Urban Ecosystem Services: 5th Edition

Dear Colleagues,

We are pleased to announce a Special Issue of Land entitled "Urban Ecosystem Services: 5th Edition".

Urbanization, population growth, and climate change are exerting negative impacts on ecosystem services (ES) in cities and assessing and estimating the losses of ES due to rapid urban expansion has come to play a significant role in sustainable urban development [1]. However, studies on the effects of urbanization on ES have shown inconsistent and sometimes contradictory results [2–4].

Compact modern cities have emerged as having a high density and mixed-use pattern and their features are believed to contribute to a form of functional urban design that supports sustainability and restresses the importance of ES. Urban green spaces play a vital role in urban design and have an impact on how compact cities have developed; thus, a scientific debate on the amount of greenery that individuals require and to what extent contemporary approaches address this has been triggered. Given the meaningful influence of socioecological systems in cities, future cities should integrate them into their urban planning, management, and governance [4,5].

As a continuation of the last Special Issue on “Urban Ecosystem Services IV”, this Special Issue will still seek to explore innovative approaches to enhancing urban sustainability and ES in the face of increasing concerns surrounding urbanization.

References

1. Das, M.; Das, A. Dynamics of Urbanization and its impact on Urban Ecosystem Services (UESs): A study of a medium size town of West Bengal, Eastern India. Urban Manag. 2019, 1–15.
2. Wang, J.; Zhou, W.; Pickett, S.T.A.; Yu, W.; Li, W. A multiscale analysis of urbanization effects on ecosystem services supply in an urban megaregion. Total Environ. 2019, 662, 824–833.
3. Russo, A.; Cirella, G.T. Edible Green Infrastructure 4.0 for Food Security and Well-being: Campania Region, Italy. In International Guidelines on Urban and Territorial Planning. Compendium of Inspiring Practices: Health Edition; Quinlan, V., Ed.; UN Habitat, HS/080/18E: Nairobi, Kenya, 2018; p. 72.
4. Russo, A.; Cirella, G.T. Modern Compact Cities: How Much Greenery Do We Need? J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2018, 15, 2180.
5. Schewenius, M.; McPhearson, T.; Elmqvist, T. Opportunities for Increasing Resilience and Sustainability of Urban Social–Ecological Systems: Insights from the URBES and the Cities and Biodiversity Outlook Projects. Ambio 2014, 43, 434–444.

Dr. Alessio Russo
Prof. Dr. Giuseppe T. Cirella
Guest Editors

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