the smart city paradigm also continue to provide valuable insights into the liveability of cities in different scales with various indicators guiding decisions towards the promotion of healthy and sustainable cities.

(2) Aim of the Special Issue and how the subject relates to the journal scope.

The theme of this Special Issue is pertinent to the aim of the journal, as it will build upon the discussion on the role of urban morphology in sustainable development within the urban context with clear implications in urban planning and urban design. Primary research findings are expected to have practical design implications in decision making and policy processes.

Starting from the premise that the quality of urban spaces is conditioned by the morphological characteristics of the urban layout of which they form a part, it is essential to seek progress in the analysis of urban quality, according to the triple requirement of the SDGs: safety, inclusiveness and accessibility. It is for this that the prior identification of indicators is necessary to determine the level of sustainability of the urban forms of the 21st century and the incorporation of big data to their study.

(3) Suggested themes and article types for submissions.

For this Special Issue we are interested in contributions that link urban morphology or urban form with urban design, well-being and environmental attributes. Methodologically speaking empirical research or conceptual/theoretical works will be considered, examining any key processes, including, but not limited to:

  • Urban land uses;
  • Urban ecology;
  • Sustainable forms of urban mobility;
  • Strategies to improve habitability conditions in cities;
  • Urban morphology and sustainable urban design;
  • Urban models: compact city and dispersed and diffuse city;
  • Resilience theory and urban form;
  • Urban morphology and urban analytics;
  • Urban morphology and environmental hazards;
  • Integrated plans to promote resilience against risks and disasters;
  • Urban morphology and thermal environment;
  • Universal access to green infrastructure and safe public spaces;
  • Urban form and environmental qualities;
  • Urban morphology and well-being/life quality;
  • Heritage value of urban forms with the aim of advancing in sustainable territorial development;
  • Policies and planning actions for peripheral neighbourhoods and peri-urban areas;
  • Measures to control the excessive consumption of land and preserve natural ecosystems in cities.

Many unanswered questions remain regarding the links between urban morphology and sustainable territorial development. Contributions to this Special Issue could serve to provide some answers.

We invite articles that link the urban forms, urbanizing processes and agents with comprehensive and sustainable urban development, socioeconomic development and environmental development.

Prof. Dr. Carmen Delgado-Viñas
Dr. Efstathios Margaritis
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Land is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

