Evaluation Model for Sustainable Development of Settlement System

Alena Harbiankova,Elena Scherbina

doi:10.3390/su132111778

Alena Harbiankova, Elena Scherbina

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/su132111778

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Abstract

Sustainability of settlement systems is of greatest relevance in political and socio-economic stability all over the world. The development effectiveness of a rural settlement system involves the solution of a number of matters in sustainable development, namely social welfare and environmental balance, economy and industry development, improving the pipeline and utility infrastructure, and improving the efficiency of the decision-making process. Currently, the sustainability of a rural settlement system is one of the key objectives in regional planning in post-Soviet countries. The introduction of new tools for assessing and managing the settlement system development is particularly true for Belarus, as a country with a strong focus on agricultural industry. The research aim was to develop and approve a model for evaluating the settlement system development. The research methods were based on the complex and interdisciplinary approaches, namely the system-element approach, the comparative analysis, spatial and mathematical modelling, factor analysis, and the cartographic analysis. The model was approved by practical consideration for evaluating the development of the analogue object at the local planning level. The practical relevance of the research is associated with the potential for using the model as a significant tool in land use planning. The model employs both quantitative and qualitative evaluation to obtain alternative solutions towards sustainable development of rural areas. Another advantage of the model is its multifunctionality, which enables: (1) sustainability evaluation of a settlement system, (2) establishment of regional planning priority areas, and (3) development of specific measures for ensuring the sustainability of a regional settlement system and its elements.

Highlights

The development issues of settlement systems are of great relevance for solving land-use planning problems for European region and beyond
The most relevant urban and regional planning research publications related to this field of knowledge are focused on conservation of rural landscapes under urban expansion [1,2,3], spatial and socioeconomic resilience of rural areas [4,5,6], introduction of new instruments for sustainable rural development [7], economic transformation in rural areas [8,9], spatial temporal development [10,11,12], environmental and economic aspects [13,14], social and demographic criteria [15,16,17], land use planning [18,19], historical and cultural features [20,21,22,23], ecosystem studies [24,25], changes in rural settlement system [26,27], and modeling periurban areas [28,29,30]
We proposed a mathematical representation of the conceptual model for evaluating the development level of rural settlements

Summary

Introduction

The development issues of settlement systems are of great relevance for solving land-use planning problems for European region and beyond. The most relevant urban and regional planning research publications related to this field of knowledge are focused on conservation of rural landscapes under urban expansion [1,2,3], spatial and socioeconomic resilience of rural areas [4,5,6], introduction of new instruments for sustainable rural development [7], economic transformation in rural areas [8,9], spatial temporal development [10,11,12], environmental and economic aspects [13,14], social and demographic criteria [15,16,17], land use planning [18,19], historical and cultural features [20,21,22,23], ecosystem studies [24,25], changes in rural settlement system [26,27], and modeling periurban areas [28,29,30]. Local government authorities employ the settlement classification for solving issues related to changes in administrative structure (Table 1).

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Conclusion