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Green Landscape and Ecosystem Services for a Sustainable Urban System

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Environmental Sustainability and Applications".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 28 February 2026 | Viewed by 1427

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Department of Civil Engineering and Architecture (DICAR), University of Catania, Via S. Sofia, 64, 95123 Catania, Italy
Interests: analysis of consumption models; web marketing; territorial marketing; green infrastructure and nature-based solutions in urban and rural contexts; social and inclusive agriculture; analysis of sustainable mobility habits; environmental economics; landscape and economy; circular economy; renewable energy sources and impacts on landscape and environment; multiple criteria decision analysis (MCDA); planning and evaluation in urban and rural spaces; ecosystem services
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Civil Engineering and Architecture (DICAR), University of Catania, Via S. Sofia, 64, 95123 Catania, Italy
Interests: environmental economics; real estate economics; urban economics; circular economy, urban and land management; urban and land sustainability; cultural resources valuation; multiple criteria decision analysis (MCDA); data mining; GIS
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

We would like to invite you to submit your latest research in this Special Issue of SustainabilityGreen Landscape and Ecosystem Services for a Sustainable Urban System”.

The relationship between cities and urban green spaces has been at the centre of scientific and political debate for several years, as the international community recognises the importance of the ecosystem services provided by natural capital.

Too often, the quality of urban and territorial planning and related decision-making processes is not measured in terms of the effects they produce regarding the ecosystem services generated or removed.

Often, these processes are not capable of supporting the objectives of various European and international agendas, such as those proposed by the United Nations Global Agenda for Sustainable Development (which takes up the orientations of the Rio+20 Final Report), i.e., the Sustainable Development Goals to be achieved by 2030.

Among the various targets identified, of particular interest for cities and their governments are the 2030 Goals:

  • Ensure universal access to safe, inclusive and accessible green spaces and public spaces that support people’s health and well-being;
  • Improve the sustainability of the current urban development model and planning tools;
  • Ensure universal access to safe, inclusive and accessible green spaces and public spaces;
  • Support and strengthen measures to mitigate and combat climate change;
  • Achieve a land degradation-neutral world (LDN) as an essential element in maintaining ecosystem functions and services over a given period of time, halting and reversing land degradation and halting biodiversity loss;
  • Promote partnership between stakeholders in support of sustainable development.

The natural capital present in urban areas, the urban green system, can therefore take on the role of an instrument for redevelopment, continuity and integration between building renovation and natural and agricultural environments, creating and integrating ecological corridors or networks on a larger scale. Furthermore, it can contribute to reducing the vulnerability of the urban system through the fundamental ecosystem services, indispensable for human life and for the quality of life itself, and for nature itself.

Economic, as well as environmental and social, assessment of the impact of planning on ecosystem services could help public decisionmakers to identify those processes that aim to achieve sustainability goals.

New planning and evaluation models, new decision-making tools, new partnerships that are increasingly inclusive of all social actors involved, and new management models must be identified in order to promote that integration between the natural, urban, human, political and economic heritage that is capable of supporting coordinated and sustainable development between the different systems.

In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome and research areas may include, but are not limited to:  

  • Ecosystem services;
  • The urban green system;
  • The resilient city;
  • The inclusive city;
  • Resilient urban development;
  • Urban system sustainability;
  • Urban gardens;
  • Green urban landscapes;
  • Urban and peri-urban agriculture;
  • Green infrastructure;
  • Nature-based solutions;
  • The evaluation of ecosystem services;
  • Ecosystemic inefficiencies;
  • Green urban planning;
  • The Sustainable Development Goals;
  • Urban planning processes;
  • Collaborative governance;
  • Multi-level governance;
  • Citizen participation;
  • Landscape management;
  • Environmental planning;
  • Land use;
  • Economic evaluation of the benefits of ecosystem services;
  • Social multi-criteria evaluation;
  • Multi-criteria decision aid.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Prof. Luisa Sturiale
Prof. Dr. Maria Rosa Trovato
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 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

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. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly 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 2400 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

  • ecosystem services
  • urban green system
  • green urban landscapes
  • resilient and inclusive city
  • sustainable development goals
  • urban planning processes
  • evaluation of ecosystem services
  • ecosystem service economic evaluation
  • social multi-criteria evaluation
  • multi-criteria decision aid

