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As urbanization continues to spread rapidly, the competition for space among urban, agricultural, and natural land uses is becoming increasingly fierce. The urgent question is how to harness the advantages of urbanization while mitigating its potentially harmful consequences. This research extends analytical framework of land sharing and sparing to urban land use and provides a comparable quantification approach to determine the comprehensive impact of urban services, food production, and ecosystem services. The results show that the overall value loss of the land sparing scenario is 23.6% lower than that of the sharing scenario on average, and the Eco-sparing scenario exhibits the smallest loss, which is only 55.4% of that under the Urb-sharing scenario. While land-sparing strategies mitigate the loss of local food production and ecosystem services, fostering a potentially mutually beneficial outcome, they also elevate the cost of accessing urban services. This creates a delicate trade-off between urban services and food production/ecosystem services, ultimately posing challenges in achieving an optimal win-win situation. The key contribution of this paper lies in extending the land sharing and sparing framework to urban areas, agricultural land, and ecosystems. It also introduces methods to quantitatively assess trade-offs among these land uses. This extended framework for land use offers insights into spatial competition due to urbanization and provides decision-making analysis tools for land use and planning. [Display omitted] • The extended land sharing and sparing framework is proposed for urban settlement land use decision. • Combining the priority targets and land sharing and sparing strategies are used to establish land allocation model based on CA model. • Quantitative approach is used to trade off urban services, food production, and ecosystem services. • The extended framework for urban land use provides decision-making analysis tools for land use and planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study offers a detailed examination of urban habitat co-production in a semi-peripheral community of Quito, Ecuador, spotlighting a dynamic interplay of dialogue and negotiation between the Municipality and local communities. The stakeholders endeavour to preserve and evolve their ancestral territories in the absence of state support and amidst the challenges of formal urban development. Our research uncovers a rich tapestry of community collaboration, territorial disputes with the Municipality, and strategic partnerships with unconventional actors. Within this framework, our analysis seeks to provide nuanced, empirical, and theoretical insight into the mechanisms and impacts of co-producing urban habitat, against the backdrop of formal urban governance and community self-management practices. A comprehensive combination of desk research and field studies in a representative sector of Quito has delineated four distinct scenarios of urban habitat creation. This characterisation illustrates co-production's pivotal role in the nuanced processes of peripheral urbanisation, re-evaluating the virtues and constraints of participatory urban management and development policies. While aiming to foster state-community collaboration, these policies often lead to disjointed pathways, underscoring a multifaceted pattern of cooperative and contentious interactions that shape the evolution of peripheral urban landscapes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Governance has recently been recognized as a crucial factor in sustainable urbanization. China, as a developing nation experiencing rapid urbanization, is facing governance challenges in urbanization due to changing socio-economic environment. However, the existing hierarchical governance mechanisms of urbanization, characterized by centralized decision-making, soft cost constraints and distorted incentives, makes it difficult to adapt to transition to sustainable urbanization. Thus, the development of governance mechanisms and capacities that are aligned with the urbanization transformation is a significant theoretical and practical issue in China. Nevertheless, the micro transformation mechanism of urbanization governance in China has not been analyzed systematically. In Chengdu, a town recently explored a contract-based governance mechanisms in urbanization that uses contracts as a means to encourage collaboration among various stakeholders in the urban construction and operation. This practice provides a new viewpoint on urbanization transformation. To explain its effectiveness and feasibility, the article develops a framework of "property rights-governance-performance". The results indicate that contract-based governance mechanisms, characterized by negotiated decision-making, cost constraints, value creation and benefit sharing, performs better than hierarchical governance mechanisms in governing urbanization. The transformation from hierarchical to contract-based governance mechanisms enhances the understanding of stakeholder interactions and contractual issues in urban governance, while also providing insights into the urbanization transition. • Urbanization governance mechanisms aligned with the urbanization stage is crucial to achieve sustainable urbanization. • A comparative analytical framework and case study approach are used to explain the effectiveness of contract-based governance mechanisms. • Contracts facilitate property rights transactions, integrate resources and interests, and promote collaboration. • The effectiveness of contract-based governance mechanisms lies in negotiated decision-making, cost constraints, added-value creation and benefit sharing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The coexistences of urban diseases and rural decline threaten the achievements of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). China, experiencing rapid urbanization recently, is facing the prominent issues of unbalanced and inadequate development. Accordingly, the Chinese government has launched new-type urbanization (NU) and rural vitalization (RV) strategies. After illustrating the coupling mechanism of NU and RV strategies, a novel framework that combines a multidimensional development index (MDI) and the modified coupling degree model (MCDM) is proposed to delineate urban-rural coordinated development. Taking Shanxi Province as an example, multi-source data are incorporated into NU and RV evaluation subsystems. MDI is introduced to evaluate the comprehensive performance of NU and RV, which overcomes the restriction of ordinary linear weighting method that assumes the independence of elements. MCDM is developed to estimate coordinated relationships of urban and rural development. Results show that only two cities are in the extreme coupling stage according to MCDM, which demonstrates it can effectively differentiate the degree of urban-rural integration, whereas the original model potentially overestimates the coupling degree. The effectiveness of the framework is validated in our empirical analysis, which can be applied to evaluate the performance and coordination among multiple subsystems in other fields. [Display omitted] • A novel multifactor evaluation framework combining MDI and MCDM is constructed. • MDI can overcome the restriction of linear weighting method that assumes the independence of elements. • MCDM can effectively differentiate coupling level and improve its interpretive validity. • The framework is validated in empirical analysis and has a promising application in other fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban green spaces (UGS) are a central part of cities and offer multiple ecological and social benefits necessary for a higher quality of life of inhabitants. However, rapid unguided urban growth together with planning policies on rezoning can lead to transformation of UGS to commercial, residential, and other uses. These processes of land use change result in inequities in the distribution of UGS in the city. Yet, data and metrics that capture changes in the geography of UGS is scarce within African cities. This paper addresses this need by examining the spatio-temporal geography of UGS at the neighborhood-scale in Kumasi, the next biggest city in Ghana. Five (5) UGS distribution indicators were computed from remote sensing data for 2013 and 2020 and compared across neighborhoods. Further, a GIS network analysis method was deployed to analyse access to parks in Kumasi. The results showed that between 2013 and 2020, green spaces in Kumasi became fragmented and disconnected despite a slight increase in quantity. The level of UGS fragmentation was found to significantly vary among the neighborhoods. Fragmentation and depletion in UGS were profound at the outskirts of Kumasi while majority of the population cannot access the nearest park under 30-min' walk. These findings contribute to a complete and holistic understanding of the distribution and accessibility of UGS at the neighborhood level in cities and disparities in UGS exposure in the Global South. The findings provide important insights for urban policies while the data and methods serve as blueprints for local authorities, particularly in Ghana to track their progress towards achieving Sustainable Development Goal 11, target 7. • This paper deploys remote sensing and network analysis to explore the changing geography of, and accessibility to, urban green spaces (UGS) in Kumasi. • Green spaces in Kumasi became fragmented and disconnected between 2013 and 2020. • Fragmentation and depletion in UGS were profound at the outskirts of Kumasi. • Most (58%) of the inhabitants in Kumasi are without access to parks within 30 min' walk range. • Recommendations to improve UGS provision and preservation are proffered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In-lane street hawking remains one of the urbanization challenges emanating from unemployment in sub-Saharan Africa. Although forceful evictions have been largely unsuccessful, the possibility of finding alternative livelihood sources for hawkers to relocate them from the road network has received little attention in the literature. Using secondary data and semi-structured interviews from Accra, Ghana as a case study, this study investigated the spatial pattern and hotspot hawking locations, hawkers' preferred alternative employment, and their