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Land
Special Issues
Healing Place and Planet: Conference on Landscape and Greenway Planning
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Healing Place and Planet: Conference on Landscape and Greenway Planning

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 March 2026 | Viewed by 3461

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Richard Smardon

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Environmental Studies, SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry, 1 Forestry Drive, Syracuse, NY 13210, USA
Interests: visual resource management; landscape assessment; cultural ecosystem services; wetland assessment
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Carlos José Lopes Balsas

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Belfast School of Architecture and the Built Environment, Ulster University, York Street, Belfast BT15 1ED, UK
Interests: urban and regional planning; planning theory and ethics; urban design; metropolitan governance; sustainable transportation planning; digital communities and urban development
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The Fábos Conference on Landscape and Greenway Planning is held every three years to connect landscape architects, planners, and policy makers to advance research and practice on landscape and greenway planning from the local to the international level. The aim of this conference is to explore how landscape architects and planners from different countries approach greenway planning and to understand how greenways have been tailored to each country’s unique geographical, cultural, and political circumstances.

The 2025 Fabos Conference had the theme of “Healing Place and Planet” (Ahern et al., 2025) (https://openpublishing.library.umass.edu/fabos/site/about/, 11-13 April 2025, University of Massachusetts Amherst, MA, USA), which focuses on greenways’ vital role in connecting urban and rural settings, promoting ecological balance, and offering spaces that promote human health and well-being.

More specifically, the following topics are addressed:

  • Greenways and human health benefits;
  • Greenways for revitalization and equity access;
  • Climate mitigation and ecological assessment;
  • Greenway ecological services assessment and management;
  • Urban streetscape assessment, development, and management.

Because the conference provides an online platform for the dissemination of research findings via published proceedings, this Special Issue welcomes the submission of papers selected from the conference proceedings. Contributions will be subject to peer review and, upon acceptance, will be published in order to rapidly and widely disseminate research results, developments, and applications.

Submitted manuscripts should fulfil the following requirements: (i) The paper should be expanded to the size of a research article (at least 50% additional, new, and unpublished material compared to the earlier paper); (ii) the conference abstract and/or paper should be cited and noted on the first page of the submission; (iii) authors are asked to disclose that it is a conference paper in their cover letter and include a statement regarding what has been added and/or modified compared to the original conference paper.  

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

Reference:

Ahern J., Cataldo L., Eisenman T., Fabos A., Jombach S., Keszthelyi A.B., Lindhult M. S., Mell I. C., Nusair S., Ryan. R. L., Valanszki I. 2025. Healing Place and Planet; Book of Abstracts; The 8th Fabos Conference on Landscape and Greenway Planning (Amherst, April 11-13, 2025).

Prof. Dr. Richard Smardon
Dr. Carlos José Lopes Balsas
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

  • climate change
  • resilience
  • urban greenways
  • landscape and regional planning
  • landscape/greenspace policy and planning
  • ecosystem services
  • green infrastructure

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

Published Papers (4 papers)

