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Achieving sustainable land use is one of the most important ways to achieve regional socio-economic sustainable development. We have collected 12 papers in this special issue “Sustainable Land Use in China” to show the varied application of sustainable land use studies and to provide meaningful decision-making information and policy implications for land use planners. We summarize the contributions to this special issue on sustainable land use and place them in perspective. Several studies focus on sustainable urban land use, some focus on sustainable rural land use, and others on environmental issues on land use. These studies have analyzed a broad array of topics related to land use, including the dynamic changes and driving forces of land use spatial patterns, sustainable land use, land use policy and optimization, and the environmental problems related to certain types of land use.

Evaluation of sustainability is the core of research on sustainable land use. To a certain extent, traditional social, economic and ecological evaluation for sustainable land use can be regarded as an appraisal on the temporal scale without evaluation of spatial patterns. Landscape ecology can help to realize spatial evaluation for sustainable land use. In this paper, we construct landscape ecological indicators for evaluating sustainable coastal land use from the aspects of landscape productivity, threats and stability, to realize a synthetic temporal-spatial evaluation. These cover the five pillars of sustainable land use, i.e. productivity, security, protection, viability and acceptability. The results of applying landscape ecological evaluation to a case study in Wudi County in China show that land use sustainability is somewhat low and there are great regional differences between its 11 villages. We classified the 11 villages into 5 grades: strong sustainable land use, sustainable land use, weak sustainable land use, weak unsustainable land use, and strong unsustainable land use. Each grade has different land use characteristics and differs in the counter-measures required. But the core countermeasures in all the grades are to improve landscape productivity, to reduce human threats and to optimize landscape patterns.

The issue of ensuring the sustainable development of mankind today is recognized as one of the most pressing issues facing society. The purpose of the study is to generalize the features of sustainable land using, identify the main problems of sustainable use of agricultural land in Ukraine and the key ways to solve them. The paper summarizes the key stages of the formation of prerequisites for sustainable land using, systematizes documents and events to create a model of sustainable development, highlights the basic principles and goals of sustainable agricultural land use, in accordance with the concept of sustainable development. The authors emphasize that the practical implementation of the concept of sustainable agricultural land use requires prioritization of agricultural land, especially environmental, as well as increasing the responsibility of agricultural businesses for disturbing the ecological balance and excessive anthropogenic pressure on land resources. It is noted that in Ukraine there is an irrational structure of land use, which is environmentally dangerous. The main problems of sustainable agricultural land use development are highlighted. The authors note that in recent years in Ukraine there have been negative trends in the development of processes that significantly affect agricultural land use. The most acute environmental problems are the development of degradation processes in the arable lands of Ukraine, which are continuous, regional or local in nature. The authors argue that the decline in the natural potential of agricultural land in Ukraine is becoming an even more serious threat to the sustainable development of land use than environmental problems. The priority directions of development of sustainable land use in Ukraine are offered, which will allow passing to the model of sustainable agricultural land use.

Currently, the problems of sustainable and rational land use are becoming relevant in most countries of the world. Ukraine is no exception. And these issues have become extremely urgent as a result of russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. In view of this, the purpose of the article is to study and summarize the international experience in the development of the system of sustainable and rational land use; identification of modern problems of land use in the conditions of the legal regime of martial law in Ukraine and ways to solve them. To achieve this purpose, the following general scientific methods were used: analysis and synthesis, induction and deduction, component analysis, comparison, analogy, classification, statistical analysis, expert survey, bibliometric analysis, trend analysis (using the Google Trends), structural and logical generalization. A bibliometric and trend analysis of the relationship between the terms «sustainable land use» and «rational land use» is carried out. On the basis of the study and generalization of international experience, specific features and differences in the development of the system of sustainable land use in some countries of the world have been identified. A statistical analysis of indicators of land use development in Ukraine in the pre-wartime period is carried out. The problems, threats and risks of land use associated with hostilities on the territory of Ukraine are identified. The experience of implementing national land restoration policies by countries affected by hostilities is analyzed. It is determined that the current economic conditions in Ukraine require the creation of appropriate institutional conditions and the improvement of mechanisms for ensuring sustainable land use, taking into account the specifics of wartime. As a result of the study, it is proved that in order to ensure sustainable and rational land use in Ukraine, taking into account the best world practices that are used in most countries of the world, it is necessary to develop a set of provisions and recommendations of a theoretical, methodological and practical nature.

