Search Results (137)

Amman’s rapid population growth and sprawling urbanization have resulted in car-centric, fragmented neighborhoods that lack social cohesion and are vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. This study reframes walkability as a climate adaptation strategy, demonstrating how pedestrian-oriented spatial planning can reduce vehicle emissions, mitigate urban heat island effects, and enhance the resilience of green infrastructure in peri-urban contexts. Using Deir Ghbar, a rapidly developing marginal area on Amman’s western edge, as a case study, we combine objective walkability metrics (street connectivity and residential and retail density) with GIS-based spatial regression analysis to examine relationships with residents’ sense of community. Employing a quantitative, correlational research design, we assess walkability using a composite objective walkability index, calculated from the land-use mix, street connectivity, retail density, and residential density. Our results reveal that higher residential density and improved street connectivity significantly strengthen social cohesion, whereas low-density zones reinforce spatial and socioeconomic disparities. Furthermore, the findings highlight the potential of targeted green infrastructure interventions, such as continuous street tree canopies and permeable pavements, to enhance pedestrian comfort and urban ecological functions. By visualizing spatial patterns and correlating built-environment attributes with community outcomes, this research provides actionable insights for policymakers and urban planners. These strategies contribute directly to several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities) and SDG 13 (Climate Action), by fostering more inclusive, connected, and climate-resilient neighborhoods. Deir Ghbar emerges as a model for scalable, GIS-driven spatial planning in rural and marginal peri-urban areas throughout Jordan and similar regions facing accelerated urban transitions. By correlating walkability metrics with community outcomes, this study operationalizes SDGs 11 and 13, offering a replicable framework for climate-resilient urban planning in arid regions. Full article

Urbanization is one of the most important challenges contributing to the trend of replacing agricultural land with high-value land uses, such as housing, as well as industrial and commercial activities, as a result of significant population growth. To face these challenges and improve urban sustainability, integrating an embedded concept of spatial planning, taking into account urban and peri-urban agriculture, will contribute to mitigating food security issues and the negative impact of climate change, while improving social and economic development. This project aims to analyze land use/cover changes in the Casablanca metropolitan area and its surrounding cities, which are undergoing rapid urban growth. To achieve this, time series of remote sensing data were analyzed in order to investigate the spatio-temporal changes in LU/LC and to evaluate the dynamics and spatial pattern of the city’s expansion over the past three decades, which has come at the expense of agricultural land. The study will also examine the relationship between urbanization and agricultural land use change over time. The results of this study show that Casablanca and its outskirts experience significant urban expansion and a decline in arable lands, with rates of 45% and 42%, respectively. The analysis of SDG indicator 11.3.1 has also shown that land consumption in the provinces of Mediouna, Mohammadia, and Nouaceur has exceeded population growth, due to rapid, uncontrolled urbanization at the expense of agricultural land, which highlights the need to develop a new conceptual framework for regenerating land systems based on the implementation of urban and peri-urban agriculture in vacant sites within urban and peri-urban areas. This will offer valuable insights for policymakers to investigate measures that can ensure sustainable land use planning strategies that effectively integrate agriculture into urban development. Full article

This article analyses the impact of urban sprawl on the Valencia Plain aquifer system from 1990 to 2018, focusing on land use and land cover (LULC) changes and their environmental implications. The study applies the Weighted Environmental Index (WEI), a composite indicator based on a functional landscape perspective, to quantify changes in the environmental value over time. The WEI combines CORINE Land Cover and World Settlement Footprint data to enhance spatial resolution and urban land detection. The results show a significant territorial transformation, with urban surfaces expanding by 70% and rainfed agricultural areas declining by over 59%. Consequently, the WEI decreased from 44.80 in 1990 to 40.68 in 2018, representing a 9.2% reduction in the environmental value. These changes threaten the sustainability of key ecosystems such as the Albufera Natural Park and indicate a reduced capacity to deliver ecosystem services, including aquifer recharging, biodiversity conservation, and climate regulation. The findings underscore the need for integrated land-use planning, the protection of peri-urban agricultural areas, and the implementation of nature-based solutions to counteract the environmental impacts of urban growth in Mediterranean metropolitan contexts. Full article

