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This replication study tests the repeatability of the study conducted by Adelaja and George (2019a) on the relation between Boko Haram related events of armed conflict and agricultural land use decisions. For the computational reproduction of the original results, we used the same datasets and the same methodological approach. Yet, our findings substantially deviate from the results in the original study. To test the robustness of our own results, we applied comprehensive robustness checks, such as using a different measure for armed conflict, including an additional survey wave of the GHS panel data, and applying two different timewise merging procedures. The results of the robustness checks were very sensitive to changes in the underlying data. Hence, we question the internal validity of the study's findings and argue that there is most likely a more general mismatch between the data, the methodology and the research questions. The bottom-line of this study is not that there are computable differences between Adelaja and George (2019a) and our estimations, but rather that caution should be taken in deriving policy implications from Adelaja and George (2019a) as their results lack internal validity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research on soil microplastics is currently at an early stage, and there is no widely approved sampling protocol. Even so, any basic research should minimize errors to ensure that they are not amplified in future research. This paper examines some weaknesses of the original research paper 'Soil microplastic pollution under different land uses in tropics, southwestern China' recently published in this journal. The authors neglected to report the equipment used for soil sampling and did not use field blank samples. There is also a soil layer that was incorrectly named. The type and pore size of filter paper used for filtration during pre-analytical soil sample preparation is very important. In this paper the nature of the filter paper used, and its larger pore sizes are questionable by today's scientists. In addition, the authors in the original paper also overlooked reporting the statistical package used for statical analysis and ensuring if all data sets obey normality, homogeneity, and equality before running the one-way ANOVA test. This statistical step is widely considered mandatory, especially in the soil science community. So, this makes it difficult to trust the results documented. Furthermore, in the original paper, the needle and stereo microscope instruments used to sort microplastic-like materials prior to proper analysis are not reliable. [Display omitted] • A dissecting needle and stereo microscope shouldn't be used to sort out soil microplastics. • Gold-coated filter paper with smaller pore size is better than nitrocellulose filter paper. • The 0–10cm is the top soil layer and 10–20cm is the subsoil layer not a deep soil layer. • The statistical package used for analysis must be documented accordingly. • If the dataset is a normal distribution prior to ANOVA testing, it must be confirmed and reported. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes a cradle-to-gate life cycle assessment of offset paper production in Brazil. The production system is classified into two subsystems: a forest production subsystem, which involves seedling production, soil preparation, seedling planting, forest maintenance, and wood harvesting and transport processes; and an industrial production subsystem, involving wood pulp extraction and bleaching, chemical recovery, and offset paper manufacturing processes. The environmental analysis includes the primary energy demand, environmental impact assessment, and land use indicators. The primary energy demand indicated that the largest amount of both renewable and non-renewable primary energy is consumed by the industrial production subsystem, accounting for 91.0% of the total energy demand. The potential environmental impact assessment included eight impact categories: acidification, ecotoxicity, global warming, human toxicity – cancer effects, human toxicity – non-cancer effects, nutrient enrichment, ozone depletion, and photochemical oxidation. Most of the potential impacts are attributed to the processes of pulp extraction and bleaching, and offset paper manufacturing, mainly due to the production of electricity and thermal energy. As for impacts on land use during the forest activities, a recent developed approach was applied for the regionalized assessment of impacts. Land occupation impacts on erosion resistance, physicochemical filtration, and mechanical filtration showed a reduction in the soil ecological functions, whereas groundwater recharge indicated a credit for the performance of the soil function. With a view to reducing the main life cycle impacts of the industrial production subsystem, an evaluation is made of alternative production scenarios. The best scenario was the substitution of biomass and diesel in the energy generation unit by biomass gasification and optimization of the recovery boiler. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] Land tenure system: it is used here broadly to encompass such terms as property and or ownership over land and natural resources. [•] Pro-poor land reform policy: is concerned with the attainment of pro-poor outcomes in the land use environment. [•] The drainage system: the drainage system is used in this paper as a land–land metaphor to argue for a systemic and holistic approach to land reforms. [•] General systems theory: the land reforms espoused in this paper is not only metaphorical but also reflected in the general systems theory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In life cycle assessment (LCA) of paper products, it is common to either assume that the carbon impacts of forestry are neutral (i.e. no net emissions) or to credit harvested wood products as a carbon store. When comparing virgin and recycled materials, this means that forest carbon flows are either shown as nil or a net sequestration credit. However, harvested wood products typically account for less than half of the carbon stored in a forest, with additional stores in below ground biomass, deadwood, litter and soils. Each of these stores may be affected by changes in demand for virgin pulp and paper. In this study the countries likely to provide pulp displaced by moving to recyclate, or used when switching from recyclate were identified for both the UK and China (the largest export market for UK-derived recyclate). Changes in forest carbon stores in each country were then assessed and attributed to the extraction of a unit of timber in each country where demand for pulp and paper was identified as a driver for change. The analysis shows that when switching from virgin to recycled content within the UK and China, no additional biogenic CO2 emissions are avoided with the exception of Canadian pulp, where the data suggests that forests are being degraded, with associated carbon losses. When switching from recycled to virgin content, net biogenic CO2 emissions are seen from most relevant countries. In the example of newsprint, this is equivalent to 2–23 tonnes CO2 per tonne of newsprint. The exceptions to this are Chile and Russia, where demand for virgin fibre does not appear to be associated with deforestation. Despite limitations, the research highlights that biogenic carbon is a significant issue which may dominate the outcome of LCAs assessing the climate change impact of switching between virgin and recycled pulp. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The atmospheric levels of carbon dioxide (CO2) have been due largely to the burning of fossil fuels, deforestation, cultivation of the grasslands, drainage of the land, and land use changes. This has led to increase in greenhouse gases, created concerns about the potential for long-term climate change and interest in developing methods to sequester some of this atmospheric carbon. In agricultural land areas no-tillage (NT) systems have been proposed, to replace moldboard plow and chisel systems as a way to sequester soil organic carbon (SOC). Numerous estimates have been published of soil organic carbon (SOC) sequestration total and rates as a result of a switch to NT systems. Other researchers have proposed the use of cover crops, synthetic fertilizers, organic fertilizer, manure, liming, agricultural systems and management, agroforestry, forages, compost, crop rotations, and reduced row crop use as ways to sequester SOC. For SOC sequestration to occur as a result of a treatment applied to a land unit, all of the SOC sequestered must have come from atmosphere and be transferred into the soil humus through the unit plants, plant residues and other organic solids. The amount of SOC present in the soil humus at the end of the study has to be greater than the pre-treatment SOC levels in the same land unit and there needs to be a net depletion of atmospheric CO2 as a result. The objectives of this paper are to: (1) determine long-term study SOC levels and trends in agricultural lands, (2) application of the SOC sequestration concept to a specific site, (3) identify appropriate experimental designs for plot area use in determining SOC sequestration, (4) develop a procedure, such as pre-treatment measurements of SOC levels in the plots before treatments are applied, to verify SOC sequestration at a site (5) equivalent soil mass sampling method, (6) compare laboratory methods for quantifying SOC content, and (7) account for the loading of C rich amendments. To unequivocally demonstrate SOC sequestration at a specific site has occurred, a temporal increase must be documented relative to pre-treatment SOC level and linked to a net depletion of atmospheric CO2. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Land-use change (LUC) estimated by economic models has sparked intense international debate. Models estimate how much LUC might be induced under prescribed scenarios and rely on assumptions to generate LUC values. It is critical to test and validate underlying assumptions with empirical evidence. Furthermore, this modeling approach cannot answer if any specific indirect effects are actually caused by biofuel policy. The best way to resolve questions of causation is via scientific methods. Kim and Dale attempt to address the question of if, rather than how much, market-induced land-use change is currently detectable based on the analysis of historic evidence, and in doing so, explore some modeling assumptions behind the drivers of change. Given that there is no accepted approach to estimate the global effects of biofuel policy on land-use change, it is critical to assess the actual effects of policies through careful analysis and interpretation of empirical data. Decision makers need a valid scientific basis for policy decisions on energy choices. