Search Results (103)

Carbon programs often assume that uniform cash transfers are sufficient to change land use, yet the design of benefits may be the controlling factor. We test payment complementarity—the coordinated use of cash and community benefits—in the International Small Group and Tree Planting Program across Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, and India. Using administrative and survey data from 8432 participants, we classify realized mechanisms into cash-only, alternative-only, and mixed categories, and examine their associations with conservation adoption and land-use intensity. Mixed arrangements are associated with 73% higher conservation farming adoption (68.4% vs. 36.6% under cash-only) and greater tree density (281 vs. 215 and 115 trees/ha for cash-only and alternative-only, respectively). Formal tests reject simple averaging, consistent with super-additive effects. Adoption of mixed mechanisms clusters in districts that exceed an organizational participation threshold (approximately 38.9%), suggesting peer exposure and social learning. Gender-disaggregated patterns indicate that women receiving alternatives (predominantly in mixed regimes) manage nearly three times as many trees as their cash-only peers and are the only subgroup surpassing the USD 2/day poverty threshold. Each alternative arrangement benefits an average of 167 community members; accounting for spillovers implies an approximate 191-times village-level multiplier. Mixed designs require greater administrative effort but deliver larger community returns. We report associations, not causal effects, and employ controls, fixed effects, matching, and stability checks to probe our selection. Policy implications are immediately clear: outcome-based standards that permit mixed payments, credit spillovers, and paired flexibility with safeguards (transparent negotiation, verified delivery, documented consent) can multiply the land-use impact of climate finance. The results are associative rather than causal and generalize primarily to contexts with similar institutional prerequisites, including established organizational capacity and program rules permitting benefit negotiation. Full article

Urban green spaces (UGS) are pivotal to urban sustainability, yet their morphology—patch size, shape, and configuration—remains insufficiently linked to institutional drivers. We investigate how land tenure strength shapes UGS morphology across 36 cities in nine countries. Using OpenStreetMap data, we delineate UGS and compute landscape metrics (AREA, PARA, SHAPE, FRAC, PAFRAC) via FRAGSTATS; we develop a composite index of land tenure strength capturing ownership, use-right duration, expropriation compensation, and government land governance capacity. Spearman’s rank correlations indicate a scale-dependent coupling: stronger tenure is significantly associated with micro-scale patterns—smaller patch areas and more complex, irregular boundaries—consistent with fragmented ownership and higher transaction costs, whereas macro-scale indicators (e.g., overall green coverage/connectivity) show weaker sensitivity. These findings clarify an institutional pathway through which property rights intensity influences the physical fabric of urban nature. Policy implications are twofold: in high-intensity contexts, flexible instruments (e.g., transferable development rights, negotiated acquisition, ecological compensation) can maintain network connectivity via embedded, fine-grain interventions; in low-intensity contexts, one-off land assembly can efficiently deliver larger, regular green cores. The results provide evidence-based guidance for aligning green infrastructure design with diverse governance regimes and advancing context-sensitive sustainability planning. Full article

Coastal public spaces in large Euro-Mediterranean cities represent critical zones of negotiation between land and sea, where ecological fragilities, infrastructural pressures and social demands intersect. Grounded in the concept of the urban amphibious, this study explores the spatial-functional complexity of city-sea interfaces through the development of CITI4SEA (City-Sea Interface Typological Indicators for Spatial-Ecological Assessment), an original multidimensional framework for the evaluation of coastal public spaces. The methodology builds on a geo-database of 149 coastal municipalities in eight EU Member States and applies a set of indicators to seven major cities (with populations over 500,000 and comprehensive port infrastructure). Through a structured evaluation grid applied to 23 coastal public spaces, the framework enables a cross-comparative analysis of spatial configurations, ecological qualities, and patterns of public use. Results reveal the emergence of transnational clusters based on shared planning logics and degrees of socio-environmental integration, rather than geographic proximity. The study also identifies asymmetries in accessibility, environmental performance and equipment provision. Beyond mapping spatial disparities, the contribution offers a replicable tool for assessing littoral transformations within the broader framework of Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) and Maritime Spatial Planning (MSP), supporting context-specific strategies for resilient and inclusive coastal governance. Full article

