Search Results (30)

Complete neighbourhoods, places where residents can meet their daily needs on foot, have become a central component of healthy and sustainable urban planning. Yet most assessment frameworks are calibrated for dense metropolitan environments, leaving rural and peri-urban municipalities without operational tools suited to their territorial needs. This article presents MilieuxVie, an open-source, browser-based interactive mapping application developed for the Laurentides health region of Québec (76 municipalities, 11 land-based unorganised territories, 2 indigenous territories and 4 aquatic administrative units; 93 territorial units in total; ~680,000 inhabitants). The tool evaluates the spatial accessibility of 12 service categories drawn from the Vivre en Ville (2026) complete-neighbourhood framework and OpenStreetMap data, using 2026 residential parcels from the provincial property assessment roll as origin points and weighting results by number of dwelling units. Three adaptive radius tiers (dense, intermediate, rural), based on residential dwelling-unit density (dwellings per km² of residentially designated urban land), scale the distance standards to settlement density. Because thresholds are scaled to settlement density, scores express context-relative service proximity rather than a uniform pedestrian standard and should not be read as directly comparable absolute accessibility across rural, peri-urban, and urban settings. A dedicated urban perimeter mode further disaggregates analysis to sub-municipal built-up zones, aligning the tool with Québec’s provincial Government land-use planning guidelines (GLPG). Gap analysis outputs identify which service types fall below the 70% coverage target, helping elected officials and planners identify where to focus further analysis. Results illustrate the scope of accessibility deficits across the region and highlight the analytical limits of uniform distance thresholds when applied beyond metropolitan contexts. Scores differ significantly across different settings (Kruskal–Wallis p = 0.006); the adaptive radius tiers narrow but do not close the structural gap, with rural municipalities scoring significantly lower than dense ones. The tool is freely available and requires no software installation, making it directly deployable by local planning offices. Full article

Rural shrinkage is increasingly expressed through changing residential mobility, housing under occupancy, and intermittent dwelling use, rather than a simple linear process of permanent outmigration and abandonment. Yet empirical measurement of occupancy dynamics and the service-mediated mechanisms shaping residence stability remains limited. This study proposes an evidence-driven and explainable assessment framework that links energy-informed occupancy dynamics with settlement building area and mechanism identification, using Fuyuan City as a case study. Daily electricity consumption time series from 2021 to 2024 are used to infer occupancy dynamics and detect behavioral signatures of long term residence, seasonal residence, return visits, and vacancy. Shape-based temporal clustering identifies six occupancy trajectories, revealing pronounced heterogeneity in mobility rhythms within the rural settlement system. Settlement vacancy-related built-environment changes are characterized from 2 m remote sensing imagery, using a trained YOLO-based building detection workflow, producing settlement-level total building area as a physical indicator of the development intensity. Integrating these behavioral measures with multi-source spatial factors, the mechanism model shows that development, governance, and environmental conditions influence residence stability primarily through service provision. Among service domains, education services exhibit the strongest direct association with long-term residence stability, while transport and daily life services show modest positive effects and healthcare presents a smaller positive effect. Development conditions positively promote all service types, whereas governance and environmental context display differentiated and, in some pathways, opposing effects across services. Overall, the framework enables interpretable monitoring of rural shrinkage dynamics by jointly quantifying occupancy trajectories, settlement morphology, and service-mediated pathways shaping residential outcomes. Full article

This study develops a GIS-based, heritage-sensitive urban lighting framework for Niğde, Türkiye, integrating Sentinel-2 MSI Level-2A imagery (10 m), ASTER DEM, and municipal cadastral data. Five spatial criteria—land cover, parks, protected heritage assets, population distribution, and government institutions—were classified through supervised mapping, visibility analysis, and architectural integrity assessment. All layers were standardized and combined using a weighted-overlay approach, supported by sensitivity testing across three weighting scenarios to ensure model robustness. Priority zones are concentrated in the historic core, where cultural landmarks, central parks, and high-density residential areas overlap. Peripheral agricultural and rural zones exhibited minimal lighting needs. Field verification and expert consultation demonstrated 82% correspondence between modeled and observed priority and visibility patterns, while a structured nighttime audit and ecological checklist provided additional empirical grounding for lighting sufficiency, glare risks, and biodiversity considerations. Results emphasize context-specific lighting that strengthens cultural identity, improves pedestrian comfort and nighttime legibility, and reduces unnecessary energy use and light pollution. This approach offers a replicable workflow aligned with CIE 150:2017 and IES RP-8-18 guidance. Future work may incorporate dynamic population mobility, AHP-based weighting, and adaptive smart-lighting systems to scale the methodology across similar medium-sized heritage cities seeking balanced aesthetic, cultural, and ecological nighttime environments. Full article

