Submit to Special Issue Submit Abstract to Special Issue Review for Sustainability Propose a Special Issue

Journal Browser

Urban Social Space and Sustainable Development

Print Special Issue Flyer
Special Issue Editors
Special Issue Information
Keywords
Published Papers

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Sustainable Urban and Rural Development".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 July 2024 | Viewed by 22831

Share This Special Issue

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Jian Feng

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
Interests: urban social space; urban spatial structure; urban growth; urban sustainable development

Dr. Ming Tian

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

School of Social Development and Public Policy, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
Interests: urban studies; migrant studies; sustainable development

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Urban social space is a hot field in urban research. Urban social space refers to the projection of urban residents' economic and social activities in space or the relationship with urban space. Urban social space involves many aspects of urban development, such as the distribution of population and economic activities within the city, the living space, housing space, employment space, commuting space, leisure and entertainment space, activity space, medical space, shopping space, and even the social space of various special groups. Of course, there are some more comprehensive concepts, such as urban social spatial structure, urban social area, urban image space and so on, which also belong to the category of urban social space research. In addition, there are various spatial problems of urban society, such as crime space, poverty space, social spatial polarization and isolation, which are also subjects of concern for urban social space researchers.

The development state and trend regarding social space is an important aspect of measuring the state of urban sustainable development. Especially with the development of globalization, the social spaces of big cities worldwide are becoming increasingly fragmented, divided and polarized, which has seriously affected the state of urban sustainable development. Therefore, the academic community needs to strengthen the research on the development trends of urban social space and their relationship with the evolution of urban spatial structure in various countries under the background of globalization, evaluate the state of urban social space sustainability, and put forward reasonable development strategies for realizing the orderly spatial flow of urban populations and the harmonious coexistence of all populations, as well as the organic planning of urban residents' living space and various activities. This obviously has important theoretical value and practical significance.

This Special Issue focuses on urban social space and sustainable development. On the one hand, it plans to introduce social space—a hot topic of urbanology and geography—to the field of sustainable development and sustainability research by grafting urban social space and sustainable development, with the aim of expanding the depth and breadth of urban sustainable development research. On the other hand, the perspective of sustainable development can also be introduced into the field of urban social space, so that scholars in this field may pay attention to examining their urban social space research from the aspects of sustainable development status, trends and problems, which will undoubtedly promote the emergence of new research results in this field.

In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome. Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following:

Transformation and restructuring of urban social space;
Spatial distribution of urban population and sustainable development;
Migration and the evolution of urban internal space;
Study on the evolution of urban spatial structure and sustainability;
The characteristics and development mechanism of urban residents' activity spaces;
Living spatial structure of urban residents;
Research on the social composition of urban community residents and urban integration;
The relationship between urban social space and urban planning.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Jian Feng
Dr. Ming Tian
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

urban social space
urban sustainable development
urban spatial structure
urban social geography
urban growth

Published Papers (14 papers)

Download All Papers

Research

Jump to: Review

18 pages, 6577 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Adaptability Evaluation of Human Settlements in Chengdu Based on ArcGIS

by Hongyu Li, Yuelin Wang, Wende Chen, Hongfu Li, Yue Tian and Ruojing Chen

Sustainability 2024, 16(5), 1989; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16051989 - 28 Feb 2024

Viewed by 605

Abstract

This study establishes the evaluation index system of Chengdu’s habitat suitability based on three dimensions (the ecological livability environment, economic development environment, and social security environment) and quantitatively investigates the habitat suitability of Chengdu using the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and ArcGIS10.8 tools. Additionally, it analyzes the spatial pattern characteristics of Chengdu’s habitat suitability to provide insights into the rational optimization of Chengdu’s habitat system, and show that (1) the adaptability index of Chengdu’s human settlement is between 15.69 to 75.56, and the habitat suitability exhibits a high spatial distribution in the central area and a low spatial distribution in the surrounding regions, with obvious differences between hot spots and cold spots. (2) According to the suitability index from high to low, the habitat of Chengdu is divided into five regions: the most suitable area (895.62 km², 6.25%), highly suitable area (2136.82 km²,14.91%), moderately suitable area (5755.80 km²,40.15%), low-suitability area (4580.61 km², 31.95%) and the unsuitable area (966.15 km², 6.74%). (3) The spatial distribution of habitat suitability in Chengdu demonstrates a certain coupling relationship with the city’s circular social development model. Moreover, the spatial distribution characteristics of each area exhibit good consistency with population density, natural environment, economic conditions, and social conditions. (4) The influence of each indicator factor shows spatial heterogeneity, with variations in different subregions. Additionally, different regions have their own advantages and disadvantages. The results show that there are obvious regional characteristics with the suitability of human settlements in Chengdu; the main urban area exhibits the highest degree of habitat suitability, while the western Longmen Mountain area shows relatively lower suitability in its habitat. Considering these spatial characteristics, future development should explore corresponding development modes for each region based on local conditions, aiming to reduce spatial differences and promote the integrated development of urban and rural areas. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Urban Social Space and Sustainable Development)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