This article presents a multidimensional analysis of the work of the Māori artist Hori from postcolonial, cultural, and autoethnographic perspectives. Drawing on the researcher’s experience as a visitor in Ōtaki, Aotearoa/New Zealand, an environment deeply rooted in Māori heritage, the text demonstrates how Hori’s art becomes a field of negotiation over identity, visual decolonization, and dialogue with global currents of socially engaged art. Particular attention is given to Matariki, the Māori New Year, as a context for cultural renewal, community strengthening, and the emphasis on values such as whakapapa (genealogy) and whenua (land). Through the author’s autoethnographic reflexivity, interpretation emerges as a relational process that takes into account local meanings, universal experiences of resistance, as well as the ethical and epistemological challenges involved in researching Indigenous cultures. In effect, Hori’s work appears as a transnational visual language in which aesthetics intertwines with politics and local epistemologies engage with global discourses on power, memory, and identity. Full article

This study proposes replacing traditional single-value urban development intensity control with an elastic interval-based approach to address urban development challenges under population shrinkage. It constructs a Floor Area Ratio (FAR) assignment framework guided by “ideal value determination—interval value demarcation—specific value agreement”. The northern central urban area of Shantou City serves as an empirical case. The study, focusing on the conflict between inefficient expansion and population loss, delineates elastic development intensity intervals through multi-dimensional factor analysis: a baseline FAR is determined based on master plan objectives and resource carrying capacity; upper limits are calculated considering transportation and ecological constraints; and lower limits are set according to economic feasibility and social demands, forming a gradient-based control framework. Practically, the study area is divided into differentiated density units, with optimized pathways designed for newly developed, under-construction, and existing plots across multiple scenarios. A multi-stakeholder negotiation mechanism is established to dynamically adapt elastic intervals. Results demonstrate that this method maintains the regulatory authority of master plans while significantly enhancing the adaptability of spatial governance. It provides a theoretical and practical paradigm for balancing regulatory rigidity and flexibility in shrinking cities, offering actionable solutions for vacancy risk mitigation and land-use intensification. Full article

Urban regeneration projects have been used in urban planning in different cities to recover strategic areas and combat new land consumption. Often, Public–Private Partnership (PPP) agreements are signed to meet the demands of these projects. In the Italian case, PPP arrangements can be one of three types, namely, contractual, institutionalized, and negotiable. Urban regeneration, in the Italian context, aims to increase the value of the existing infrastructure. Despite this, there are several obstacles to how these practices are developed, which demand more attention to be paid to the enabling environment and the Critical Success Factors (CSFs) that can improve the performance of these practices. Based on this, this study aims to analyze the Italian context of PPP arrangements in urban regeneration projects and the specific case of the Livorno “Porta a Mare”. To this end, the study adopts a previously established CSFs framework. The data analyzed are derived from secondary sources obtained through documentary collection and primary sources obtained through interviews. Regarding the PPP process, the results indicate the commitment of the public and private sectors, despite limitations in the selection process and the lack of public participation. Concerning urban regeneration, although not yet completed, the project allocates a significant area of waterfront to urban use. Full article

Land, as the foundation of all productive activities, plays a crucial role in achieving high-quality development across regions. China’s current land allocation model, which focuses on land quota distribution, has several drawbacks and does not address the conflict between limited land availability and increasing demand. To maximize land use benefits, it is essential to develop scientifically sound allocation plans that effectively adjust land structure and layout. However, existing research often relies on single-attribute geographic or linear programming models which do not meet the multidimensional needs of modern territorial planning. Additionally, commonly used CGE models often overlook the critical role of construction land. To address these gaps, this study introduces a multi-scale, multi-type China Territorial Spatial Planning Simulation Model (CTSPM). This model integrates cultivated, forest, grassland, and construction land, simulating the land use changes driven by socioeconomic impacts through price mechanisms. By employing a land use transition matrix, the CTSPM enhances practical applicability and improves predictions for residential and non-agricultural construction land. It provides a scientific tool for evaluating land policies, supporting interdepartmental negotiations on land quotas, and contributing to natural resource governance and territorial spatial planning. Using the CTSPM, we simulated various high-quality development scenarios and derived the following conclusions: (1) An increase in Total Factor Productivity (TFP) significantly boosts regional economic development and the demand for non-agricultural land; a 1% increase in TFP leads to a 1.48% rise in actual GDP and a 0.19% increase in total non-agricultural land demand. (2) At the regional level, eastern regions experience a greater impact on total land demand compared to central and western regions. (3) In terms of land use types, cultivated and grassland areas show a decreasing trend, while forest and construction land areas are increasing. Full article