This paper explores the café–gym symbiosis mode in Xi’an and its key influencing factors. Taking 63 sub-districts in the seven main urban districts of Xi’an as an example, based on the Dianping.com data of 753 cafés and 335 gyms and survey data from 492 questionnaires, this paper uses methods such as the symbiotic degree, symbiotic coefficient, and binary logistic regression model. On the basis of evaluating the symbiotic model between cafés and fitness centers, it explores the key factors influencing the symbiotic model of cafés and fitness centers. The results showed that cafés and gyms in Xi’an have a variety of characteristics, including agglomeration, correlation, complementarity, and combination, laying the foundation for a symbiosis between them. Among the subject symbiosis modes in Xi’an, point symbiosis was the main symbiotic organization mode. Simultaneously, the proportion of the point symbiosis mode was higher in the urban–rural transitional area than in other areas (traditional inner-city areas, mature built-up areas, emerging expansion areas). An asymmetric reciprocal symbiosis mode dominated the symbiotic behavior mode of entertainment industry objects in Xi’an. In terms of the total weekly entertainment consumer and the additional entertainment consumer dimensions, in the asymmetric reciprocal symbiosis mode, the proportion of cafés having a large impact on gyms was the highest: 60.00% and 62.86%, respectively. However, from the composite index dimension, in the asymmetric reciprocal symbiosis mode, the proportion of gyms having a large impact on cafés was the highest: 39.13%. From the symbiotic interface, the physical space within urban residential areas, office areas, commercial areas, and other main material spaces was the important basic support force for the symbiotic development of urban culture and the entertainment industry. The influence of the symbiosis mode of the culture and entertainment industry has stability. From the perspective of the symbiotic environment, cultural and creative elements, government policies, and consumer spending on entertainment foster the formation of an asymmetrical mutualistic symbiosis model between cafés and gyms. Conversely, factors such as marketization, globalization, and demographic factors inhibit its development. These findings offer valuable insights for urban planners and businesses, which help optimize the layout of the urban entertainment industry. Full article

With the rapid expansion of Chinese cities, traditional siheyuan in some old urban areas and historic districts have gradually transformed into overcrowded courtyard tenements inhabited primarily by rural migrants. Multiple families reside together in one siheyuan, creating a housing model akin to “shared housing”. Due to the complex relationship between property rights holders and users, coupled with the absence of a unified management and supervision system, siheyuan residents are confronted with the predicament of aging buildings, backward infrastructure, and poor living conditions. Finding a means of improving living conditions while maintaining the existing settlement style and population structure is an issue that demands urgent resolution. This study focuses on Mizhi, an ancient city in Shaanxi Province, China. Through the investigation and mapping of 31 typical siheyuan and in-depth, semi-structured interviews with 160 families, it reveals the property rights division, current spatial usage, and future demands of the residents of traditional settlements dominated by siheyuan and proposes suggestions for their renewal. This study finds that siheyuan can be categorized into three types based on property rights, that the primary motivation for migration is to access quality educational resources, and that the insufficiency of per capita facilities is the primary source of inconvenience in residents’ lives. Future siheyuan renewal efforts should adopt a multi-stakeholder framework that integrates the government, urban planners, and residents. Improving the residential environment requires a dual strategy: optimizing spatial design and strengthening policy management. This research provides fundamental data for the protection and renewal of siheyuan and has practical reference value for formulating future settlement development strategies. Full article

