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Land
Special Issues
Land Planning to Integrate Ecosystem Resilience and Human Well-Being
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Land Planning to Integrate Ecosystem Resilience and Human Well-Being

A special issue of Land (ISSN 2073-445X). This special issue belongs to the section "Land Planning and Landscape Architecture".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 October 2026 | Viewed by 2045

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Alice Stocco

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Environmental Sciences, Informatics and Statistics Department, Ca’ Foscari University of Venice, 30172 Venice, Italy
Interests: ecosystem ecology; ecopsychology; ecomedicine; ecosystem services; GIS; remote sensing
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Mita Drius

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Faculty of Education, Free University of Bozen-Bolzano, I-39042 Bressanone, BZ, Italy
Interests: ecosystem services; green infrastructure; biology education
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Silvia Pulina

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Architecture, Design and Urban Planning, University of Sassari, 07100 Sassari, Italy
Interests: community ecology; aquatic ecology; climate changes

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Land planning is a powerful governance tool for shaping the development of human settlements across a wide range of uses, including urban growth, agriculture, productive landscapes, rural livelihoods, and spaces dedicated to recreation and healthy lifestyles. However, these diverse land uses frequently compete with one another and can undermine the ecological integrity of the environment, disrupting the structure and functioning of ecosystems and their networks, as well as the landscape.

Effective land planning must therefore address complex, interdependent challenges: balancing competing land uses, preserving ecosystem services, and promoting a socially just and ecologically respectful development. This is further complicated by limited availability of localized data, a lack of dissemination of best practices and case studies (both successful and unsuccessful), and poor coordination and communication across disciplines. This Special Issue seeks original research and review papers that explore how land planning influences both ecosystem resilience and human well-being. We are especially interested in contributions that focus on the planning, design, and management of landscapes and land-use systems for aesthetic, recreational, restorative, and even therapeutic purposes.

Potential topics include the following:

  • Integrating ecosystem services into land-use and spatial planning;
  • Green and blue infrastructure design for resilience and health;
  • Nature-based solutions for climate adaptation and social well-being;
  • Interdisciplinary and participatory approaches in land planning;
  • Case studies from Europe and beyond on multi-functional land use;
  • Digital tools and geospatial methods for land planning;
  • Therapeutic landscapes and health-oriented land design.

The goal of this Special Issue is to provide insight into innovative approaches to land planning that can harmonize ecological sustainability with human needs, especially within the evolving European context. The SI is also willing to accept “lessons learned” and reports on negative interactions or unsuccessful case studies as valuable contributions to the knowledge in the field.

This Special Issue will welcome manuscripts that link the following themes:

  • Land use/land cover changes and influences on human well-being;
  • Reports on the interactions between land use, landscape structure, and human well-being;
  • Land planning for human health and well-being;
  • Urban planning and development;
  • Insights from ecopsychological and ecomedicine linked to land structure and development.

We look forward to receiving your original research articles and reviews.

Dr. Alice Stocco
Dr. Mita Drius
Dr. Silvia Pulina
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 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

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.

Keywords

  • land planning
  • land use management
  • urban planning
  • green and blue spaces
  • green infrastructures
  • human well-being
  • sustainable land use
  • landscape management
  • landscape design

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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24 pages, 1347 KB  
Article
Assessing the Trophic Condition of a Reservoir: A Combined Analysis of Watershed, Inter-Lake Connections and Internal Nutrient Loads
by Bachisio Mario Padedda, Paola Buscarinu, Tomasa Virdis, Cecilia Teodora Satta, Salvatore Gonario Pasquale Virdis and Silvia Pulina
Land 2026, 15(3), 520; https://doi.org/10.3390/land15030520 - 23 Mar 2026
Viewed by 394
Abstract
Eutrophication is a pervasive issue in Mediterranean reservoirs, where external nutrient inputs and internal sediment releases interact to impair water quality and ecological stability. This study assessed the trophic condition of the artificial lake Cuga in Sardinia (Italy), mainly used for irrigation and [...] Read more.
Eutrophication is a pervasive issue in Mediterranean reservoirs, where external nutrient inputs and internal sediment releases interact to impair water quality and ecological stability. This study assessed the trophic condition of the artificial lake Cuga in Sardinia (Italy), mainly used for irrigation and providing potable water, by integrating watershed nutrient load estimates, inter-lake transfers, and internal phosphorus release. Field campaigns between July 2022 and May 2023 provided bi-monthly measurements of physical, chemical, and biological parameters, complemented by GIS-based land cover analysis and export coefficient modeling to quantify spatial nutrient sources. Additional phosphorus inputs from water transfers with a nearby reservoir were calculated, while internal sediment release was estimated using a calibrated mass balance model. Results revealed high nutrient concentrations, with mean total phosphorus of 128 mg P m−3, chlorophyll a averaging 9.9 mg m−3, and Secchi depth below 1 m, classifying the reservoir as eutrophic to hypertrophic under OECD and Carlson indices. Spatial loads were dominated by agricultural areas, while inter-lake transfers and internal sediment release contributed substantially to the overall phosphorus budget. The predictive Vollenweider model closely matched the observed conditions, confirming the robustness of the combined approach. Maintaining good ecological status in Mediterranean reservoirs is essential for safeguarding human well-being, as eutrophication degrades drinking-water quality, increases treatment costs, and can promote toxin-producing algal blooms with direct implications for public health. These findings highlight the need for integrated management strategies addressing both external and internal nutrient sources to mitigate eutrophication in Mediterranean reservoirs, which affects the ecosystem functioning and the related human needs and well-being. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Land Planning to Integrate Ecosystem Resilience and Human Well-Being)
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Review