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: A conference on current research and educational programs in production of crops for bio-fuel was sponsored and organized by the EARTH University and the University of Florida in November, 2008. The meeting addressed current research on crops for bio-fuel production with discussions of research alternatives for future crop production systems, land use issues, ethics of food vs. fuel production, and carbon sequestration in environmentally sensitive tropical and sub-tropical regions of the Americas. The need and potential for development of graduate and undergraduate curricula and inter-institutional cooperation among educational institutions in the region were also discussed. Delegations from Belize, Brazil, Columbia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Honduras, Panama, The Dominican Republic, and the United States including ministers of Agriculture and Energy attended this meeting. Over a two-day period, four working groups provided a framework to facilitate networking, motivate task oriented creative thinking, and maintain a timely accomplishment of assigned duties in the context of the conference themes. Participants in the conference were assigned to one of four working groups, each following given topics: Agronomy, Environment, Socio-Economics and Education/Extension. It was the consensus of representatives of industry, academic and regulatory community assembled in Costa Rica that significant research, education and socio-economic information is needed to make production of bio-fuel crops sustainable. Agronomic research should include better crop selection based on local conditions, improved production techniques, pest and disease management, and mechanical cultivation and harvesting. Another conclusion was that tailoring of production systems to local soil characteristics and use of bio-fuel by-products to improve nutrient use efficiency and reduction of environmental impact on water quantity and quality is critical to sustainability of bio-fuel crop production. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The aim of the paper is to propose a methodological framework to explore how urban planning policies, such as the construction of highways, and other major events, such as opening/closure of major plants, affect the spatial distribution of residential and economic activities within a specific location over time. To do so, the paper proposes to use statistics related to the spatial distribution of individual buildings based on centrographic analysis, and to explore the statistical relations between the changes that occur over time with a vector autoregressive (VAR) model. From a land use policy perspective, this framework allows to investigate the causal impact of public action and other events on the local spatial distribution of the activities to see if (and how) it shapes spatial footprints and the distribution of residential and economic activities. The framework is applied to a small Canadian city case but can easily be implemented to any other cases. • A two-step model is developed to investigate causal relations à la Granger of spatial distribution of activities. • The methodological framework is based on a micro-economic perspective. • Construction of a highway have a causal influence on the spatial distribution of residential and economic activities. • Closure of a major plant (paper mill) had an impact on the evolution of the spatial distribution of residential activities on the evolution of the spatial distribution of residential activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper addresses the problem of guiding a rocket-powered vehicle to land using aerodynamic and thrust controls. The vehicle initially glides towards the landing site, flying at an unprecedentedly high angle-of-attack to decelerate, thereby reducing the propellant needed for a later retro-thrust landing. The high angle-of-attack pure aerodynamic flight leads to highly nonlinear dynamics that have not been addressed by existing powered descent guidance methods. In particular, real-time optimization of the vehicle's landing trajectory has been very challenging. In this paper, a closed-loop guidance method is proposed that optimizes a restricted 6-degrees-of-freedom (6-DoF) trajectory in real-time. To remedy the difficulty caused by the highly nonlinear dynamics, the general propellant-optimal problem is regularized with two modifications. The first is to augment the angular velocity to the performance index, removing possible singularity arcs that cause numerical difficulties. The second is to parameterize the thrust magnitude with a piecewise-constant form, reducing the number of control variables to be optimized. The regularized problem is then solved with successive convexification to update the restricted 6-DoF landing trajectory in each guidance cycle. Monte Carlo experiments with aerodynamic and thrust dispersions are conducted to examine the proposed guidance method. • A new guidance method is proposed that uses both aerodynamic and thrust controls. • The guided vehicle can fly at unprecedentedly high angle-of-attack to decelerate. • The guidance method optimizes a restricted 6-degree-of-freedom trajectory in real-time. • The guidance problem is regularized twice to address the highly nonlinear dynamics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The development of wind energy in France presents an exemplary case of contrast between the policy instrument and its effectiveness in terms of installed wind power capacity. After 7 years of one of the highest feed-in tariffs in the world, the installed capacity in France is still very low. This is notably due to a diffuse pattern of administrative landscape protection which impacts on the construction of wind power potential. In turn, the pace of wind power development can be understood only by looking in more detail at the way in which landscape is dealt with in local planning processes. This paper examines the question using the case of Aveyron in southern France. We follow the shifting ways in which landscape is enrolled in wind power planning, in a context where new planning instruments favor an incipient decentralization in wind power policy. The case points to a change in both the networks and the concepts involved in the design of landscape representations that underlie the construction of wind power potential. We show that this change has been forced by the far-reaching and decentralized visual impacts of wind power technology, suggesting that technology is recomposing the social as part of its development process and questioning the very meaning and perception that is given to landscape. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Urban development and effective land use planning are critical factors in creating sustainable and functional cities. Identifying vacant areas with development potential plays a crucial role in optimizing urban resources and contributes to making informed decisions for new projects and urban transformations. This paper presents a method for identifying vacant territories in the current urban environment to accommodate different infrastructures. The method uses modern technology and open-source data to identify vacant area that can become the object of urban planning and new construction projects. Taking into account such factors as accessibility, zoning rules and urban planning restrictions, the method offers a systematic approach to the assessment of urban development potential. The article describes the main steps of the method, including site selection, extracting sites and functional zones from public data sources, checking for compliance with urban planning regulations and restrictions, and cleaning up the data to eliminate geometric inconsistencies and shallow areas. Through detailed explanations, examples, and recommendations, this paper aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the method and its application in urban planning practice. The results of this study have important implications for sustainable urban development by enabling informed decision-making that meets the needs and aspirations of communities, contributing to economic growth and improving the overall quality of life. Ultimately, the method developed to identify vacant spaces offers a valuable tool for urban planners and decision-makers seeking to optimize land use and create dynamic and sustainable cities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Substantial loss of biodiversity and the proliferation of invasive alien species can occur due to land cover anthropogenic transformations on islands. However, the effect of anthropogenic habitat modifications on the distribution of insular freshwater microcrustaceans is unknown. In the present paper, we examine the consequences of human activity on the insular diversity of microcrustaceans in the context of the theories of island biogeography and intermediate disturbances. The samples were collected in Madeira Island at 38 freshwater sampling sites with different anthropopressure. Morphology-based species identification of the copepods and cladocerans was supplemented with genetic analysis (COI) in some species. To estimate the species richness of the island, rarefaction, and extrapolation methods were used. Canonical Correspondence Analysis (CCA) was applied to assess the influence of geospatial and environmental variables on the species distribution. A total of 20 species belonging to six families were identified, of which 16 species are new to Madeira. There was low similarity between the fauna recorded and known previously on the island. The observed species richness was higher than the predictions by the island biogeography models for Madeira. CCA revealed a strong influence of anthropogenic land use on crustaceans. Anthropogenic transformations locally led to the depletion of fauna, but on the island scale they contributed to the increase of species richness including seven putative alien species. An increase in the artificial land cover and a decrease in the forest areas could lead to a further shift in the domination of non-indigenous microcrustaceans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study of the Andean town of Chuschi and its surrounding district of the same name, we consider the impacts of the proliferation of fencing on once open land. The paper contributes to a growing body of literature on the practice and impact of land fragmentation through fencing around the world, with positive and negative impacts having been noted. The analysis is based on 23 semi-structured interviews with community members and community leaders of Chuschi and the surrounding towns of Yanaccocha, Huaracco, Chaquiccocha, Pucruhuasi, Wacraccocha, Lerqona and Yupana. Some of the interviewees considered the fencing off of parcels of the communal land to be beneficial for land management, while others felt the practice was not ecologically or socially beneficial overall and created tensions in the community. In particular, some interviewees noted resentment towards those perceived to be 'ambitious' in terms of acquiring exclusive use of additional land. In conclusion, it appears that fencing, as practiced in Chuschi, may be a calculated approach to land management that some perceive to have overall collective benefits but, if not well governed, it also has the potential to be invasive and disruptive for communal Andean life. The paper addresses a gap in the literature on the motivations for, and impacts of, fencing in rural communities in Peru and contributes to wider debates on the social justice implications of enclosures. • A study of indigenous groups in the Andean town of Chuschi and surrounding district. • Considers the impacts of the proliferation of fencing on once open land. • Speaks to