Ensuring that “each household has a dwelling” is a fundamental principle in the reform of the rural housing system. Pilot areas for residential reform have achieved positive outcomes in rural collective housing. This paper, based on a field study conducted in District D of Province G, utilizes a case study methodology and the Institutional Analysis and Development (IAD) framework to explore the driving mechanisms behind the implementation of collective housing in the pilot villages of District D. It comprehensively analyzes the roles of various stakeholders throughout the entire process of “planning, construction, distribution, and management”, and evaluates the effectiveness of the initiative. The findings of the study indicate that collective housing construction can effectively alleviate land scarcity, meet the housing demands of rural residents, and enhance the overall rural environment. To ensure the successful implementation of collective housing projects, the government must assume a coordinating and guiding role, providing necessary financial and land support while streamlining the approval process. Village collectives should actively manage residential land and respect the preferences of farming households. Furthermore, pricing, allocation, and management strategies should be tailored to local conditions to ensure fairness and safeguard farmers’ rights and interests. Policies should remain adaptable, taking into account regional differences in geography, society, and culture, and selectively incorporating collective housing models to achieve the goal of “each household having a dwelling.” Full article

The conversion of open space to residential development increasingly continues across the United States, impacting both humans and nature. Residential development requires public input to generate meaningful places and understand contextually relevant priorities. Most municipal policies do not guarantee the provision of open spaces when residential development occurs, missing opportunities for benefits to those communities and reducing both environmental and spatial justice. This study operated a seven-state verbal questionnaire to collect and analyze a small-sample population perceptions concerning open space conservation and green space preferences towards future residential development priorities. Statistical analytical results indicated patterns, trends, and relationships within data. Although 46% of United States residents living in rural, suburban, and urban community types believe the amount of open space required in new developments should be determined on a case-by-case basis, just under half believe that requiring at least 50% open space in new developments is appropriate. More than half of Americans in the states targeted, particularly Colorado and liberal-leaning respondents, believe a lack of coherent planning will prevent open space conservation and that open space planning and conservation should be a priority for city governments. Beyond the United States, this study provides research and insight into conservation strategies that foster healthier landscapes and living environments globally. Full article

Rural Residential Land is a kind of public pond resource, and the implementation of the collective governance of Rural Residential Land is a response to the dilemma of utilizing the land. This paper takes the attribute of using Rural Residential Land as a public pond resource as an entry point, draws on Autonomous Governance Theory, and utilizes the OLS model and the mediated effect model to explore the influence of Government Embedment on supervisory effectiveness in the collective governance of Rural Residential Land, based on the fieldwork data of 450 farming households in three districts (cities and counties) in Sichuan Province. This study shows that Government Embedment, the Technological Environment and the Cultural Environment can significantly enhance supervisory effectiveness in the collective governance of Rural Residential Land, while the Resource Environment has a negative effect on it. The Resource Environment has a masking effect on the influence of Government Embedment on supervisory effectiveness in the collective governance of Rural Residential Land, while the Technological Environment and the Cultural Environment play a part in the mediating effect. The anonymous whistleblowing mechanism positively moderates the influence of the Technological and Cultural Environments on supervisory effectiveness. Additionally, there is obvious locational heterogeneity in the influence of Government Embedment and the Organizational Environment on supervisory effectiveness. Therefore, a coordinated supervision and sanctioning mechanism should be constructed in towns and villages to promote the integration and complementarity of formal and informal systems; a sound mechanism for anonymous reporting of illegal and irregular use of Rural Residential Land should be established; and the effective implementation of the collective governance of Rural Residential Land should be promoted in accordance with the differences in the location of the villages. Full article

Every country in the world, except for African nations, faces significant challenges due to the increasing older population, with China being particularly affected. This issue is more pronounced in rural areas compared to urban centers. To better understand consumer attitudes and willingness to pay (WTP) for age-friendly retrofitting and to identify industry development shortcomings, this study designed a retrofitting scenario and organized a questionnaire survey to collect WTP and its influencing factors from respondents in the Wuhu area of Anhui Province, China. This study determined the retrofit cost to be CNY 12,224.4 and found that over 80% of respondents intended to pursue age-friendly retrofitting. The analysis results indicated that respondents’ education level, perceived psychological benefits, and perceived social benefits were positively correlated with their WTP. Additionally, education level, monthly personal income, and choice of retirement area positively influenced retrofitting budgets, whereas age bracket, employment status, and perceived situational risk negatively influenced them. The study’s findings will assist consumers in making informed retrofitting decisions and support the government in formulating appropriate policies to enhance the quality of rural residential environments and improve the living standards of the elderly. Full article

