Compact Land Research Articles

Dynamic Evolution and Regional Differences in the Efficiency of Compact Urban Development in Chinese Cities—Based on the Perspective of Compact Land Use

Modern cities require urban compact development to be sustainable. The evaluation of urban compact development may help create more accurate and realistic policies. The spatio-temporal dynamic evolution of urban compact development efficiency and its regional differences in China are examined in this study. This paper analysis uses 282 cities from 2005 to 2021. The unexpected output super-efficiency SBM model measures urban compact development efficiency. In this study, the urban compact development efficiency’s spatial and temporal patterns are also examined using kernel density estimation (KDE) and the Theil index (TI). The average efficiency of urban compact development in China has decreased slightly. However, compact efficiency disparities are decreasing. Eastern cities have a relatively stable compact efficiency, while central and western cities vary more. The compact efficiency polarisation has not changed fundamentally. The compact city growth model’s spatial agglomeration is poor, limiting its spatial spillover impact. Thus, compact urban development is necessary to speed up planning, facilitate inter-city production factor movement by creating a comprehensive transport network, and maximise co-location benefits with the regional integration strategy. This method will gradually reduce regional urban development disparities and push Chinese cities towards more refined and sustainable compact development.

Temporal and spatial heterogeneity of land use, urbanization, and ecosystem service value in China: A national-scale analysis

Ecosystem service value (ESV) is increasingly influenced by land use/land cover (LULC). At the same time, China's extensive urbanization over the past 40 years has reduced ESV, highlighting a pressing need for spatial studies. However, few studies on the spatial relationship between LULC, urbanization, and ESV, especially at the national level, represent a significant gap in this field. In this research aims, we aim to fill this gap by examining their spatial relationships by studying 279 prefecture-level cities in China. Furthermore, to understand the changing dynamics, we studied the temporal and spatial heterogeneity of the effects of LULC and urbanization on ESV in 2005, 2010, 2015, and 2020 using a multiscale geographically weighted regression model. Regarding LULC, the results show that the impact of land use intensity on ESV is significantly negative nationwide, and the trend continued to strengthen from 2005 to 2020. There was significant spatial and temporal heterogeneity in the effects of land use diversity on ESV, with negative effects in the north and a positive impact in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region. Concerning urbanization, the association between ESV and different types of urbanization varied greatly over space and time. Our findings suggest that policymakers should pay attention to compact land development, optimize land use structure, and promote the mixed use of land on the basis of rational planning in urban layouts, to mitigate the negative impacts of urbanization and LULC changes on ESV.

Impact of land use compactness on the habitat services from green infrastructure in Wuhan, China

As an important carrier of biodiversity, green infrastructure (GI) is significantly affected by changes in urban land use in the process of urbanization. In this study, habitat services from GI were used to represent biodiversity support services, and geographic information system (GIS), remote sensing and statistical analysis were combined to analyze the changes in urban land use compactness and GI habitat services in Wuhan in 2005, 2013 and 2018. Seven indices for land use compactness mainly covering three aspects (land use morphology, land use intensity and land function layout) were selected to explore the correlation and regression relationships between urban land use compactness and habitat services on a grid scale. The results show that: i) The urban land use in Wuhan presents a compact development trend except for the degree of integration; and habitat services decrease along with increasing land use compactness. ii) Relative to land use morphology and land function layout, land use intensity is a more prominent factor affecting habitat services, with construction land density and residential land density always being significant indicators for the habitat pattern. iii) Urban areas with different degrees of land use compactness tend to have different indices that affect the habitat services. Therefore, differential urban development strategies should be formulated based on the regional characteristics of land use compactness levels, so as to coordinate urban compact land use and biodiversity conservation.

