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Land Use Change from Non-Urban to Urban Areas: Problems, Challenges...
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Land Use Change from Non-Urban to Urban Areas: Problems, Challenges and Opportunities—Third Edition

A special issue of Land (ISSN 2073-445X). This special issue belongs to the section "Urban Contexts and Urban-Rural Interactions".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 10 June 2026 | Viewed by 3717

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Víctor Hugo González-Jaramillo

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Guest Editor
Geología Minas e Ingeniería Civil, Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja, San Cayetano Alto, Calle París, Loja 110150, Ecuador
Interests: geographical information systems; remote sensing; regional development
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Ruetger Rollenbeck

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Laboratory for Climatology and Remote Sensing (LCRS), Faculty of Geography, University of Marburg, 35037 Marburg, Germany
Interests: precipitation retrievals; weather radar; regional climate; extreme events; measurement techniques
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

We are pleased to announce a Special Issue of Land entitled 'Land Use Change from Non-Urban to Urban Areas: Problems, Challenges and Opportunities—Third Edition'.

Population growth is now one of the most critical factors affecting our planet, and it is the cause of a growing demand for resources. To meet this demand, humans are constantly modifying the environment, leading to changes in the use and coverage of the land in which rural lands become urban; these processes occur over very short periods of time.

These rapid processes and changes are generally not adequately planned nor are they part of a long-term vision, which ends up undermining the integrity of urban areas, human beings themselves, and the environment. The change of land use from non-urban to urban areas brings several types of problems related to ecosystem services, basic services, water supply, healthy spaces, and food provision for the population, among others. The solutions for the mentioned problems should be addressed from the beginning, which requires adequate planning to guarantee sustainable and resilient territories.

Additionally, these problems the changes from non-urban to urban areas and the iterations thereof need to be analyzed in a multidisciplinary way, under which these new challenges can become opportunities to achieve the sustainable development of resilient territories. For this Special Issue, we welcome studies related to land use change and non-urban–urban relationships at all spatiotemporal scales, including the following topics:

  • Land use planning schemes for progressive urban expansion;
  • Regulatory strategies;
  • Planning for a sustainable future;
  • Geospatial decision support systems (DSSs);
  • Spatiotemporal dynamics, socioeconomic implications, water supply problems, and land degradation under deforestation (e.g., the increase in the imperviousness of surfaces) produced by urban expansion and the resource requirements these issues give rise to.

Studies including the exploitation of low-/high-level remote sensing imageries are also welcomed.

Dr. Víctor Hugo González-Jaramillo
Dr. Ruetger Rollenbeck
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

  • land use change
  • land use planning
  • urban expansion
  • urban and rural development
  • land degradation
  • regulatory strategies
  • spatiotemporal dynamics
  • remote sensing imageries

