Search Results (6)

The ongoing decade of UN restoration matches with the European goal of bringing nature back into our lives, including in urban systems, and Nature Restoration Regulation. Within such a framework, this work is aimed at highlighting the ecological rationale and strategic value of an NRRP measure devoted to forest restoration in Italian Metropolitan Cities, and at assessing respective preliminary results. Therefore, the measure’s overarching goal (not to create urban parks or gardens, but activate forest recovery), geographic extent and scope (over 4000 ha and more than 4 million planted trees and shrubs across the country), plantation model (mandatory use of native species consistent with local potential vegetation, density of 1000 seedlings per ha, use of at least four tree and four shrub species in each project, with a minimum proportion of 70% for trees, certified provenance for reproductive material), and compulsory management activities (maintenance and replacement of any dead plants for at least five years), are herein shown and explained under an ecological perspective. Current implementation outcomes were thus assessed in terms of coherence and expected biodiversity benefits, especially with respect to ecological and biogeographic consistency of planted forests, representativity in relation to national and European plant diversity, biogeographic interest and conservation concern of adopted plants, and potential contribution to the EU Habitats Directive. Compliance with international strategic goals and normative rules, along with recognizable advantages of the measure and limitations to be solved, are finally discussed. In conclusion, the forestation model proposed for the Italian Metropolitan Cities proved to be fully applicable in its ecological rationale, with expected benefits in terms of biodiversity support plainly met, and even exceeded, at the current stage of implementation, especially in terms of the contribution to protected habitats. These promising preliminary results allow the model to be recognized at the international level as a good practice that may help achieve protection targets and sustainable development goals within and beyond urban systems. Full article

Urban green space (UGS) is increasingly recognized as a nature-based solution to achieving urban sustainable development. Under rapid urbanization, greening policies are often the main driving factor behind the restoration or even growth of UGS. In this study, Chengdu, the pioneering “park city” in China, is chosen as a representative region. Based on land use/land cover (LULC) and normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) data, indicators that can reflect both UGS quantity and quality are constructed and the spatio-temporal characteristics of UGS in original and expanding urban areas are also explored at different greening policy stages. The findings show that, from 2000 to 2022, the basic trend of UGS reduction during urbanization remained unchanged, despite the greening policies implemented in Chengdu. However, the original urban area has evolved into a new urban area. This has been achieved by integrating the expanded urban area with higher greening rates, resulting in the greening rate in 2022 (44.61%) being restored to the 2000 level (44.21%). The implementation of green policies in Chengdu is primarily reflected in improved UGS quality, especially in the stage of the ecological garden city construction (2008–2018). Specifically, the UGS quality in the original urban area has been improved by 25.25%. Overall, the UGS quality in Chengdu Urban Center has improved, changing from a medium level in 2000 to a medium-high level in 2022. The construction of a national demonstration zone of the park city provides an opportunity for the UGS quantity to increase and quality to improve in Chengdu in the future. However, effectively considering the development positioning of the Tianfu Granary to coordinate the relationship between UGS and high-quality farmland is a huge challenge for urban sustainable development in Chengdu. Full article

Guangdong Chaoan Fenghuangdancong Tea (GCFT) Cultural System is the second batch of China’s Nationally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (China-NIAHS), identified by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs in 2014 as having rich biodiversity, valuable knowledge of indigenous technology, and unique ecological and cultural landscape. Under the dual background of rapid urbanization and agricultural industry structure transformation, China-NIAHS-GCFT is facing the reality of structural changes in land use/cover and landscape patterns. Therefore, it is important to systematically portray land use/land cover (LULC) changes in China-NIAHS-GCFT sites and clarify the spatial pattern differences due to the impact of China-NIAHS-GCFT recognition on tea garden areas and the tea industry. This study was conducted in Chaozhou City, Guangdong Province, where GCFT is located, to compare and analyze the LULC characteristics of the core area of the heritage site (Chaoan, Chaozhou) and the control area (Raoping, Chaozhou) before and after recognition. We assessed the spatial variation in tea garden area and the intrinsic driving mechanisms of the change by integrating social factors, such as China-NIAHS-GCFT recognition, and natural factors, such as elevation, precipitation, and temperature. The results show that: (1) Around 2010, the change in LULC of the core and control areas progressed from slight changes to dramatic changes, mainly shifting from natural to anthropogenic landscapes. The decrease in the cropland and grassland and the increase in built-up land in the core area were obviously larger than those in the control area. (2) Before and after GCFT was recognized as China-NIAHS in 2014, the changing pattern of tea garden shifts from “basically stable and small growth” to a trend of “substantial expansion”. Specifically, the recognition brought about tea garden area expansion and tea industry development in the core area, especially Fenghuang. Meanwhile, a radiating effect extends to the control area, especially the townships adjacent to Fenghuang. (3) Similar natural climatic conditions of temperature and precipitation in the two regions provide a basic growing environment for tea trees; however, elevation was the key natural resource condition affecting the distribution of tea gardens. The elevation conditions of the core area are more suitable for growth of tea trees compared to the control area. Full article