perspectives on possible relocation. It was discovered that hawkers trade near roads, at signalized intersections, and hotspots fall within the central business district because of faster and higher sales, low capital requirements, and free space. Interestingly, 62% of hawkers are willing to relocate from signalized intersections. However, this is premised on policymakers providing alternative employment and training in tailoring, nursing, auto-mechanic, hairdressing, and driving. Accordingly, a consultative approach involving all stakeholders is proposed for finding sustainable livelihood sources, training, and relocation strategies in cities. • Hotspots of in-lane street hawking in the Accra Metropolis were investigated. • It explored alternative livelihood sources for in-lane street hawkers. • Hawkers are willing to learn tailoring, nursing, auto-mechanics, hairdressing, and driving. • 62% of hawkers are willing to relocate premised on alternative employment. • 72% of hawkers are <29 years 36% are adolescents which raises child labor concerns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the promotion of county-level urban–rural integrated development policies in China, counties in economically developed regions have achieved sound in situ urbanisation (ISU), resulting in changes in regional population and production structures. However, to date, relatively few studies have focused on the ISU process and the variation in regional grain production in the Yangtze River Delta (YRD). This study evaluated the ISU rate (ISUR) at the county level using the entropy based TOPSIS model, introduced a super efficiency slacks-based measure (SBM) model to calculate cropland production efficiency (CPE), and reflected the status of grain production from grain yield and CPE. Spatio-temporal dynamics of ISU and grain production were examined from 2000 to 2020, and the impact mechanism of ISU on the grain production were explored encompassing regional differences and spatiotemporal evolution. The ISUR of the YRD showed a high distribution in the east and low in the west, with all counties showing a continuous increase, and an average increase from 0.15 in 2010 to 0.33 in 2020. The most rapid increases occurred in northern Zhejiang, southern Jiangsu, and the coastal areas. The grain yield in the entire region was high in the north and low in the south, with a continuous increase in the north and a continuous decrease in the south. The CPE distribution changed from high in the south in 2000 to high in the north in 2020, with a higher growth rate in the north and a significant decrease in the south. The initial advancement of ISU promoted grain production. The plains with medium ISU levels showed the highest grain yield and CPE. Where the ISU level reached extremely high levels, it had a suppressive effect on grain production. In mountainous areas, the CPE and grain yield decreased during ISU. The findings of this study are of great value to policymakers in adjusting the regional agricultural production structure according to ISU stages to implement food security strategies in a regionally integrated manner. • The county-level spatio-temporal evolution of ISU from 2000 to 2020 in the YRD is clarified. • The county-level spatio-temporal evolution of grain production status is clarified. • Impact mechanisms of ISU on grain production are grasped. • Spatio-temporal heterogeneity is explored to serve regionally integrated food security. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although mega-city regions have attracted wide attention in China, recent 'metropolitanization' at the multi-city scale is poorly understood. To tackle the void, this paper examines the emergent 'metropolitan plans' (dushiquan guihua) since 2019 and identifies a paradigm shift in metropolitanization from 'territorial urbanization' to 'multi-city regionalism' in China. We find that 1) as a fuzzy and dynamic concept, the metropolitan region has been mainly employed as a policy object for state rationalities and has been upscaled from a city region scale to a multi-city scale; 2) regarding planning practices, the new metropolitan plans function as an overall collaborative framework to support priority tasks for city regionalism in a shorter term rather than formulating long-term spatial strategies; 3) as space of governance, the recent state-orchestrated metropolitan region reflects the newest round of state rescaling process to cope with domestic uneven development and urban issues through 'urban unification', and its materialization heavily relies on concrete cross-boundary projects delivery and coordination through soft governance. These findings not only provide conceptual clarity and relational understandings of the metropolitanization process but also exemplify the distinctiveness of the Chinese metropolitanization approach in terms of scalar logic, planning style, and associated governance mechanisms. This paper furthers the understanding of the divergence and diversity of metropolitan planning and governance practices in different political-economic circumstances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rapid urbanization requires comprehensive land consolidation to manage multifunctional land use. The promotion of multifunctional land use is an effective rural development strategy for upgrading comprehensive land consolidation and stimulating rural vitalization. This study attempts to illustrate the connotation and characteristics of comprehensive land consolidation and reveal the driving mechanism in promoting multifunctional land use. This was achieved by constructing a complete process analysis framework of comprehensive land consolidation and using the town of Hemudu in Zhejiang province, a comprehensive land consolidation pilot area, as a case study. Land use practices in Hemudu were examined, and the impact of comprehensive land consolidation on multifunctional land use was measured quantitatively. The results show that comprehensive land consolidation is characterized by meeting multiple needs, taking diversified engineering measures, and increasing efficient function supply to address the issues caused by the mismatch between the supply and demand of land use functions. These strategies contribute to a continuous process of land use transition in the consolidation area and help to achieve balanced and healthy ecological elements, optimal landscape structures, realized land value, enhanced function supply, and empowered rural culture. The implementation process in the pilot area was complex and systematic, from the integration of rural space to the improvement of villagers' quality of life, and finally, to the restoration and protection of the ecological environment. Overall, the implementation promoted multifunctional land use in Hemudu but the imbalance between different functions still exists and is significant. Concerning the improvement of land use function, optimal paths are proposed to guide rational and scientific comprehensive land consolidation practices in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Allometric urban scaling law quantifies disproportional relationships between urban indicators and city size, which has been reported across developed countries and parts of the global south, but its applicability in Africa is neglected. Here, taking built-up areas derived from remote sensing in more than 7000 African agglomerations in 2015 as examples, we systematically investigate this settlement scaling law from continental, regional, and country levels. Results show that the built-up area linearly scales with population across the African continent and within northern and western Africa, while it sub-linearly scales with population in southern (β = 0.85, 95% CI: 0.808–0.891) and central (β = 0.93, 95% CI: 0.906–0.957) Africa, but super-linearly (β = 1.10, 95% CI:1.068–1.121) in eastern Africa. National settlement scaling exponents (β) vary from 0.65 to 1.25 with an average of 0.96, whose 63.6% variance can be explained by their share of built-up area, share of metropolitan population, GDP per capita, and proportion of slum dwellers. Residuals of scaling fitting reflect local population-land tensions. Western and eastern Africa are relatively rich in buildable land resources, while northern Africa is relatively poor. This study expanded the settlement scaling theory in Africa and multiple indicators are needed to further understand the rapidly evolving African urban systems. • We verify the applicability of scaling law in the African urban system. • Built-up areas sub-linearly scale with city size in southern and central Africa, but super-linearly in eastern Africa. • Settlement scaling law uncovers disparities in the population-land tension. • Socioeconomic and urban development factors account for the variance of settlement scaling exponents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Informal urbanization in the global North is an emerging field of research. Likewise, the need to expand existing morphological analysis into informal settlements is well established but lacks material. As our long-term study is able to show, Vienna was one of the European 'capitals' of informal urbanization in the 20th century. Drawing on both historical and present-day geodata and surveys, we trace the emergence and transformation of 'wild' settlements over the course of a century. City-wide GIS-reconstructions help us to localize and quantify Vienna's informal fringe. We discuss situational and site factors, the spatial patterns of clearance and legalization. Our research documents the remarkable scale and persistence of Vienna's 'wild' settlements. By the mid-1900s, the self-made "city of settlers and gardeners" had transformed more than 43 km2 of peri-urban terrain. Formalization and infrastructural retrofitting were a piecemeal process that lasted until the early 2000s, in some cases even until the present. It resulted in a patchwork of both legal status and urban tissues. The informal 'facts on the ground' not only came to structure and shape the residential suburbs of today's agglomeration, but also fed back on the planning instruments and the authorities that tried to enforce them. Informal urbanization in Vienna, as is often the case in the Global South nowadays, was a mode of production of space driven by desires for a better life, for autonomous nutrition and affordable housing. Tracing Vienna's 'wild' fringe, we conclude, helps to further demythologize the notion of "Northern formality" and contributes to a small, but growing number of long-term studies on informal (sub)urbanization. Moreover, our study shows that there are ways to reconstruct the settlement patterns of the urban poor even for the pre-google-earth era, provided there is the necessary source material and technical capabilities. Thus, it contributes to the methodological array in urban studies and the study of urban form in general. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study investigates the influence of economic growth and socio-demographic change on long-term urbanization and suburbanization processes in a divided region of Southern Europe (Athens, Greece). A two-block Partial Least Squares (tPLS) analysis decomposed metropolitan growth into distinctive processes of local development in 'central' and 'peripheral' areas considering changes over time (1966–2008) in 14 indicators representative of multifaceted territorial dynamics in the Mediterranean space. By quantifying the bi-directional (spatio-temporal) propagation of socioeconomic impulses, the empirical results of tPLS have delineated substantial differences in the development path of inner cities and suburbs, fueling spatial divides in social conditions and increasingly heterogeneous processes of regional development. While inner cities experienced population growth and settlement densification, peripheral areas underwent rapid suburbanization with spatial concentration of economic functions and a generalized settlement dispersion. Providing further insights in the analysis of the differential mechanisms of metropolitan development in Western Europe, results of this study confirm the specificity of urbanization and suburbanization processes at the base of the increased polarization in central and peripheral areas typical of Mediterranean countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rapid urbanisation being experienced in major cities across the globe has occasioned greater housing demand and brought to the fore the importance of understanding housing finance systems to support the housing market. However, current literature on the nexus between urbanisation and housing finance is limited. Further, existing literature about housing finance is aggregated and assumed symmetric effects. We used a NARDL model to examine the asymmetric effects of housing variables on loan commitment over 1980Q2 to 2022Q2 and documented the following findings. First, we decoupled the housing finance market into owner-occupier and housing investment and found asymmetric effects of key housing variables on loan commitment for each of these submarkets. Second, urbanisation has a telling effect on loan commitment for owner-occupier but not for investors. Third, the asymmetric results highlighted the importance of promoting economic prosperity and reducing the housing lending rate to boost loan commitment for both owner-occupier and housing investment by varying magnitudes. However, increasing the approval rate of private dwellings and boosting the household savings ratio can enhance loan commitment for owner-occupiers but not investors. These findings could aid the formulation of more targeted housing finance policies, in turn, helping develop a more resilient housing market especially in countries with high urbanisation rates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper inquires: can sustainable urbanization be realized in Saudi Arabian cities? It addresses this question by (i) analyzing the relationship between sustainable development and urbanization in the Global South, (ii) examining the urbanization–urban planning collision in Saudi Arabian cities, and (iii) assessing the situational impediments to and enablers of sustainable urbanization in Saudi Arabia. Using critical literature review, findings show that rapid urbanization, amidst urban planning inadequacy, fundamentally remains a threat to sustainable urbanization in Global South countries. In addition, urbanization in Saudi Arabian cities is characterized by socio-spatial, land use planning and environmental vulnerabilities, producing more costs than benefits. A key contribution from this paper relates to the embeddedness of socio-spatial factors and land use planning systems in the production of environmental vulnerabilities. The paper deeply engaged with sustainable urbanization from an urban planning perspective in the Arabian context to demonstrate the limited framing of sustainable development. Recommendations to strengthen resilience, inclusiveness, and sustainable development are proffered. [Display omitted] • This article questions sustainable urbanization in Saudi Arabian cities. • It analyzes the relationship between sustainable development and urbanization. • It examines the urbanization–urban planning collision in Saudi Arabian cities. • It assesses the situational impediments to and enablers of sustainable urbanization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sustainable communities have been a substantial issue for urban studies worldwide. Population ageing is a major challenge for community development considering China's rapid urbanisation, which calls for the re-evaluation of the newly emerging trend of urban communities in China. This study aims to systematically investigate China's increasing focus on the older adult community through the practice of construction and governance, with an emphasis on how these new-type communities create a balanced multi-subject co-governance under the transformation of land use. Considering the Xiuye community in Songjiang District, Shanghai, as a case study, we innovatively introduce a general matrix of community spatiality to progressively propose the spatial production mechanism of community governance, thereby combining critical theory with human practice on the nature of space. The findings indicate that the triple concept of absolute, relative and relational spaces plays a vital role in understanding gated communities under uncertainties such as the recent pandemic. The historical residual problem of the nature of community industrial land is a key factor in producing multiple social contradictions; moreover, the agents of power and capital often exhibit evasive and immoral behaviour in major community affairs, and party member volunteers and authorised suppliers have made important contributions to the fight for residents' rights at all levels. The implications of this study are of great value for rethinking community space in the context of ageing, and governments and enterprises must undertake the required actions along with residents to reshape the current unstable multi-subject co-governance relationship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Village settlements in peri-urban areas have largely been transformed into dense neighbourhoods in the process of rapid urbanisation and become Villages-in-the-City (ViCs). Although ViCs may appear chaotic and haphazard, they are not entirely unplanned as they have generally emerged and become consolidated through complex incremental adaptations, which have remained understudied. In this article, we explore the morphogenesis of ViCs by drawing on evidence from multiple case studies in three Vietnamese cities, including Hanoi, Danang, and Ho Chi Minh City. Adopting a comparative case study research design and using multiscale urban mapping, we analyse the formal/informal morphologies at the metropolitan scale and investigate the process of morphogenesis at the neighbourhood scale. The findings of this research provide a better understanding of the spatiality of ViCs at different scales, which can effectively inform the development of contextually responsive and spatially grounded planning and design interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vernacular architecture is an important artificial habitat landscape that responds to and evolves with specific natural and social contexts. Although abundant evidence highlights the fragility of vernacular architecture in the urbanization process, in-depth discussion of the resilient manifestations represented by its anonymous evolution is lacking. Liangshuixiu , a courtyard-form vernacular building in Southern Hebei , is taken as the example. This study explored its spontaneous evolution mechanism characterized by the courtyard being covered (CBR). Benefiting from the computer vision technology and the remarkable orthophotos of Liangshuaixiu , the distribution characteristics of the CBR phenomenon in 131 townships were identified by high-resolution network. Subsequently, 14 potential influencing factors were selected according to "push–pull" theory, and explanatory variables that affect the development of CBR were identified using redundancy analysis. Spatial autocorrelation analysis of the CBR showed a significant clustering trend of high in the south and low in the north. Redundancy analysis results showed that the combined effects of push–pull factors were the most important aspects to explain the evolution of Liangshuaixiu. Urban pull and rural push made a greater contribution to the development of CBR, with education level being the most critical factor, followed by population decline rate and government revenue. Rural pull and urban push had limited contribution to the development of CBR, in which the aging rate was an important explanatory factor. This study revealed the evolutionary characteristics of specific vernacular buildings in a data-driven manner, thereby providing quantitative insights into how urbanization drives the evolution of vernacular habitats. • The evolution of Liangshuaixiu dwellings was identified by CV technology. • The "push-pull" factors between urban and rural areas have jointly affected the evolution. • Education level is the most critical explanatory variable for the evolution. • A new research paradigm was provided to study the evolution mechanism of vernacular architecture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The suburbanization process worldwide continues to generate significant urban contradictions. Yet the same process also calls forth planning innovations that seek to redress these development challenges. One such in China is the 'Featured Town' policy which has been plucked from its origins in Zhejiang province to national policy prominence. Drawing on a combination of secondary data and original interviews, this paper considers the