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Sustainability
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Nature-Based Solutions for Landscape Sustainability Challenges
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Nature-Based Solutions for Landscape Sustainability Challenges

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 March 2026 | Viewed by 1325

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Xuening Fang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Environmental and Geographical Sciences, Shanghai Normal University, Shanghai 200234, China
Interests: landscape ecology; urban sustainability; ecosystem services; green infrastructure; nature-based solutions
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Lingqiang Kong

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Public Administration, Zhejiang University of Finance and Economics, Hangzhou, China
Interests: urban ecology; landscape ecology; landscape sustainability science
Dr. Rui Zhou

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Environmental and Geographical Sciences, Shanghai Normal University, Shanghai 200234, China
Interests: urban heat island; ecosystem services; landscape ecology; green infrastructure
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue aims to explore the role of nature-based solutions (NbSs) in addressing the pressing challenges of landscape sustainability in urban or rural areas, with a particular focus on ecosystem restoration, green industry, climate adaptation, and biodiversity conservation. The Special Issue will examine how NbSs, such as reforestation, wetland restoration, and urban green infrastructure, can be applied to mitigate environmental degradation, enhance resilience, and promote sustainable land management practices. The scope of this Special Issue includes both theoretical advancements and practical applications across diverse landscapes, from urban environments to rural and coastal areas, the purpose being to foster a deeper understanding of how NbSs can be integrated into landscape planning and policy-making processes, and to highlight successful case studies and innovative approaches.

This Special Issue will complement the existing literature by providing an up-to-date review of NbS methodologies, addressing knowledge gaps and proposing new frameworks for their effective implementation. It will contribute to the growing body of research on sustainable landscape governance and offer valuable insights for policymakers, land managers, and researchers in environmental science and landscape sustainability.

Dr. Xuening Fang
Dr. Lingqiang Kong
Dr. Rui Zhou
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

  • nature-based solutions
  • landscape sustainability
  • ecosystem services
  • climate adaptation
  • biodiversity conservation
  • green infrastructure
  • sustainable land management
  • resilience
  • landscape governance
  • environmental policy