The purpose of this study is to investigate the influence of Government Embedment and Organizational Environment on farmers’ Credible Commitment in regard to the Collective Governance of Rural Residential Land and to inform decision-making processes that promote farmers’ compliance with Rural Residential Land management regulations and enhance the effectiveness of the Collective Governance of Rural Residential Land. The research employs various models, including Oprobit, Ologit, IV-2SLS, and moderated mediation. The research results show that (1) both Government Embedment and the Cultural Environment within the Organizational Context significantly enhance Farmers’ Credible Commitment in regard to the Collective Governance of Rural Residential Land. Notably, the quality of the Cultural Environment, when improved by Government Embedment, boosts this commitment further. (2) Endogeneity issues can lead to an overestimation of the effects of these factors. (3) Punishment intensity only positively moderates the impact of the Cultural Environment on Farmers’ Credible Commitment. (4) The moderating effect of punishment intensity correlates positively with its strength, exhibiting a threshold value. In conclusion, our research underscores the need to establish a robust regulatory framework for Rural Residential Land use, foster a conducive village cultural atmosphere, and consistently enhance the punishment intensity for illegal Rural Residential Land use. These measures will encourage farmers to adhere to Credible Commitment in regard to Rural Residential Land use, thereby facilitating the effective implementation of Collective Governance over Rural Residential Land. Full article

We investigated the determinants of awareness, utilization, and satisfaction regarding financial aid programs for single-person households in South Korea and proposed policy enhancements. Our analysis employed logistic regression on microdata from the “2020 Housing Survey” by Statistics Korea, covering the nation and all age groups. We categorized single-person household traits affecting program awareness, utilization, and satisfaction into demographic, socio-economic, housing, and housing perception factors. The dependent variables included awareness, utilization status, and satisfaction levels of government-sponsored financial support programs, which were measured on a four-point Likert scale. The independent variables encompassed demographic, socio-economic, and housing characteristics, which were analyzed comprehensively. We identified factors that influenced awareness, utilization, and satisfaction and recommended tailored policy measures. The findings revealed lower awareness among elderly individuals, women, rural residents, and rental households. Moreover, older age, lower income, rental, and one-room dwelling households exhibited lower utilization rates, with decreased housing and residential environment satisfaction correlating with diminished program satisfaction. Due to the diverse characteristics of single-person households, strategic interventions are crucial. Measures to bridge information gaps, establish comprehensive long-term support systems, and develop differentiated policies tailored to single-person household traits are imperative for improving financial aid programs for this demographic. Full article

The quality of urban living environments has become a focal point for local governments and citizens. By conducting a thorough analysis of the human settlement environment, the study can not only gain an intuitive insight into the quality of life of residents but also propose forward-thinking and sustainable suggestions for areas of improvement. This study optimizes and analyzes open platform data closely related to residents and assesses the suitability of different areas for living from diverse perspectives and methodologies. This study has chosen Beijing and Xi’an as the primary case studies. The local living environment is categorized into residential, living, recreational environment, transportation convenience, and safety. Our evaluation combines subjective and objective analysis methods and considers hotspot and cold spot analyses. This study employs the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) as a subjective analysis method and the entropy method for objective analysis. By integrating both methods, it assesses the living environment conditions of Beijing and Xi’an. Furthermore, using GIS software, hotspot analysis is conducted for both cities, identifying areas of high and low quality. Detailed analysis is subsequently carried out for the low-quality clusters. Ultimately, this study, grounded in the theory of Transit-Oriented Development (TOD), presents recommendations for sustainable development aimed at representative rural towns and streets. City centers in Beijing and Xi’an have high-quality environments, while the outskirts show declining quality. Xi’an has uneven resource distribution, while Beijing is more balanced, with hotspot analyses indicating specific high- and low-quality cluster locations in both cities. These disparities and characteristics of the low-quality clusters offer insights for future urban development. Full article