25 pages, 5333 KiB  
Article
The Expression of Illegal Urbanism in the Urban Morphology and Landscape: The Case of the Metropolitan Area of Seville (Spain)
by David López-Casado and Víctor Fernández-Salinas
Land 2023, 12(12), 2108; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12122108 - 26 Nov 2023
Viewed by 1041
Abstract
Illegal urbanism has been, and still is, an inherent aspect of the metropolitan fabric of many Spanish cities shaped throughout the twentieth century. The morphology of these complex spaces, with origins in organic growth processes, reflects illegal housing developments through discordant, poorly connected [...] Read more.
Illegal urbanism has been, and still is, an inherent aspect of the metropolitan fabric of many Spanish cities shaped throughout the twentieth century. The morphology of these complex spaces, with origins in organic growth processes, reflects illegal housing developments through discordant, poorly connected networks, often with significant landscape and environmental impacts. The metropolitan area of Seville, comprising almost 5000 km2 and more than 1,500,000 inhabitants, is a paradigmatic space where these facts can be traced, especially in its western sector, where the strong urbanisation dynamics of the last decades have reached and engulfed many of these housing developments. This work establishes an analysis and proposes typologies of the different repercussions of the process in this territory. It does so by drawing on, among other sources, two regional inventories on illegal urbanism, which allow the application of a diachronic perspective and fieldwork with information synchronised to the present time. The main conclusion is that, in addition to explaining the complex metropolitan networks in which they appear (justifying singular forms, asymmetries, and morphologies), the illegal housing developments analysed are an important element for weighing the sociopolitical characteristics of the municipalities in which they are inserted. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Urban Morphology, Sustainability, and Regional Development)
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24 pages, 9657 KiB  
Article
Liberalization, Trans-European Corridors and EU Funds: A New Scenario in the Relationship between Rail Networks and Mediterranean Cities
by Josep Vicent Boira and Matteo Berzi
Land 2023, 12(11), 1986; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12111986 - 29 Oct 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1053
Abstract
The trans-European transport network (TEN-T) is a key factor in the relationship between railway development and urban growth in Europe, with a tangible impact on urban morphology. In this scenario, the aim of this article is to analyze how the Mediterranean Railway Corridor [...] Read more.
The trans-European transport network (TEN-T) is a key factor in the relationship between railway development and urban growth in Europe, with a tangible impact on urban morphology. In this scenario, the aim of this article is to analyze how the Mediterranean Railway Corridor (EU’s TEN-T strategy) is inducing new processes of railway integration in the urban system located along the Spanish Mediterranean coast. Our working hypothesis is based on the analysis of three vectors that are modifying the relationship between high-performance rail networks and cities, using new processes that have been overlooked by most of the existing scientific and EU grey literature. Firstly, the development of a trans-European transport network (TEN-T) is driving new and complex rail projects that are associated with achieving the full interoperability of the trans-European rail corridors. Secondly, the European liberalization of passenger transport is promoting rail operations with a strong urban and morphological impact, due to the resulting increase in rail services. Finally, the European response to the consequences of the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic has made it possible to launch large-scale financial operations aimed at sustainable transport projects, including rail projects. We have carried out an analysis of the academic and institutional literature and we have also considered three case studies along the Mediterranean Corridor in Spain: Barcelona, Valencia, and Murcia. For each one, we present the structure of the current rail networks, the ongoing urban integration projects driven by the Mediterranean Corridor, and the resulting implications for urban morphology, as well as the opportunities they bring from a socio-economic perspective. Therefore, we argue that there is a triple substantial change: the significance of rail and urban projects (from the national scale to throughout the European Union), the operational network (from the domestic high-speed network to the TEN-T network), and funding (from state self-financing to European CEF and RRF funds). Nonetheless, further research activities are needed to assess how the revision of the TEN-T regulation strategy will affect the urban–railway relationship. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Urban Morphology, Sustainability, and Regional Development)
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20 pages, 25536 KiB  
Article
Assessment of the Ecological Condition of Informal Settlements Using the Settlement Surface Ecological Index
by Naledzani Mudau and Paidamwoyo Mhangara
Land 2023, 12(8), 1622; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12081622 - 17 Aug 2023
Viewed by 1050
Abstract
To manage urban ecological ecosystems adequately, understanding the urban areas’ biophysical characteristics is required. This study developed a settlement surface ecological index (SSEI) using tree, soil, impervious surface and grass covers, land surface temperature (LST), and soil moisture derived from Satellite Pour L’Observation [...] Read more.
To manage urban ecological ecosystems adequately, understanding the urban areas’ biophysical characteristics is required. This study developed a settlement surface ecological index (SSEI) using tree, soil, impervious surface and grass covers, land surface temperature (LST), and soil moisture derived from Satellite Pour L’Observation de la Terre (SPOT) 7 and Landsat 8 satellite images. The assessment of the SSEI was conducted over twelve sites of 300 m by 300 m. The selected sites contained formal and informal settlements of varying building densities. The SSEI values ranged from −0.3 to 0.54. Seven assessed areas are in the worst ecological condition with an SSEI below zero. Only three settlement types had an SSEI index value of 0.2 and above, and two of these areas were informal settlements. The formal low-density settlement with higher tree coverage displayed the highest index value of 0.54, slightly higher than the medium-density informal settlement. Overall, there is no significant difference in the SSEI values between the surface ecological condition of formal and informal settlements. The results achieved in this study can be used to understand urban ecology better and develop urban greening strategies at a city or settlement level. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Urban Morphology, Sustainability, and Regional Development)