Missing density: assessing support for compact cities among Canadian municipal officials and members of the public

ABSTRACT Developing compact urban form is a key strategy for the decarbonization of cities. Though many Canadian municipalities have declared climate emergencies, few have made progress on enabling compact land use. What, then, are the prospects for mitigating climate change via increased density? In this analysis, we examine two datasets: survey data of Canadian municipal elected officials (N = 1156), and a representative survey of the Canadian public (N = 3925). We find robust evidence in both samples that elected officials and members of the public who support local climate action are more likely to endorse low-carbon transport than to endorse compact cities. Among politicians, 35% strongly supported climate action, but only 17% strongly supported both climate action and increased density in established neighbourhoods. Since compact cities are critical to the success of low-carbon transport, voters may struggle to identify local candidates who endorse both climate action and the policies necessary to attain it. We further examine predictors of opposition to densification among members of the public, finding that, all else equal, home ownership is associated with a 33% decrease in the likelihood of a participant strongly supporting new housing in established neighbourhoods. While cities could use a variety of policy tools to increase density – including zoning changes, shorter public consultations, and reduced car parking – political will to implement these policies may be lacking. Given the obstacles to local action identified here, we suggest that provincial or national legislation may circumvent local opposition and accelerate the transition to a more compact urban form. Key policy insights Both city officials and members of the public who support climate action are more supportive of low-carbon transport than compact neighbourhoods. This represents a missed opportunity since dense housing complements low-carbon transport making it more cost-effective and efficient. Opposition to new housing in existing neighbourhoods is especially strong amongst homeowners (who possess disproportionate political power at the local level). Views on increased housing in existing neighbourhoods are not polarized along partisan lines, suggesting the possibility of bipartisan action at higher levels of government.

Exploring Indoor and Outdoor Residential Factors of High-Density Communities for Promoting the Housing Development

Effective residence planning is crucial to encourage sustainable housing development. Residents in densely populated cities inevitably have negative residential experiences caused by compact land use. Still, this situation is improvable through optimizing the physical environment or increasing service facilities that cater to dwellers’ residential preferences. Therefore, understanding the factors impacting residential satisfaction in high-population metropolitan areas is essential mainly. This study surveyed the citizens’ residential environment and satisfaction in dense urban residential areas. Results of this survey indicate that 13 environmental factors significantly impact residential evaluation. Among them, improving ventilation, privacy, and property maintenance can effectively address the adverse effects of densely populated communities. Additionally, neighborhoods or amenities could further impact younger respondents’ residential evaluation. Elderly citizens place high importance on the quality of their indoor living environment. Green space could promote the residential satisfaction of young and more senior citizens. Environmental factors can significantly affect the residential satisfaction of citizens across all age groups with their homes. As a result, real estate planners should provide a range of dwelling unit designs to support housing development. Real estate planners can better understand the needs of potential clients by considering the housing preferences of individuals across different age groups and the surrounding neighborhood. The indoor or outdoor environment might be adjusted to meet households’ demands, while non-essential factors could be omitted to cut expenses. This study might aid in the sound development of dwellings.

Compact land distribution of "Far Eastern hectares" in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia)

The article provides an analysis of the territory organization of compactly concentrated land plots provided to citizens within the "Far Eastern hectare" program. In the course of the implementation of the basic law, 16 territories of compact location (agglomerations) were formed on the territory of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), four of which have completed infrastructural works. The main problems associated with the random location of land plots in the forest lands have been identified, and proposals for their settlement have been developed as well.

Urban sustainability via urban productivity? A conceptual review and framework proposal

ABSTRACT This paper offers conceptual and operational insights for more effective and forward-looking local sustainability decision-making through the emerging concept and framework of holistic urban productivity. Following a short discussion of the contemporary understand and theoretical influences of urban sustainability, we explore the concept, principles, and practices of urban productivity and look at how they can help address urban sustainability planning, implementation, and assessment. We then introduce a conceptual framework for holistic urban productivity which encompasses a set of principles and goals to tackle complex urban processes for effective, inclusive, and forward-looking decision-making. It is informed by and converges numerous theories and approaches and seeks to act as an overarching framework to help operationalise sustainability by empowering urban actors to pursue balanced and synergistic optimisation of all urban community elements. A city that implements the principles and framework of holistic urban productivity embraces economic resilience with shifts in employment patterns and habits; innovative, socially just, and environmentally responsible technologies; compact and nature-enhancing land use planning; strong social connections and affordable housing; and green, light, and smart infrastructure. Urban productivity principles can help lead the transformation of cities into well-functioning and sustainable systems.