19 pages, 3269 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Use of Field Reserves in Emergencies as Assessed by Urban Residents and Refugees in Warsaw and Lviv during the War in Ukraine

by Alina Maciejewska, Łukasz Kuzak, Marianna Ulanicka-Raczyńska and Yaryna Onufriv

Sustainability 2023, 15(18), 14022; https://doi.org/10.3390/su151814022 - 21 Sep 2023

Viewed by 949

Abstract

Land management in crises requires quick solutions, which, without proper knowledge and experience, can lead to harmful interventions in established cities. In this regard, when choosing areas for placing critical infrastructure, such as temporary residences for refugees or field hospitals, it is essential to take into account not only the existing experience of scientists and experts on the topic but also the opinions of those who are intended to benefit from these services and of the people who live nearby. The purpose of this study was to identify the needs and opinions regarding the placement of critical infrastructure and facilities for those forcibly displaced as a result of the war in Ukraine (based on the example of Lviv, Ukraine) and the effects on the residents of Warsaw (Poland) as a city that faced a powerful wave of migrants from Ukraine. In the summer of 2022, a survey of 81 internally displaced persons who lived in two modular towns in Lviv was conducted. During 2022–2023, the residents of Warsaw were surveyed concerning the essential criteria for emergency site locations and their attitudes toward refugees from Ukraine. The results of our research showed that for internally displaced persons in temporary shelters in Lviv, it was vital to provide for their basic needs, along with a sense of security, and to encourage the unity of the people living nearby. A significant result of the survey indicated the necessary yet undesirable infrastructure facilities within a radius of up to 1 km around residents’ homes. It was determined that the most important objects, which should be placed within the limits of pedestrian accessibility, were bomb shelters, medical institutions, centers for administrative services, and others. In return, the most undesirable infrastructure facilities were military facilities, burial sites, and memorial complexes, etc. The results of the Warsaw survey were related to the criteria for choosing sites for the placement of significant critical infrastructure facilities and also demonstrated the positive attitude of the citizens toward the immigrants from Ukraine and their readiness to help if needed. The results could serve as a solid basis for the selection of plots for constructing temporary accommodation for refugees and internally displaced persons in European cities during crisis events. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Urban Social Space and Sustainable Development)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

18 pages, 5127 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Study on Urban Spatial Expansion and Its Scale Benefit in the Yellow River Basin

by Zhongwu Zhang, Liping Liu and Jinyuan Zhang

Sustainability 2023, 15(18), 13747; https://doi.org/10.3390/su151813747 - 14 Sep 2023

Viewed by 660

Abstract

Based on nighttime light data from 2000, 2005, 2010, 2015 and 2020, the urban built-up area of 90 prefecture-level cities in the Yellow River Basin was extracted, and the urban spatial expansion characteristics of 90 prefecture-level cities were explored from the two elements of expansion speed and expansion intensity. The entropy method was used to calculate the comprehensive level of economic-, social- and ecological-scale benefits of 90 prefecture-level cities. The gray correlation degree was used to measure the correlation between urban spatial expansion and scale benefits, and the geographical detector was used to identify the driving factors of urban spatial expansion. The results show the following: (1) The urban spatial expansion characteristics of 90 prefecture-level cities in the Yellow River Basin are clearly different. From 2000 to 2020, the urban spatial area increased to 2.94 times the original, and the expansion speed and intensity increased but fluctuated significantly. (2) The comprehensive level of economic-, social- and ecological-scale benefits of 90 prefecture-level cities in the Yellow River Basin has gradually improved. (3) There is a high correlation between urban spatial expansion and economic-, social- and ecological-scale benefits in 90 prefecture-level cities in the Yellow River Basin, but there are obvious regional differences in the eastern, central and western prefecture-level cities. (4) The urban spatial expansion of the Yellow River Basin is the result of the joint action of natural factors, the economic development level, industrial structure, government regulation ability, population size and opening level. Among them, per capita GDP, population density and the proportion of secondary and tertiary industry output value to the total output value are the most important driving factors. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Urban Social Space and Sustainable Development)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