Urban growth agreements are key tools for achieving the goal of zero growth in passenger road traffic volumes in Norwegian metropolitan areas. Agreements are negotiated in multi-level and cross-sectoral processes where local politicians meet strong expectations and incentives to alter their land use policies and stop sprawl. This paper analyses the effectiveness of the policy instrument in influencing local land use policy, whereby key issues were raised in the negotiations concerning land use, local politicians’ reflections on changing their policies and why they were reluctant to stop sprawl. This research was designed as a comparative case study with three negotiation processes as cases. Data were collected through document studies and interviews with 36 professionals and politicians. Key issues in the negotiations over land use regarded principles of authority in land use planning and decision-making and substantial disagreements concerning land use policies. Local politicians saw sprawl as necessary for attaining local objectives. Conflicting framings of the policy issue, namely ‘stopping sprawl to achieve zero traffic growth’ and ‘continuing sprawl to attain local objectives’, explained the policy controversy that made discourse difficult. The resulting agreements did not directly influence local land use policies but might have an effect in the longer term. Full article

Urban Community Land Trusts (CLTs) have been acclaimed for their politically transformative potential: de-commodifying land and providing permanently affordable housing under community control. Few studies include CLT residents and this paper features two case studies to help fill the gap. St Clements in East London, UK, and Citizens House, Southeast London, both created by London CLT, collectively have 34 households living in them. Unlike more geographically focused CLTs, London CLT provides governance, knowledge, and skills to support people across London to build the affordable housing they campaign for. The selection criteria prioritised the needs of those failed by the existing housing market, who had long-standing connections to the borough, and contributed to community life. London CLT hoped residents would have a transformational impact on the neighbourhood, spreading the ethos of community control. Using the conceptualisations of territorialisation and conviviality, new knowledge has been produced about residents’ experience of negotiating shared lives. While residents are happy with their homes, and value the neighbourliness that comes from knowing others better, investing time and energy in more organised activity and decision making has been slow. The two spaces display both the affectivity and distancing associated with territorialisation and the ‘rubbing along’ and ambivalence of conviviality. Full article

This work aims at presenting a review of the literature on agricultural land valuation, highlighting the elements of real estate valuation and the factors that determine the price of an agricultural land in the province of Huambo in Angola. A quantitative methodology was used, based on the collection of data from 612 agricultural properties that were up for negotiation in the province of Huambo in Angola. The valuation of an agricultural land is of great importance for development and economic growth in Africa. In the assumed methodology, multiple linear regression was employed. The results allow us to conclude that variables such as the land being legal, having electricity, being located on the urban fringe with possible future urbanization, being a location close to the urban center, facing a busy road, and allowing for the easy use of machines have a significant impact on the value of the land in question. This study contributes to the development and appreciation of the agricultural world, which are aspects that can greatly help in improving the environment and sustainability of the rural world. Full article

Restricted by economic and social development conditions and the level of domestic regulatory system construction, the traditional host country-centered regulatory approach makes it difficult to ensure “responsible investment” by overseas farmland investment companies. The jury is still out on whether international law can directly impose obligations and responsibilities on companies. Therefore, it is realistically necessary for the investor’s home country to regulate any behavior that infringes on the human rights and environment of residents of the host country during the company’s overseas farmland investment. We used a panel fixed effects model and the dummy variable method to construct regression indicators based on international treaties. This study finds that promulgating responsible investment treaties can significantly promote the scale and number of international farmland investments, which also further led to the problem of differentiation among overseas farmland investors. We further discussed the lack of binding force of current international rules and the difficulty in coordinating the interests of multiple parties. In the regulatory system of the home country, there are still problems, such as insufficient supply of adequate laws, and lack of administrative guidance. Measures such as deepening negotiations on international rules for responsible overseas farmland investment, further leveraging the role of land ownership in responsible overseas farmland investment, improving existing domestic legislation, and strengthening administrative guidance on overseas farmland investment can be used as countermeasures. Full article