Evaluating the effectiveness of sustainable urban land use in China from the perspective of sustainable urbanization

Aim of the studyThe purpose of the study is to consider the issue of sustainable land use in Ukraine, taking into account the consequences of the war. The legal definition of sustainable land use is currently not sufficiently justified and balanced. In Ukraine today, the paradigm of sustainable (balanced) land use is still being formed, and the Land Policy Strategy for the management of land resources and land use should be based on it.Material and methodsThe method of analysis is used to determine the possibilities of a more rapid development of the socially oriented market economy after the war. This can happen thanks to the deepening of the theoretical foundations of the rational use of land resources (the synthesis method), optimization of the economic, social and ecological components of land use (deduction method), which in turn will contribute to increasing the socio - economic efficiency of the use and reproduction of the productive potential of Ukraine's lands in the post-war period (system approach).Results and conclusionsIt was determined that sustainable (balanced) land use should be understood as a system of organizing the use and protection of land and other natural resources and biodiversity and corresponding land relations corresponding to the relations of social development, in which the optimal relationship between social, ecological and economic factors of land use development is achieved. The essence of the research component of the institutionalization of balanced land use is disclosed. A paradigm of views on sustainable land use is formulated, taking into account the consequences of the war in Ukraine.

In today’s conditions, issues related to the ecology and sustainability of natural ecosystems and their components are becoming more relevant. It should be noted that the main driving force affecting the use of land resources is climate change. The demand for land will only grow. At the same time, sustainable (balanced) land use, which is carried out on the basis of sustainable development, equally concerns not only ensuring the protection and maintenance of land potential for future generations, but also providing social and economic opportunities today. Comprehensive spatial development plans for territorial communities are a strategic tool for ensuring effective management of territories. They must not only meet the current needs of the population, economy and infrastructure, but also form the basis for sustainable land use in the long term. In this context, it is important to integrate the principles of land management, which are based on scientific justification for the distribution of land for specific purposes, taking into account state, public and private interests. In addition, comprehensive spatial planning of the development of territorial communities in the face of modern environmental challenges requires the integration of strategic environmental assessment as a key tool for ensuring sustainable development. The growth of anthropogenic load, degradation of natural resources and the consequences of military actions require an objective assessment of the state of the environment, analysis of the potential impacts of planning decisions and the search for alternative approaches that minimize the negative impact on ecosystems. Effective strategic environmental assessment will contribute to the adoption of balanced decisions that will ensure environmental safety, biodiversity conservation and compliance with the goals of sustainable development of territorial communities. It is obvious that sustainable land use, for example, for forestry lands and sustainable use of forest resources are interconnected, since they relate to the use of natural resources that are in an inextricable organic connection. Therefore, the simultaneous integrated use of natural resources, inextricably linked to land, carried out at the level of sustainable nature management, is an important object of planning territorial development, environmental safety, and rational use of land resources. In this regard, the subordination of the legal regime of forestry lands to the legal regime of forests growing on these lands becomes important. In this case, the role of recreational and health-improving forests, which perform mainly recreational, sanitary, hygienic, health-improving functions and are located on relevant lands that require special protection at the level of comprehensive spatial development plans, is actualized in the planning process.

Exploring the relationship between new-type urbanization and sustainable urban land use: Evidence from prefecture-level cities in China

Introduction. Science and practice are faced with the need for a balanced revision of ideological, theoretical and methodological foundations of agricultural land use. The formation of a new philosophy and methodology of sustainable agricultural land use in Ukraine opens the possibility of applying its results not only for effective regulation of land relations, but also the organization of protection and rational use of land, definition and justification of economic and organizational measures to restore their productivity. Sustainable agricultural land use requires taking into account economic, environmental and social factors that significantly affect the condition of land, their productivity, and at the same time the efficiency of agricultural formations. The purpose of the article is to highlight the main aspects of sustainable development in the field of agriculture in the formation of sustainable land use, to clarify promising areas for economic, social and environmental dimensions of sustainability. The article is devoted to the definition of the basic principles, system of indicators on which the conceptual bases of formation of agricultural land use through the prism of sustainable development are based. Problems and modern tendencies of development of agricultural land use in the conditions of land reform are revealed. The complexity and versatility of sustainable agricultural land use necessitates systemic and process-functional approaches to its formation. The basic scientific principles, concepts and the proposed system of indicators that reflect the functioning of land use - give a systematic idea of the formation of sustainable agricultural land use. The functioning of sustainable agricultural land use will not only increase soil fertility, rational land use and positive impact on the environment, but also allow to obtain environmentally friendly products, the need for which is due to negative socio-demographic processes. Key words: sustainable development, agricultural land use, aspects of sustainability, rational use.

