Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
6.4
3.5
Journals
Land
Special Issues
Urban Landscape and Greenway Planning
share announcement

Urban Landscape and Greenway Planning

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 August 2026 | Viewed by 1187

Editors

Dr. Dan Chen

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Landscape Architecture, School of Design, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
Interests: health-supportive landscapes; functional evaluation and optimization of plant landscapes; low-carbon plant landscapes
Dr. Bo Zhang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Horticulture & Landscape Architecture, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK 74078, USA
Interests: data science; social value of places; design theory
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Xudong Zhang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Architecture, National University of Singapore, Singapore City, Singapore
Interests: digital technologies; image and LiDAR- based metrics; perception; health and well-being; built environment

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Rapid global urbanization continues to transform land systems and the urban landscape, placing unprecedented pressure on ecological systems and human well-being. The consequent fragmentation of natural habitats, erosion of biodiversity and diminished access to natural spaces within cities pose significant sustainability and public health challenges. Within this context, urban landscape and greenways function as multifunctional green infrastructure systems, rather than merely recreational spaces or linear corridors. They play a vital role in enhancing ecological connectivity, mitigating urban heat islands, managing stormwater, fostering non-motorized mobility and strengthening community resilience and social cohesion. The planning, design, governance and long-term management of these urban ecological networks represent a complex, interdisciplinary field at the intersection of land use planning, landscape and urban design, geography, ecology and social sciences. This research area is paramount for shaping sustainable, livable and resilient urban futures, while also contributing to global sustainability agendas, climate adaptation strategies and biodiversity conservation frameworks.

This Special Issue aims to compile cutting-edge original research articles and comprehensive reviews that advance the theory and practice of urban landscape and greenway planning as a land-based green infrastructure system. We seek contributions that critically examine the planning, implementation, governance, assessment and societal impacts of urban landscape and greenways, exploring their role as foundational components of urban sustainability. By focusing on the intentional design and governance of land for multifunctional green infrastructure, this issue will contribute to the journal's mission of understanding land use change, landscape analysis, spatial planning and the interactions between human activities and environmental systems.

In particular, the Special Issue welcomes contributions that provide insights into innovative methodologies, successful governance models, evidence-based assessments of ecological, social, recreational, cultural and health-related ecosystem services and inclusive strategies for realizing equitable and ecologically robust urban landscape and greenway systems.

This Special Issue will welcome manuscripts that link the following themes:

  • Equity, Justice and Health in Urban Landscape and Greenway Access: Research investigating the spatial distribution and fairness of urban landscape and greenway benefits, impacts on public health and well-being and community engagement strategies in planning processes.
  • Urban Landscape and Greenway Planning for Social-Ecological Resilience: Studies on climate adaptation, disaster risk reduction, biodiversity conservation and enhancing landscape connectivity through green infrastructure networks.
  • Design, Ecology and Technological Innovation: Contributions on multifunctional design principles, ecological restoration techniques, performance monitoring and the application of digital and data-driven tools (e.g., GIS, remote sensing, AI) in urban landscape and greenway planning and management.
  • Urban Landscape and Greenways in Diverse Spatial Contexts: Case studies and comparative analyses focusing on metropolitan regions, shrinking cities, peri-urban interfaces and the role of urban landscape and greenways in shaping spatial structure and rural-urban linkages.
  • Cultural Landscapes and Heritage: Explorations of urban landscape and greenways as tools for preserving cultural identity, integrating historical land-use patterns and fostering place-making.

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

Dr. Dan Chen
Dr. Bo Zhang
Dr. Xudong Zhang
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-anonymized 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 landscape
  • greenway
  • health effects
  • green infrastructure
  • urban resilience
  • environmental justice
  • ecosystem services
  • urban ecological networks

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.