The benefits and positive effects of urban and peri-urban agriculture (UPA) on different urban dimensions have already been extensively recognized by scholars and practitioners so far. Even possible risks of these professional and non-professional activities have been discussed, especially in the field of landscape ecology and from a social perspective. However, how these benefits are measured, monitored and assessed is still a critical point and a less investigated issue that requires further studies, especially in the research fields that aim to measure and monitor sustainability of urban practices. The evidence on quantitative approaches to estimate benefits and risks of UPA is less advanced than others. This paper aims to define spatial criteria and indicators to evaluate benefits and possible risks of UPA, using the case study of Turin and its bordering municipalities (Italy). Based on the definition and testing of indicators, embracing a spatial approach, this research aims to verify the feasibility of a set of instruments, to define methods and techniques to collect useful data, to test the replicability and transferability of this approach in other urban contexts, as well as to identify its limitations and gaps. Selected indicators showed a good level of versatility and high potential in order to collect information on UPA and its benefits. Furthermore, results of the application on the case study highlighted a significant growth of UPA benefits, especially profit initiatives and the social and economic domains. Finally, the author outlines policy recommendations to improve the evaluation and monitoring of UPA advantages and risks, as well as a possible trajectory for future research. Full article

This research explores the underappreciated traditional cold-water baths of Western Anatolia, once integral to the region’s agrarian culture. Due to waves of change, which had markedly begun by the pandemic in 2019 and the aftermath of the 2020 Samos earthquake, there has been a growing interest in living in peri-urban areas, resulting in the invasion of agricultural grounds by new construction, mainly including detached houses with gardens. Such a harsh growth not only threatens the fertile lands, but also the irreplaceable cultural heritage they embrace. In this regional frame, this study focuses on three surviving baths within the Karaburun Peninsula, casting light on their current precarious state as relics of a diminishing rural way of life and local heritage. The traditional cold-water baths, constructed amidst agricultural fields for seasonal use in select villages throughout İzmir, stand as unique exemplars of rural architecture. Characterised by their singular domed chambers and their reliance on water from adjacent wells, these structures today face abandonment and disrepair. Through a multi-disciplinary lens blending ethnography, oral history, and spatial analysis, this paper portrays these unassuming yet culturally impactful baths, elucidating their intrinsic value within the heritage domain. The inquiry contributes significantly to the heritage conservation discussion, highlighting the broad spectrum of values beyond mere historical interest. By articulating the symbiotic relationship between heritage and its community, this research underscores the pressing need to weave these baths into the fabric of current social structures, safeguarding their place within the collective memory. Full article

Indian mock strawberry (Duchesnea indica, syn. Potentilla indica), a clonal invasive plant native to Asia, has rapidly spread in Europe, where its ecological adaptation allows it to thrive under varying environmental conditions. It is mostly found in urban habitats such as lawns, parks, and urban and peri-urban forests, where it thrives in various plant communities. It can become dominant in certain communities, indicating its competitive advantage over native plants. Due to similar habitat preferences, it often coexists with the native species Glechoma hederacea, with which it shares other characteristics such as clonal growth. This study investigates the effects of light, nutrients, and competition on the growth, morphology, and physiology of D. indica. A controlled pot experiment exposed plants to combinations of sunlight and shade, optimal and increased nutrient levels, and competitive scenarios with the native plant G. hederacea. The plant traits of biomass, leaf and ramet number, stolon and flower production, leaf greenness, the photosynthetic efficiency of Photosystem II, and stomatal conductance were assessed. Results revealed that light and nutrient availability significantly enhanced growth metrics. In shaded conditions, D. indica adapted with elongated petioles and increased specific leaf area. Competition significantly reduced growth, with G. hederacea outperforming D. indica. These findings highlight the complex interplay between abiotic and biotic factors in influencing invasive species impact, providing essential insights for ecosystem management. Full article