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Related Special Issue

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

29 pages, 10729 KB  
Article
A Land Sustainability Model for Identifying Strategic Agricultural Areas: Application to Novo Mesto Municipality, Slovenia
by Matjaž Glavan and Anja Hrastnik
Land 2026, 15(3), 386; https://doi.org/10.3390/land15030386 - 27 Feb 2026
Viewed by 587
Abstract
The conversion of agricultural land for urban and infrastructure uses poses a significant threat to food security and agricultural sustainability across Europe. Slovenia has experienced particularly severe agricultural land loss, with approximately 70,000 hectares converted to non-agricultural purposes since 1991. This reduction is [...] Read more.
The conversion of agricultural land for urban and infrastructure uses poses a significant threat to food security and agricultural sustainability across Europe. Slovenia has experienced particularly severe agricultural land loss, with approximately 70,000 hectares converted to non-agricultural purposes since 1991. This reduction is considerable, as only 24% (481,000 ha) of the country’s land is suitable for agricultural production. In response, the Government of the Republic of Slovenia has enacted regulations to define and protect strategically important agricultural areas, which require robust methodologies for their identification and classification. This study develops and implements a transparent land sustainability model to classify agricultural land into three strategic categories: permanently protected agricultural land of the highest quality requiring strict protection (PPAL), other agricultural land suitable for continued agricultural use (OAL), and potentially suitable areas for agriculture (PSAs). The methodology utilises a multicriteria evaluation of soil quality, agricultural infrastructure, topography, current land use, and the cultural characteristics of agricultural production or landscape, drawing on readily available datasets to ensure replicability. In Novo mesto Municipality, southeastern Slovenia, the classification identified 6490 ha (28%) as PPAL, 1020 ha (4%) as OAL, and 5078 ha (22%) as PSA. This research provides a transparent and replicable multicriteria evaluation framework for strategic agricultural area classification, addresses methodological gaps in existing approaches, and demonstrates practical application in a post-transition European context. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Land Use Change from Non-Urban to Urban Areas: Problems, Challenges and Opportunities—Third Edition)
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25 pages, 1514 KB  
Article
Policy Transmission Mechanisms and Effectiveness Evaluation of Territorial Spatial Planning in China
by Luge Wen, Yucheng Sun, Tianjiao Zhang and Tiyan Shen
Land 2026, 15(1), 145; https://doi.org/10.3390/land15010145 - 10 Jan 2026
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 528
Abstract
This study is situated at the critical stage of comprehensive implementation of China’s territorial spatial planning system, addressing the strategic need for planning evaluation and optimization. We innovatively construct a Computable General Equilibrium Model for China’s Territorial Spatial Planning (CTSPM-CHN) that integrates dual [...] Read more.
This study is situated at the critical stage of comprehensive implementation of China’s territorial spatial planning system, addressing the strategic need for planning evaluation and optimization. We innovatively construct a Computable General Equilibrium Model for China’s Territorial Spatial Planning (CTSPM-CHN) that integrates dual factors of construction land costs and energy consumption costs. Through designing two policy scenarios of rigid constraints and structural optimization, we systematically simulate and evaluate the dynamic impacts of different territorial spatial governance strategies on macroeconomic indicators, residents’ welfare, and carbon emissions, revealing the multidimensional effects and operational mechanisms of territorial spatial planning policies. The findings demonstrate the following: First, strict implementation of land use scale control from the National Territorial Planning Outline (2016–2030) could reduce carbon emission growth rate by 12.3% but would decrease annual GDP growth rate by 0.8%, reflecting the trade-off between environmental benefits and economic growth. Second, industrial land structure optimization generates significant synergistic effects, with simulation results showing that by 2035, total GDP under this scenario would increase by 4.8% compared to the rigid constraint scenario, while carbon emission intensity per unit GDP would decrease by 18.6%, confirming the crucial role of structural optimization in promoting high-quality development. Third, manufacturing land adjustment exhibits policy thresholds: moderate reduction could lower carbon emission peak by 9.5% without affecting economic stability, but excessive cuts would lead to a 2.3 percentage point decline in industrial added value. Based on systematic multi-scenario analysis, this study proposes optimized pathways for territorial spatial governance: the planning system should transition from scale control to a structural optimization paradigm, establishing a flexible governance mechanism incorporating anticipatory constraint indicators; simultaneously advance efficiency improvement in key sector land allocation and energy structure decarbonization, constructing a coordinated “space–energy” governance framework. These findings provide quantitative decision-making support for improving territorial spatial governance systems and advancing ecological civilization construction. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Land Use Change from Non-Urban to Urban Areas: Problems, Challenges and Opportunities—Third Edition)
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18 pages, 3428 KB  
Article
Farming on the Edge: The 10-Fold Deficit in Lombardy’s Agricultural Land
by Stefano Salata, Andrea Arcidiacono, Stefano Corsi, Chiara Mazzocchi, Alberto Fedalto and Domenico Riccobene
Land 2025, 14(11), 2112; https://doi.org/10.3390/land14112112 - 23 Oct 2025
Viewed by 2022
Abstract
Lombardy is Italy’s leading region in primary agricultural production, yet it faces a significant decline in agricultural soil, primarily due to urban expansion. This land consumption largely affects arable areas, as land is repurposed for low-density residential developments, roads, logistics, and commercial or [...] Read more.
Lombardy is Italy’s leading region in primary agricultural production, yet it faces a significant decline in agricultural soil, primarily due to urban expansion. This land consumption largely affects arable areas, as land is repurposed for low-density residential developments, roads, logistics, and commercial or industrial hubs. The reduction in agricultural land threatens regional food security and increases dependency on external markets. This study determines the long-term sustainability of this trend by estimating the actual quantity of agricultural land required to satisfy the food demand of the region’s citizens. The research employed a two-part georeferenced analysis. First, a cross-tabulation matrix quantified the land consumption over two decades. Second, the Planning Forecasts Map was analyzed, coupled with new road projects, to estimate future potential land consumption embedded in Land Use Plans (PGT). Finally, food consumption was converted into the required hectares of agricultural land per capita and compared to the current stock of agricultural land to quantify the deficit by municipality. The dramatic spatial deficit confirms that the current trajectory of land consumption is unsustainable, leaving Lombardy’s food security highly dependent on imports. While regional laws have reduced planned urbanization, the limitation of land take remains far from the goals. The results highlight the urgent need for effective compensatory measures and mitigation strategies that account for the true magnitude and spatial distribution of the agricultural land deficit, particularly in the most critical urban and peri-urban areas. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Land Use Change from Non-Urban to Urban Areas: Problems, Challenges and Opportunities—Third Edition)
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