18 pages, 2911 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Social Landscape, Peripheral Inclusion and Un-Practice: Concepts for Understanding Social Housing Daily Life in Open Spaces

by Veronica Garcia Donoso and Eugenio Fernandes Queiroga

Sustainability 2023, 15(17), 12672; https://doi.org/10.3390/su151712672 - 22 Aug 2023

Viewed by 1230

Abstract

This article presents new concepts for discussing urban social space, named “social landscape”, “peripheral inclusion” and “un-practice”. These concepts are based on the analysis of social practices in vulnerable neighborhoods with a high number of social housing blocks in South America. The aim of the article is to show that the complexity of social practices in vulnerable urban areas is not only the result of the urban environment, which combines social inequality, marginalization and insecurity, but also and above all of the management and maintenance of this inequality. The research method combines bibliographical research with the method of non-participant systematic observation, the latter analyzing everyday life in social housing areas of São Paulo-SP (Brazil) and Santiago (Chile). The discussion and results will lead the reader to understand not only the concepts, but also the idea that open spaces have an important role in social practices, especially public spaces. It seeks to demonstrate the importance of linking public spaces and housing in public policies for the creation of social housing, as opposed to housing policies that focus on the production of architecture disconnected from the urban and social reality. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Urban Social Space and Sustainable Development)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

14 pages, 271 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Communities in Transitions: Reflection on the Impact of the Outbreak of COVID-19 on Urban China

by Shengchen Du and Hongze Tan

Sustainability 2023, 15(11), 8825; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15118825 - 30 May 2023

Viewed by 906

Abstract

“Community”, as a basic category of urban socio-space, has undergone evolution within academic, policy, and day-to-day life contexts in China. Through years of transitions, a kind of dual community emerged in Chinese cities before the epidemic. It encompassed a “conceptual community” based on the concept of (social) co-governance and an “experiential community” based on citizens’ daily living. The disparity between the two had given rise to a paradoxical situation in local community governance practices. The outbreak of COVID-19 brought fundamental changes to the transition process. Through the analysis of 21 recording reports during the outbreak period, we found that to contain the pandemic, the community epidemic prevention measures necessitated both these communities to overlap within a brief time frame. This led to reinforced community boundaries, the coexistence of multiple actors, the reconstruction of a sense of security-based belongingness, and the reformulation of the governance symbolic system that temporarily resolved the paradoxical governance practices. What happened under the preface of co-governance logic during the outbreak period was the coverage and shaping of the conceptual community over the experiential community, which may continue during the post-epidemic era. This study offers a relatively new approach and valuable insights into examining the long-lasting impact of the epidemic on urban social space and sustainable development in the post-epidemic era. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Urban Social Space and Sustainable Development)

16 pages, 2311 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Socioeconomic Urban Environment in Latin America: Towards a Typology of Cities

by Gervásio F. dos Santos, Alejandra Vives Vergara, Mauricio Fuentes-Alburquenque, José Firmino de Sousa Filho, Aureliano Sancho Paiva, Andres Felipe Useche, Goro Yamada, Tania Alfaro, Amélia A. Lima Friche, Roberto F. S. Andrade, Maurício L. Barreto, Waleska Teixeira Caiaffa and Ana V. Diez-Roux

Sustainability 2023, 15(8), 6380; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15086380 - 07 Apr 2023

