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Healing Place and Planet: Conference on Landscape and Greenway Planning

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 September 2026 | Viewed by 8582

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Prof. Dr. Richard Smardon

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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

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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
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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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Published Papers (10 papers)

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25 pages, 1706 KB

Open AccessArticle

The (Biodiversity) Healing of an Academic Growth Machine

by Carlos J. L. Balsas

Land 2026, 15(5), 767; https://doi.org/10.3390/land15050767 - 30 Apr 2026

Abstract

Property development, roads, vehicles, and suburban sprawl cause biodiversity habitat fragmentation. Some herpetofauna are at risk from a conservation perspective. This phenomenon is simultaneously a road ecology and a public health problem. The article analyzes the impact of “campus-based growth machine” development on herpetofauna habitat fragmentation around various wetlands in uptown Albany, New York, U.S. This study fills an unresearched gap on the impact of the campus-based growth machine, roads, vehicles, and suburban sprawl on biodiversity habitat fragmentation. The research methods comprised both qualitative and quantitative assessments of property development inventories, wildlife observations, student engagements and biodiversity monitoring at the University at Albany, the cataloging of test-design and conservation measures, and the review of institutional planning regulations and roadway design features. The key finding is the need for more biodiversity conservation innovations to increase the continuity of habitats, uniform underground crossings, and the elimination of biodiversity road crossing deaths. The article presents research and management practice recommendations. The study shows a plausible association between university expansion and biodiversity reductions on campus grounds. It also identifies potential mitigation measures and opportunities for community service collaborations. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Healing Place and Planet: Conference on Landscape and Greenway Planning)

17 pages, 4973 KB

Open AccessArticle

Trails as Linear Ecologies: A Case Study of Two Rail-Trail Corridors in the U.S. Corn Belt Region

by Austin Dunn, Katharine Shiffler and Sumaiya Binte Azad

Land 2026, 15(5), 722; https://doi.org/10.3390/land15050722 - 24 Apr 2026

Viewed by 149

Abstract

Rail-trail corridors in the agricultural Midwest exhibit layered ecological conditions influenced by the material legacy of railroad infrastructure and contemporary land use pressures. This study uses a mixed-methods approach integrating GIS analysis, field documentation, and open-response surveys with trail managers to characterize the structural and ecological heterogeneity of two rail-trails within the Corn Belt. Spatial methods quantify variation in right of way width, land cover context, connectivity, and patterns of fragmentation, revealing that corridors shift in response to agricultural edges, successional woodlands, riparian zones, and urban conditions. Field visits and on-site sketching provide fine-grained insight into vegetative structure, topography, and edge dynamics, while the thematic analysis of survey responses highlights how management regimes, resource limitations, invasive species, and adjacent land uses shape ecological patterns along the trail. Together, these methods support the development of a typology of rail-trails based on their vegetative, hydrological, and disturbance patterns. We argue that design and management should work with the nuance of the corridors, noting the potential for landscape experimentation. Novel design approaches can support the performance of rail-trails as ecological infrastructure while enabling meaningful human–environment interactions within the right of way. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Healing Place and Planet: Conference on Landscape and Greenway Planning)

37 pages, 33678 KB

Open AccessArticle

Ecological Processes and Nature-Based Solutions in Urban Railway Corridors: Perth and Beijing

by Linjie Liu, Maria Ignatieva, Simon Kilbane, Yuandong Hu and Jinyu Li

Land 2026, 15(5), 714; https://doi.org/10.3390/land15050714 - 24 Apr 2026

Viewed by 279

Abstract

Urban railway corridors—including abandoned, redesigned, and in-use lines—can support biodiversity and ecological connectivity in fragmented cities, yet their ecological dynamics and roles in Nature-based Solutions (NbS) remain poorly understood. Addressing this requires a context-sensitive approach that differentiates corridor types and compares their ecological functions. This study compares vegetation dynamics along railway corridors in two cities with contrasting socio-ecological contexts—Perth (Western Australia) and Beijing (China)—using a typology-based comparative approach. The results show that: (1) vegetation dynamics differ fundamentally between the two cities, with Perth characterized by vertically structured vegetation dominated by native tree layers and non-native disturbance-tolerant annual groundcover, while Beijing supports more continuous vegetation with widespread natural regeneration of native species; and (2) these differences correspond to distinct suggested NbS strategies. For Perth, NbS should combine phenology-aware management (wet versus dry seasons) with disturbance-based zoning and staged native planting strategies. In contrast, Beijing corridors are characterized by more uniform disturbance patterns but differentiated corridor typologies, indicating NbS structured around corridor-type management with a stronger emphasis on the support of native groundcover establishment and allowing for self-sustaining regeneration. These findings highlight how different contexts shape vegetation dynamics and provide comparative ecological insights for developing context-specific NbS for urban railway corridors. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Healing Place and Planet: Conference on Landscape and Greenway Planning)