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

Published Papers (2 papers)

Download All Papers
Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

26 pages, 5533 KB  
Article
Revealing Implicit Cultural Landscapes: Spatial Perception of Vernacular Settlements—A Case Study of Baiya City, Zhaozhou Basin, Yunnan
by Hongyu Chen, Difei Zhao, Ke Jiang, Wangxin Huang, Rongxuan You, Tian Chong, Ruoyun Wang, Wei Zhang and Yi Yang
Land 2026, 15(7), 1163; https://doi.org/10.3390/land15071163 - 27 Jun 2026
Viewed by 242
Abstract
Policies for cultural heritage protection have increasingly shifted toward the integrated conservation and development of historical cultural landscapes. In vernacular settlements located in the southwestern border regions of China, some cultural landscape remains that were once widespread are gradually disappearing. Nevertheless, these landscapes [...] Read more.
Policies for cultural heritage protection have increasingly shifted toward the integrated conservation and development of historical cultural landscapes. In vernacular settlements located in the southwestern border regions of China, some cultural landscape remains that were once widespread are gradually disappearing. Nevertheless, these landscapes continue to be recognized, valued, and maintained by local ethnic communities. Understanding how place-based perceptions are formed, how hidden cultural landscapes can be identified, and how their cultural significance can be interpreted is therefore of considerable importance. Drawing on landscape perception theory, this study develops an analytical framework that integrates landscape structure interpretation, oral history analysis, and local ethnic group perception. The archaeological remains of the “Ancient Temple” in Baiya City, located within the Zhaozhou intermontane basin (“Bazi”) in Dali, are selected as a case study. Through field investigations, oral history interviews, and Semantic Differential (SD) scale questionnaires, perception factors are examined across four dimensions—environment, ritual, construction, and psychology—to systematically analyze the elements shaping spatial perception. The results reveal that, although local ethnic groups exhibit relatively low levels of perception regarding the architectural form of the ancient temple, they maintain strong psychological and emotional attachments to ritual pathways, ruin landscapes, and related cultural elements. The remains of the “Ancient Temple” constitute an implicit cultural landscape that plays a significant role in shaping local cultural identity and sense of place. At the same time, it reflects the community’s capacity for self-organization and the latent mechanisms underlying the reconstruction of cultural space. Based on these findings, strategies for cultural landscape regeneration should emphasize the preservation of indigenous spatial order, the revitalization of local ritual practices, and the strengthening of ethnic psychological identity. This study contributes to a deeper understanding of the social functions and cultural significance of implicit cultural landscapes in contemporary urban and rural development and provides practical references for their conservation and regeneration. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Urban Landscape and Greenway Planning)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

25 pages, 6761 KB  
Article
Spatiotemporal Effects of Urban Park Features on Walking and Running: Evidence from a Long-Term Observational Study in Shanghai
by Junqi Chen, Zheng Tao, Wenrui Wu, Yi Wen, Ling Wang and Dan Chen
Land 2026, 15(5), 822; https://doi.org/10.3390/land15050822 - 12 May 2026
Viewed by 214
Abstract
As urban parks become vital settings for public health, understanding how spatial features influence physical activity is essential. This study addresses a research gap by examining how park attributes affect walking and running across different space types (paths vs. plazas) and time periods. [...] Read more.
As urban parks become vital settings for public health, understanding how spatial features influence physical activity is essential. This study addresses a research gap by examining how park attributes affect walking and running across different space types (paths vs. plazas) and time periods. Analyzing 30 spatial units in three Shanghai parks (2021–2023) via OLS regression, the research identifies several key findings. Results indicate that paths facilitate significantly higher activity levels than plazas. While safety facilities, single-layer vegetation, and stone paving consistently promote activity, seat density and complex vegetation show divergent effects across space types. Temporally, connectivity, lighting, and simple vegetation structures encourage activity throughout the day, whereas high choice values and long entrance distances consistently act as suppressors. Other features, such as sky openness and water proximity, exhibit time-specific influences. These findings provide empirical evidence of the dynamic, context-dependent relationship between park design and exercise, offering actionable insights for urban planners to optimize green spaces for public health. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Urban Landscape and Greenway Planning)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-2
Back to TopTop