Viewed by 2127

Abstract

This paper aims to identify typologies of Latin American cities based on socioeconomic urban environment patterns. We used census data from 371 urban agglomerations in 11 countries included in the SALURBAL project to identify socioeconomic typologies of cities in Latin America. Exploratory factor analysis was used to select a set of variables, and finite mixture modelling (FMM) was applied to identify clusters to define the typology of cities. Despite the heterogeneities among the Latin American cities, we also found similarities. By exploring intersections and contrasts among these clusters, it was possible to define five socioeconomic regional typology patterns. The main features of each one are low-education cities in Northeast Brazil; low-unemployment cities in Peru and Panama; high-education cities in Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Nicaragua and Mexico; high female labor participation, with high primary education in Argentina and low primary education in Brazil; and low female labor participation and low education in Brazil, Colombia, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Mexico. Identifying clusters of cities with similar features underscores understanding of the urban social and economic development dynamics and assists in studying how urban features affect health, the environment, and sustainability. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Urban Social Space and Sustainable Development)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

28 pages, 9901 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Common Space and Behavior at the Border between Slum and Metropolitan Area: The Case of “Catambor” and “Alvalade”

by Yannick Oliveira, Suguru Mori and Rie Nomura

Sustainability 2023, 15(6), 5293; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15065293 - 16 Mar 2023

Viewed by 1167

Abstract

Composed of modern city centers and numerous slum patches in deep proximity and coexistence with one another, the Sub-Saharan African urban landscape is often perceived as chaotic or unorganized in nature due to the inconsistencies in the urban layout derived from the spontaneous occupation in said slums, in Angola, known as “Musseque”. This article focuses on the border between the “Musseque” of Catambor and the Alvalade Neighborhood as a point of interaction of both realities, influencing users to either adjust their activities to the streets or adjust the streets to their needs. With the purpose of understanding the streets’ environmental behavior settings and purpose improvements while preserving said environmental behavior, this study uses the behavior mapping method to identify the users’ stationary activities and then groups them by zone and occurrence, followed ultimately by a series of interviews. The results uncovered a degree of self-intervention by the users, ranging from the establishment of “commercial spots” on the street to “the setting of places to sit and gather” to accommodate for the lack of services, defying the intended purposes of the streets and prompting a deep understanding of what guides the decision-making processes and what the users consider valuable to the built space. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Urban Social Space and Sustainable Development)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

32 pages, 22065 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Comparative Study on Socio-Spatial Structures of the Typical Plain Cities of Chengdu and Beijing in Transitional China

by Chan Xu, Qi An, Zichuan Guo, Xuemei Yu, Jie Zhang and Kui Tang

Sustainability 2023, 15(5), 4364; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15054364 - 28 Feb 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1648

Abstract

China’s socioeconomic transformation and rapid urbanization since the end of the 20th Century have had an important impact on the social spatial structure of large cities. Social differentiation within cities is becoming increasingly prominent. Using detailed data gathered by the Fifth National Population Census of 2000, this study compares the social spatial structure and dynamic mechanisms of the core areas of the cities of Beijing and Chengdu. Factorial ecology analysis is used at the mesoscale to explore the following research questions: ‘How did factors shape the social spaces of two cities with similar topography but at different stages of development during China’s transition from a planned to a market economy?’; and ‘Are the traditional Western theories of socio-spatial interpretation equally applicable to China?’. The results show that Chengdu exhibits a combination of a concentric circle, fan-shaped, and multi-core socio-spatial structure, while Beijing shows a fan-shaped structure. In 2000, influenced by its overall level and stage of socioeconomic development, Beijing was experiencing a faster socio-spatial transformation than Chengdu, and the driving effect of capital on social differentiation and spatial competition was more obvious. The main dynamic mechanisms driving the formation of socio-spatial structures in Beijing and Chengdu include the natural environmental foundation, historical inheritance, urban planning, housing policies, and international influence. The three major variables in the study of traditional Western social spaces, namely economy, family, and ethnic status, were confirmed as applicable to our two case study cities with socioeconomic status as measured by occupation and housing conditions exerting the strongest effect. This perspective of comparing different cities in the same transitional period offers unique insights in identifying the key drivers of socio-spatial differentiation and polarization and their relative magnitude of effect, while enriching the catalog of empirical urban social space research both in China and in the rest of the world. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Urban Social Space and Sustainable Development)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

26 pages, 16155 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Climate Comfort Due to Spatial Organization: A Major Factor of Urban Resilience in Complex Gentrification Nodes in New Urban Communities

by Randa A. Mahmoud and Wesam M. Elbardisy

Sustainability 2023, 15(4), 3563; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15043563 - 15 Feb 2023