a debate on the practice and impact of land fragmentation through fencing. • To date, there are very few of these studies in Latin America. • The analysis is based on interviews with local community members and leaders. • Some interviewees felt the fencing of once communal land caused grassland degradation. • Some reported increasing tensions in the community arising from exclusive land use. • Fencing, as practiced in Chuschi, may be a well calculated approach to land management that has some collective benefits. • However, it needs to be well governed to avoid disruption to communal Andean life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Design of hybrid Nano-Grid system (HNGS) necessitates a careful thought to benchmark reliable and cost effective solutions for remote areas. Optimal sizing of HNGS using Honey Badger Algorithm (HBA) for futuristic residential area in Mahendragarh, Haryana, India is presented in this paper. The HNGS comprise combination of solar panels, wind turbines, storage batteries, diesel generator, inverter and residential load components. The primary objective functions considered in this paper are Cost of Electricity (COE) and Net Present Cost (NPC), in continuation these problems are stated as multi objective optimization issues. Numerous permutations of diverse resources were examined to assess parameters such as NPC, COE, battery storage, land utilization, emission and potential employment opportunities. HBA is almost independent of traps in the local minimum, therefore the results obtained are superior as compared with Genetic Algorithm (GA), Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO), Biogeography Basic Optimization (BBO), Improved Artificial Ecosystem Optimization (IAEO) and Grey Wolf Optimization (GWO) as well as HOMER software, in order to determine the quality of solution the proposed HBA algorithm has obtained. HNGS system can be readily and efficiently optimized using the suggested HBA algorithm a detailed sensitivity analysis is done to better understand the system behavior for a wider region use. • A well optimized HNGS design is cost-effective, highly reliable and simple system for remote areas. • An optimization problem is formulated and solved by means of Honey Badger algorithm. • The optimization aim is to find HNGS size in terms of number of individual sources which supplies demand successfully. • Outcomes show that HBA effectively optimizes HNGS by lowering the NPC and CoE, ensuring the electricity supply. • The HBA's results has been compared to GA, PSO, BBO, IAEO, and GWO, as well as HOMER software. • Sensitivity analysis has been used to explore the impact of weather and component parameters on COE and NPC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Existing studies suggest that land financing has given rise to entrepreneurial governance in China because local governments act like entrepreneurs to capture land value appreciation. However, the new land reserve institution has recently forbidden local governments from using land as collateral and centralized the financial management of land reserve projects. Given this profound change in land institutions, we ask whether local governments have become less entrepreneurial. This paper investigates the Shanghai Land Reserve Centre. The funding restriction and declining land profitability make it more challenging to generate land revenue. However, the local government is now adapting to the new land reserve institution, developing new entrepreneurial tactics, and treating land investment as a recurrent income stream. Facing the conjuncture of alarming local government debts, re-centralizing state control, and structural limits of land finance, local governments' entrepreneurial stance is not eliminated, but their entrepreneurial practices are reshaped. Theoretically, this paper contributes to understanding how urban entrepreneurialism evolves in response to changing political and economic conjunctures. • A framework for understanding governance transformation: conjunctures-incentives-tactics. • The new land reserve institution transforms local land-based entrepreneurial tactics. • Declining profitability of land finance based on project-level dataset in Shanghai. • Land incentive is reshaped to use land to trigger a long-term investment stream. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ideally, scientific results are communicated such that they can be critically assessed, discussed, and used for future research by the scientific community. Replication studies that test and also verify earlier results ensure trust in the scientific work and discussion culture. In this note, we illustrate main challenges in replication studies using the example of a recently published replication attempt of a paper entitled 'Terrorism and land use in agriculture: The case of Boko Haram in Nigeria' on the effects of armed conflict on agricultural land use and the corresponding reaction of the authors of the initial research paper. We argue that a comprehensive, transparent description of the data and methods used is just as crucial as the opportunity to objectively, constructively, and fairly discuss criticism during the replication process. From this series of articles, we further derive lessons for replication debates in general by highlighting challenges and possible ways of dealing with strained relations between authors and replicators. Rethinking solutions to ensure supportive collaborations is crucial in shaping the future discourse surrounding replication debates. • Replication studies test and verify earlier results to ensure trust in the scientific work and discussion culture. • A comprehensive, transparent description of the data and methods used is necessary. • The opportunity to objectively, constructively, and fairly discuss criticism during the replication process is crucial. • We highlight challenges in replication debates and suggest ways to avoid strained relations between authors and replicators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Determining the respective attribution proportions of climate change and land use change to streamflow variations in river systems is of increasing interest to researchers and practitioners tasked with managing river basins. This paper proposes an extension to established techniques of attributing the relative proportions of climate change (CC) and land use change (LUC) drivers to streamflow change by instead considering these proportions as distributed through a probability density function (pdf), rather than as a point value. The novel method is demonstrated for the River Tweed in the UK. Results are determined by the flow, temperature and precipitation data, and upon the algorithms used to identify change points in these vectors. The ratio of the LUC and CC attribution proportions (Land Use and Climate Change Attribution Proportions, LCAP) is more appropriately expressed as a vector of values, each associated with its own probability value within a probability density function. The paper demonstrates that the LCAP ratio pdf can vary considerably over time and that it is possible to track physical changes in the catchment in the evolution of the probability density function. Results show that the land-use change/climate change attribution proportion (LCAP) ratio varies over time and can be expressed as probabilistic estimate. It can be concluded, with a high degree of confidence, that for the Tweed catchment the LUC is a significant driver of streamflow change. Hence this finding may have implications for future catchment flood management utilising nature based solutions (NbS) to reverse landscape degradation and mitigate effects of climate change, provided that the economic and social costs are outweighed by the benefits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to effectively study the regional soil and water ecological environment and its ecological restoration in China's key ecological protection regions. This paper discusses the ecological problems of soil and water resources from the two research fields of vegetation degradation and soil erosion, and analyzes the causes and effects of ecological restoration measures in recent years. Then, the collected data and the SWAT model were used to study the ecological restoration performance of water and soil resources and the coupling degree of land resource utilization rate and water and soil resources from four aspects, respectively water resource quantity, water resource development utilization rate, land resource utilization rate and coupling degree of water and soil resources. This paper analyzes the coordinated relationship between regional economic development and ecological environment through coupling analysis method, evaluates the level of regional coordinated development at the same time, and puts forward the coupling index of regional coordinated development between regional economy and ecological environment. From 2009 to 2019, the index in Tianshui, Longnan, Baoji and Hanzhong showed a trend of first increasing, then decreasing and then increasing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Solely focusing on the agricultural production function of cultivated land resources is not conducive to the various demands for meeting the UN's Sustainable Development Goals. Recognizing the multifunctionality of cultivated land and understanding the interrelationships between individual functions are crucial for the rational planning and utilization of resources. This paper introduces an "element coupling-function synergy" analytical framework for the sustainable utilization of cultivated land resources. The proposed framework is based on the causal relationships between elements and functions within the cultivated land system. Subsequently, a causal Bayesian belief network was constructed to identify trade-offs and synergies among multiple functions of cultivated land resources in Guangdong, China. The findings reveal trade-offs between food cleanliness and food production/social security, and synergistic relationships among food production, social security, and ecological regulation, as well as among ecological regulation, habitat maintenance and landscape culture. The study area was divided into eight functional zones: Green Agricultural Zone, Agro-inputs Control Zone, Urban Agricultural Zone, Major Grain-producing Zone, Modern Agricultural Zone, Agro-ecological Preservation Zone, Agro-ecological Tourism Zone, Quality Improvement Zone. Multi-objective management plans were formulated for optimizing multifunctional relationships within each zone. The analysis result reveals the importance of nutrient conditions and ecological environments for the sustainable management of cultivated land. Consequently, specific policy recommendations are proposed accordingly. This paper may not only advance understanding of the multifunctionality of cultivated land but can also provide valuable insights for land-use planning to ensure the judicious and sustainable management of cultivated land resources. • An "element coupling-function synergy" framework was introduced. • A Bayesian belief network was created to identify the functional trade-off/synergy. • Functional zoning helps to optimize functional relationships by adjusting elements. • The ecologic environment is vital to the cultivated land