Background . Land use is essential in many environmental and socio-economic problems of society. The main form of land management is public management. Public management (or administration) in the field of rational management, use, and protection of land means that the state, in the person of its competent bodies, establishes certain rules and regulations regarding the organization of the use of all land resources of the country and its individual parts (categories of land, types of land use and etc.). Public administration lays the foundations of relations that should serve the protection, preservation, and careful use of land resources and be committed to the principle of sustainable development. The essence of the formation and development of sustainable land use is that all its subjects are included in this process. They must understand that it is necessary to abandon land redistribution if it is not necessary. Since the policy of sustainable land use is gaining more and more attention and importance both in the world and in Ukraine, the purpose of the article is to research and analyze the theoretical foundations of sustainable land use as an object of public management. The research object was sustainable land use. Methods . This publication is based on the use of general and special research methods. The analysis was used to clarify the condition of land management in Ukraine, and synthesis was used to summarize the obtained evidence in order to develop recommendations. The systematic approach was used to study the challenges in the field of modern land use. The normative-value method made it possible to consider the issue of restoring sustainable land use in the postwar period in a multi-level management system. Results . The analysis of sustainable land use made it possible to define the concept of sustainable land use, identify the factors affecting such land use, and consider the stages of the formation of sustainable land use in the multi-level management system. In particular, certain hierarchies of levels of sustainable land use administration were established, namely conceptual, ideological, political, and economic. Each level determines the conceptual mechanisms of actions in relation to land resources. Among the factors of influence on sustainable land use, those due to economic, natural, ecological, legal, technological, and social nature were distinguished. However, urbanization and cultural worldviews have also influenced the sustainable use and management of land resources. At the same time, understanding the jurisdiction of public managers, setting clear goals, developing initiatives for these goals, monitoring and evaluating progress, reporting, and cooperating and partnering were determined as the relevant stages of forming sustainable land use in a multi-level management system. Сonclusions . Thus, sustainable land use requires the involvement of all parties interested in land use, taking into account their needs and supporting the broader cultural, economic, environmental, legal, political, technological, and social frameworks. In addition, the state needs to increase the category of nature conservation lands by creating parks, nature reserves, etc. At the legislative level, it is necessary to establish the principle of land use for the purpose of carrying out economic activities only on developed lands where there is a housing stock and developed infrastructure.

Can computer models stimulate learning about sustainable land use? Experience with LUPAS in the humid (sub-)tropics of Asia

Urbanisation is a pressing trend in the twenty-first century. People’s lives more and more concentrate in cities: in 2030, approximately 6 out of 10 people will reside in urban areas. Therefore, cities are crucial for the success of the Great Transformation towards sustainability, including the transformation to sustainable land use. Not only does the growth of cities cause soil sealing in urban areas, but also production patterns for urban supply with food and goods influence land use in rural areas. Thus, it is indispensable to direct cities to a pathway of sustainable land use. This chapter contextualises cities and their sustainable development within the frameworks of international and national law and, beyond that, presents instruments of transformative planning. Does international law already reflect the importance of urbanisation for sustainable development? Does it provide orientation for cities towards more sustainability? The German Advisory Council on Global Change (WBGU) presented a normative compass as guideline for sustainable city development. The WBGU declares urban land use to be one underestimated transformative action field for cities. Within the SDGs, especially target 15.3 (land degradation neutrality) may become an important guideline for sustainable urban land use. Some cities already develop an adequate pathway towards sustainability. Thereby, many of them not only act on a local but also on an international level. Also, states set institutional and legal frameworks for transformative actions that have an effect on the cities themselves, as well as their transboundary activities. What are their potentials and limitations due to national legislation? How should the transformative power of cities be unleashed? This chapter points out the need for a polycentric responsibility architecture for sustainable urbanisation and will provide a concrete perspective for sustainable urban land use by particularly elaborating on the instrument of transformative planning.