Sustainable land-use planning in peri-urban areas relies on informed decision-making guided by the examination of various development strategies. This study demonstrates a policy-based multi-scenario simulation which can serve as an aid to decision-making. Using the transformation of production–living–ecological (PLE) spaces in the Yubei District, a peri-urban district in Chongqing (2005 to 2020), as the baseline, the projections, simulated for 2035 under four scenarios, highlight the impacts of varying land-use policies: the reference scenario (RS), allowing unrestricted transformations, risks agricultural productivity and ecological integrity; the economic development scenario (S1) reveals the ecological costs associated with an economics-driven urban expansion; in contrast, the green development (S2) and agricultural land protection (S3) scenarios prioritize balanced growth and agricultural-land preservation so that ecological resilience and food security can be effectively maintained. Overall, significant land-use changes may occur, characterized by a substantial increase in living space, a decrease in production space, and stable ecological areas. This scenario-based analysis provides a comprehensive overview as to potential policy-driven planning outcomes. This aids in the identification of policy options that would best harmonize ecological, economic, and social objectives, offering essential insights for sustainable urbanization and land management in developing areas such as the Yubei District. Full article

Urban sprawl, characterized by continuous or discontinuous spatial patterns of artificial surface expansion, has been a common trend in most cities, even in those with longstanding compact features, such as cities in the northern Mediterranean region. This paper assesses the land take patterns in the peri-urban area of a typical compact city that experienced significant sprawl trends after the mid-1990s, which are closely linked to the specificities of planning regulations regarding the development in peri-urban settlements as well as outside planned areas. Using the rapidly suburbanized southern peri-urban area of Thessaloniki, Greece, as a case study, the paper analyzes the factors influencing the land cover change in the middle-class-led peri-urbanization during the period 2000–2018 and provides an estimate of the SDG indicator 11.3.1 “ratio of land consumption rate to population growth rate”, a suitable indicator for monitoring spatial changes. The main conclusions of the study indicate that, during the period examined, the peri-urban zone investigated in the case study exhibited a higher rate of population growth compared to that of artificial surfaces, with the latter showing a higher change during 2006–2012. However, the spatial pattern of urban expansion displays a fragmented yet linear form, creating fragmented enclaves of agricultural land. Full article

The assessment of ecosystem service (ES) supply–demand relationships is critical for addressing regional sustainable development challenges, yet systematic studies integrating spatial drivers analysis and multiscenario forecasting in rapidly urbanizing mountainous regions remain scarce. This study focuses on Chongqing as a representative case to investigate spatial patterns, driving mechanisms, and future trajectories of ES supply–demand dynamics. Through spatial quantification of four key ES (food provision, water retention, soil conservation, carbon fixation) and statistical analysis of socioeconomic datasets from 2010 to 2020, geographical weighted regression modeling was employed to identify spatially heterogeneous drivers. Long-term projections (2030–2060) were developed using climate–economy integrated scenarios reflecting different global development pathways. The results demonstrate three principal findings: First, while regional ecosystem quality maintains stable with an improved supply–demand ratio (0.260 to 0.320), persistent deficits in carbon fixation capacity require urgent attention. Second, spatial mismatches exhibit intensifying polarization, with expanding deficit zones concentrated in metropolitan cores and their periurban peripheries. Third, thermal-hydrological factors (aridity index, temperature) coupled with land intensification pressures emerge as dominant constraints on ES supply capacity. Scenario projections suggest coordinated climate mitigation and sustainable development strategies could maintain the supply–demand ratio at 0.189 by 2060, outperforming conventional development pathways by 23.5–41.2%. These findings provide spatial decision support frameworks for balancing ecological security and economic growth in mountainous megacities, with methodological implications for cross-scale ES governance in developing regions. Full article