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30 pages, 10261 KB  
Article
Traditional Cultivation and Land-Use Change Under the Balaton Law: Impacts on Vineyards and Garden Landscapes
by Krisztina Filepné Kovács, Virág Kutnyánszky, Zhen Shi, Zsolt Miklós Szilvácsku, László Kollányi and Edina Klára Dancsokné Fóris
Land 2026, 15(1), 106; https://doi.org/10.3390/land15010106 - 6 Jan 2026
Viewed by 319
Abstract
The Balaton region is Hungary’s most important recreational area, known for Central Europe’s largest freshwater lake and its traditional vineyard and horticultural landscapes. Since 1990, vineyard and orchard abandonment and intensified shoreline urbanization have increasingly threatened both landscape character and ecological balance. This [...] Read more.
The Balaton region is Hungary’s most important recreational area, known for Central Europe’s largest freshwater lake and its traditional vineyard and horticultural landscapes. Since 1990, vineyard and orchard abandonment and intensified shoreline urbanization have increasingly threatened both landscape character and ecological balance. This study analyses land-use changes in the Balaton hinterland and evaluates the effectiveness of regional land-use regulation between 1990 and 2018, with a focus on the 2000 Balaton Law (BKÜRT), which sought to preserve traditional land uses by permitting construction only where at least 80% of vineyard parcels remained cultivated. Spatial–temporal analysis was based on CORINE Land Cover (CLC) data from 1990 to 2018, supplemented by change layers from the Copernicus Land Monitoring Service. The CORINE Land Cover classification is a three-level hierarchical system (5 Level-1 groups, 15 Level-2 classes, and 44 Level-3 classes) developed by the EEA to provide standardized, satellite-based land cover information across Europe. Land cover was aggregated into major categories (using Level-1 and Level-2 classes) relevant to the Hungarian landscape. To address CLC limitations related to representing vineyards as relatively homogeneous units despite substantial differences in the density and scale of built structures, detailed case studies were conducted in three C1 vineyard zones—Alsóörs, Paloznak, and Szentantalfa—using historical aerial photographs, Google Earth imagery, and the Hungarian Ecosystem Map (NÖSZTÉP). Despite the restrictive regulatory framework, the CLC database showed that the share of vineyards in the vineyard regulation zone (C-1, C-2) decreased between 1990 and 2018 from 45.4% to 35.8% (the share of gardens and fruit plantations had changed from 9.7% to 15.5%). In the whole Balaton region, there was an approximately 18% decline in vineyard areas. Considering the M-2 horticultural zone, the garden coverage increased from 18.9% in 1990 (17.7% in 2000) to 30.5% (share of vineyards changed from 54.3% (54.6% in 2000) to 38.8%). At the regional level, gardens and fruit plantations had a smaller decrease (3.2%). Although overall trends were more favorable than at the national level, regulatory measures proved insufficient to prevent the conversion of vineyards and orchards in sensitive areas, particularly on slopes overlooking the lake, in proximity to tourist hubs, and in areas exposed to strong development pressure. By 2018, the C1 zone had expanded spatially but became less targeted, as the proportion of vineyards within it decreased. Boundary refinements failed to substantially improve regulatory precision or effectiveness. The case studies reveal a gradient of regulatory strictness reflecting differing landscape protection priorities and stages of vineyard transformation, with Alsóörs responding to long-standing, partly irreversible changes while attempting to slow further landscape alteration. To counter ongoing negative trends, more targeted and enforceable regulations are required, including a clearer separation of cultivated and recreational land uses, a maximum building size of 80 m2 for recreational properties, and a reassessment of vineyard zone boundaries to better reflect active cultivation and protect sensitive landscapes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Healing Place and Planet: Conference on Landscape and Greenway Planning)
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34 pages, 9122 KB  
Article
Construction of Green Volume Quantity and Equity Indicators for Urban Areas at Both Regional and Neighborhood Scales: A Case Study of Major Cities in China
by Zixuan Zhou, Anqi Chen, Tianyue Zhu and Wei Zhang
Land 2026, 15(1), 35; https://doi.org/10.3390/land15010035 - 23 Dec 2025
Viewed by 394
Abstract
Current urban green volume quantity and equity evaluations primarily rely on two-dimensional (2D) indicators that capture the planar distribution characteristics but overlook vertical structure variations. This study constructed a three-dimensional (3D) evaluation system for green volume quantity and equity by introducing Lorenz curves [...] Read more.
Current urban green volume quantity and equity evaluations primarily rely on two-dimensional (2D) indicators that capture the planar distribution characteristics but overlook vertical structure variations. This study constructed a three-dimensional (3D) evaluation system for green volume quantity and equity by introducing Lorenz curves and Gini coefficients. Using multi-source data, including a 10 m global vegetation canopy height dataset, land cover, and population distribution data, an automated calculation workflow was established in ArcGIS Model Builder. Focusing on regional and neighborhood scales, this study calculates and analyzes two-dimensional green volume (2DGV) and three-dimensional green volume (3DGV) indicators, along with the spatial equity for 413 Chinese cities and residential and commercial areas of Wuhan, Suzhou, and Bazhong. Meanwhile, a green volume quantity and equity type classification method was established. The results indicated that 3DGV exhibits regional variations, while Low 2DGV–Low 3DGV cities have the highest proportion. Green volume in built-up areas showed a balanced distribution, while park green spaces exhibited 2DGV Equitable Only. At the neighborhood scale, residential areas demonstrated higher green volume equity than commercial areas, but most neighborhood areas’ indicators showed low and imbalanced distribution. The proposed 2DGV and 3DGV evaluation method could provide a reference framework for optimizing urban space. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Healing Place and Planet: Conference on Landscape and Greenway Planning)