origins and peculiarities of this planning model, its elevation within national policy and its likely prospects across China. Preliminary findings indicate that the Featured Town policy has fallen foul of many of the complications associated with wider dissemination of locally embedded models. The interlock of local government capitalism and intrapreneurial state is the fundamental driver behind this Featured Town 'fever'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract By virtue of the hukou reform issued by the State Council in 2014, a more people-oriented development path under a 'New Urbanization Model' is implemented during the 13th Five Year Plan. In a new grading regime, migrants' housing tenurial status plays a crucial role in differentiating who are qualified to enjoy the welfare entitlement (e.g. public education) in the host cities. Drawing upon the data from the 2011 and 2016 Migrant Dynamics Monitoring Survey, this paper investigates the rationale of the hybrid tenure continuum, its stratification mechanism among the whole migrant population in Beijing, and its dynamic change and impact on migrants given the undertaking of drastic measures by Beijing Municipality in the early 2010s to address its informality problems. A hybrid tenure structure from an insecure to de facto and to legal titles was proved critical to increase the resilience of housing supply for migrant groups. Policy implication of this paper is about how best to empower migrants as equal citizens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract With the deepening of housing reform, housing mobility and residential differentiation in urban China are on the rise. Extant studies on residential satisfaction and relocation intention tend to focus on rural to urban relocation, while little is known about their interactions in the context of urban China. This study attempts to fill this void by offering an updated and detailed account of intra-urban relocation, and by unravelling the complex mechanism and interactions between residential satisfaction and relocation against a general background of residential differentiation. Based on a questionnaire survey in three types of neighborhoods representative of the dominant residential patterns in contemporary Chinese cities, namely traditional inner city neighborhoods, urban villages and commodity housing estates, this paper examines determinants of residential satisfaction and relocation intention in each residential segment. The results from linear regression and multivariate logistic regression models show that residential satisfaction is influenced by different factors in the three types of residential neighborhoods, but is generally shaped by community attachment and the housing facilities. Relocation intention is generated by a combination of various factors that differ from neighborhood to neighborhood. In traditional inner city neighborhoods, residents are less likely to develop relocation intentions, and satisfaction levels tend to go down with the age of the housing estates. The situation is slightly different in urban villages, where residents with a weak sense of community prefer to relocate. The diversified determinants of relocation intention in the three types of neighborhoods are by no means incidental, being closely related, in fact, to the demographic composition, built environment and development history of the neighborhood. This study offers a multilayer explanation of intra-urban relocation and its interactions with residential satisfaction in post-reform urban China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Cities in Sub-Saharan Africa are undergoing massive spatial transformation owing to rapid urbanization. For many cities in the Global North, Latin America and Asia, spatial transformation has been traditionally characterised by a shift from monocentric to polycentric urban patterns. In the case of Sub-Saharan Africa, however, it is unclear whether the evolving spatial structure of cities conform to or are explained by existing urban geography models. This paper pursues twofold objectives: one, examines the evolution of the spatial structure of a Sub-Saharan African city-region and its relationship with mainstream urban geography models; and, two, explores the urban planning and policy implications of the spatial transformation. The study draws on spatially explicit data from Kumasi City-Region in Ghana, which is analysed with a set of spatial metrics and an urban growth model. The results indicate that, while the city-region's urban spatial structure before the turn of the Twenty-first century largely conforms to the traditional monocentric model, it is increasingly becoming deconcentrated and dispersive, which suggests a likely pending phase of coalescence in a stochastic fractal urban growth process. Contrary to what is observed in other parts of the world, the declining monocentricity has not transformed into a polycentric urban structure, rather, urban growth is becoming amorphous. There is high level of development spontaneity that cast an image of a city-region that is charting inefficient and unsustainable spatial development path. Urban scholars would have to transcend the frontiers of existing urban structure models to better depict the spatial evolution of sub-Saharan African cities like Kumasi City-Region, while Policy makers need to re-position the Ghanaian planning system to be more influential in delivering sustainable development patterns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Liberia faces increasing challenges with solid waste management as more than 70% of households abandon their waste in unauthorized sites. Urbanization and population growth will increase Liberia's need to develop an effective waste management system. This study performed 240 household surveys in Paynesville, Liberia, to explore residents' waste disposal practices and their satisfaction with waste collection services. Survey results point to improvement opportunities and some dissatisfaction with existing household services. Burning or burying of waste were common disposal practices and few households separate or recycle waste. The study included a choice experiment (CE) to assess households' valuation of specific attributes of waste collection services. Estimates of a mixed logistical model suggest that households highly value having waste collected at home and negatively value separating waste. These findings highlight the potential for improving Liberia's solid waste management by structuring reliable services around household collection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Urbanization and poverty reduction are two vital aspects for global sustainable and healthy development. In the future, the countries along the Belt and Road will play a more important role in global urbanization and poverty reduction. Therefore, this paper aims at elaborating the characteristics and patterns of urbanization and poverty reduction in these countries using data from 1996 to 2016. The results indicate that the average urbanization level is 48% in 2016 and the average annual growth rate of these countries is 0.61 percentage points between 1996 and 2016. In addition, West Asian and Middle Eastern countries have a higher level of urbanization, while ultra-high-speed and high-speed development countries are primarily Southeast Asian countries and China. Furthermore, these countries differentiate significantly in terms of spatial distribution of population density. Regions with a population density of 0–1 person per square kilometer account for 33% of the total area and 0.09% of the total population, while regions with a population density of over 1000 people per square kilometer account for 1.45% of the total area and 39.56% of the total population. Moreover, using mathematical morphology methods, we identify the 10 regions with the largest urban land areas among these countries, and seven regions are located in China and Southeast Asia. Finally, the population living in extreme poverty in these countries dropped from 1.17 billion to 355.6 million during the 20-year period, and several countries, such as China, Laos, Vietnam, Indonesia, Bangladesh, and Mongolia, have made tremendous progress both in urbanization and poverty reduction. These findings are beneficial for comprehending urban development and poverty reduction in the countries along the Belt and Road as well as for providing references for regional cooperation. Highlights • Some quantitative analyses were made based on public data of 65 counties in the area. • These methods provide several visual and objective results during 1996–2016. • The gap is significant in the urbanization development among the countries. • Several countries have made great progress both in urbanization and poverty reduction. • The potential of regional corporation in urbanization and poverty reduction is great. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract This paper studies the labour force in Beijing in relation to that in London. Through this comparative approach, the paper breaks the current isolation of Chinese studies, crosses the categorical divides in comparative research, and addresses local-global dialects in global cities. A very similar description of the labour force between these two cities is revealed. The labour forces in both cities had a young age profile with that in Beijing being only slightly younger, both shared a male-dominated characteristic with a stronger dominance in Beijing, and comprised primarily highly educated individuals who were slightly less represented in Beijing. Such a dominance of young, male and highly educated individuals in both cities is due to the two cities' similar attraction to these people as both now being a global city. The different extents of dominance in Beijing, however, are influenced by its various institutional practices. Yet with an aging population and a fast-developing urbanisation in China, these practices are very likely to be altered in the near future. It is therefore foreseeable that the labour force in Beijing will become yet more similar to that of London very soon. Based on these findings, it is untenable to claim Chinese cities as being greatly different. To largely exclude such cities from the comparative research is also no longer justifiable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Although China is experiencing rapid urbanization process, village is still the basic socio-economic unit in rural China and could be seen as the cell of the rural system. A profound understanding of the nature of village development has important theoretical and practical values. This study aims to explore what makes better village development in traditional agricultural areas of China based on long-term observation and comparison of typical villages. The main findings suggest that rural elites are crucial actors in the transformational development of relatively successful villages. The success of these villages is based on the integration and coordination of internal and external driving forces, the participation, negotiation and cooperation among key actors, and the formation and development of rural networks with these key actors. These actors, interactions and processes could be theorized as a conceptual model for rural development: the bearing model. This study could help better understand the political ecology of rural development during the transition from urban bias to rural priority. Highlights • Influential factors, common features and general mechanism of village development in China were explored. • The success of village mainly depends on the integration and coordination of internal and external driving forces. • Rural elites are crucial actors in village development, especially in the course of integration and coordination. • The actors, interactions and processes could be explained as a conceptual model for rural development—the bearing model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract In the context of China's rapid economic development, numerous rural laborers go out to work driven by economic interests. How to release the surplus rural labor effectively is critical for the further development of urbanization in China. Land fragmentation is a basic characteristic of agricultural production in China. Land fragmentation also affects labor use. In the current process of China's rural reform and urbanization, large amounts of surplus rural labor will continue to transfer to urban and non-agricultural sectors in the near future, and the transfer mode will turn from individual migration to family migration. Marginal productivity of agricultural labor has an important influence on farmers' labor decisions. Using household survey data collected from Jiangsu province in China, this study analyzes the theoretical mechanism, and empirically tests the direction and degree of the impact of land fragmentation on marginal productivity of agricultural labor and non-agricultural labor supply. The results reveal that land fragmentation decreases marginal productivity of agricultural labor and increases non-agricultural labor supply. This effect is especially obvious for young agricultural workers. Supplementing relevant policies and preferential measures, the government should guide farmers to realize joint land operation and transfer of farmland management rights on a voluntary basis. Further, it is necessary to increase the supply of mechanized services and facilitate the development of small-sized agricultural machine that can be used on smaller landholdings. Highlights • Analyzes the theoretical mechanism of the impact of land fragmentation on MPL and non-agricultural labor supply. • Examines the direction and degree of the impact of land fragmentation on MPL and non-agricultural labor supply. • Land fragmentation decreases the MPL and increases the non-agricultural labor supply. • Effect of Land fragmentation on non-agricultural labor supply is especially obvious for young workers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Regional collaborative development mainly emphasizes the relationship and degree of connection between cities. Linkages among cities are more complex and diversified in the age of globalization, so that regional economic collaborative development has become even more important than ever. Domestic and foreign competition must be dealt with to enhance the comprehensive strengths of urban agglomeration. This study takes the Yangtze River Delta (YRD) as a representative case to analyze and evaluate the economic synergistic development capacities of the Yangtze River Delta Urban Agglomeration (YRDUA). Location quotients and industrial structure similarity coefficients show that cities with high levels of economic development provide advantages for secondary and tertiary industries, while cities with relatively low economic development levels provide clearer advantages for primary industries. Regarding the movement of the economic barycenter from 2001 to 2016, the overall directional trend was towards the northwest cities. The strength of economic linkages between cities is closely related to distance, population, and levels of economic development. The degree of economic development directly affects the capacity of collaborative development among cities, which then influences the extent of regional collaborative development. Highlights • Yangtze River Delta (YRD) collaborative economic development is progressing. • Economic linkage strength is dependent on distance, population, and economic development levels. • Cities vary depending on primary, secondary, and tertiary development levels. • Development of tertiary industry is key to urban agglomeration. • Coordinated and integrated economic development is essential across industries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Urban and peri-urban agriculture is attracting new attention in the context of growing interests in sustainability and resilience. Although much research has been done in this field, little is known about pastoralism and its impact on urban and peri-urban settings. In this paper, we discuss the contribution of pastoral practices to urban sustainability, as well as the opportunity and need to maintain such forms of agriculture. Using Bucharest as a study area and conducting a mixed qualitative and quantitative investigation, we show that pastoral activities have a strong cultural component, contribute to short and long food supply chains, and play a role in the management of land resources. However, conflicts with urban residents may occur due to health concerns and impact on the visual quality of the landscape. We argue that active adaptation measures by both shepherds and local authorities are needed to assure the livelihood of pastoralism, particularly where it is under threat from urbanization. Our study contributes to the discussions on creating mutually beneficial relationships between agricultural activities and the urban environment for food provision, job creation and sustainable resource management. Specifically, we anticipate our study to be a starting point for more in-depth discussions on local perspectives concerning urban sustainability. Graphical abstract Image 1 Highlights • Little is known about the contribution of pastoral practices to urban sustainability. • Pastoral activities have a strong cultural component and contribute to local food supply chains. • Pastoral practices are under pressure due to urban expansion and a lack of staff. • Adjacency between sheepfolds and residential areas leads to conflicts. • Active adaptation measures are needed to secure pastoral activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Numerous machine learning-based land change models have been presented by researchers over the last two decades. To date, however, far less have simulated multiple land use classes and specific land use subclasses at the same time. In some areas of the world, it is important to simulate both of these dynamics to understand fully the drivers and consequences of land change. One important example is the process of urbanization in China, as urban policies have been developed that guide urban expansion, rural protections, and urban subclass development. This paper presents a new model integrating geographic information systems (GIS) with artificial neural networks (ANNs) to predict multiple transitions among land use types and urban subclasses in the Zhanggong District of Ganzhou city in China. We show that the model produces satisfactory goodness of fit values-based on location, quantity and spatial configuration-between simulated and observed land use maps for 2015. Our simulated future maps produced by the model for 2020 and 2025 demonstrate that transitions from farmland and forest to urban will remain the main pathway of urbanization although we predict that the rate will slow after 2025. The goals of urban planning should be aligned with land use planning according to "Combining multiple laws and regulations" in China. Taking into account the current and future land use transitions will enhance the accuracy and timeliness of land use policy making and urban land planning. For the sustainable land use in Zhanggong District, we argue for a strengthened regulation of the land market by government and believe that planning officials should guide the spatial distribution of land supply actively. Furthermore, improving the production, living and ecological functions of land resources are the key points to optimize urban land use functions and the allocation of land resources. We discuss how our model can be adapted to other areas to benefit land use management and urban planning in China. Highlights • GIS and ANNs were used to predict multiple land use transitions and urban subclasses. • A case study demonstrates that the model performs relatively well validated with several measures for goodness of fit. • The simulated maps suggest that farmland and forest are the most common candidates for urban expansion. • The methodology can be adapted to other study areas to benefit land use management and urban planning in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract This paper firstly puts forward an analytical framework for the economic and environmental effects of regional land use transitions. Under the certain technical and institutional backgrounds, regional land use morphology changes adaptively with socio-economic development and turns out to be land use transitions at key time points. The transitions above may bring about positive economic effects as well as negative environmental effects. As the negative ones accumulate seriously and arouse public concern, the government will put forward relative management measures and policies to regulate land use activities and balance economic development with environmental protection. When a