Land Use Transition Pathways: Governance, Resources, and Policies

Dear Colleagues,

Land use transitions constitute a critical interface of human activities and environmental systems, profoundly influencing ecological integrity and societal well-being across scales. These transitions—whether from agrarian to urban landscapes, from degraded to restored forests, or toward sustainable resource governance—are propelled by intricate dynamics among institutional frameworks, resource constraints, and policy instruments. Their centrality to contemporary sustainability agendas lies in addressing pressing global challenges, including climate change, biodiversity erosion, and food–water–energy security. In an era of rapid environmental change, deciphering the pathways of land use change is indispensable for designing resilient and equitable futures.

Scientifically, land use transitions are characterized by nonlinear trajectories shaped by socio‑ecological feedback and socio‑technical innovations. Depleting resources may trigger corrective responses, while novel governance approaches or technological breakthroughs can accelerate shifts toward sustainability. This complexity calls for integrative research that bridges ecology, economics, political science, and planning. Moreover, land use decisions directly affect carbon stocks, hydrological regimes, and livelihood resilience, thereby underpinning global goals such as the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement. A deeper understanding of how governance architectures, resource endowments, and policy mixes interact is thus vital for steering transitions toward sustainability.

This Special Issue of Land, titled “Land Use Transition Pathways: Governance, Resources, and Policies,” aims to advance theoretical and empirical knowledge by addressing key questions: Through what mechanisms do governance systems enable or constrain transition pathways? How do resource availability and distributional issues shape transition patterns and outcomes? What policy designs and instruments effectively promote just and sustainable land use transitions? We welcome contributions that offer novel insights through comparative case studies, methodological innovations, systematic reviews, and theoretical advancements. By synthesizing state‑of‑the‑art research from diverse geographical and institutional contexts, this issue seeks to inform policy and practice while identifying critical research frontiers.

We invite original research articles, reviews, and policy analyses that critically examine these dimensions, fostering a robust dialogue on pathways toward sustainable land systems.

Dr. Dingde Xu
Prof. Dr. Long Qian
Dr. Yanfeng Jiang
Guest Editors

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