Evaluate the economic and environmental efficiency of land use from the perspective of decision-makers’ subjective preferences

Land resources are not only the spatial carriers of social and economic development, but also the carriers of environmental and ecological services. With the accelerated urbanization, the non-coordinated development of land resources and environmental protection will restrict economic growth and the benefits of land use changes. Moreover, the economic efficiency and environmental efficiency of land use largely depend on the value judgment of the decision makers on the future human environment. Therefore, it is extremely important to achieve a win–win outcome of land development and ecological protection. In this research, a new analysis framework for land use efficiency was proposed from the perspective of decision makers' different benefit preferences. This framework uses the unexpected output of environmental pollution as a bridge to build a two-stage data envelopment analysis (DEA) model to evaluate the economic efficiency, environmental efficiency and overall efficiency of land development, and weight parameters were constructed to express decision-makers' preferences. The model not only considers the objectivity of the scores of land use efficiency, but also guarantees the subjectivity of decision-makers in land use management. This is also the biggest difference between previous studies in this study. The specific conclusions are: (I) as decision makers tend to focus on economic benefits, economic efficiency first rises and then declines. It can be seen that ignoring the problem of environmental pollution will reduce economic efficiency. (II) Generally speaking, the efficiency of compact land development (0.883) in various counties and cities in Taiwan is greater than the efficiency of expanded land development (0.737). This research can provide guidance on the distribution of land resources and the development of land space on a macro-regional scale.

Identification of the spatial distribution pattern and driving forces of underground parking space based on multi-source data: A case study of Fuzhou City in China

With an ever-growing vehicle population worldwide, the active use of underground parking space (UPS) is gaining popularity in densely populated megacities. UPS development orienting urban sustainability and resilience has facilitated the compact land use, flexible functional transformation, and reliable disaster prevention. However, the development mechanism of UPS remains unclear, resulting in out-of-order and random utilization of UPS. With the aid of emerging multi-source data, this study analyzed the spatial distribution pattern and driving forces of UPS in Fuzhou. The kernel density estimation results indicate that the spatial distribution of UPS in Fuzhou is highly clustered with a multicentric diffusion trend and is consistent with land use. Also, both underground parking lot (UPL) density and underground parking ratio (UPR) show apparent spatial autocorrelation. Moreover, a geographical detector-based method for the identification of driving forces of UPS development was presented. The results reveal that land use, traffic condition, and subspace development are significant driving forces. The coupling effect among factors is remarkable as well. The findings of this work provide a sound understanding of the UPS development mechanism, which is supposed to be conducive to the decision-making of UPS special planning and subspace planning.

Quantile regression on the nonlinear relationship between land use and trip time

AbstractThis study conceptually confirms and empirically tests the potential that the significance and magnitude of the compact land use–trip time relationship differ by the degree of compactness and trip time. Based on a quantile regression of about 25,000 commuters in Seoul, Korea, the empirical analysis suggests a significant level for each neighbourhood land use variable and a magnitude change within the level. Weekend trip and school densities are significant for shorter trip time commuters, population density is significant for longer trip time commuters, and pedestrian density is significant for all commuters. Wherever significant, the land use variables exert stronger effects as their values increase.

Spatial Characteristics of the Diffusion of Residential Solar Photovoltaics in Urban Areas: A Case of Seoul, South Korea.

Mini-solar photovoltaics, which are installed on apartment balconies, are rapidly spreading in Seoul, South Korea. Seoul has implemented a policy to diffuse mini-solar photovoltaics in apartments for energy transition since 2012. The policy considers compact land use and a large population of the city. This study examines a variety of variables in relation to the adoption of mini-solar photovoltaics. In particular, we focus on peer effects, namely, those of spatially adjacent, previously installed mini-solar photovoltaics. As apartment characteristics, four variables are selected to assess both within and between apartment complexes: one for the density of adopters as a within-complex variable and three for the number of adopters in the 500 m, 1 km, and 1.5 km radius of apartment complexes as between-complex variables. A major finding is that peer effects significantly contribute to the new adoption of mini-solar photovoltaics. Implications of this finding are discussed in an urban context.