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15 pages, 2716 KiB  
Article
Urban Planning and Sustainability in the Cities of Castilla-La Mancha (Spain): Current Challenges
by María Ángeles Rodríguez-Domenech and Maria Carmen Cañizares Ruiz
Land 2023, 12(8), 1540; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12081540 - 3 Aug 2023
Viewed by 804
Abstract
The concept of sustainability has recently become a key matter of concern in urban planning, especially in the context of ever-increasing populations in urban spaces, as noted in the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal 11, “Sustainable cities and communities”. In this study, we [...] Read more.
The concept of sustainability has recently become a key matter of concern in urban planning, especially in the context of ever-increasing populations in urban spaces, as noted in the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal 11, “Sustainable cities and communities”. In this study, we analyze the policies that are shaping the transition toward urban sustainability in the Spanish context. We focus on the evolution of such policies since the end of the last century, from Local Agenda 21 to the current sustainable development strategies. The territorial scope of the study covers the five provincial capitals of the region of Castilla-La Mancha (Albacete, Toledo, Guadalajara, Ciudad Real, and Cuenca). The research question posed herein is: “Have the policies that have been applied made these cities more sustainable?”. The methodology for answering this question is based on bibliographic analysis and analytical analysis, achieved by the qualitative method of interviewing the agents involved in the ISUDS, and conducting an applied analysis of the main actions developed in each of the cities, for which collaboration with the city councils has been key. Synthetic analysis has been used to conduct research using geographic information systems. The key findings relate to the progress made in achieving urban sustainability in these medium-sized cities, and the success of the urban planning process. We identified the following variables in the current ISUDS actions: new uses for unused urban lots, new building construction programs, street rehabilitation, building rehabilitation, and neighborhood regeneration. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Urban Morphology, Sustainability, and Regional Development)
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24 pages, 10790 KiB  
Article
Recent Transformations in the Morphology of Spanish Medium-Sized Cities: From the Compact City to the Urban Area
by Gonzalo Andrés López
Land 2023, 12(7), 1276; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12071276 - 23 Jun 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1094
Abstract
Over the last few decades, within the framework of remarkable urban expansion accompanying a real-estate boom in Spain, it has been medium-sized cities that have registered the most drastic changes in morphology. Currently, about 50% of urbanised land was developed after 1980. Historically [...] Read more.
Over the last few decades, within the framework of remarkable urban expansion accompanying a real-estate boom in Spain, it has been medium-sized cities that have registered the most drastic changes in morphology. Currently, about 50% of urbanised land was developed after 1980. Historically compact and dense urban structures have been transformed, with new urbanised spaces expanding into the outskirts. High land consumption has created sprawling, fragmented and scattered urban areas. These are new, more complex and multifunctional urban structures, and there has been a change in the scale of urbanisation, in the forms and in the resulting urban landscape. However, the growth model which has caused these transformations is defined by hardly sustainable land-use patterns. The number of medium-sized cities has increased by around 50%, while the number of houses built has grown by 109% and developed land by 87% between 1981 and 2021. This paper analyses these recent dynamics through the statistical treatment of growth patterns and their cartographic analysis using GIS technology. The significant modification of urban forms at this scale in the Spanish urban system is confirmed. The paper also reflects on the lack of sustainability in the prevailing model with respect to the 2030 city strategy. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Urban Morphology, Sustainability, and Regional Development)
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20 pages, 4546 KiB  
Article
Quantitative Analysis of Spatial Heterogeneity and Driving Forces of the Urban Spatial Structure’s Development Level Based on Multi-Source Big Data: A Case Study of Beijing, China
by Zhaoyu Liu, Yushuang Wang, Chunxiao Zhang and Dongya Liu
Land 2023, 12(6), 1178; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12061178 - 2 Jun 2023
Viewed by 1223
Abstract
Many developed cities in the world put forward a spatial development strategy in their construction planning. Analyzing the development level of the urban spatial structure and the influence of driving factors has become a hot topic. Based on 709,232 points of interest data [...] Read more.
Many developed cities in the world put forward a spatial development strategy in their construction planning. Analyzing the development level of the urban spatial structure and the influence of driving factors has become a hot topic. Based on 709,232 points of interest data in Beijing, China, this paper integrates nighttime light data and population density data to select eight key driving factors from three perspectives: urban function configuration, economic activity intensity and population spatial distribution. Geodetector is used to optimize data discreteness and highlight the spatial heterogeneity of the development level. We use the technique for order of preference by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS) model improved with the entropy weight method to grade the spatial differentiation characteristics of the comprehensive development level. The driving factors and their effects on space are further discussed using Geodetector. The results are as follows: (1) The quartile method can achieve the optimal dispersion of all urban functions. The standard deviation can achieve the optimal dispersion of economic activity intensity and population spatial distribution; (2) A comparison with the “Beijing Urban Master Plan (2016–2035)”, finds that the optimized evaluation system can effectively reflect the spatial heterogeneity of urban spatial structure development. It verifies the rationality of the evaluation methods and factors; (3) The driving force of the population under single-factor driving is 0.8428. The dual-factor driving force with population participation ranges from 0.8992 to 0.9550. The results of the study are significant and reflect the prominent role of population on the development level of spatial structure in Beijing. This paper aims to provide a new idea for the study of the interior space planning of large inland cities. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Urban Morphology, Sustainability, and Regional Development)
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