Metropolitan areas, as pivotal hubs for global tourism and economic growth, necessitate sustainable spatial planning to balance development with ecological preservation. As critical geospatial datasets, nighttime light (NTL) and point of interest (POI) data enable the robust analysis of urban structural patterns. Building upon coupling coordination theory and polycentric spatial frameworks, this study investigates the spatial interdependencies between tourism POI and NTL data in China’s Changsha–Zhuzhou–Xiangtan Metropolitan Area (CZTMA). Key findings reveal high spatial coupling homogeneity, with three urban cores exhibiting radial value attenuation from city centers toward the tri-city intersection; concentric zonation patterns where NTL-dominant rings encircle high-coupling nuclei, contrasting with sporadic POI-intensive clusters in peri-urban towns; and sector-specific luminosity responses, where sightseeing infrastructure demonstrates the strongest localized NTL impacts through multiscale geographically weighted regression (MGWR). These findings establish a novel “data fusion-spatial coupling-governance” analytical framework and provide actionable insights for policymakers to harmonize tourism-driven urbanization with ecological resilience, contributing to United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 11 (Sustainable Cities). Full article

Digital technology has facilitated the transformation and upgrading of agriculture, profoundly altering production and marketing methods, especially in peri-urban agriculture. Taking the peri-urban agriculture of Guangzhou, China, as an example, this paper delves into the digital transformation of peri-urban agriculture through in-depth interviews, field research, and participatory observation via a qualitative research approach. It explores the relationship between agricultural producers and consumers and its urban–rural integration mechanism. The findings reveal that digital technology promotes the digitization of agricultural production management and the networking of agricultural product sales markets. It further reconstructs the relationship between agricultural production and consumption, transcending traditional geographical constraints and fostering a direct production–consumption community link. With the empowerment of digital technology, peri-urban agriculture integrates seamlessly with manufacturing, services, culture, and ecology, thereby enhancing its value-added role in the metropolis’ fringes and facilitating the integration of urban and rural industries. Moreover, digital technology has significantly bolstered the role of peri-urban agriculture as a pivotal link between urban and rural areas, expanding its spatial function beyond mere production to include consumption and leisure. This not only solidifies the connection between urban and rural food systems but fosters social integration through subject interaction, cultural exchange, and value exchange. This paper broadens the interdisciplinary field of agricultural economics and digital technology, promoting sustainable agricultural development. It also accelerates urban–rural integration and harmonious development, providing new impetus for increasing farmers’ incomes and driving rural economic growth. Full article

Urban free-roaming cat populations (or community cats, according to the Spanish legislation) present complex challenges, including public health risks, coexistence conflicts with residents, animal welfare, and threats to biodiversity conservation. In 2020, Córdoba, Spain, initiated one of the most extensive citywide trap–neuter–return (TNR) programs, incorporating 225 groups of cats (usually named colonies) into a meticulously structured management framework. Over four years, the program stabilized cat populations, achieving 95% sterilization coverage and effectively limiting population growth despite external challenges, including abandonment, influxes from unmanaged areas, and compensatory effects. Although the overall population showed a modest decline of 2.68%, this outcome reflects not only the recent inclusion of numerous colonies still undergoing stabilization but also the prevention of an estimated 70% population growth without intervention, as projected by our population viability analysis (PVA). Key results highlight the program’s cost-effectiveness, with an average annual cost of EUR 0.62 per person. The long-term projections from a population viability analysis (PVA) using demographic modeling suggest a potential 55% population reduction by 2028, contingent on sustained efforts. The program’s integration of citizen science, systematic data collection, and adaptive management demonstrates its scalability and replicability as a model for urban and peri-urban feline management globally. Its significance lies not only in its scope and scale but also in demonstrating the ethical and practical feasibility of large-scale TNR initiatives in urban contexts. Córdoba’s program, which predates Spain’s Animal Welfare Law 7/2023 mandating structured feline colony management plans, demonstrates a pioneering framework for compliance and innovation in urban animal management. These findings underscore the critical role of sustained interventions, community collaboration, and legal frameworks in ensuring long-term success and addressing global challenges in urban animal welfare and biodiversity conservation. Full article