balance cannot be achieved within the current background, there will be a need to innovate the current technical or institutional conditions. Secondly, this paper takes Shandong province as a case study to conduct an empirical analysis with the latest econometric analysis methods and explores the effective mechanism among land use transitions, economic development, environmental emissions, and land use management according to current developing stages. The results show that urban construction land expansion is a pivotal factor for secondary industry development, as well as a potential factor for regional SO 2 emissions. And the current urban land supply institution gets no significant causality with regional SO 2 reduction, but significant with the secondary industry development. Finally, the authors argue that the phenomenon abovementioned is inevitable during the regional developing process. But taking future sustainable development strategies into account, the regional land use management need a transition from the demand-oriented "passive" management mode to the supply-oriented "active" management mode. So more research on this topic remains to be done in the future. Highlights • Land use transitions could be a management tool to coordinate regional environmental protection and economic development. • There is a one-way causality relationship from land use transitions to economic evolution and regional air pollution. • The general mechanisms of economic and environmental effects caused by land use transitions were figured out. • Current land use management needs a transition from the demand-oriented "passive" mode to a supply-oriented "active" one. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract China has witnessed substantial and surging internal migration over the past three decades, and the ascendant trend of migration will continue within the New Urbanization in China, shaping drastically China's population redistribution, and inducing surge of crowded cities and "hollowing village". This paper analyzed the spatial-temporal patterns of migration at provincial level during 2000–2010, and found: (1) the migration pattern demonstrated increasingly strengthened polarity in migration pool and source regions/provinces and migration flows. (2) The interregional/interprovincial migration population was higher than the intraregional/intra-provincial, and the gap between them strengthened with time. (3) The migration population grew with time, but the migration distance almost kept unchanged. To analyze the determinants of migration, this paper adopted an improved gravity model which introduced environment variables and included five types of variables, and found: (1) the path dependence variable had the most significant impact on migration, and the wages of staff and workers followed in 2000 and 2010. (2) The wages of origin provinces exerted a strong "push" to migrants, larger than the "pull" from the destination provinces in 2000, and the "push" changed to smaller than the "pull" in 2010. (3) Natural environment gradually became an attractive factor that migrants took into consideration, and the obstruction of distance to migration gradually reduced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, urban residential water demand has continually grown with the rapid urbanization in China, which has been the main contributor to the increase of total urban water consumption. The fast growth of urban water consumption poses a great threat to urban water security and sustainable water resources management. To explore the dominant factors influencing the urban residential water consumption and further to propose the effective measures to control the fast growth of water consumption, this study selected the daily water consumption per capita (DWCC) as an indicator to quantitatively characterize the residential water consumption level and analyzed the spatial and temporal characteristics of DWCC in the period of 2005–2014 based on the data collected from 38 major cities in China. The results showed that the average values of DWCC in the 38 major cities were 141.9 L/d, 159.4 L/d and 129.3 L/d in 2005, 2010 and 2014 respectively. The urban residential water consumption showed a significant decreasing trend in the period of 2005–2014 due to the strategy of water-saving society construction in China. Meanwhile, the DWCC was showing a great spatial variability among different cities, which was much greater in southern cities than that in northern cities. The reason behind this is that the main influencing factors differ greatly among different cities. Based on the path analysis, we also identified the dominant factors influencing the DWCC from the 9 main possible factors. The amount of available water resources, the domestic water price and the usage rate of water-saving appliances are recognized as the dominant influencing factors. At last, the differential countermeasures are proposed to improve the urban water-saving management level and guarantee the urban water security in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Attempts for implementing sustainable urbanization have been reported and documented around the world. These efforts have led to a vast number of exemplary sustainable urbanization practices, classified as best practices. Best practices contain valuable information in the form of experiences, and learning from them represents an opportunity to replicate successful practices in other cities. This study collected and analyzed 185 best practices in sustainable urbanization from around the world. The main areas of action, the key methods adopted and the outcomes achieved by these practices were identified. Key elements in successful sustainable urbanization strategies were found by conducting a series of association analyses between the areas of action, methods and outcomes. Findings highlight the importance of community participation, capacity building, education, partnerships and job creation in achieving urban sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Sustainable Urban Land Use Policy is a critical component of sustainable land use in China, aiming to improve the urban land use efficiency, increase land output, protect the land ecological environment and realize the sustainable utilization of urban land resources. As part of the strategy for sustainable urbanization, the Sustainable Urban Land Use Policy has been implemented in some cities for years. To evaluate the effectiveness and reveal the future direction of development of this policy, it is essential to analyze this policy in the framework of sustainable urbanization. It is possibly a reliable measure to evaluate the effectiveness of this policy by assessing the contribution of sustainable urban land use policies to sustainable urbanization strategies and the trend of contribution over time. This paper measured the degree of sustainable urbanization and sustainable urban land use with necessary Control Variables and Instrument Variables using panel data of 31 provincial capital cities from 2000 to 2008 and 2009 to 2014. The regression results showed that the Sustainable Urban Land Use Policy had a significant positive effect on China's sustainable urbanization and the effectiveness improved after 2008. From the aspect the mechanism, the contribution of this policy to sustainable urbanization was to promote economic growth, thereby, to improve the social welfare. In contrast, the role of promoting urban development potential and the decreasing urban resource consumption was not so significant. Therefore, while maintaining the existing achievements through macro-control, reducing resource consumption, increase land use intensity, improve urban development potential are the further goals of land use policy in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Informal land development has become a key issue in relation to land use planning in many countries. A new type of informal development, the informal gate community, has emerged and has become a new form of suburbanization in China's cities. Empirical studies about this new form remain scarce, as discussions on the slum-styled urban village still dominate the existing literature about informal development in China. The paper aims to explore the facts and factors in the new type of informal development. Looking at Beijing as a case study, analysis shows that informal gated communities have a high quality of life and good services, with public facilities and public transit. The existing institutional discrimination against migrants is a major reason why people choose informal housing, although the soaring price of formal housing is an important factor. The village-owned enterprise plays the role of business manager for the village's informal development. Its collaborations with government intuitions and state-owned enterprises blur its informal development activities and give buyers more confidence in buying informal housing. Conflicting responses to the informal development from state and local governments results in ambiguous and loose controls of informal development. As a result, local governments, villages, and residents have formed a strong informal development coalition. This coalition has created an invisible institutional barrier, making it more difficult for the state to prevent informal development. In addition, the ongoing political decentralization, economic liberalization, and market-oriented reforms seem to be bringing new challenges to the control of informal land development. For future policy, a more just and inclusive governance system is imperative for managing the suburbanization process in China's cities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China is experiencing rapid progress in industrialization and urbanization. Characteristic towns (Tese Xiaozhen) are one of the important drivers for China's urbanization, industrialization and agricultural modernization in the 21st century. Each of the towns has its own characteristics. At present, however, it is unclear for them about (i) what characteristics should be promoted, (ii) how urban land should be planned and (iii) which industry should be focused on. The public infrastructure and services in towns are usually under-developed, compared to cities. This paper first explores the designation of a brand-new type of new towns in China, i.e. “characteristic towns”, to meet the need of the current urbanization in