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Economic Geography and Sustainable Urban Sprawl

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A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Sustainability in Geographic Science".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 May 2020) | Viewed by 48984

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Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Daniel Coq-Huelva

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Guest Editor

Department of Applied Economics II and Institute of Latin American Studies, University of Seville, 41018 Seville, Spain
Interests: agro-food economy; political economy; ecological economics; economics of institutions; regional economy; urban economy

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

It is widely recognized that cities are of central importance for sustainability development and privileged scenarios for sustainable transitions. However, some of the currently prevalent urban processes can make sustainable transition particularly complicated. This is probably the case for urban sprawl which is associated with the rising human use of land and the dramatic increase of transport costs and of the consumption of natural resources.

This Special Issue of the Sustainability aims to address some of the most relevant academic topics related to urban sprawl and sustainable transitions. Some of the questions we wish to discuss are: Is sprawl a worldwide active force in urban development? Is it generated by growth waves or is it mostly an endless process? What are the forces behind urban sprawl in different territorial contexts, public policies or market dynamics? Is there some specific and verifiable relation between financialization and urban sprawl? What is the effect on housing markets? Can be urban sprawl contained or, at least, managed by public regulations? What are its relations to state rescaling? What are its main economic, social, and ecological costs? What is its effect on the cost of public services? What are the metrics that support urban sprawl analysis? What methods can be used? How to manage the existing dispersed cities from a sustainable perspective? Are there sustainable mobility alternatives? What are the effects of sustainable transition processes in terms of resource consumption and standards of living?

The answers to these questions can be crucial in an academic debate that frames urban sprawl in the context of the search of new sustainable urban systems.

Prof. Daniel Coq-Huelva
Guest Editor

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

Urban Sprawl in emerging economies
Urban sprawl in developed countries
Urban sprawl and motorized mobility
Urban Sustainable Transportation
Financialisation and the processes of urban growth, urban sustainable transitions, urban sprawl and housing markets, Ecological costs of urban sprawl

Published Papers (10 papers)

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Research

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15 pages, 2640 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Research on the Sustainable Synergetic Development of Chinese Urban Economies in the Context of a Study of Industrial Agglomeration

by Chengwei Wang and Qingchun Meng

Sustainability 2020, 12(3), 1122; https://doi.org/10.3390/su12031122 - 5 Feb 2020

Cited by 17 | Viewed by 2462

Abstract

Synergetic development is the basis and means for the sustainable development of regional economies. Research on the synergetic economic relationship between cities and the exposure of the internal structure and evolution mechanisms of the Urban Economic Synergetic Development Network (UESDN) in the context of industrial agglomeration promote the construction and sustainable development of such a system. Industrial agglomeration not only affects the spatial distribution of industrial structures and enterprise activities but also causes differences in city positions. Using input–output theory, this study constructed a UESDN for China in 2005, 2010, and 2015, and employed social-network analysis to analyze the spatial and temporal evolution characteristics of China’s synergetic development pattern. The degree centrality, betweenness centrality, and cohesive subgroups of the UESDN were computed using models in complex-network theory. This study found that the synergetic development pattern of Chinese urban economies has gradually developed from the hub-spoke model focused on Eastern provincial capitals to the network model of eastern and central cities over the period of 2005–2015. A few key cities act as intermediaries that carry economic factors with the shortest path in the UESDN. The Yangtze River economic belt, the axis belt of the Eastern coast and that of the Western economic belt were gradually formed. The number and strength of the correlation between cities within the subgroups have also continually increased. In our conclusion, we offer some suggestions for establishing a system of synergetic development between cities to improve urbanization levels. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Economic Geography and Sustainable Urban Sprawl)

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14 pages, 1751 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Displacement of Santiago de Chile’s Downtown during 1990–2015: Travel Time Effects on Eradicated Population

by Gonzalo Suazo-Vecino, Juan Carlos Muñoz and Luis Fuentes Arce

Sustainability 2020, 12(1), 289; https://doi.org/10.3390/su12010289 - 30 Dec 2019