The presence of shade-tolerant tree invaders has been recently noted in tropical and temperate forest understories. Maximum growth rate is an important trait for exotic trees becoming invaders in a forest. This study aimed to determine the growth rate of Eriobotrya japonica in a secondary cloud forest in central Veracruz, Mexico. The objectives of this study were to determine wood density, tree ring boundaries and number, and their relationship to diameter at breast height (DBH) and climate data. Tree ring counts were obtained using Python-based software with subsequent visual validation. Growth rates were measured using diametric tape, dendrometric bands, and the pinning method. The number of rings increased with DBH, presenting values ranging from 14 to 27. Tree rings were delimited by fibers that were five times narrower in the ring limit zone than in the intra-ring zone. The growth ring delimitation zones were formed when vascular cambium activity stalled during the relatively dry-cold season (January–February). The growth rate of E. japonica was statistically similar (ca. 0.2 mm yr⁻¹) regardless of the method employed to measure it. Relative growth rate was low (0.02 cm cm⁻¹ yr⁻¹). Wood density (0.76 g cm⁻³) values lay within the upper values for mature forest trees. Eriobotrya japonica is a potential invader, with traits such as high wood density and a relatively low growth rate, which are characteristic of the shade-tolerant tree species. Full article

Urban afforestation is increasingly regarded as a key strategy for fostering biodiversity to restore and enhance the ecosystem services needed to counteract the effects of climate change in built-up areas. In Italy, several experimental afforestation projects have been launched as part of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP), focusing on cities or metropolitan areas such as Milan, Rome, Pistoia and Campobasso. These projects follow a multidisciplinary approach, integrating botanists, foresters, urban planners, landscape architects and remote sensing specialists. The goal is to address the challenging complexity of urban forest restoration through reforestation and afforestation actions. Key innovations include the integration of transdisciplinary methodologies (landscape analysis, landscape design, forest and plant ecology) with the application of advanced remote sensing technologies and participatory community engagement frameworks to address ecological and social challenges. Experimental plots have been set up across various urban areas, testing a range of planting schemes to maximise climate change resilience and ensure long-term ecological sustainability. Emphasis has been placed on selecting drought-tolerant and thermophilic species that are better adapted to widespread warming and local urban heat islands. ‘Biodiversity strips’ with perennial flowers for insects, shrubs with berries for birds and nests for wild bees and vertebrates have been set up to enhance biodiversity in new afforestation areas. Advanced monitoring tools, such as Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) and multi-sensor drones, have been employed alongside field observations to assess forest growth, species survival, structural complexity and biodiversity enhancement over time. Historical analyses of landscape patterns and ecological connectivity over the past 200 years, along with evaluations of afforestation projects from the last 70 years, have provided critical insights into the successes and challenges of previous interventions, serving as a guide for future efforts. By focusing on ecological connectivity, the integration of afforested areas into the urban matrix, and citizen engagement, the current project aims to align urban forestry efforts with sustainable development goals. This comprehensive project framework addresses environmental restoration and the social and aesthetic impacts on local communities, contributing to the overall resilience and well-being of urban and peri-urban ecosystems. Full article

Under China’s rural revitalization strategy, peri-urban villages function as pivotal nodes in urban–rural integration. Existing policy research predominantly emphasizes macro-level land and industrial policies, neglecting their spatial development effects on peri-urban villages. This study addresses the gap by constructing a policy quantification framework and employing a Vector Autoregression (VAR) model to analyze policy impacts on rural spatial development, focusing on peri-urban villages in Dalian’s main districts from 2004 to 2023. The results indicate a fluctuating yet upward trend in policy effectiveness. Initial supply-side policies prioritized infrastructure development, whereas subsequent demand-side policies significantly enhanced living conditions, underscoring the necessity of adaptive policy strategies. The rural revitalization construction index exhibited notable spatial heterogeneity, evolving from clusters near industrial zones to expansion into areas like the Jinzhou District, aligned with urban growth patterns. Granger causality analysis confirmed the strong influence of policy interventions, with the first-order lag VAR model offering reliable predictions of short- and long-term policy effects. Initially, the construction index was entirely self-driven (100%), but its reliance on self-influence waned to 69.8% over time, highlighting a transition toward greater policy-driven development. Full article