China. The paper focuses on the principles of “agglomeration” and “livability”, in socioeconomic and cultural contexts. This is exemplified by a case study of Zhejiang's version of characteristic towns. The findings suggest that the success of cultivation of towns is closely associated with agglomeration and livability. In the short term, identifying characteristics is the core element in the development. For the longer term, a comprehensive integration of industrial policy and land use policy is needed to ensure continuous capital investment and revenue generation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Local squares function as open spaces where people can conduct many activities and where many social events take place. While squares in Iran have had a historical role in urban life, in recent years they have lost their place as social nodes of neighborhoods. They are losing their sustainability due to diminishing social roles in residential neighborhoods. The primary aim of this research was to investigate social sustainability dimensions in the squares of Narmak neighborhood located in the east of the metropolitan city of Tehran. The research method was descriptive, and 140 questions in seven dimensions were asked from 378 respondents aged 12+, who were selected randomly in 2018. The results showed that social sustainability variables differ in all five types of squares, particularly in terms of sense of place. However, equality was ranked on average as low in all types of squares. This study concluded that social sustainability in residential squares is very sensitive to a rapid urbanization process that has imposed mass apartment blocks, traffic flow, and lack of place identity. As a result, the process has led to social unsafety, low urban security, and weak maintenance of squares, particularly larger squares, as well as the transformation of their role as residential squares to mostly traffic squares and parking spaces. Additionally, this study concluded that small squares are socially more sustainable than larger ones because respondents felt that small squares were safer, more secure, and full of a sense of place. Urban policy-makers can use the results of the present study to evaluate the effects of their executive strategies on urban livability, social sustainability, and the satisfaction of residents. • This study aimed to investigate social sustainability dimensions in squares. • Residential squares social sustainability is sensitive to urbanization process. • Social sustainability differs in all types of squares in terms of sense of place. • Small squares are socially more sustainable than larger ones. • Equality was ranked as low in all types of squares averagely. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urbanization has boosted the development of urban environment, leading to extensive building activities and then construction and demolition waste (CDW). However, there has been an absence of research into the heterogeneous effects of urbanizations on CDW. The upshot, in this stance, has been an inability to engender policies to minimize the impacts CDW has on environment. Therefore, we develop an econometric model to address this void. The empirical evidence revealed that CDW fluctuated significantly along with regional heterogeneities, indicating positively spatial correlations. Moreover, the population and spatial urbanizations can amplify CDW, which were depressed by the economic and social ones that however boosted construction wastes in neighboring regions. The original contribution of this research is threefold: (1) a robust model for econometrically examining how urbanization affect CDW; and (2) a novel insight into understanding the spatial-temporal characteristics of and heterogenous relationship between urbanization and CDW; and (3) implications for policy development to sustain urban and economic environments. • Urbanization has facilitated urban development, leading to extensive construction and demolition waste (CDW). • Research into urbanization and CDW generations is limited. • An econometric model is developed to estimate the heterogenous impacts of urbanizations on CDW across regions. • Implications for policy are proposed to sustain urban and economic environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Land use mutilfunctionality (LUMF) has recently received increasing attention in scientific and policy contexts because its capacity to bridge the connections between mutilfunctionality and land uses, as well as to integrate production, living and ecology approaches in policy development. This study established a conceptual framework for identifying and evaluating LUMF in spatial grid context from the perspective of structure, function, and well-being. Embedded in the spatial reference framework, a set of spatialization models were applied to quantify and visualize land use functions (LUFs), e.g. production, living, and ecology functions, by using multi-source and multi-scale data (land use data, remote sensing data, meteorological data, and statistical data, etc.) in Zhangjiakou City. The interactions of LUFs were measured, and on this basis, land use zoning was proposed. The results showed that the functionality indexes of production, living, and ecology ranged from 0 to 0.500, 0 to 0.994, and 0 to 0.998, respectively. The high production and living functions, and the low ecology function mainly occurred in well-developed regions, especially in the city center, where existed the strong synergies between production and living functions, as well as the strong trade-offs between the above two functions and ecology function. The low production and living functions, and the high ecology function were mainly distributed in mountain and hilly areas, located in the eastern and southern parts, where existed the weak synergies between production and living functions, and the strong trade-offs among production, living, and ecology functions. Four categories of land use zones were divided at town-level, namely, ecological preservation zones, urbanization development zones, agricultural production zones, and countryside improvement zones, mainly based on the spatial distribution of the synergies and trade-offs among LUFs. This study provides a pathway for quantitatively evaluating LUMF, and making land use zoning division, which provides quantitative information for policy-makers to implement land use optimization, economic development, and ecological protection in the light of the interactions of LUFs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article explores emerging patterns of accountability in German and Chinese low-carbon urban development. It draws on multi-level vertical and horizontal governance perspectives and identifies the current status of institutional innovations in order to steer action on climate change mitigation in urban environments. To underpin the relevance of the research, it is shown that factual responsibilities as well as political mandates, require enhanced and accountable action on climate change mitigation at city level. Drawing on political documents, scientific literature, as well as institutional arrangements developed under the international regime of climate governance, four components of accountable governance are identified and applied to the case studies of Germany and China, with a focus on the cities of Hamburg and Shenzhen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the launch of economic reform and openness policy in the late 1970s, Chinese cities have witnessed significant growth and sprawl, resulting in a large amount of farmland converted for urban construction. Given the need to both protect farmland and provide options for urban development, the central government proposed the Link Policy in 2005. Under this scheme, farmers are relocated into centralised communities by consolidating their original homestead into farmland, and enabling the transfer of land quotas for urban construction. The implementation of the Link Policy has restructured rural farming and lifestyles but studies on the Link Policy from a farmer's perspective are limited. This paper investigates farmers' satisfaction with the Link Policy and explores the underlying factors. Using Ezhou in Hubei Province as a case study, face-to-face interviews were undertaken with farmers in centralised communities to understand their satisfaction with the Link Policy. Interview data were coded and analysed using Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) to identify the factors affecting farmers' satisfaction. The results show that farmer's willingness to participate, knowledge of the Link Policy, living conditions before resettlement, and the compensation for resettlement had significant influence on satisfaction with policy implementation. We suggest that meaningful consultation and improved communications between farmers and local governments are needed to enhance the social acceptability of policy outcomes. To minimize the social impacts of resettlement, urbanised villages would be prioritised in project implementation and a long-term supporting scheme should be offered by local government to assist farmers in their lifestyle transition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rapid urban expansion usually leads to the change of land use pattern and poses a severe threat to land resources with high ecological value, it is necessary to model the impact of urban development on surrounding environment. The aim of our study is to construct an effective model of simulating urban expansion with protecting ecological land, which could provide a decision-making reference for sustainable development of the city and promote the rational distribution of land resources. In this paper, we proposed an urban expansion model based on land ecological suitability (LES). The proposed model involves using the minimum cumulative resistance (MCR) method to evaluate and visualize the land ecological suitability of the study area. Next, the random forest (RF) algorithm and cellular automaton (CA) are combined to construct an RF–CA to simulate future growth of urban land. As a case study, the RF–CA was used to simulate the distribution of urban land in Changzhou City, eastern China in 2020. The LES evaluation results were then used as the basis of optimizing urban expansion and restrained the excessive sprawl of the city, which could reduce encroachment on land resources