Viewed by 1783

Abstract

Gentrification nodes act as city centers in new urban communities where people can work, meet, eat, and exchange. The spatial organization of these nodes, considered complex adaptive systems, is a crucial factor in achieving climate comfort. This paper aims to demonstrate how the spatial organization of these nodes affects their microclimate comfort and can accordingly lead to their spatial resilience. Four predominant gentrification nodes, located in New Cairo and Sheikh Zayed, were selected, playing an essential role in the Egyptian real estate market and affecting urban dynamics in both areas. We argue that their spatial organization and how it affects climate comfort play a crucial role in their urban resilience. We believe that the climate comfort they offer will help them keep attracting the same socioeconomic categories of the population despite the changes in the real estate market and the displacement of urban anchors. Moreover, the findings highlighted that climate comfort, as a component of urban resilience, can be used to acknowledge the behavior of these nodes in the urban fabric. These findings were supported by simulations, interviews with the owners, the architect, and the users’ “closed-ended” questionnaire. The results show that the spatial resilience of two of these nodes is effectively related to climate comfort and the spatial organization that corresponds to users’ needs. Moreover, the results underline that in the case of linear nodes, building massing and materials with high albedo should be considered, as in the multiaxial nodes, the aspect of ratio dimensions and orientation of the space should be well studied. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Urban Social Space and Sustainable Development)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

26 pages, 5568 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Implications of Renovated Buildings in Yeonnam-Dong, Seoul, an Area under Commercial Gentrification

by Dai Whan An and Jae-Young Lee

Sustainability 2023, 15(3), 1960; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15031960 - 19 Jan 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2136

Abstract

We aimed to identify the characteristics of the changes in the buildings and alleyways in Yeonnam-dong, Seoul, where low-rise, residential buildings are being renovated or repurposed into commercial buildings, as well as to investigate their renovations, repurposes, and sociocultural implications. Thus, we surveyed and classified 149 renovated buildings, investigated the perceptions and ambiance of the area and buildings using a trade area analysis and interviews with visitors and store owners, and uncovered the importance of renovation. Since the early gentrification, a trend of performing renovations that retained the original form of the building from the initial renovation stage was seen; this created an ambiance of nostalgia, naturalness, and authenticity, along with the urban conditions of low-rise, residential buildings in Yeonnam-dong, a representative undeveloped area. These renovated buildings reflect the social status, taste, and practice of gentrifiers, and they reveal a hybridization of the past and present, Korean circumstances and exotic cultures, and residential and commercial buildings. As commercialization progressed, renovated buildings vastly differing from the original and displaying active commercial characteristics were seen. Our findings imply that the area’s early ambiance, which had an air of “distinctiveness”, has lost its personality and begun to generalize. Thus, numerous gentrifiers have been replaced and several aspects of renovation have changed that the visitors are aware of. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Urban Social Space and Sustainable Development)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

19 pages, 2276 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Economic and Spatial Integration of Land-Lost Households in Inland China: Evidence from a Survey in Nanchang City

by Yuanyuan Teng

Sustainability 2023, 15(1), 558; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15010558 - 28 Dec 2022

Viewed by 1084

Abstract

Many farmers lost their land and resettled in urban areas because of the rapid urban expansion of China. Although many studies have investigated the livelihood conditions of farmers after their resettlement, very little is known about their long-term outcomes. Based on a questionnaire survey, this study investigated the economic and spatial integration of land-lost farmers living in urban areas for more than ten years. Further, this study also examined the association between their economic and spatial integration. Our survey results indicate that the economic and spatial integration of the offspring from land-lost households were low. Although the educational level of the offspring was higher compared to the previous generation, there were still considerable disparities between them and other urbanites. Additionally, although their employment rate was improved, the quality of their occupations was not significantly enhanced, with unskilled or semi-skilled jobs being the most common. Furthermore, nearly half of the offspring reported a relatively low level of spatial integration (still living in the collective resettlement neighborhoods), which is influenced by demographic characteristics, family characteristics, and economic integration. To achieve sustainable urbanization, efforts should be made to improve the employment qualities and the residential mobility of land-lost households. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Urban Social Space and Sustainable Development)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

10 pages, 229 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Hukou Reform and the “Luohu” of Rural Migrants in Urban China

by Ming Tian, Qingwen Xu, Zhigang Li and Yang Yu

Sustainability 2022, 14(23), 15683; https://doi.org/10.3390/su142315683 - 25 Nov 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2459