resources' sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A practical and feasible protection strategy for EC maintaining in highly urbanized areas was proposed. • Key patches for EC maintaining were identified by using stepping stone and complex network theories. • The protection rate for key patches by the new policies were assessed. Maintaining and restoring ecological connectivity (EC) are important measures of mitigating habitat isolation caused by urbanization. Considering the prominent contradiction of land use in highly urbanized areas, the EC protection measures proposed in the previous studies, such as expanding the ecological sources and widening the ecological corridors, are unrealistic. By using the stepping-stone and complex network theories, this paper simulated the ecological network (EN), evaluated the centrality of each ecological source and stepping-stone, and analysed the network robustness under different damage scenarios, then identified the optimal strategy and key patches for EC maintaining. Meanwhile, this paper evaluated whether the key patches are protected by China's new policies, which are, Ecological Protection Red Line (EPRL) and the Three Lines One Permit (TLOP). The results were as follows: (1) The EN is composed of 53 ecological sources and 291 stepping-stones, with 591 links between them. (2) The network stability can be optimally maintained by prioritizing the protection of stepping-stones with high centrality. (3) The 53 ecological sources and 51 stepping-stones with the highest centrality can ensure the stable operation of the EN, that is, they are key patches for EC maintaining. (4) Compared with EPRL, the protection rate for ecological sources and stepping-stones are significantly improved by TLOP; however, stepping-stones with high centrality require stronger protection. This study enriched the research cases of complex network theory applied in landscape ecology, and provided references for the improvement of policies in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mapping of highly dynamic changes in land use and land cover (LULC) can be hindered by various cloudy conditions with optical satellite images. These conditions result in discontinuities in high-temporal-density LULC mapping. In this paper, we developed an integrated time series mapping method to enhance the LULC mapping accuracy and frequency in cloud-prone areas by incorporating spectral-indices-fused deep models and time series reconstruction techniques. The proposed method first reconstructed cloud-contaminated pixels through time series filtering, during which the cloud masks initialized by a deep model were refined and updated during the reconstruction process. Then, the reconstructed time series images were fed into a spectral-indices-fused deep model trained on samples collected worldwide for classification. Finally, post-classification processing, including spatio-temporal majority filtering and time series refinement considering land–water interactions, was conducted to enhance the LULC mapping accuracy and consistency. We applied the proposed method to the cloud- and rain-prone Pearl River Delta (i.e., Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macao Greater Bay Area, GBA) and used time series Sentinel-2 images as the experimental data. The proposed method enabled seamless LULC mapping at a temporal frequency of 2–5 days, and the production of 10 m resolution annual LULC products in the GBA. The assessment yielded a mean overall accuracy of 87.01% for annual mapping in the four consecutive years of 2019–2022 and outperformed existing mainstream LULC products, including ESA WorldCover (83.98%), Esri Land Cover (85.26%), and Google Dynamic World (85.06%). Our assessment also reveals significant variations in LULC mapping accuracies with different cloud masks, thus underscoring their critical role in time series LULC mapping. The proposed method has the potential to generate seamless and near real-time maps for other regions in the world by using deep models trained on datasets collected globally. This method can provide high-quality LULC data sets at different time intervals for various land and water dynamics in cloud- and rain-prone regions. Notwithstanding the difficulties of obtaining high-quality LULC maps in cloud-prone areas, this paper provides a novel approach for the mapping of LULC dynamics and the provision of reliable annual LULC products. • Novel LULC mapping via indices-fused deep models and time series reconstruction. • High-temporal-density 10 m seamless LULC mapping in cloudy and rainy areas (PRD). • Overall mapping accuracy yielded up to 87.01%, outperforming existing LULC products. • Potential to generate seamless near real-time maps and high-quality LULC data sets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The "conflict-coordination" theoretical model of regional land use transitions put forward by Long (2022) offers a fresh perspective for understanding the process of regional land use and the decision-making dynamics involved. However, being a novel theory, empirical evidence supporting this theoretical model is currently lacking. Consequently, this paper aims to validate the theoretical model using the lower Yellow River basin in China as a case study, focusing on the interconversion between cropland and rural settlements. The findings reveal that the rural land use transitions primarily manifest as an initial conversion of cropland to rural settlements, followed gradually by the reverse conversion of rural settlements back to cropland. The conversion of cropland to rural settlements prior to 2015 are regarded as the land use conflict phase, resulting in conflicts between construction departments and cropland protection departments, and deviation from national cropland protection goals. The conversion of rural settlements to cropland between 2015 and 2020 is regarded as the land use conflict-coordination phase, which mitigated pressure on cropland protection and resolved conflicts between the above-mentioned departments. The land use conflict phase was driven by socio-economic factors such as urbanization and rural economic development, whereas the land use conflict-coordination phase was primarily driven by cropland protection policies. This paper effectively elucidates the "conflict-coordination" theoretical model of regional land use transitions and provides a framework for evaluating rural land management policies in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While chemical fertilizers and pesticides have significantly enhanced crop productivity per unit of land in China, the excessive utilization of these chemicals has led to a range of environmental issues that are not conducive to the sustainable development of China's agriculture. Controlling the use of fertilizers and pesticides in crop cultivation is therefore necessary and has been adopted as an action plan since 2015 in China. However, the effects of fertilizer and pesticide reductions have not been systematically investigated. This paper explores how yields and land use for rice, wheat, corn, and soybean cultivation shift when reducing their fertilizer and pesticide inputs using China's provincial crop-land integrated partial equilibrium model (the CPMCL model). Simulation results for different scenarios show that, among the studied crops, rice and wheat exhibit greater adaptability than corn and soybeans. Reducing the use of fertilizers and pesticides within the interval from 0% to 3.5% may increase the total demand of land resources for crop production from 0.220% to 4.21%. Limited land resources will be allocated to more profitable crops to maximize output, which means the land use for wheat production may increase over 20% while for rice, corn and soybean may decrease around 4% under the shock of fertilizer and pesticide reductions. Merely reducing fertilizer and pesticide inputs in crop cultivation may exacerbate the conflict between crop production and land resource conservation in China, which means the technology and efficiency of fertilizer and pesticide use needs to be improved. The findings of this paper can help formulate more province-specific and crop-targeted plans to properly reduce fertilizer and pesticide use, thus promoting sustainable land use while ensuring food security and protecting the environment. • China's provincial PE model integrates crop production and land use is formulated • Interrelationship between chemical inputs, land inputs, and crop yields is revealed • Impacts of fertilizer and pesticide reduction are analyzed nationally and provincially [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exploratory scenarios based on participatory approaches proved helpful in dealing with uncertainty and complexity in urban and transport systems. Such scenarios usually create coherent and manageable narratives that capture broad patterns and trends at global scales. However, significant difficulties exist in bridging exploratory scenario narratives with spatial and local realities, which is crucial for guiding policymaking in urban, regional, and mobility planning. This paper explores whether and how exploratory scenario narratives and participatory mapping processes can establish a reciprocal relationship, wherein narrative-based maps contribute to spatially shaping scenario narratives. It uses an experimental approach involving three participatory workshops with experts and local stakeholders specifically tailored to the mapping of land use and transportation-related scenario narratives for the year 2050 in the Henares Corridor (Madrid, Spain). The spatial transformations mapped during workshops have indicated that participatory mapping processes have an impact on scenario narratives in different ways, enabling the identification of three categories of mapping episodes with different meanings: (i) complementing narratives, (ii) expanding narratives, and (iii) modifying narratives. The paper closes by examining the implications of the obtained findings for policymaking, including a reflection on the research's limitations and potential for application in real-world planning processes. • It examines the impact of participatory mapping processes on scenario formulation. • It utilizes three mapping workshops involving experts and local stakeholders. • Results show transformations in land use and transport in exploratory scenario narratives. • It identifies mapping episodes complementing, expanding, and modifying scenarios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the urban character of Chinatown districts around the world, as a key example of an urban ethnic enclave, focusing on four large Chinatowns in San Francisco, Yokohama, Melbourne and Sydney. It advances knowledge about the spatial elements that define urban districts, a concept pioneered by Kevin Lynch. Existing literature on Chinatowns primarily explores the historically changing relationships between their Chinese migrant communities and their host cities, or the visual and physical character of individual cases. This paper develops new insights into how the built forms of these urban districts are similar to or different from their surroundings and from each other. It employs a methodology that combines space syntax analysis of street networks, morphological analysis of built form, land-use analysis, and mapping of visual character from street