such as waterbody and farmland, thereby increasing the ecosystem services value (ESV) by 50.24 million RMB(1 RMB = 0.15 US dollar). It was observed that our model could reduce the spatial conflict between urban expansion and ecological land protection effectively. Therefore, we believe that the results of our case study can contribute to more reasonable urban planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Illegal residential construction at the fringes of urban areas has been typical for Serbia and the other countries of South Eastern and Southern Europe, spanning through all periods of modern urbanisation. Illegal suburbs are currently so widespread that they cannot be omitted in any future policy or strategy regarding urban development and planning, land and property management. However, this phenomenon is being transformed over the recent years; after rapid and uncontrolled suburbanisation during the second half of the 20th century, the first shrinking outer suburbs around Serbian cities have appeared recently, with the post-socialist transition of the country. Yet, even more suburbs are in demographic and economic stagnation, emphasising the necessity to tackle it in the near future. This paper aims to open the debate about the future of illegal residential settlements with shrinking and stagnation patterns in Serbia, connecting this phenomenon with the concept of shrinking cities. Despite this concept being well-known, it is traditionally more oriented towards urban decline in well-developed and organised countries, where it deals with shrinking inner urban areas. Confronting the existing knowledge from the concept with the problems that shrinking outer suburbs in Serbia are facing today, this paper seeks to revise and adjust it by proposing the creative institutional changes for these vulnerable areas that simplify legalisation procedures, better integrate involved stakeholders, connect different spatial levels to form a polycentric network, and support bottom-up initiatives for the socio-economic regeneration of illegal suburbia. Institutional changes can be important for understanding and dealing with expected urban shrinkage in the less developed part of the world, such as in the Global South and fast-developing countries in Eastern Asia, where the problems of illegal suburbia are acute, but which certainly can expect urban shrinkage in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Existing studies have intensively discussed urban expansion, while relatively less attention has been paid to the impacts of the land supply structure. The aim of this study is to discuss whether diverse land supply structures for residential/commercial and industrial land affect the form of urban expansion by taking Yiwu City as a case. Land use data from 2006 and 2014 combined with multinomial logistic regression were applied to first detect the determinants of residential/commercial and industrial land conversion. Next, a cellular automata model was coded to forecast urban expansion with diverse land supply structures for residential/commercial and industrial land in 2020 by treating the regression results as conversion rules. We found that the determinants of residential/commercial and industrial land are distinguishable, and by considering such distinctions, we further found that Yiwu's urban expansion in 2020 will show diverse outcomes in the context of various land supply structures for residential/commercial and industrial land. More specifically, the more residential/commercial land that is supplied and the less industrial land that is supplied, the more clustered form of urban expansion will be, but the urban form variance is not very obvious. These findings inform a new dimension of decision-making for local government to manage urban growth both in China and in other regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The traditional approaches to zoning, as an area and locational-specific action, treat it as a means of the state to attenuate and/or establish private property rights over land. The old approach regards zoning as necessarily one of attenuating private property rights over land whether it is from an interventionist or libertarian perspective. A more recent approach finds zoning possible by contract and characterizes it as a means by which the state establishes and/or attenuates private property rights over land. Informed by Coasian transaction cost economics, this paper: (a) reiterates the view that zoning, as lot boundary delineation by the state, is the institutional foundation of private property rights over land; (b) explains the relationship between private property rights held by citizens, which are often wrongly treated as necessarily restricted access, and those of the state, which are often mistaken as common because they are called “public,” which, in fact, means open access; (c) discusses the distinction between static and dynamic boundary delineation for three forms of incursion into private land by the public; and (d) uses a case study on history of reclamation in Hong Kong, as a form creative zoning by dynamic boundary delineation from 1844 to 2015 to illustrate the importance of dynamic boundary delineation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper attempts to stocktake the major institutional innovations in land development and planning markets in the 20th century, and looks ahead to how these ideas may affect the evolution of institutions in the 21st century. Major ideas discussed include, i) public-private-partnerships; ii) zoning and participatory planning; iii) land readjustment and developers' obligations; iv) transfer of development rights; v) Coasean bargaining; and vi) informal institutions. We suggest that the foci of institutional innovations in the present century will shift from 20th century preoccupations as a result of rapid technological development and increasing environmental concerns. The keys for success in the institutional innovations to emerge will hinge on their abilities to reduce transaction costs for market exchange through new technologies, and align property right structures to achieve common goals of preserving the globe without compromising present economic needs too much. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The phenomenon of floor area ‘shrinkage’ of newly completed units has long been a hot debate issue in Hong Kong's housing market. Prior to the enactment of the Residential Properties (First-hand Sales) Ordinance in April 2013, news reports had revealed that the actual useable areas of some presales housing units only accounted for 50% of the gross floor areas proclaimed in the sales brochures. Notwithstanding the alarming situation, ‘shrinkage’ of flat size is, in fact, a lawful act in Hong Kong. Akerlof (1970) suggests that under information asymmetry, lemons tend to crowd out non-lemons. This study attempts to investigate whether an adverse selection process is taking place in Hong Kong's housing market with reference to the shrinkage phenomenon. To measure area shrinkage, 13 private mass housing developments located on the Hong Kong Island were chosen, and a total number of 16,946 flats, were involved. This paper shows that the market is full of lemons due to the delay in responses of the law governing the sales of first-hand properties. We found that the carpet areas of the selected housing developments had fallen short of between 23% and 49% of the proclaimed gross floor area, as stated in the sales brochures. Analyzing a total number of 55,227 transactions between 1991 and 2013 of the subject premises, it shows that the turnover rates of units with the highest shrinkage ratios are about 45% more than those with the smallest shrinkage ratios. ANOVA tests have been carried out and illustrated that there are significant variations between each tenth percentile of the flats in accordance to the flat shrinkage ratios. This paper concludes with a discussion of the evolution of institutions in Hong Kong's housing market to tackle the lemon problems. Attention has been placed on the effects of mandatory, voluntary and third party information disclosure. The lessons learnt in Hong Kong will shed light on policies and legislations for the fast expanding housing markets in developing countries, especially those densely populated Asian cities undergoing rapid urbanization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cities in the Netherlands have long relied on active land policy for urban development. More recently, municipalities have started to explore new types of land policies, as they became aware of the financial risks of this policy. As an alternative to their active involvement in land development, new legislation for urban land readjustment (ULR) has been proposed. This policy supports a land assembly strategy, in which the owners swap land positions, and share (infrastructure) development costs and gains. This paper explores the motivations in the Netherlands for introducing this new land policy tool. Additionally, based on two case studies, we discuss how public and private stakeholders might respond to the introduction of ULR. We conclude that it is unlikely that the introduction of ULR legislation itself will bring forward a paradigm shift in Dutch land policy. Nevertheless, the ULR legislation may add to a redistribution of land development-related risks between the public and the private sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urbanisation in China since the economic reform and opening up of the country is characterised by an unprecedented amount of land development resulting from privatisation, marketization, and commodification of land in the urbanisation process. This study extends the focal points of speculative urbanism through an analysis of land finance, a phenomenon of the financing arrangement for urban development. It reviews and compares three different modes of land finance, and examines the interplays between agencies, focusing on the exchange of land resources for capital. The collaborative mode of land finance practised in Nansha Free Trade Zone that involves the participation of strategic partners, represents a new financing model which is encouraged by the Central People's Government as a solution to reduce local debts as well as to stimulate market incentives through direct or joint investment in the urban development process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]