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20 pages, 837 KB

Open AccessArticle

Perceived Conservation Effectiveness as a Driver of Cultural Ecosystem Service Value in a Transboundary River Corridor: Evidence from the Lower Jordan River Basin

by Ansam Bzour and István Valánszki

Land 2026, 15(5), 697; https://doi.org/10.3390/land15050697 - 22 Apr 2026

Viewed by 183

Abstract

River corridor rehabilitation is increasingly expected to deliver coupled outcomes by combining ecological recovery with measurable improvements in human well-being. Cultural ecosystem services (CESs), the non-material benefits people derive from landscapes, are central to this objective but remain difficult to operationalize in securitized transboundary settings, where border governance, uneven mobility, and community histories shape access to rivers and the formation of cultural meanings. This study examines whether perceived conservation effectiveness is associated with higher CES value in the Lower Jordan River Basin (LJRB) and whether this association persists after accounting for the community-group structure. Using survey data from 445 respondents across seven community groups, the perceived CES valuation was assessed through a five-point Cultural Significance rating, analyzed alongside conservation-related and contextual variables. Conservation was measured through perceived conservation impact and self-reported conservation involvement (yes/no). A staged inference design combined group comparisons and multivariable regression with adjustments for the community-group structure and contextual controls. Conservation involvement was not associated with meaningful differences in Cultural Significance. The perceived conservation impact showed a positive association in pooled and simple models but lost independent significance after adjusting for community-group structure, which accounted for much of the explanatory power. These findings indicate that CES valuation in the LJRB is structured more by community-group differences and borderland conditions than by individual conservation participation, underscoring the importance of locally encounterable outcomes and group-tailored engagement strategies in transboundary river planning. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Healing Place and Planet: Conference on Landscape and Greenway Planning)

31 pages, 3321 KB

Open AccessArticle

“Sponge City” Viability: Perspectives from Practitioners and Domain Experts in China

by Hongbing Tang, Robert L. Ryan, Theodore S. Eisenman and Bo Yang

Land 2026, 15(3), 492; https://doi.org/10.3390/land15030492 - 18 Mar 2026

Viewed by 442

Abstract

China’s “Sponge City” initiative, launched in 2014, is a transformative approach to urban stormwater management that aims to deliver multiple benefits through nature-based solutions. Despite its widespread adoption in China, questions remain regarding its long-term viability. Through a new conceptual framework, this study examines the viability of the Sponge City model by analyzing insights from 30 practitioners and domain experts working in Beijing, Shanghai, and Shenzhen. Drawing on semi-structured interviews and field studies, it investigates how participants interpret the concept, integrate climate adaptation strategies, and assess effectiveness across six dimensions: governance, economy, environment, urban form, civic engagement, and human wellbeing. The findings reveal diverse perspectives shaped by local contexts, disciplinary backgrounds, and professional experiences. While participants expressed cautious optimism, they also identified persistent challenges, including funding constraints, fragmented planning processes, and insufficient public engagement. Climate adaptation emerged as a central concern, with mixed views on the initiative’s ability to address extreme weather events. Overall, the study suggests that the Sponge City model holds promise, but its viability depends on continued refinement, interdisciplinary collaboration, and adaptive governance tailored to local needs. This study offers insights to inform future practice and broaden global efforts in stormwater management and urban resilience. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Healing Place and Planet: Conference on Landscape and Greenway Planning)

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33 pages, 7219 KB

Open AccessArticle

Parkification as Process: Mapping Ripple Effects in Post-Industrial Mill Landscapes

by Kawthar Alrayyan and Averi Brice

Land 2026, 15(3), 373; https://doi.org/10.3390/land15030373 - 26 Feb 2026

Viewed by 483

Abstract

This study examines the ripple effects of parkification, the transformation of post-industrial landscapes into public parks and green infrastructure, in Greenville at the Upper State region of South Carolina. As many Southern mill towns contend with industrial decline, environmental degradation, and complex land-use legacies, parkification has emerged as a pragmatic response to constraint rather than a conventional redevelopment strategy. Framed as a process rather than an isolated design outcome, parkification is understood here as a generative mechanism that produces cumulative spatial, ecological, and institutional change beyond individual project boundaries. Using a mixed-methods approach that integrates spatial and temporal mapping, archival research, site analysis, and semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders and decision-makers, this study traces how parkification unfolds across time and scale. Three interconnected case studies in Greenville, Falls Park on the Reedy, Conestee Nature Preserve, and the Swamp Rabbit Trail, are examined to address how post-industrial parkification contributes to greenway network formation and broader urban–regional transformation in the American South. The findings reveal that parkification consistently emerged from conditions of environmental constraint, including contamination, flooding, infrastructural legacies, and limited redevelopment feasibility. Early parkification projects functioned as generative landscape nodes that catalyzed the expansion of green space and connectivity rather than remaining isolated amenities. By establishing visible, accessible, and publicly valued landscapes, these projects enabled the extension of trails, river corridors, and preserved infrastructures, contributing to the formation of an interconnected regional greenway system. Institutional alignment among civic organizations, public agencies, and landscape professionals further supported the scaling and replication of parkification. Together, these findings position parkification as a process-based landscape strategy capable of driving the spread of green areas and long-term urban connectivity in post-industrial regions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Healing Place and Planet: Conference on Landscape and Greenway Planning)

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30 pages, 10261 KB

Open AccessArticle

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 554

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 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

Open AccessArticle

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 711

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 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

Open AccessSystematic 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 5 | Viewed by 3913

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 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

Open AccessPerspective

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 745

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 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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