Urban sprawl is a development theme of cities all over the world, especially in developing countries with rapid urbanization, and the long-established rough and outward urban growth pattern has brought about a series of social and ecological problems. As an important tool in controlling urban sprawl in western countries, the urban growth boundary (UGB) has become one of the three major policy tools in the national spatial planning system since it was introduced into China. Combined with a bibliometric analysis, this literature review summarizes UGB studies on development and evolution, delimitation means, and implementation management and provides references for studying UGB adaptability in China. The results show that: (1) Originating from Howard’s garden city concept, UGB studies have formed a relatively complete system of “theoretical basis, technical methods, supporting policies, and implementation management” through long-term empirical research in foreign countries. With a relatively late start in China, UGB research currently focuses on different situations between China and abroad and the adaptation of China’s localization. (2) UGB delimitation mainly includes two aspects: forward expansion, which, from the urban development perspective, is mainly supported by cellular automata (CA) urban growth simulation; and reverse restriction, which, from the ecological protection perspective, is supported by ecological security pattern construction, ecological sensitivity evaluation, and land suitability evaluation. (3) Many foreign UGB implementations have different forms and more flexible and comprehensive corresponding supporting policies. However, the current state of research in China in this area is still insufficient. Against the background of the national spatial planning system reform, the findings of this review provide references for delineating UGB that considers ecological protection and urban development under the scenarios of planning, formulating a supporting mechanism for multi-subject participation and multi-party coordination, and establishing an adjustment system based on implementation effect evaluation. Full article

Urban parks are important places for residents to engage in physical activity (PA). Properly designed fitness facilities play a positive role in the PA level of park users. We conducted a quantitative evaluation of urban park systems based on the revised Chinese version of ParkScore (RCPS) from the perspective of national fitness. Baoji, one of the first National Ecological Garden Cities (NEGCs), was selected as a case study. We analyzed 19 parks and found that comprehensive parks and sports parks obtained high evaluation scores. The area of fitness facilities in Baoji urban parks was low, with an average of 1.85 hm² per park. Professional sports venues and multifunctional sports venues each accounted for about one-third and children’s activity venues for about a quarter. There were many national fitness stations, but they covered a small area. Only 16% of parks had fitness trails, which was the least represented type of fitness facility. About 40% of the parks had children’s activity venues, with a 1:2 ratio of PA venue to amusement area. The area of free open venues accounted for only 0.1% of the total area of the parks. The number of parks per capita was about 52% of the overall NEGCs, accessibility of 500 m was 34%, and of 1000 m was about 54%. Overall, we found that the supply of Baoji urban parks was insufficient. These results directly reflect differences among fitness facilities in urban parks and can help form a quantitative basis for the optimization of urban park systems and advance the national fitness plan and promote public health. Full article

Over approximately 100 years, the Australian capital, Canberra, has evolved in association with the predominant values, vision and cultural relationships of people to the area. The location and design of the city derived from a formal intention to integrate nature and culture for the benefit and edification of residents and in symbolisation of the city’s importance as the seat of national decision-making and legislature. Established on a native grassland surrounded by wooded hills and ridges, and with nearby confluences of rivers as security of water supply, the city’s landscape was transformed through centralised planning and implementation of Garden City and City Beautiful constructs to become one of the world’s most liveable regions. Twentieth-century expansion of the city’s suburbs, tree streetscapes and gardens progressed with varying emphasis on exotic versus native species, and contemporary programs aim to increase urban tree canopy cover to 30%. Yet, there is increasing acknowledgement of the landscape’s rich history of culture–nature interactions extending back at least 25,000 years. Indicators are evident in human modification of tree-dominated ecosystems, the overlapping ways in which people related to elemental landscape features, and a continuity of valuing particular sites for ceremonies, social activities and human movement. With projected steady population growth, climate change, and associated impacts on the environment and natural resources, contemporary planning must be innovative and integrative to ensure ecologically sustainable development. Strong visionary leadership is needed to develop a landscape policy that encompasses key natural assets including threatened woodlands and mature native trees for their intrinsic values and as habitat for threatened fauna, cultural landscape values such as forested montane and ridge areas, and heritage and protected trees. From pre-European to current times, planning, modification and management of environmental and ecosystem values has been integral to enabling local people to sustain themselves. The next challenge is to create clarity about the future of this cultural landscape and enhance the community’s attachment to and stewardship of the city and its landscape. Full article