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27 pages, 3876 KB  
Systematic Review
Urban Green Space per Capita for Sustainable and Equitable Urban Planning: A Systematic Review and Bibliometric Analysis
by Yaseen N. Hassan and Sándor Jombach
Land 2026, 15(1), 29; https://doi.org/10.3390/land15010029 - 23 Dec 2025
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1471
Abstract
Urban Green Space Per Capita (UGSPC) is one of the oldest and most widely applied indicators in urban planning, providing a measure of green areas in relation to the population size. Despite its century-long application and decades of research, no global systematic review [...] Read more.
Urban Green Space Per Capita (UGSPC) is one of the oldest and most widely applied indicators in urban planning, providing a measure of green areas in relation to the population size. Despite its century-long application and decades of research, no global systematic review has previously synthesized how UGSPC has been applied, interpreted, and evolved across different contexts. This study aims to fill that gap by conducting the first comprehensive systematic review, following PRISMA guidelines, examining the usage, trends, and effectiveness of UGSPC in both developed and developing countries. Thematic analysis revealed that most studies were published in journals focused on sustainability and environmental science. The results show a surge in publications following the COVID-19 pandemic, reflecting a growing recognition of the importance of urban green spaces for public health and livability. Moreover, 67% of the studies were conducted in developing countries, while 30% of the publications were in developed countries. Higher UGSPC values are generally found in developed cities; however, this was not a rule. Time series studies showed a decline in UGSPC in some developed and developing countries, influenced by factors such as population density, urbanization stage, climate, and economic conditions. Although UGSPC is widely used, most municipalities typically develop their plans based on this measurement. In total, 95% of the included research incorporated additional measurements, including accessibility, social equity, spatial patterns, ecological services, ecosystem benefits, and human health. This study suggests that UGSPC is still used as an indicator in urban planning and policy and integrating it with other indicators can serve as contemporary indicators to capture better equity, functionality, and sustainability in urban environments. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Healing Place and Planet: Conference on Landscape and Greenway Planning)
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17 pages, 1568 KB  
Perspective
Restoring Waterways, But for Whom? Environmental Justice, Human Rights, and the Unhoused
by Sharon Moran and Richard Smardon
Land 2025, 14(10), 2048; https://doi.org/10.3390/land14102048 - 14 Oct 2025
Viewed by 535
Abstract
The restoration of waterways is increasingly understood as an endeavor that could (and should) be beneficial for both ecosystems and people. Researchers have already explored several ways that restoration can mediate in favor of environmental justice goals, while simultaneously acknowledging the dangers of [...] Read more.
The restoration of waterways is increasingly understood as an endeavor that could (and should) be beneficial for both ecosystems and people. Researchers have already explored several ways that restoration can mediate in favor of environmental justice goals, while simultaneously acknowledging the dangers of green gentrification. This paper extends the inquiries about waterway restoration and environmental justice to include a focus on one of society’s most frequently marginalized groups, unhoused people. Working inductively, we conduct a scoping study that examines published studies, news stories, and examples from the field that explore the intersection among waterway restoration and environmental justice, in the context of the interests of unhoused people. We argue that further work on the topic is necessary, and it should include both systematic investigations as well as design guidance material; this exploration represents the first step in outlining the direction of that work. Follow-on studies will center on clarifying the social dynamics in play, including identifying contested policy narratives, describing the regulatory context of the existing cases, definition(s) of what constitutes unhoused/homeless, and what impacts they have on decision-making. The future research we anticipate will develop information and propose strategies that can be used by practitioners including planners and landscape architects, in the process of organizing project work, to help advance environmental justice and human rights goals. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Healing Place and Planet: Conference on Landscape and Greenway Planning)
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