level. It examines the Chinatown districts' spatial extents in terms of contrasts between their spatial attributes and their wider urban surroundings. The findings develop a new taxonomy of Chinatowns based on their urban spatial characteristics. • Develops new methods to map and analyse the spatial character of urban districts • Compares Chinatowns' built form and street networks to their urban surroundings • Analyses Chinatowns' varying accessibility within the overall urban street network • Reveals how contemporary Chinatowns extend beyond their traditional boundaries • Compares four case study cities to identify a new spatial taxonomy of Chinatowns [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effective allocation of rural development rights is crucial for achieving the ambitious goal of rural revitalization. However, China's current urban-rural spatial development rights system, with its differentiated allocation logic, has suppressed rural development rights, hindering the successful implementation of rural revitalization policies. In response to these challenges, there is a pressing need to innovate the rural spatial governance model. This paper aims to construct a comprehensive framework for analyzing rural development rights, grounded in the spatial governance concept of "matter-organization-ownership". It explores the implementation path for rural development rights, encompassing spatial development and utilization rights, spatial value dominance rights, and spatial self-development rights. To illuminate the internal mechanisms driving the realization of rural development rights within a rural spatial governance context, this study focuses on empirical research conducted in Houwei village, Nanjing, China. The findings reveal that Houwei village has effectively mobilized diverse stakeholders, encouraging their active participation in the rural spatial governance system, particularly through the promotion of rural tourism. This innovative approach has integrated "top-down" spatial control transmission with a "bottom-up" spatial innovation model, catalyzing rural spatial development and utilization rights. Furthermore, the comprehensive governance of multidimensional space in Houwei village has clarified property rights over space, fostering the appreciation, realization, and circulation of rural space values, thus enhancing rural spatial value dominance rights. Additionally, the strengthened spatial relationship system has empowered local farmers to engage in self-organized learning, innovation, and development. By advocating for a comprehensive approach to rural spatial governance, this paper outlines an implementation path towards realizing rural development rights. It aims to provide valuable insights for refining rural revitalization strategies and practices, contributing to the overarching goal of sustainable rural development. • A conceptual framework for rural spatial development rights is formulated based on spatial governance principles. • Examining the trajectory of rural development rights through the lens of rural spatial governance. • Harmonizing land space utilization regulation with the underlying spatial governance imperatives in China. • Integrating both "bottom-up" and "top-down" approaches represents a contemporary pathway for rural development. • Facilitating the effective functioning of rural collective rights in China holds promise for rural development rights. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Loess Plateau is one of the most severely eroded areas in the world. The complexity of the multiple challenges facing the Loess Plateau entails the support of scientific and systematic innovations in land use. Based on technological innovation cluster (TIC) theory, this paper develops a self-circulation structure model for the TIC to analyze the hierarchical structure of the land-use innovations in the Loess Plateau. Then, employing the self-circulation structure model and taking the "Gully Land Consolidation Project" (GLCP) as a case study, this paper proposes one TIC-driven sustainable land use mode (TSLUM). A TIC has been developed among innovations in the TSLUM. The structure of TSLUM consists of three types of innovations: basic, related, and infrastructure innovations. Basic innovations are generally radical innovations that breed related, and infrastructure innovations. Diffusion-based and reversal-based mechanisms govern the evolution of the TSLUM. These two clustering mechanisms integrate with each other and jointly promote the development of the TSLUM in a self-circulation way. Furthermore, the TSLUM exhibits multiple functions, such as optimizing gully-slope interaction mechanism, providing continuous driving forces, consolidating the achievements of the "Grain for Green Project", bolstering rural livelihoods, and fostering some feasible ways for food security. The results obtained will be useful for advancing sustainable land use and regional sustainable development in the Loess Plateau via TICs effectively and systematically. ● A self-circulation structure model for technological innovation cluster is developed. ● A sustainable land use mode based on technological innovation cluster is proposed. ● Technological innovation cluster revealed in the study exhibits multiple functions. ● Regional sustainable development can be upheld by technological innovation cluster. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Land use is a crucial symbol of sustainable development. Rural homestead idleness is problem that is caused by market failure and related to the national economy and people's livelihood. (1) Background: Developing countries should use idle land to develop their economies. The government has introduced various land policies for the reuse of idle residential land to improve the land utilization rate. (2) Methods: This paper investigates players' behavior in reusing rural homesteads based on an improved dynamic game model. An improved tripartite evolutionary game model is developed by introducing principal-agent theory, which is the major contributor to behavioral investigation. MATLAB2022a is used to simulate the analysis to propose countermeasures and suggestions for optimizing homestead reuse. (3) Results: In this paper, it was found that disputes among participants about the sharing of reuse costs and the distribution of potential benefits constituted a potent system of explanatory coordinates that effectively revealed the hidden logic of homestead reuse. The government can strengthen incentives by providing dynamic subsidies linked with individual behavior. (4) Conclusions: Regardless of the initial probability, players will jointly reuse homesteads in the end. Local governments and rural collective economic organizations play an important role in reusing homesteads, so the carrot-and-stick approach supervised by local government is the key to maintaining the stability of cooperation. Moreover, under the concept of sustainable development, governments of all countries actively release the policy of reusing idle land to promote the utilization of resources. • The key of idle land reuse is to form economic contract between multiple parties. • Idle land reuse decision is a complex multi-party dynamic evolutionary game. • Government's participation can mediate conflicts between enterprises and farmers. • Government subsidy and regulation can motivate participants to cooperate. • Evidence from China provides new research path for land reuse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rise in length of haul (LOH) of business establishments and the associated greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are a major concern for planners and policymakers, require extensive investigation. This paper quantifies various factors like business age, gross floor area, employment, the build environment variable on LOH, and associated GHG emission using EBFS data. Survival analysis has been utilized for the analysis. The aggregated LOH model provides a comparative analysis of LOH across different industry sectors and demonstrate that gross floor area, business age, and employment are positively associated with LOH. Subsequently, disaggregated LOH models are reveal the influencing parameter of LOH of a particular industry category. Lastly, GHG models show the influence of fleet ownership level on GHG emissions across different industry sectors. The outcomes will be beneficial for planners and policymakers to develop industry-specific regulations on land use, employment restructuring, and subsidies for owning different types of commercial vehicles. • Effect of various establishment characteristics on length of haul (LOH), and associated GHG emission have been quantified. • Survival analysis has been utilized to determine the influencing factors of LOH and associated GHG emission. • Three different models: Aggregated industry sector model, Disaggregated industry sector model and GHG emission model have been developed. • The understanding of this research on LOH and associated emissions provides clear insights for urban planners about the factors resulting in enhanced LOH and emission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Semantic Segmentation is an important problem in many vision related tasks. Land use and land cover classification involves semantic segmentation of satellite imagery and plays a vital role in many applications. In this paper, we propose an extended U-Net architecture with dense decoder connections and attention mechanism for pixel wise classification of satellite imagery named Attention Dense U-Net (ADU-Net). We further evaluate the effect of different upsampling strategies in the decoder part of the U-Net architecture. We evaluate our models on the Gaofen Image Dataset (GID) for landcover classification consisting of five classes: built-up, forest, farmland, meadow and water. The experiments on the GID dataset show better performance than the previous approaches. Our proposed architecture delivers more than 4% higher mIoU and F1-score than the baseline U-Net. Moreover, our proposed architecture achieves an F1-score of 87.21% and mIoU of 77.66% on the GID dataset. Our evaluations shows that data-dependent upsampling layer achieves higher accuracy than the Transposed Convolution, Pixel Shuffle and Bilinear upsampling layers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pressure is increasing globally to deliver integrated land use at large spatial scales (10–100 s km2) to address the climate and biodiversity emergencies through delivery of nature-based solutions. There is also pressure to decentralise land use decision-making to sub-national levels of government and multi-stakeholder partnerships, with the aim of improving policy targeting, coordination and participation. Whilst there has been significant research on these issues at smaller spatial and administrative scales, it is limited at larger scales. This paper addresses this gap, investigating whether the introduction of additional regional institutions can help address these challenges. It draws insights from Scotland's decade old Land Use Strategy (LUS) and evolving Regional Land Use Partnerships (RLUPs) that aim to mitigate climate change through encouraging improved and integrated land use and land management. We find that despite considerable stakeholder support, such approaches may not