Cited by 15 | Viewed by 3840

Abstract

The center of activities of Santiago de Chile has been continuously evolving towards the eastern part of the city, where the most affluent residents live. This paper characterizes the direction and magnitude of this evolution through an indicator stating how much the built surface area for service purposes grows in different areas in the city. To identify the impact of this evolution, we compare residents’ travel-time distributions from different sectors in the city to the central area. This travel-time comparison is focused on the sectors where informal settlements were massively eradicated between 1978–1985 and those areas where the settlements were relocated. This analysis show that this policy and the consequent evolution of the city were detrimental to the affected families, significantly increasing average travel time to the extended center of the city and inequality among different socioeconomic groups in the city. Although the phenomenon is quite visible to everyone, it has not received any policy reaction from the authority. These findings suggest that middle and low-income sectors would benefit if policies driving the evolution of the center of activities towards them were implemented. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Economic Geography and Sustainable Urban Sprawl)

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19 pages, 2025 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Evolution and Mechanism of the “Core–Periphery” Relationship: Micro-Evidence from Cross-Regional Industrial Production Organization in a Fast-Developing Region in China

by Lixia Jin, Changjian Wang, Hongou Zhang, Yuyao Ye, Zhiwei Du and Yuling Zhang

Sustainability 2020, 12(1), 189; https://doi.org/10.3390/su12010189 - 25 Dec 2019

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 4419

Abstract

The location selection mechanism and effect of industrial transfer have been widely considered in academia, but the influence of institutional factors on cross-regional industrial transfer and regional differences still need further investigation. Based on theories of economic geography as well as new economic geography (NEG) and its’ institutional transformation, this paper studies the form, mechanism, and effect of the “core–periphery” regional relationship between the Pearl River Delta (PRD) and non-Pearl River Delta (NPRD) areas in Guangdong Province from the micro perspective of industrial spatial organization. Based on a case study on the change of the cross-regional production spatial organization of ceramics enterprises between Foshan and Qingyuan, it is found that after three rounds of spatial reorganization, the production spatial organization of Foshan’s and Qingyuan’s ceramics industries has changed significantly, forming a multifactory, multilocation production spatial structure and regional production network, which further drives to form the regional functional division of “core–periphery”. Institution factors, especially environmental regulation and industrial transfer institutional arrangements, have become an important driving force for the current industrial transfer, but its impact on regional relations is still not a decisive factor. The path locking of the “core–periphery” mode has not been fundamentally broken through. Although the form of spatial inequality has greatly changed, in fact, it produces a new form of inequality. The economic, geographical, and political theoretical framework from the micro-perspective of enterprises will provide a possible theoretical explanation for the phenomenon of “pollution moving to the West, high-tech industry moving to the East, industrial output gathering to the East” in China. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Economic Geography and Sustainable Urban Sprawl)

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17 pages, 3132 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Role of Planning Policies in Promoting Urban Sprawl in Intermediate Cities: Evidence from Chile

by Jonathan R. Barton and María Inés Ramírez

Sustainability 2019, 11(24), 7165; https://doi.org/10.3390/su11247165 - 13 Dec 2019

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 4033

Abstract

Urban sprawl has been studied principally as a phenomenon produced by a lack of or weakness in urban planning, as a consequence of real estate liberalization. This article examines the Chilean case, and proposes that the state has been the engine of this phenomenon through spatial planning instruments that have both neoliberal and neostructural features, and that are best defined by the concept, new public management. The analysis tracks urban sprawl in four intermediate cities, which have experienced high rates of growth since 2000, using photointerpretation of satellite images between 2003 and 2011, and the creation of a typology to define land uses and housing types. The results show that intermediate cities follow similar trends to the capital city, Santiago, and face similar problems, in particular the concentration of services in the urban core. These similarities are produced by the application of general planning instruments: Article 55 and Decree Law 3516. While most research on urban sprawl focuses on private agency, this article highlights the role of the state in its production. It is therefore relevant to explore the nature of public agency in urban sprawl processes in different metropolitan and intermediate cities, and how planning policies can be adapted to curb the phenomenon. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Economic Geography and Sustainable Urban Sprawl)

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14 pages, 1293 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Temporal and Spatial Characteristics and Early Warning Analysis of Economic Polarization Evolution: A Case Study of Jiangsu Province in China

by Chen Zou, Xiangjun Ou and Juntao Tan

Sustainability 2019, 11(5), 1339; https://doi.org/10.3390/su11051339 - 4 Mar 2019

