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Land
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Sustainable Development and Urban Land Use Efficiency: Strategies for Effective...
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Sustainable Development and Urban Land Use Efficiency: Strategies for Effective Land Management

A special issue of Land (ISSN 2073-445X). This special issue belongs to the section "Land Use, Impact Assessment and Sustainability".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 March 2026 | Viewed by 1443

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Danling Chen

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Public Administration, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
Interests: territorial spatial governance and urbanization
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Xinhai Lu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Public Administration, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China
Interests: land management; sustainable development; land use policy; food security
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Jianquan Cheng

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Natural Sciences, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester M1 5GD, UK
Interests: planning; geography; urban studies; GIS
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Bing Kuang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Land Management, Huazhong Normal University, Wuhan 430070, China
Interests: land use and sustainable development
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Yifeng Tang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Public Administration and Law, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410127, China
Interests: sustainable use of urban and rural land

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue examines the relationship between sustainable development and urban land use efficiency, with an emphasis on practical strategies for effective land management in the context of rapid urbanization. As cities expand, rising demands for housing, infrastructure, and economic development create pressures on limited land resources. Improving land use efficiency is therefore crucial to ensure that urban growth is environmentally responsible, socially inclusive, and economically productive. We welcome contributions that provide theoretical insights, empirical evidence, and policy recommendations. Areas of interest include compact city design, urban renewal and redevelopment of underutilized land, brownfield regeneration, and transit-oriented development. Studies on green infrastructure, ecological corridors, and nature-based solutions are also encouraged. In addition, this Special Issue highlights the role of advanced technologies such as GIS, remote sensing, big data, and AI in monitoring, evaluating, and guiding land use decisions. Governance and social aspects, including participatory land use planning, land tenure security, affordable housing, and urban–rural land transitions, are also within scope. Research addressing climate change adaptation, disaster resilience, and public health impacts of land use patterns is particularly welcome.

Potential topics include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Compact city planning and mixed-use development;
  • Urban renewal, redevelopment, and land recycling;
  • Brownfield regeneration and sustainable land reuse;
  • Transit-oriented development and land efficiency;
  • Green infrastructure and urban ecological networks;
  • Application of GIS, remote sensing, and AI in land use management;
  • Climate change adaptation and disaster-resilient land use;
  • Participatory planning, land governance, and institutional innovation;
  • Affordable housing, social equity, and land allocation;
  • Urban–rural land transition and farmland protection.

We are looking forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Danling Chen
Prof. Dr. Xinhai Lu
Dr. Jianquan Cheng
Dr. Bing Kuang
Dr. Yifeng Tang
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

  • urban renewal
  • land use efficiency
  • sustainable development
  • compact city
  • brownfield regeneration
  • transit-oriented development
  • GIS and remote sensing
  • climate change adaptation