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

25 pages, 7317 KiB  
Article
Polarization or Equilibrium: Spatial and Temporal Patterns and Divergent Characteristics of Rural Restructuring in Unevenly Developed Regions
by Lin Shao, Bochuan Zhou, Yeyang Li, Qiaoli Huang and Xuening Fang
Sustainability 2025, 17(13), 5989; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17135989 - 30 Jun 2025
Viewed by 297
Abstract
Rural areas are experiencing significant changes in socio-economic and spatial patterns, and research on the characteristics of rural restructuring is conducive to the planning of rural revitalization. However, few studies have focused on the changes in regional development imbalances in the process of [...] Read more.
Rural areas are experiencing significant changes in socio-economic and spatial patterns, and research on the characteristics of rural restructuring is conducive to the planning of rural revitalization. However, few studies have focused on the changes in regional development imbalances in the process of rural restructuring. This study aims to explore whether rural restructuring mitigates or exacerbates existing regional disparities, and to assess the degree of coordination among economic, social, and spatial restructuring dimensions. In this study, the evolution of spatio-temporal patterns and divergence characteristics of unevenly developed regions in the process of rural restructuring from 2010 to 2020 were investigated by using the TOPSIS (Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution) model and the coupled coordination model. We found the following: (1) The level of rural development has increased significantly and the overall pattern has not changed. Meanwhile, the degree of regional imbalance has deepened, evolving from a low level of disequilibrium to a pattern of high levels but more pronounced spatial polarization. (2) The impacts of different dimensions of rural restructuring on regional imbalance are not consistent, and the social and spatial dimensions are significantly more unbalanced than the economic dimension. (3) The analysis of the driving mechanism shows that there are significant spatial and temporal differences between a variety of driving factors, the strength of their role, positive and negative have evolved in stages, and the transition from a government-led to a market-driven trend is gradually obvious. In the future, rural planning should pay more attention to resource inputs in the social and spatial dimensions, and improve the equilibrium of the social and spatial dimensions, which is more conducive to mitigating the trend of regional polarization. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nature-Based Solutions for Landscape Sustainability Challenges)
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22 pages, 4307 KiB  
Article
What Are the Disparities in Spatiotemporal Patterns Between Urban and Rural Well-Being? Evidence from a Rapidly Urbanizing Region in China
by Yihan Zhou, Qun Ma, Yuxi Huang, Xiaohui Sun, Jiayi Dong, Naijie Zhang and Jun Gao
Sustainability 2025, 17(13), 5682; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17135682 - 20 Jun 2025
Viewed by 329
Abstract
Enhancing human well-being is a core priority of the Sustainable Development Goals. Understanding urban–rural well-being disparities is crucial for bridging gaps and improving social harmony. However, most existing studies focus on either urban or rural residents’ well-being, neglecting their disparities. This study quantified [...] Read more.
Enhancing human well-being is a core priority of the Sustainable Development Goals. Understanding urban–rural well-being disparities is crucial for bridging gaps and improving social harmony. However, most existing studies focus on either urban or rural residents’ well-being, neglecting their disparities. This study quantified and compared the spatiotemporal patterns of the well-being of urban and rural residents in the Yangtze River Delta (YRD) urban agglomeration from 2000 to 2020 using the human development index (HDI). Results show the following: (1) Urban and rural well-being improved markedly from 2000 to 2020, with urban HDI increasing from 0.66 to 0.83 and rural HDI from 0.55 to 0.74. (2) Urban education and rural income inequalities were more pronounced, with the average Gini coefficients over 2000–2020 more than threefold and twofold those of urban and rural health, respectively. (3) Although disparities existed between urban and rural well-being, rural HDI had grown faster between 2000 and 2020, narrowing the urban–rural gap. From 2000 to 2020, the growth rate for rural HDI (34.55%) exceeded that for urban HDI (27.13%). To foster the shared urban and rural well-being, this study recommends diversifying rural industries, optimizing educational resources, and enhancing rural healthcare infrastructure in the YRD and beyond. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nature-Based Solutions for Landscape Sustainability Challenges)
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21 pages, 8179 KiB  
Article
Evolution and Mechanism of Population and Construction Land Decoupling in China: A Case Study of Shandong Province
by Ziyi Yuan, Qingsong Ni, Zongfeng Chen, Bo Hu, Jiaxin Zhong and Pingan Liu
Sustainability 2025, 17(12), 5651; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17125651 - 19 Jun 2025
Viewed by 506
Abstract
With the accelerated urbanization in China, the irrational utilization of land resources has triggered a series of ecological challenges. In this context, exploring the decoupling relationship between population and construction land is crucial for achieving land sustainable development. This paper applied Tapio and [...] Read more.
With the accelerated urbanization in China, the irrational utilization of land resources has triggered a series of ecological challenges. In this context, exploring the decoupling relationship between population and construction land is crucial for achieving land sustainable development. This paper applied Tapio and Geodetector models to Shandong Province, analyzing population–land decoupling evolution and mechanism. The results show the following: (1) Significant spatiotemporal differences exist, with a total of eight decoupling types identified; the main decoupling types of Shandong include strong negative decoupling, expansive negative decoupling, weak decoupling, and strong decoupling. (2) A strong negative decoupling type characterized by “population decline and land expansion” was predominant, though coordination trends are emerging. (3) Weak decoupling townships were primarily influenced by resource factors and transportation; strong decoupling townships were mainly affected by economic activities and transportation; strong negative decoupling townships were closely related to resource factors and economic activities. (4) Multi-factor interactions have a considerable impact on the formation of the population–land decoupling relationship, with natural constraints and economic transformation drivers jointly contributing to diverse decoupling patterns. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nature-Based Solutions for Landscape Sustainability Challenges)
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