The article examines the key aspects of sustainable land use as a foundation for the effective development of rural areas and communities. Balanced land use should be viewed through the lens of land management development and the implementation of integrated land resource management. The excessive intensification of agriculture and the rapid expansion of cities lead to the loss of beneficial land functions, causing land degradation. The study assessed the ecological stability of territories and revealed an unsatisfactory state of ecological stability in Ukraine, associated with the high level of land plowing (68.4%). It is noted that preserving and restoring land as a unique natural resource requires active intervention by government bodies to stimulate measures for the protection and restoration of land resources through the implementation of effective environmental initiatives. Due to progressing erosion, approximately 40–50 billion hryvnias are lost annually. It is proposed to develop a conceptual strategy for enhancing the ecological sustainability of land management at the legislative level, as well as during the reform of land relations, with a focus on the ecological reorganization of the land management system in the country, regions, and newly established territorial communities. Ecologically sustainable land use is possible only with the implementation of scientific and technological advancements and the orientation of the economy towards ecological principles at the national, regional, and local levels. Sustainable land use development means not only the effective utilization of land resources but also the creation of an appropriate land institutional structure and a favorable environment for land resource management, as well as the formation of social relations that promote the rational use of ecosystems while maintaining a balance between environmental, economic, and social components. In recent years, the practice of farming under market conditions has confirmed that the productivity and efficiency of agricultural activities primarily depend on the effective use of agricultural land. Modern research presents various approaches to identifying factors that influence the efficiency of agricultural land use. It should be noted that effective land use in agricultural enterprises must be combined with economic efficiency in land management. One of the important ways to achieve this is by enhancing the operation of agricultural producers, as well as improving the mechanism based on the integration of ecological and economic components, which ensure the quality use of agricultural land.

The activities of state regulation in the field of land use have formed a number of environmental, socio-economic problems based on individual, regional and national interests. This paper summarizes the arguments and counterarguments within the scientific discussion on the issue of the impact on sustainable agricultural land use, taking into account the new legislative challenges in lifting the moratorium on the sale of agricultural land resources. This study focuses on the implementation of sustainable development goals, including goal 15 – conservation of terrestrial ecosystems and operational task 15.3 – restoration of degraded lands and soils using innovative technologies. Systematization of research in the field of sustainable land use has revealed the need for additional analysis and search for new ways to reform the land use sector, taking into account institutional and legislative changes, as well as the formation of carbon-neutral model of national economy. The purpose of the article is to identify prospects and possible threats to the development of sustainable agricultural land use in an open land market. To achieve this goal, the tools of comparative analysis were used in the work. The object of research is the land fund of Ukraine. The study period is from 2015 to 2020. The sources of statistical information were the statistical databases of the statistical organization of the European Commission (Eurostat), the World Bank and the State Statistics Service of Ukraine. The paper presents the mechanisms of influence on effective sustainable agricultural land use, taking into account the studied statistical information and today's realities. The conducted comparative analysis of the condition of agricultural lands and systematization of normative legal acts regulating the land use industry revealed a number of potentially possible problems. To prevent negative consequences in the field of land use, the authors propose a set of measures to stabilize the sustainable development of agricultural land use.

By constructing evaluation indicator system of sustainable land use of Tibet from three aspects of ecological environment, economic development, resources and social advancement, this article studies the following contents respectively in two dimensions of time and space: the changes of sustainable land use of Tibet in recent 20 years and spatial characteristics of sustainable land use of Tibet in 2002. The following conclusions can be drawn from evaluation results: (1) With regard to comprehensive evaluation value of sustainable land use, the trend of Tibet sustainable land use evaluation values from 1983 to 2002 are very close to the comprehensive evaluation values of ecological environment, which is up trend; (2) sustainable utilization degree of land use in eastern region of Tibet is much higher than that of western region. (3) the sustainable land use evaluation value of Nyingtri County is the highest, and the counties with relatively higher land sustainable use values include Lhasa, Lhoka, Chamdo. While Nakchu, Ngari, Shigatse counties have the relatively lower evaluation values; (4) By analyzing each evaluation indicator's weight on sustainable land use, it can be concluded that the key limiting factors of sustainable Tibet land resource utilization are land desertification, grassland degradation and low economic level.