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

25 pages, 1229 KB  
Article
Determinants of Property Reuse for Age-Friendly Social Housing Development in Shrinking and Ageing Cities: Evidence from Latvia
by Rashmi Jaymin Sanchaniya, Jurgita Cerneckiene, Ineta Geipele, Antra Kundzina, Leo Jansons, Edgars Pudzis and Peteris Drukis
Land 2025, 14(12), 2375; https://doi.org/10.3390/land14122375 - 4 Dec 2025
Abstract
Demographic decline and population ageing present unprecedented challenges to housing systems in post-socialist Europe. With one of the European Union (EU)’s fastest shrinking populations, an underdeveloped social housing sector, and an ageing housing stock dominated by Soviet-era multi-family blocks, Latvia exemplifies these difficulties. [...] Read more.
Demographic decline and population ageing present unprecedented challenges to housing systems in post-socialist Europe. With one of the European Union (EU)’s fastest shrinking populations, an underdeveloped social housing sector, and an ageing housing stock dominated by Soviet-era multi-family blocks, Latvia exemplifies these difficulties. Adaptive property reuse—repurposing underutilised buildings into age-friendly social housing—offers a potential solution, but its feasibility depends on complex economic, regulatory, social, and environmental determinants. This study investigated these determinants using a mixed-methods approach. Data were drawn from 312 survey responses, 15 policymaker interviews, 10 developer interviews, and focus group of 25 senior residents across Latvia. Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) was used to extract six determinant clusters: site selection, feasibility analysis, design and planning, implementation strategies, monitoring and evaluation, and scaling strategies. The findings demonstrate: (1) economic feasibility and regulatory clarity dominate stakeholder concerns, with financing gaps receiving the lowest ratings (M = 2.91); (2) implementation strategies emerged as the highest-priority determinant, emphasising governance capacity and structured execution; (3) significant trust deficits exist between developers and municipal authorities, undermining collaboration; (4) seniors prioritise design inclusivity and social integration, while developers emphasise cost efficiency and regulatory certainty; and (5) environmental sustainability consistently ranked lower (M ≈ 3.34) across all stakeholder groups due to pressing affordability concerns. Although municipal officers were intentionally oversampled (58%) due to their central role in Latvia’s housing governance, robustness checks confirmed the six-factor structure remained stable across stakeholder groups. This study contributes theoretically by contextualising adaptive reuse within shrinking cities and ageing societies and practically by providing a determinant-based framework for housing policy. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Development and Urban Land Use Efficiency: Strategies for Effective Land Management)
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23 pages, 1124 KB  
Article
Factors Influencing Urban Land Green Use Efficiency in China: A Meta-Analysis
by Bing Tan, Chengshun Song and Zixin Xiong
Land 2025, 14(12), 2337; https://doi.org/10.3390/land14122337 - 27 Nov 2025
Viewed by 315
Abstract
China, the world’s predominant carbon emitter, is instrumental in advancing green and low-carbon urban land development globally. Urban land green use efficiency (ULGUE) in China is shaped by a multifaceted array of economic and social factors. Given the incongruous results observed in prior [...] Read more.
China, the world’s predominant carbon emitter, is instrumental in advancing green and low-carbon urban land development globally. Urban land green use efficiency (ULGUE) in China is shaped by a multifaceted array of economic and social factors. Given the incongruous results observed in prior research, a comprehensive evaluation of these factors is paramount. This study consolidates data from previous research that explored the determinants of ULGUE in China. Utilizing the IPAT model as a foundational framework, the influencing factors were classified, and meta-analysis was employed to quantify their overall impact. The results show the following: (1) Population agglomeration exhibits a nonlinear effect on ULGUE, with moderate density enhancing efficiency but excessive concentration yielding diminishing returns; (2) Economic development efficiency positively affects ULGUE, with both gross domestic product (GDP) per capita and industrial structure advancement showing significant positive associations; (3) Social development equity demonstrates a threshold effect, where excessive governmental intervention or disproportionate investment in science and education may constrain ULGUE; (4) Resource endowment sustainability, including per capita green space and road infrastructure, consistently enhances ULGUE; (5) The impacts of these factors vary across regions, highlighting the importance of context-specific strategies. These findings provide robust evidence for policymakers to design targeted interventions that account for nonlinearities, threshold effects, and regional heterogeneity, thereby supporting sustainable, green, and low-carbon urban land use in China. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Development and Urban Land Use Efficiency: Strategies for Effective Land Management)
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25 pages, 1465 KB  
Article
Research on Enhancing Urban Land Use Efficiency Through Digital Technology
by Yunpeng Fu and Ning Wang
Land 2025, 14(11), 2294; https://doi.org/10.3390/land14112294 - 20 Nov 2025
Viewed by 317
Abstract
Based on panel data from China’s prefecture-level cities spanning 2009–2023, this study thoroughly examines the impact of digital technologies on urban land use efficiency and its underlying mechanisms. Findings reveal that advancements in digital technologies significantly enhance urban land use efficiency. This conclusion [...] Read more.
Based on panel data from China’s prefecture-level cities spanning 2009–2023, this study thoroughly examines the impact of digital technologies on urban land use efficiency and its underlying mechanisms. Findings reveal that advancements in digital technologies significantly enhance urban land use efficiency. This conclusion remains robust after undergoing a series of stability tests and endogeneity treatments, demonstrating its reliability. Further heterogeneity analysis revealed regional variations and structural characteristics in the impact of digital technologies. The study found that digital technologies most significantly boosted land use efficiency in western regions and cities with higher levels of centralization. Meanwhile, in cities with higher levels of land industrialization and digital workforce capabilities, the positive impact of digital technologies is more pronounced. The analysis of intermediary mechanisms from both micro-level resource allocation and macro-level structural transformation perspectives reveals that digital technologies effectively enhance urban land use efficiency through four dimensions: increasing the number of startups, strengthening innovation support intensity, elevating green technology levels, and driving industrial structure upgrading. Additionally, the study examined synergistic mechanisms and found that government signaling and environmental policy intensity can all significantly amplify the enabling effects of digital technologies, providing multiple drivers for enhancing urban land use efficiency. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Development and Urban Land Use Efficiency: Strategies for Effective Land Management)
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19 pages, 1562 KB  
Article
Nonlinear Effects of Land Resource Misallocation and Carbon Emission Efficiency Across Various Industrial Structure Regimes: Evidence from PSTR Model
by Lu Li, Qiuyue Xia and Tian Liu
Land 2025, 14(11), 2207; https://doi.org/10.3390/land14112207 - 6 Nov 2025
Viewed by 399
Abstract
Carbon emission efficiency plays a vital role in the realization of the “dual carbon” goals. Taking land resource allocation as the entry point, this paper explores how land resource misallocation (LRM) affects carbon emission efficiency (CEE) to support the enhancement of CEE and [...] Read more.
Carbon emission efficiency plays a vital role in the realization of the “dual carbon” goals. Taking land resource allocation as the entry point, this paper explores how land resource misallocation (LRM) affects carbon emission efficiency (CEE) to support the enhancement of CEE and the optimal allocation of land resources. Using 108 cities in the Yangtze River Economic Belt from 2003 to 2021 as an example, this paper constructs a panel smooth transition model (PSTR), with industrial structure as the transition variable, to examine the nonlinear impact effects of LRM on CEF and its regional heterogeneity. The research results show that the LRM index as a whole presents a fluctuating downward trend, while CEF shows a fluctuating but slow upward trend, and the regional differences in both LRM and CEF continue to expand. There exists a significant nonlinear relationship between LRM and CEF. When the advancement of industrial structure index shifts from the low regime to the high regime, the impact of LRM on CEF presents an inverted “U”-shaped curve characteristic. The nonlinear impact of LRM on CEF exhibits regional heterogeneity, and the threshold effect of industrial structure is the main reason for the regional differences in the nonlinear impact. Therefore, it is necessary to accelerate the market-oriented reform of land factor allocation, and to formulate phased and differentiated land resource allocation policies adapted to the stages of industrial structure development, so as to effectively serve the goals of green, low-carbon, and high-quality development. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Development and Urban Land Use Efficiency: Strategies for Effective Land Management)
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