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27 pages, 6493 KB  
Review
Urban Squares Under Pressure: A Scoping Review of Conservation Targets, Direct Threats and Conservation Actions
by Emanuele Asnaghi, Marta Cotti Piccinelli, Claudia Canedoli, Chiara Baldacchini and Emilio Padoa-Schioppa
Land 2026, 15(5), 703; https://doi.org/10.3390/land15050703 - 23 Apr 2026
Viewed by 250
Abstract
Urban squares remain underrepresented in conservation-oriented literature compared with parks, street trees and green infrastructure. This scoping review uses CS-derived categories as an analytical lens to examine how the literature on urban squares frames conservation targets, direct threats, contributing factors and conservation actions. [...] Read more.
Urban squares remain underrepresented in conservation-oriented literature compared with parks, street trees and green infrastructure. This scoping review uses CS-derived categories as an analytical lens to examine how the literature on urban squares frames conservation targets, direct threats, contributing factors and conservation actions. Following PRISMA-ScR, we searched Scopus and Web of Science for English-language peer-reviewed articles (2014–2024). After screening, 69 studies were included. Full texts were coded into CS-derived components and synthesised through frequency distributions, a cross-case conceptual synthesis, and an exploratory clustering of recurrent CF-DT-CT configurations. The reviewed literature is strongly centred on human-centred outcomes, particularly health, air quality and water quality, while biodiversity-related targets remain comparatively underrepresented. The most frequently investigated direct threats are pollution-related and linked to natural system management and modification, whereas other pressures are addressed less consistently. Contributing factors are dominated by meteorological conditions and vegetation coverage and composition. Reported conservation actions emphasise monitoring technologies, regulatory policy and green infrastructure, while others receive limited attention. Together, these analytical steps help make recurrent pathways and underrepresented dimensions more explicit, providing a more transparent evidence base for context-sensitive urban planning and nature-based solutions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Land Planning to Integrate Ecosystem Resilience and Human Well-Being)
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23 pages, 613 KB  
Review
Characterizing Public Engagement for Green Infrastructure Planning
by Adriana A. Zuniga-Teran, Adrienne R. Brown, Kenneth Ferrell, Soleil G. Lemons, Carlos A. Burton, Kenneth J. Kokroko, Courtney Crosson and Andrea K. Gerlak
Land 2026, 15(4), 552; https://doi.org/10.3390/land15040552 - 27 Mar 2026
Viewed by 700
Abstract
Cities worldwide are turning to green infrastructure (GI) as a potential decentralized pathway to stormwater management, heat abatement, and other climate adaptation and wellbeing benefits. As with environmental governance, public engagement in GI planning—from design to implementation and maintenance—is necessary to incorporate diverse [...] Read more.
Cities worldwide are turning to green infrastructure (GI) as a potential decentralized pathway to stormwater management, heat abatement, and other climate adaptation and wellbeing benefits. As with environmental governance, public engagement in GI planning—from design to implementation and maintenance—is necessary to incorporate diverse perspectives, better understand the potential impact of environmental policies, and ensure fair and equitable outcomes. However, GI is different from broader environmental governance approaches in that it demands on-the-ground labor and long-term maintenance, which are crucial for ecosystem function. In this paper, we conduct a comprehensive literature review of 46 articles published between 2014 and 2024 to provide a more nuanced understanding of public engagement for GI in municipal settings. Results reveal diverse and innovative approaches to engagement that involve integrating social and environmental data, on-the-ground activities, and working groups. We further highlight four key characteristics of GI engagement: (1) the multifunctionality of GI, (2) the incorporation of public and private land, (3) effects on community-building and sense of place, and (4) environmental and social justice. By embracing the multifunctionality of GI and centering justice, engagement efforts are more likely to recruit diverse community members, maintain long-term engagement, and simultaneously address multiple social and environmental needs. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Land Planning to Integrate Ecosystem Resilience and Human Well-Being)
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