Abstract

Along with a series of reforms of the household registration, or the hukou system, there has been a sustained call for its reforms to further integrate rural migrants into cities and sustain the national strategy of urbanization. Nevertheless, does hukou still matter? Is it still a major obstacle to the inclusive development of post-reform urban China? Recently, the effect of the hukou system and its reforms has become a debatable topic. To address the question, in this article, we examine the “luohu” of rural migrants, i.e., rural people who work and/or live in the city obtaining urban hukou, to evaluate the effects of hukou reforms. We argue, along with the improvement of China’s social security system in both urban and rural areas, as well as the increased rights of rural migrants in cities, that the gap between the “value” of urban and rural hukou is decreasing: the boundaries set between urban and rural territories have been diminished; meanwhile, the intentions of rural migrants to luohu in the city have declined. This dilemma indicates that the impact of hukou system per se is fading, which is closely linked to the reforms of other social policies such as welfare and pension systems. As such, to promote the integration of rural migrants in Chinese cities, the focus of China’s hukou reforms should shift from the registration system to more inclusive social policies. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Urban Social Space and Sustainable Development)

14 pages, 10527 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Node Centrality Comparison between Bus Line and Passenger Flow Networks in Beijing

by Teqi Dai, Tiantian Ding, Qingfang Liu and Bingxin Liu

Sustainability 2022, 14(22), 15454; https://doi.org/10.3390/su142215454 - 21 Nov 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1385

Abstract

In recent decades, complex network theory has become one of the most important approaches for exploring the structure and dynamics of traffic networks. Most studies mainly focus on the static topology features of the traffic networks, and there are also increasing literature focusing on passenger flow networks. However, not much work has been completed on comparing the static networks with dynamic flow networks from the perspective of supply and demand. Therefore, this study aimed to apply the complex network approach to explore the spatial relationship between bus line organization and bus flows in Beijing. Based on the bus route data and the passenger flow data obtained from the Beijing smart bus card, this study investigated the spatial characteristics of the bus line network and the temporal bus flow networks, and presented a comparison analysis on the spatial relationship between them by using the node centrality indices, namely degree centrality, betweenness centrality and closeness centrality. The results show that the overall spatial patterns of node centralities between the bus line network and the bus flow network were similar, while there were also some differences. For weekdays, the correlation between them is higher, as calculated by the degree of centrality. For weekends, the two networks have a greater correlation measured by degree centrality and betweenness centrality. The highest coefficients of correlation between the line network and traffic network appear in the morning peak, which implies that the congestion issues during the morning peak hours might receive the highest priority in Beijing’s bus-line network planning. Our study can provide implications for policymakers to improve the public urban transport network, and thus enhance residents’ happiness. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Urban Social Space and Sustainable Development)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

Review

Jump to: Research

26 pages, 1106 KiB

Open AccessReview

Review of Research on Urban Social Space and Sustainable Development

by Jian Feng and Huali Hou

Sustainability 2023, 15(22), 16130; https://doi.org/10.3390/su152216130 - 20 Nov 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2485

Abstract

Urban social space and sustainable urban development are both prominent areas of research in urban studies. The development of a city is closely tied to the development of its social space. The level of sustainable development in a city can be assessed by examining the evolution of its urban social space. Therefore, the two are highly interconnected in a close relationship. However, the social dimension of sustainable development has always received the least attention compared to the economy and the environment. Therefore, this paper examines urban transformation and urban spatial structure, social composition, the activity space and living space of urban residents, the social integration of urban residents in urban communities, and urban planning. This paper provides a comprehensive literature review of research on urban social space and sustainable development. On the one hand, this literature review thoroughly examines the correlation between urban social space and sustainable urban development. On the other hand, it broadens the perspectives of urban research, highlights the key role of social dimensions in sustainable urban development, and helps to draw the attention of academics to this topic. In addition, this literature review may provide policymakers with more comprehensive information on urban social space and sustainable development. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Urban Social Space and Sustainable Development)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

Journal Menu

Journal Browser

Urban Social Space and Sustainable Development

Share This Special Issue

Special Issue Editors

Special Issue Information

Keywords

Published Papers (14 papers)

Research

Review

Further Information

Guidelines

MDPI Initiatives

Follow MDPI