deliver on their ambitions. An overarching finding relates to the importance of political commitment to implementation at these larger scales, which is crucial for establishing clear objectives, giving regions authority to respond to regional priorities, and ensuring adequate resourcing. This affects buy-in from stakeholders and the resolution of policy coordination challenges that the partnerships are meant to address. It has wider implications for the delivery of national climate policies, given the importance of land management in most climate change strategies. The insights, and the analytical framework used, are relevant for any country grappling with the challenge of implementing nature-based solutions at ever larger scales whilst bridging local and national land use priorities. • Regional integrated land use planning in Scotland evaluated and wider lessons drawn. • Clear objectives, transfer of powers, and resourcing key to regional land use planning. • Political commitment is crucial in overcoming delivery challenges at this scale. • Approaches to scaling up integrated land use need to account for politics. • These lessons are important in global efforts to scale up nature-based solutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fragmented agriculture land use remains a policy concern in Rwanda. In response to this, since 2008, land use consolidation (LUC) has been at the central of the agricultural intensification as a component of the Crop Intensification Programme (CIP). It is designed to reduce poverty and ensure national food and nutrition security. Despite emerging positive LUC's effects, fragmented land use persists especially more on the hillside than the marshlands. Existing studies assessing the effectiveness and impacts of LUC have so far generated a mixed and opposing evidence. To enlighten on the current status and dynamics of LUC, this paper has used a systematic review of research conducted to take stock of available empirical evidence on LUC's impacts across economic, food and nutrition security, and environmental and climate change resilience outcomes. Our results substantiate that none of the identified case studies has provided a strong basis to establish the overall effectiveness and impact of land use consolidation. Existing studies have only addressed some constituents of LUC and impacts on certain outcomes while leaving others unpacked. This leaves the studies vulnerable to potential biases, leading consequently to under or overestimate of LUC's effects. Going forward, we stress a need for a comprehensive impact study, specifically designed for a comprehensive empirical evaluation of LUC, taking into account its overall policy and development ecosystem. This will help to establish the achieved impact and inform a clear direction of its future interventions contributing to sustainable agriculture transformation agenda of Rwanda. • This paper is about land use consolidation in Rwanda. • Land use consolidation is designed to reduce poverty and ensure national food and nutrition security • The paper has used a systematic review of existing studies to investigate the effectiveness of land use consolidation • None of the existing case studies has established the effectiveness and impact of land use consolidation •.A more comprehensive impact study of LUC is needed considering overall policy and development ecosystem in Rwanda [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Socio-economic factors are more important than risks in the allocation of RMT budget. • More affluent regions and areas of relatively high welfare spend more for the RMT. • Regions with high agricultural VA and more permanent crops land spend less on the RMT. • The income stabilization capacity of direct payments is an alternative to risk management. • The institutional environment and political economy processes have a key role in the allocation of budget. This paper analyses the factors influencing public expenditure on the EU's Risk Management Toolkit comparing six types of regional-level spatial autoregressive models, and finding that there is a predominance of socio-economic factors over risk and agro-ecological factors in the allocation of budget. Higher expenditure occurs in more affluent regions and in areas with clusters of relatively high welfare. Conversely, regions with high agricultural value added and a greater presence of permanent crops spend less on the Risk Management Toolkit, indicating a trade-off with private risk management products (e.g. insurance) and on-farm practices. A higher intensity of CAP subsidies tends to reduce expenditure on the Risk Management Toolkit, indicating that the income stabilization capacity of direct payments might be an alternative to risk management and indicating a substitution between policies. Moreover, a strong spatial dependence of the regional expenditures indicates a key role of the higher-level institutional environment and political economy processes in the allocation of budget. The paper concludes deriving policy implications for the new CAP reform which is characterized by higher flexibility in deciding what policy instruments to implement at the territorial level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a method for generating urban blocks. Urban blocks are the basis from which urban processes are modelled and assessments of the current situation are made. The proposed method allows with the additional land use data, clustering algorithms and computational operations to obtain a more complete representation of urban blocks. The resulting refined blocks are more suitable for modelling and assessing processes of urban environmental change. Huge blocks (most often encountered outside the city) are divided by the cluster of buildings into smaller blocks that are connected to the road network, which allows them to be considered as full-fledged blocks and not only as a group of buildings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• We investigate driving forces of different land-use types to BSD. • Diversified machine learnings are proposed for spatial interpolation fusion. • Hotspot detection establishes sampling points for reducing the MAUP effect. • Fusion models improve the interpolation performance: accuracy and stability. • Word clouds identifies predominant facility names in each land-use type. Land use plays a crucial role in promoting the bike-sharing demand. Traditionally, studies on bike-sharing demand (BSD) are mainly focused on its prediction through regression methods, but the influence of MAUP (modifiable areal unit problem) in modeling is ignored. This paper aims to model spatial BSD distribution and prove the driving forces of different land use types to BSD through a machine-learning-based multiple interpolation fusion method. The hotspot detection model is employed to establish sample points covering different land use types in urban areas. In order to capture the differences in adaptations among different urban regions and for different data sizes, six machine learning methods are applied and evaluated to improve BSD estimation by fusing five spatial interpolation algorithms, including Inverse Distance Weight, Spline, Kriging, Natural Neighborhood and Trend. The methodological verification of Beijing City shows that the fusion models improve the estimation performance compared with individual interpolation algorithms, and that GRNN (generalized regression neural network) method is superior to all the others. According to fitting results of all POIs based on the GRNN fusion model, we identify which types of facilities correspond to customers that will have a stronger preference for bike-sharing and demonstrate which facility names are more prominent in each land use type. The conclusions presented here enrich our understanding relationships between land-use and BSD, which provide a valuable foundation for the bike-sharing development. Compared with implementing regression in an analysis zone or a square grid, troubles caused by the MAUP are effectively solved through this method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, many efforts have been concentrated on land use land cover (LULC) classification due to rapid urbanization, environmental pollution, agriculture drought, frequent floods, and climate change. However, various aspects have attracted hyperspectral imaging due to there being informative discriminative features, such as spectral-spatial features. To this end, this paper is a comprehensive and systematic review of LULC classification using hyperspectral images by reviewing four significant research investigations. Moreover, the four investigations have addressed the following points: (1) the main components of the hyperspectral imaging, the modes of hyperspectral imaging with data acquisition methods, and the intrinsic differences between hyperspectral image and multispectral image, (2) the role of machine learning in LULC classification, and the standard deep learning methods: Convolution Neural Network (CNN), Stacked Autoencoder (SAE), Deep Belief Network (DBN), Recurrent Neural Network (RNN), and Generative Adversarial Network (GAN), (3) the standard benchmark hyperspectral datasets and the evaluation criteria, (4) the main challenges of LULC classification with the possible solutions for the limited training samples issue, the promising future directions, and finally the recent applications for LULC classification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Advances in automotive engineering have brought about a range of new vehicle technologies, such as automation, connectivity and electrification, which are expected to have multiple effects on different aspects of people's lives and have the potential of radically transforming the transportation status quo. This paper explores the effects that such new technologies can have on land use by employing a Land Use and Transportation Interaction (LUTI) modelling approach. A new methodology is developed to simulate the effects of automation, connectivity and electrification on accessibility and to conduct a sensitivity analysis. The analysis is carried out on a regional scale to determine the effects of the new technologies on multiple cities that form a region. The case study for this application is the region of the West Midlands (UK). The results suggest that new vehicle technologies can affect accessibility, population and employment in the cities of the region, the region itself, as well as the peripheral zones beyond the boundary of the region in a 15-year modelling period. Most notably, the two main urban cores of the region are found to not lose their financial power, despite increases in employment opportunities and population density in more rural outskirts. The increased accessibility also results in the relocation of lower-income households to places with lower housing rent. The sensitivity analysis shows that these findings are mostly impacted by changes in road capacity (which is expected to be generally higher as a result of these new technologies), as well as different penetration levels in the fleet. • Regional accessibility increases with the existence of new vehicle technologies. • Activity is affected from vehicle automation, connectivity and electrification. • The centres of the largest cities will not lose their financial power. • Activity increases in the peripheral zones of the cities, indicating urban sprawl. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dynamic monitoring and prediction of ecosystem service value (ESV) under land utilization change is of great significance to maintaining regional ecological security. In order to enrich the study of ESV changes in plateau region by using the improved equivalent factor method of unit area value, the western Sichuan Plateau was taken as the research object. In this paper, given the land use data of the western Sichuan Plateau in 2000, 2010 and 2020, efforts have been made to construct the suitability image collection of the study area and to amend the CA-Markov model as to predict the land use pattern in 2030. In addition, the improved ESV evaluation model was constructed to study the spatial and temporal dynamic variation features of ESV. The results showed that: Woodland and grassland are the main types of land utilization in the study area. There are frequent interchanges between various land utilization types. The overall reduction of ESV, decrease of 3.4917 × 109 yuan/a, mainly due to the conversion of woodland to other land types. The high-value areas of ESV in the study area are closely tied to rivers. Two areas with high ESV value were formed in the study area. The findings of the study enriched the research system of land use and ecosystem service value in the plateau region, provided basic data for the construction of regional ecological security pattern, and enhanced regional sustainable development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• This paper provides insights into early 20th century Canadian planning in the city of Vancouver. • Using a lens of land use and property, it identifies key planning actors and philosophies. • It reveals discursive/moral relationships that emerged to define liberal categories of land use. • People and geographies were placed outside such categories and primed for intervention. • The paper suggests a path forward for transforming land use planning under liberal democracy. Urban land use planning is an indispensable, albeit mundane, tool of urban governance under liberal democracy in Canada and elsewhere. Such planning mediates between a multitude of competing public and private interests in relation to land, and has often been concerned with the optimization and ordering of privately propertied parcels toward their highest and best use for a so-called common good. The (often unequal and marginalizing) effects of such planning have garnered much scrutiny within urban geographical scholarship, even as the relationships and ideologies underpinning the origins of land use control in the early 20th century have attracted less attention. In this paper, I look to the roots of land use planning in Vancouver, Canada. I identify key actors and unpack the philosophies that influenced such planning at the national and local scales. In doing so, I show how three sets of discursive/moral relationships between property and planning, citizenship and propriety, and waste and improvement , emerged to define a liberal category of "land use." Such relationships were entrenched in Vancouver's planning system through legal means, as well as programs aimed at educating officials and citizens on the importance of land use control through zoning. I show how the land use planning process identified people and geographies of concern and placed them outside the normative urban vision of planners and civic officials, priming them for planning-led intervention and/or elimination. In doing so, I seek to expand geographical understandings of land use planning and suggest ways forward for those seeking to unearth and dismantle entrenched and privately propertied land use planning regimes under liberal democracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transport scenario building is often used to examine alternative future narratives when there is considerable uncertainty or when business-as-usual is no longer appropriate. However, the potential of scenario-building narratives to achieve a more-effective integration of land use and transport in policymaking remains understudied. This paper analyses groups of factors that influence the effectiveness of scenario-building narratives to trigger interaction processes between planning actors and thus facilitate land use and transport integration. The research uses an experimental approach based on three parallel academically constructed cases -co-creation environments with planning actors tightly controlled by researchers to explore causality. The Henares Corridor in the Madrid Metropolitan Area, Spain serves as case study. The results indicate that higher degrees of land use and transport integration are achieved when the use of scenario-building narratives facilitates complex interactions among planning actors, who employ factors from various deliberation layers (internal, individual, and global). However, the degree of land use and transport integration decreases when scenario-building narratives are paired with simpler interactions, where factors from one or two deliberation layers dominate. The paper closes by examining the implications of the obtained findings for policymaking, including a reflection on the research design validity, its limitations, and potential for application in real-life experiments. • It explores the effectiveness of 2050 narratives to facilitate land use and transport integration. • Three academically constructed cases are used, involving several planning actors. • A multi-layer framework is used to identify factors affecting to the narratives' effectiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the most basic travel mode of residents, walking trip takes place more frequently in residential districts. It is of great significance to study the land use characteristics of the residential district suitable for walking in order to create a good walking environment and land use model. In this paper, 18 residential blocks in Xi'an are taken as the research object, based on the relevant data of the pedestrian flow rate and land use of residential blocks, this paper analyzes the interactive relationship between the non-commuting hours during the week, the commuting hours during the week and the weekends by using the multiple linear regression model, and the land use characteristics of residential blocks under the guidance of walking trip are revealed. The results show that the land use factors related to pedestrian flow rate are mainly 9 factors, such as building density, buildings mixing degree, mixing degree of business functions and density of functional formats. In different hours, walking trips have different demands on various elements of land use. During the non-commuting hours during the week, the demand for walking trips for building density, mixing degree of business functions, density of functional formats and footpath area ratio is large. During the commuting hours during the week, the demand for walking trips for buildings mixing degree, density of functional formats, road network connectivity, and green area ratio of footpath is large. During the weekends, the demand for building density, density of functional formats, road network density, and footpath density is large. Through the above analysis, the optimization strategy is proposed for residential blocks in Xi 'an, which provides a theoretical basis for the optimization and transformation of the space environment of residential blocks to promote walking trip. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The reform of collective land ownership in post-socialist contexts offers a useful window into how changes in property rights shape and structure the dynamics of territorial transformation. Focusing on China's rural revitalization campaign, this paper demonstrates how the state, as creator and regulator of land rights and property titles, facilitates landscape change by relaxing regulations over the lease of rural land and creating market institutions that favour land transfers to organized capital, in this case tourism companies and property developers. Far from being a spontaneous process of pure market forces and consumer demand, the state is actively harnessing market forces to achieve land use change and extend planning control over rural land. On the ground, the expanding presence of recreational capital has brought about the remaking of Chinese villages into leisure farms, holiday guesthouses and ecological parks geared towards touristic consumption. The paper calls for further attention to processes of exclusion and displacement that this transformation might engender. By exploring the dynamics of rural gentrification in a post-socialist context, this paper makes the case for the need to pay more attention to the comparative study of property rights and ownership regimes in rural gentrification research, and highlights how the intersection of property rights and state power reveals nuances that underscore the importance of going beyond Western conceptualizations of gentrification. • Comparative study of property rights is important for gentrification research. • Examines nexus of state power and property rights transformation in gentrification. • Marketization of rural land in China facilitates gentrification in the countryside. • Tourism and recreational capital contributing to revalorization of rural landscapes. • Shows comparative nuances of a gentrification theory for the rural Global South. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• This paper investigated 10 different Chinese cities. • It investigated current status of C&D waste management in China. • Eight major challenges limiting the promotion of waste management were found. • Recommendations were provided for the policy makers. China produced a large amount of construction and demolition (C&D) waste, owing to the rapid development of construction industry. Although a set of policies and regulations are being drafted in China for promoting C&D waste recycling, execution of these policies in practice seems to be far from effective. Currently, approximately 75% of Chinese cities are still surrounded by large volumes of C&D waste. Therefore, identification of challenges in the development of C&D waste management, specially recycling, is essential. This paper employs site visits to 10 recycling plants in 10 Chinese cities (Shanghai, Hangzhou, Suzhou, Chongqing, Chengdu, Xi'an, Changsha, Shenzhen, Nanjing, and Zhoukou) and interviews with 25 industry practitioners for examining the challenges. Eight challenges are identified: (1) unstable source of C&D waste for recycling, (2) absence of subsidies for recycling activities and high cost for land use, (3) insufficient attention paid to design for waste minimisation, (4) absence of regulations on on-site sorting, (5) unregulated landfill activities, (6) a lack of coordination among different government administration departments, (7) a lack of accurate estimation of waste quantity and distribution, and (8) a lack of an effective waste tracing system. Recommendations to address these challenges are presented. The results of this study are expected to aid policy makers in formulation of proper C&D waste management in China and provide a useful reference for researchers who are interested in C&D waste recycling industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Blue/ Green infrastructure for Flood Risk Management has a positive impact on land markets reflected through Damage Costs Avoided and improved urban quality. • There is a variety of Land Value Capture that can be used to facilitate access to land and funds for Blue/ Green Infrastructure implementation by capturing incremented land values in and off-site. • Transfer of Development Rights instrument used for land conservation provides a new research area for Blue/ Green Infrastructure facilitation. • Critical Success Factors for Transfer of Development Rights programs include high demand for bonus development, sustainable receiving areas, TDR Banks, refining market evaluations, TDR facilitation and minimizing transaction costs. In 2019 floods made up 49 % of disasters and 43 % of disaster related deaths globally. Flooding is also the costliest natural disaster, with yearly estimated losses of $36.3 billion. In order to counter these challenges, the flood risk management (FRM) narrative is evolving towards integration of blue/green infrastructure (BGI), using projects that harness nature and mimic natural processes. However, there is very little research into how BGI-related innovations will be mainstreamed, nor, particularly, how they will be funded. In order to reflect upon this situation, this paper analyses current academic literature and international best practice in BGI and Land Value Capture (LVC) instruments - to form a novel conceptual framework that is designed to act as a staging post for new research into BGI and its practical delivery. Specifically, this analysis focuses on the Transferable Development Rights (TDR) instrument, which has enabled some planning authorities to successfully push forward their environmental agendas, through land conservation, including in flood prone areas. This gap in knowledge has multiple significance. Firstly, land management decisions related to BGI can have deep distributive-justice implications that need to be addressed. Secondly, there is an immediate need to pay for such FRM measures across the world. Thirdly, this financial imperative takes place against an international backdrop of reduced government funding in a time of deep structural change and Covid-19 pressure. Findings in this paper suggest that TDR has the potential to be a successful conduit for managing all three conditions. Yet, the success of TDR is closely linked to the specific legal, market and urban development contexts, which further research should explore within the framework of BGI implementation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Digitisation and automation are expected to change the transport system and settlement structures in a disruptive way. Due to new developments in sensor and communication technology different business models of automated vehicles (AV) - such as private AV, car-sharing-AV, ride-sharing-AV and public transport-AV – are likely to enter the transport market. Further, different penetration rates of AVs, extension of user groups (elderly and young, people without driving licenses etc.), different cost scenarios of AV veh-kms, parking regimes/fees, etc. will have significant impact on future transport demand. The objective of the work presented in this paper was to develop a simulation-based approach to analyse the potential impacts of different vehicle automation scenarios in Austria. A multitude of complex cause-effect-chains and feedback loops characterise the relationship between AV take up, travel demand and environmental effects. The method of System Dynamics (SD) is designed to deal with such complexities. As a first step the qualitative method of Causal Loop Diagrams (CLD) was used to identify all potential automation related factors influencing the attractiveness of car and public transport use. In a second step the identified factors were coded into an operational version of the Stock-Flow based land use and transport interaction model MARS (Metropolitan Activity Relocation Simulator). As a third step sensitivity tests and scenarios were defined and simulated. Finally the resulting quantitative impacts were assessed and discussed. In this paper we describe briefly how MARS was adapted to be able to simulate the effects of different AV-take up rates on the national level of Austria. Simulation results are presented for the scenario elements road capacity, remote parking, value of travel time, access for new user groups in the business models private car, car-sharing and ride-sharing and automation of the first and last mile in public transport. The results show that with a fleet share of 90% of private AVs in 2050, the nationwide changes in veh-kms travelled are between −2% (impact on road capacity) and +22 percent (new user groups in the case of AVs as private cars). An uncontrolled market take-up of AVs into the transport system will very likely increase the dependency on motorized transport, veh-kms driven and related emissions. Compensating policies have to be implemented in parallel to avoid un-sustainable developments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper develops a scenario analysis and visualization tool for an Integrated Transport, Land-Use and Energy (iTLE) model to spatially analyze and predict changes in transport and land-use environment. The decision support tool operates by taking the iTLE model output data as input which includes residential location of households, individuals' characteristics, and vehicle fleet information. Use of the tool is showcased through a scenario analysis of a 'business as usual (BAU)' projection versus a 'COVID-19 pandemic scenario' for Halifax, Canada. Agent-based microsimulation explores the possible future changes in households' socio-demographic characteristics and travel behaviour in the post-pandemic time. Forecasting up to the year 2025 and comparing between BAU and pandemic scenario shows that, many of the lower median income areas in the BAU projection are estimated to have a much lower median income under the COVID-19 scenario. Furthermore, the COVID-19 scenario only slightly decreases the proportion of the overall population with a transit pass. Under the pandemic scenario, the percentage of households with three or more cars experiences significant growth in urban and suburban areas. Outcomes of this study will offer policymakers a greater understanding of the transformation pattern of urban and suburban neighborhoods in the post-pandemic period. The developed iTLE VIZ tool will allow planners to formulate complex transport and land-use scenarios and simulate them for examining urban systems transformation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increasingly waste materials or soft soil dredged from sea or river have to be used as fill materials for land reclamation. Although preloading using prefabricated vertical drains (PVDs) has been commonly used as the treatment method for soft soil, this method is time consuming as it can only be applied after all the fill materials have been placed. In this paper, a conceptual design for land reclamation using a horizontal drainage enhanced geotextile sheet (HDeGs) method combined with vacuum preloading is proposed. Large-scale model tests are carried out to verify the effectiveness of the HDeGs method. The proposed method is also compared with the existing prefabricated horizontal drain (PHD) method and the advantages and disadvantages of the HDeGs with vacuum preloading method are discussed. This study has demonstrated that the proposed HDeGs method is not only effective, but also more efficient compared with the PVD or PHD methods, as it can reduce substantially the construction time required for land reclamation. • A new vacuum preloading method for land reclamation of soft soil using horizontal drains combined was proposed. • The effectiveness of the proposed soil improvement method was investigated using three large scale model tests. • The performance of two types of horizontal drains was evaluated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Estimates the capitalized value of pedestrian infrastructure and amenity access. • Supplements walkability measures with new data gathered from images. • Demonstrates application of computer vision in gathering street-level data. • Value of proximal amenities reliant on personal access to pedestrian infrastructure. Walkability describes the efficiency and pleasure of walking in an area and is an aspect of urban design that has received much attention. Frequently used measures of walkability largely ignore the quality of nearby pedestrian pathing, such as sidewalks, in quantifying walkability. This paper expands upon the literature's understanding of walkability by supplementing current measures of walkability with data gathered from street-level images using computer vision techniques. Using hedonic methods and a sample of almost 60,000 house transactions in Ohio, I find that nearby establishments are an amenity capitalized into home prices only when there also exists access to adequate pedestrian pathing, and that walkability measures derived from computer vision methods contain information not found in other commonly used measures of walkability. With cities increasingly pushing towards creating more walkable neighborhoods, this paper provides evidence that walkable space is indeed valued by residents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Construct a correlation model of land use transition and ecological restoration in karst mountain areas of Southwest China. • Reveal the feedback mechanism and coupled correlation model of land use transition and ecological restoration in karst mountain areas of Southwest China. • Use a long-time series of data to explore the evolution of land use transition and ecological restoration in case areas. Land use transition (LUT) impacts regional land use and the ecological environment. To reveal LUT and its ecological effects in karst mountain areas (KMA) of Southwest China, this paper first constructs a correlation model between LUT and ecological restoration in the region and carries out an example verification in the typical KMA, the Huajiang Canyon. The study demonstrates that: (1) LUT has occurred in KMA of Southwest China, mainly, the area of sloping cropland has decreased, and the forest land has increased. Land use patterns have shifted from traditional farming to modernized economic and fruit forestry; (2) The driving forces of LUT in KMA of Southwest China can be summarized into three factors: socio-economic, natural, and policy, among which natural factors are the basic conditions of LUT, socio-economic factors play a decisive role in the process of LUT, and policy factors provide policy guarantee for LUT; (3) LUT in KMA of Southwest China has curbed land degradation, promoted ecosystem restoration, and made a certain contribution making China greener, which is conducive to achieving the goal of sustainable development. This paper explores the characteristics of LUT and its driving forces in KMA of Southwest China from the coupling analysis of LUT and ecosystem, reveals the effects of LUT in KMA of Southwest China, and provides some theoretical references for the balance between high-quality development and ecological protection in KMA of Southwest China from the perspective of LUT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]