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2667

Abstract

Economic polarization is a special manifestation of economic disparity which intensifies the gap between the rich and the poor in a region and brings about a series of social problems. Though more and more scholars are studying the phenomenon of economic polarization, there are few studies on polarization level division and early warning analysis in the existing literature. The main purpose of this paper is to propose a standard for rationally dividing the level of economic polarization. This paper firstly analyzes the current situation of economic polarization by using the economic data of 54 counties and cities in Jiangsu Province from 2000 to 2016 and secondly predicts the economic polarization level of Jiangsu Province from 2017 to 2015 through the grey model. We find that, according to the classification criteria of polarization levels, the phenomenon of economic polarization in Jiangsu Province is both not as serious as expected and at a moderate level of alertness. The results of this study can provide important reference value for the coordinated development of Jiangsu Province. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Economic Geography and Sustainable Urban Sprawl)

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13 pages, 2113 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Spatial-Temporal Variance of Coupling Relationship between Population Modernization and Eco-Environment in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei

by Meicun Li and Chunmei Mao

Sustainability 2019, 11(4), 991; https://doi.org/10.3390/su11040991 - 14 Feb 2019

Cited by 12 | Viewed by 2722

Abstract

Steady population growth promotes economic and societal progress, and the symbiotic coordination between the ecological environment and the local population is the necessary requirement for realizing sustainability. We used population modernization and ecological environment data of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei from 2005 to 2016 to construct two index systems. We used the variation coefficient method, the coupling degree model, and a geographical detector to analyze the coordination degree of population modernization and the ecological environment. The results showed that: (1) From 2005 to 2016, the coupling degree was stable at a high level, the degree of coordination increased, and the growth rate decreased; (2) From the perspective of spatial distribution, the types of good harmony and high harmony were located in the middle, eastern, and western regions. The adjacent disorder and moderate disorder regions were distributed in the north and south sides; (3) Through influence detection, we found the main factors that influenced the spatial distribution of coordination degree were the natural population growth rate, health technicians/10,000 people, etc. These factors had some characteristics of space-time heterogeneity. Such results can contribute to the understanding of characteristics of population-environment development in different regions, promoting sustainable development of regional environment in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Economic Geography and Sustainable Urban Sprawl)

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22 pages, 3976 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Does Urban Industrial Agglomeration Lead to the Improvement of Land Use Efficiency in China? An Empirical Study from a Spatial Perspective

by Wei Han, Ying Zhang, Jianming Cai and Enpu Ma

Sustainability 2019, 11(4), 986; https://doi.org/10.3390/su11040986 - 14 Feb 2019

Cited by 35 | Viewed by 4865

Abstract

Industrial agglomeration is an important economic phenomenon in urban areas and has significant effects on land use efficiency (LUE) due to external economies of scale. A bourgeoning body of literature has investigated the effects of industrial agglomeration. However, the relationship between industrial agglomeration and land use efficiency has rarely been discussed in China. To fill this gap, this study aims to explore the effects of industrial agglomeration on LUE and the characteristics of its spatial distribution. In this study, the spatial effects of industrial agglomeration of 12 detailed sectors on LUE are estimated through the geographical weighted regression model. Socioeconomic data of 289 prefecture-level cities in China are utilized for the analysis. Results show several important findings. First, spatial effects of industrial agglomerations on LUE are evident in three grand city clusters, i.e. the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei Region, the Yangtze River Delta, and the Pearl River Delta. Second, spatial patterns and distributions of industrial agglomeration effects on LUE vary across regions. Third, the significance of industrial agglomeration effects on LUE between 2-digit industrial sectors is different. The merits of this study lie in three aspects: First, a theoretical framework is explored to analyze the impacts of industrial agglomeration on LUE based on the expanded Cobb–Douglas production function; Second, the impacts of industrial sectors on LUE are estimated from a spatial perspective; Third, some policy implications for a more economically efficient urban spatial development are suggested. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Economic Geography and Sustainable Urban Sprawl)

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Review

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36 pages, 3612 KiB

Open AccessReview

Sustaining What Is Unsustainable: A Review of Urban Sprawl and Urban Socio-Environmental Policies in North America and Western Europe

by Carlos Bueno-Suárez and Daniel Coq-Huelva

Sustainability 2020, 12(11), 4445; https://doi.org/10.3390/su12114445 - 30 May 2020