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

38 pages, 14177 KiB  
Article
Spatiotemporal Responses and Threshold Mechanisms of Urban Landscape Patterns to Ecosystem Service Supply–Demand Dynamics in Central Shenyang, China
by Mengqiu Yang, Zhenguo Hu, Rui Wang and Ling Zhu
Sustainability 2025, 17(16), 7419; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17167419 - 16 Aug 2025
Viewed by 376
Abstract
Clarifying the spatiotemporal relationship between urban ecosystem services and changes in landscape patterns is essential, as it has significant implications for balancing ecological protection with socio-economic development. However, existing studies have largely focused on the one-sided impact of landscape patterns on either the [...] Read more.
Clarifying the spatiotemporal relationship between urban ecosystem services and changes in landscape patterns is essential, as it has significant implications for balancing ecological protection with socio-economic development. However, existing studies have largely focused on the one-sided impact of landscape patterns on either the supply or demand of ESs, with limited investigation into how changes in these patterns affect the growth rates of both supply and demand. The central urban area, characterized by complex urban functions, intricate land use structures, and diverse environmental challenges, further complicates this relationship; yet, the spatiotemporal differentiation patterns of ecosystem services’ supply–demand dynamics in such regions, along with the underlying influencing mechanisms, remain insufficiently explored. To address this gap, the present study uses Shenyang’s central urban area, China as a case study, integrating multiple data sources to quantify the spatiotemporal variations in landscape pattern indices and five ecosystem services: water retention, flood regulation, air purification, carbon sequestration, and habitat quality. The XGBoost model is employed to construct non-linear relationships between landscape pattern indices and the supply–demand ratios of these services. Using SHAP values and LOWESS analysis, this study evaluates both the magnitude and direction of each landscape pattern index’s influence on the ecological supply–demand ratio. The findings outlined above indicate that: there are distinct disparities in the spatiotemporal distribution of landscape pattern indices at the patch type level. Additionally, the changing trends in the supply, demand, and supply–demand ratios of ecosystem services show spatiotemporal differentiation. Overall, the ecosystem services in the study area are developing negatively. Further, the impact of landscape pattern characteristics on ecosystem services is non-linear. Each index has a unique effect, and there are notable threshold intervals. This study provides a novel analytical approach for understanding the intricate relationship between landscape patterns and ESs, offering a scientific foundation and practical guidance for urban ecological protection, restoration initiatives, and territorial spatial planning. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Green Landscape and Ecosystem Services for a Sustainable Urban System)
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18 pages, 6891 KiB  
Article
Small Scale–Big Impact: Temporary Small-Scale Architecture as a Catalyst for Community-Driven Development of Green Urban Spaces
by Diana Giurea, Vasile Gherheș and Claudiu Coman
Sustainability 2025, 17(16), 7220; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17167220 - 9 Aug 2025
Viewed by 449
Abstract
Temporary architecture, as an expression of the concept of impermanence, offers adaptable and time-sensitive spatial interventions that promote community engagement and encourage experimentation within the urban environment. Beyond its physical and functional qualities, this architectural approach acts as a social mediator, fostering dialogue, [...] Read more.
Temporary architecture, as an expression of the concept of impermanence, offers adaptable and time-sensitive spatial interventions that promote community engagement and encourage experimentation within the urban environment. Beyond its physical and functional qualities, this architectural approach acts as a social mediator, fostering dialogue, networking, and the exchange of ideas between local communities and professionals, while contributing to the development of a socio-cultural common ground. This paper explores the Greenfeel Architecture wooden pavilion as a case study of small-scale architecture embedded within a landscape dedicated to urban agriculture and community-driven activities. The design process was guided by the need to balance functional requirements—providing shelter from the sun and rain and facilitating social interactions—with the protection of the existing vegetation and the enhancement of local biodiversity, with particular emphasis on supporting bee populations. In line with sustainable construction principles, the pavilion was built through the reuse of recovered materials, including used bricks for pavement, wooden slabs for the facade and roof, and several structural components sourced from previous building projects. Since its completion, the pavilion has acted as an urban acupuncture point within the surrounding area and has become a host for various outdoor activities and educational workshops aimed at diverse groups, including children, adults, professionals, and laypersons alike. The duality between the scale of the pavilion and the scale of its social, cultural, or ecological influence highlights the potential of temporary architecture to become a tool for both physical and socio-cultural sustainability in an urban environment. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Green Landscape and Ecosystem Services for a Sustainable Urban System)
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