The Acts of Thomas is a long, rich, and fascinating narrative about the Apostle Thomas who was forced to travel to India as a missionary. When Thomas hesitates to go, his master Jesus literally sells him as a slave to an Indian merchant. Like other Apocryphal Acts, the Acts of Thomas revolves around the apostolic figure battling both human and demonic adversaries. Celibacy is central, although familiar narrative elements from ancient romances and novels are also present. On his way, Thomas sings, prays, teaches, heals, converts, and baptizes. His travel follows open trade routes in the ancient world, by land and by sea. He participates in various social events like parties, weddings, and family celebrations. His own status as a foreign slave/apostle, with a strange religion, is negotiated and contested: Sometimes he is treated like a foreign slave, suffering violence and harassment. On other occasions, his exotic strangeness in language and religion gives him access to royal palaces and influential men and women. By examining the role played by slavery in initiating this travel, as well as various intersections of religion and gender in the overall narrative, this article explores the Acts of Thomas to draw a more nuanced picture of travel in the ancient world. Full article

Farmers’ attitude plays a crucial role in the success of land acquisition. To add new insights and theoretical support for the effective governance of land acquisition, this paper examines the effectiveness of administrative power on farmers’ attitude and the mediating role of perceived fairness based on asymmetric dependency theory. The hypotheses were verified using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) analysis conducted with data gathered from 250 questionnaire samples in rural areas of China. The results reveal that the coercion and transparency of administrative power have a significant positive impact on farmers’ attitude while normality’s influence is not significant. The coercion and transparency of administrative power have a significant positive impact on fairness while normality’s impact is not significant. The mediating effect of perceived fairness was insignificant. Therefore, local governments could encourage farmers to embrace a cooperative attitude in land acquisition negotiations by fostering a constructive interaction between the government and the public and pursuing a high-level institutional balance driven by a service-oriented government. Full article

Studies on rural transformation in the context of urbanization have always analyzed it from a single linear perspective, either top-down or bottom-up. This leads to simplistic generalizations of rural transformation models and the standardization of policy implementation. Based on the TPSN analytical framework, this study adds the temporality dimension to form a more comprehensive TPSNT framework. This paper explores the complex construction of rural space in rural transformation from the five dimensions of “territory, place, scale, network and temporality“ and takes the urban village, Hongren, in Kunming City, China, as a case study to analyze the specific transformation process of a village. The research revealed the following: First, in the face of land loss caused by government land acquisition, traditional rural autonomous organizations that have been hidden under the modern governance system have been revived under the influence of traditional elites and completed bottom-up territorialization by using some “maneuver spaces “to form a spatial base for negotiation with the government. Second, the cohesion of traditional rural autonomous organizations has increased during this process, and with the help of mobile capital such as media and personal connections, they have developed social networks that transcend the spatial boundaries of villages. Third, these newly constructed social networks are used to carry out various political strategies at various scales and finally negotiated with the government to rewrite the planning plan so that the village can continue to develop and integrate into the city. Finally, the analysis of the temporal dimensions of Hongren village revealed that even within the same village, changes in the other four dimensions develop dynamically, and rural transformation is an ongoing process. Therefore, when the government deals with rural issues in the process of urbanization, it should avoid a one-size-fits-all approach. Unified policy implementation standards will have an irreversible negative impact on rural autonomous organizations. Full article

Urban spatial segregation in Santiago de Chile, a prevalent feature of Latin American cities, underscores socioeconomic disparities and shapes the city’s socio-spatial dynamics. This segregation, driven by land prices and private ownership, has pushed disadvantaged groups to the periphery and limited their access to desirable areas reserved for wealthier segments of society. Quebrada Macul Park, situated within this segregated urban landscape, serves as an emblematic case that challenges and expands the classical definition of urban segregation. It exemplifies the complex negotiations over space utilization among social groups, defined by socioeconomic, generational, and interest-based differences. This study employs micro-segregation studies in a broad sense, both as a conceptual framework and as a methodological tool to analyze these dynamics. Through qualitative methodologies, including six in-depth interviews with diverse stakeholders (social and ecological activists, longtime residents, and park employees) and five participant observations, the research investigates the varied uses and meanings attributed to the park. The findings reveal that the park’s evolution from a space frequented by low-income dwellers to a diverse metropolitan park has sparked debates over its public versus private character, mirroring the power struggles among distinct social factions. The park serves as a profound identity marker for its historical inhabitants, who initially fought for the right to use it and today experience nostalgia due to its widespread popularity. Meanwhile, the struggle to establish the park as a public space challenges the city’s segregation dynamics and might promote social cohesion within urban natural environments. Full article