Cited by 32 | Viewed by 8866

Abstract

Urban sprawl and its economic, social, and environmental consequences are central issues for approaching more sustainable forms of life and production. This review provides a broad theoretical exploration of the main features of urban sprawl but also of sustainable urban policies in Western Europe and North America. Urban sprawl can be observed in both continents, as the search for higher standards of economic, social, and environmental sustainability is also an essential feature of urban governance in the last years. Urban sprawl has been slightly weaker in Western Europe, as its are cities generally more compact. Moreover, in Western Europe, urban sprawl has sometimes been confronted with ex-ante preventive policies. However, in North America, urban sprawl from the 1950s has been an essential element of the social ordering and, thus, of the American way of life. In both cases, urban sprawl has generated successive rounds of accumulation of built capital, which is currently managed in sustainable ways essentially through ex-post and palliative measures, that is, trying to “sustain what is unsustainable”. In other words, the idea is to make urban sprawl more sustainable but without altering its main morphological elements. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Economic Geography and Sustainable Urban Sprawl)

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22 pages, 1323 KiB

Open AccessReview

Urban Sprawl and Sustainable Urban Policies. A Review of the Cases of Lima, Mexico City and Santiago de Chile

by Daniel Coq-Huelva and Rosario Asián-Chaves

Sustainability 2019, 11(20), 5835; https://doi.org/10.3390/su11205835 - 21 Oct 2019

Cited by 27 | Viewed by 6664

Abstract

In recent decades, urban processes have experienced deep transformations. One of them has been the growing importance of urban sprawl. This article reviews its main features and the policies related to the paradigm of sustainability in three Latin American Megalopolises: Mexico City, Lima, and Santiago de Chile. For this purpose, we have carried out an extensive compilation of the existing academic literature. Urban sprawl in those cities cannot be understood without considering the rising housing needs of popular classes, usually addressed through the sequence settlement-parceling-building-urbanization. Simultaneously high-income groups tend to create separated and gated commodities and there is increasing spatial mobility of the middle classes. Those processes tend to generate highly segregated and increasingly patched metropolitan areas. Sustainability is framed on models of urban governance based on ecological modernization. In this context, three main sustainable policies are analyzed: water supply, green areas provision, and transport. Conclusions stress: (1) Deep changes experienced and the path-dependent element observed in the social construction of sustainability (2) Consolidation of a model of socially segregated and ecologically differentiated urban polycentrism (3) Relevance of the different megalopolises as niches of experimentation and innovation in the construction of specific forms of sustainable transition. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Economic Geography and Sustainable Urban Sprawl)

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28 pages, 6369 KiB

Open AccessReview

Bibliometric Analysis of Trends in Global Sustainable Livelihood Research

by Chenjia Zhang, Yiping Fang, Xiujuan Chen and Tian Congshan

Sustainability 2019, 11(4), 1150; https://doi.org/10.3390/su11041150 - 21 Feb 2019

Cited by 29 | Viewed by 7648

Abstract

The concept of sustainable livelihoods (SL) is one of the most important subjects of sustainable development, and is an important long-term goal for poverty alleviation. There has been growing interest in the nature and practical application of SL in recent decades. This paper applies bibliometric analysis to collect and analyze data on sustainable livelihoods from the expanded Science Citation index (SCIE) and the Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI). Bibliometric maps can assist greatly in visualizing and summarizing large volumes of data and in studying scientific outputs. The findings offer insights into research trends pertaining to SL, such as these: (1) In recent decades there has been an increase in both the number of papers on SL and their scientific influence. (2) The most active journals are Sustainability, Ecology and Society, Land Use Policy, and International Journal of Sustainable Development and World Ecology. (3) SL papers are distributed mainly in the fields of Environmental Sciences, Environmental Studies, Ecology, Planning & Development, and Green & Sustainable Science & Technology. (4) The USA and UK are leaders in SL research as measured by both the quantity and quality of SL publications. Some developing countries, notably India and China, have seen an increase in SL publications in recent years. (5) Wageningen University in Netherlands, the Chinese Academy of Science, and the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR), headquartered in Indonesia, have had a major influence in the field of international SL research. (6) International cooperation has a positive effect on the growth of SL research, suggesting that there is a need for strengthening cooperation among countries, international institutions, and individuals. (7) Major areas of SL research (“hot topics”) are theoretical research on the SL concept; ecosystem conservation; poverty reduction in the poverty-stricken areas; the impact of climate change on livelihoods; and linkages between SL-related policies and institutional change. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Economic Geography and Sustainable Urban Sprawl)

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