Abstract
Planning and developing urban tourism destinations must encompass landscape optimization to achieve healthy urban ecosystems, as well as for evolution sustainability. This study explored sustainable landscape planning by examining the optimization of landscape spatial distribution in an urban tourism destination–Nanjing, China—using an integrated approach that included remote sensing (RS), geographic information system (GIS), and landscape metrics in the context of an urban tourism destination evolution model. Least-cost modeling in GIS was also used to optimize decision-making from an ecological perspective. The results indicated that landscapes were more homogenous, fragmented, and less connected. Except for the eastern area, the landscape evolution showed characteristics of both degeneration and growth. A complete greenway network including sources, greenways, and nodes were constructed, and an increase in natural landscapes was strongly recommended. The findings provide geographic insights for sustainable urban tourism planning and development via comprehensive methodological applications.
Highlights
Urban environments that include libraries, museums, amusement parks, and unique, natural, or heritage sites are used as tourist attractions, and have become increasingly popular among visitors in recent years [1,2]
The role of landscape evolution in urban ecology and tourism has not been adequately addressed in planning and developing urban tourism destinations. Such planning and development must encompass landscape optimization to achieve ecological and evolutional sustainability that are necessary for healthy urban ecosystem and sustainable tourism development
To date, less attention has been noted to the value of landscape connectivity for the ecosystem services and functions during urban or tourism destination planning [1,46], which can be achieved by greenways, ecological network, blue-green networks, riverways, among others [51]
Summary
Urban environments that include libraries, museums, amusement parks, and unique, natural, or heritage sites are used as tourist attractions, and have become increasingly popular among visitors in recent years [1,2]. Such planning and development must encompass landscape optimization to achieve ecological and evolutional sustainability that are necessary for healthy urban ecosystem and sustainable tourism development In this context, the ability of geographical information system (GIS) to address multiple spatial criteria makes it an important tool in the allocation of resources, and can assist decision-makers in planning for sustainable tourism [14]. Landscape spatial analysis that includes classification, pattern and function analysis, and evaluation and planning can be achieved with comprehensive application of RS, GIS and landscape metrics These three technologies have been widely used in the studies with respect to ecological impact of urban expansion [5,9,16]. The comprehensive application of these methods can play a key role in understanding planning and development based on an assessment of an urban tourism destination through landscape change over time
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