Small communities and most rural settlements in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) store domestic wastewater in residential septic tanks and transport it to the nearest centralized wastewater treatment plant. Without a sanitary sewerage system, the residents encounter various socioeconomic and environmental challenges related to sewage collection vehicles, the production of objectionable gases, and leaking septic tanks. The present study developed a resident perception-based methodology to appraise the sustainability of a low-cost ceramic filter bioreactor-type decentralized wastewater treatment system (DWWTS) for a small community of 1300 residents (160 households) in Qassim (KSA). In addition to six demographic factors, nine indicators assessed residents’ perceptions about existing and proposed wastewater management systems. A hierarchical-based system of sub-indices evaluated the three dimensions of sustainability using four environmental, nine social, and three economic indicators. The indicators translated into dichotomous questions posed to 34 respondents in the study area. The statistical analysis assessed the association of responses with the willingness to accept (WTA) the proposed DWWTS. A subjective rating scheme translated the responses into performance scores, and a fuzzy-based method aggregated the scores into sub- and top-level indices. The top of the hierarchy showed a close agreement between the resident’s perception and DWWTS’ sustainability. The study found that residents’ knowledge about environment and resource conservation resulted in a moderately high willingness to reuse treated effluent and WTA the decentralized system. The study also showed that the economic viability of a DWWTS remained at a moderate performance level due to a low monthly waste disposal cost. The study’s findings present a high potential for sustainable community-maintained DWWTS initially supported by the government. The proposed approach facilitates decision-makers working in ministries concerning water resources, environmental protection, and agricultural production in evaluating the sustainability of DWWTS for small communities in arid regions. Full article

Housing reconstruction plays a crucial role in renovating disaster-hit areas. Rural areas are considerably different from urban areas in terms of geographic environment, building size, residential culture, and social organization. Therefore, post-disaster recovery and reconstruction models for urban areas cannot be applied directly to disaster-hit rural areas. This study, based on the experience of rural housing reconstruction after the Wenchuan earthquake, identified key strategic issues in housing reconstruction that must be addressed to achieve the goal of “building back better” in the future. By taking the experience of Dujiangyan as our reference, the study found that the following strategies are important for successful housing reconstruction in rural areas: (1) actively involve disaster victims through a participatory institutional design; (2) coordinate the interests of governments, markets, and disaster victims and the functions of living, production, and ecology through a classified housing reconstruction system; and (3) activate the quota for rural collective construction land and create a new source of funding for housing reconstruction through the market circulation of urban-rural land. Additionally, in the context of urban-rural integration, changes in land use can lead to rural spatial reconstruction and sustainable regional development, providing a reference for formulating optimal post-disaster reconstruction strategies. Full article

Promoting rural development is essential for the general economic transformation of people, hence requiring great attention from different government systems. This study assessed the risk, vulnerability, and resilience of agriculture, as well as its impact on sustainable rural economy development, using Greece as the case study. The study employed a quantitative research approach based on a cross-sectional survey design. A survey questionnaire was used to gather data from 304 Greek farmers. The results show that, although farmers are no longer at risk of being short of food and clothing in Greece, they still face different challenges associated with climate change or low productivity, and this can greatly affect yields if not given great attention. The study showed that increasing farmers’ resilience and the efficacy of risk response are both essential tactics to use in order to effectively combat threats to the residential environment. However, the results show that vulnerability in agriculture has a significant negative influence on rural development. This research demonstrates how the development of a new, beautiful nation must involve improvements to and a guarantee of the safety of farmers’ rural living environments, in order to reduce the impacts of risk and vulnerability, as well as strengthen the nation’s resilience. The results show that, in rural governance, the general preservation of living conditions is not only one of farmers’ top priorities, but is also a crucial factor in enhancing their ability to deal with risks, and is the only route to real rural development. Governments should design their social protection programs to enhance agricultural production, safeguard the lives of the most vulnerable populations, strengthen their resilience, and achieve the broadest possible rural transformation. Full article