Coupling analysis of land space development and protection and economic and social development in Julu County

In the stage of rapid development of urban economic society, some cities adopt the compact land and space development strategy to control the unlimited expansion of cities. However, the effect is counterproductive. It not only hinders the development of urban social economy, but also leads to a wider range of suburban urbanization and rapid urban sprawl. On the other hand, if the aggressive urban expansion plan is adopted to speed up the urban development, it will lead to more waste of land space resources and ineffective precipitation of investment. Such land space development strategy is also the fetter of urban development. Therefore, the tight and aggressive land and space development strategies are the constraints of urban economic and social development. In view of this, only by understanding the macro background of the economic and social development of Julu County, analyzing the relationship between the use of land space and economic and social development, scientifically formulating the strategy of land and space utilization of Julu County, can we achieve the strategic goal of orderly and harmonious economic and social development. This paper will use SPSS software to analyzing the correlation between socioeconomic data and land use data, Using the results to specifically and quantitatively analyze the relationship between social economic development and land space development and utilization. The result shows that the urban land area is positively correlated with multiple economic data, the development of towns has a positive effect on the economy. But reasonable land use planning and effective protection of the ecological environment are still essential.

How does parking availability interplay with the land use and affect traffic congestion in urban areas? The case study of Xi’an, China

Strategic development of parking spaces is considered as one of the leading solutions to alleviate urban congestion. However, few studies have quantified the interactions between land use and parking to investigate their emission impacts on traffic congestion. This study introduced a novel dimensionless ratio, the Extra Carbon Emission Index (ECEI) which estimates carbon dioxide (CO2) increments in the congestion condition of free-flowing traffic. Using a publicly accessible web-mapping service application, we collected the traffic speed data from dynamic urban road networks during peak hours of Xi’an city, China in 2017. A multiple regression model was applied to analyse the tripartite relationship among land use, parking availability and the ECEI. The results suggest that 1) supply-demand ratio of parking spaces, density and land use mix are negatively correlated to congestion; 2) parking availability is positively associated with spatial-temporal distribution of traffic flows, and this land use differentiates congestion in time and throughout the built environment; and 3) low-density parking lots and high-density parking spaces increase traffic congestion in residential districts, while adversely affect the compact land use towards sustainability. Compared to the reconstruction of land use, parking reform provides a more efficient way to alleviate congestion by coordinating the density of lots and spaces in residential districts.

Understanding the Shared E-scooter Travels in Austin, TX.

This paper investigated the travel patterns of 1.7 million shared E-scooter trips from April 2018 to February 2019 in Austin, TX. There were more than 6000 active E-scooters in operation each month, generating over 150,000 trips and covered approximately 117,000 miles. During this period, the average travel distance and operation time of E-scooter trips were 0.77 miles and 7.55 min, respectively. We further identified two E-scooter usage hotspots in the city (Downtown Austin and the University of Texas campus). The spatial analysis showed that more trips originated from Downtown Austin than were completed, while the opposite was true for the UT campus. We also investigated the relationship between the number of E-scooter trips and the surrounding environments. The results show that areas with higher population density and more residents with higher education were correlated with more E-scooter trips. A shorter distance to the city center, the presence of transit stations, better street connectivity, and more compact land use were also associated with increased E scooter usage in Austin, TX. Surprisingly, the proportion of young residents within a neighbourhood was negatively correlated with E-scooter usage.

Spatial Associations Between Land Use and Infectious Disease: Zika Virus in Colombia.

Land use boundaries represent human–physical interfaces where risk of vector-borne disease transmission is elevated. Land development practices, coupled with rural and urban land fragmentation, increases the likelihood that immunologically naïve humans will encounter infectious vectors at land use interfaces. This research consolidated land use classes from the GLC-SHARE dataset; calculated landscape metrics in linear (edge) density, proportion abundance, and patch density; and derived the incidence rate ratios of the Zika virus occurrence in Colombia, South America during 2016. Negative binomial regression was used to evaluate vector-borne disease occurrence counts in relation to Population Density, Average Elevation, Per Capita Gross Domestic Product, and each of three landscape metrics. Each kilometer of border length per square kilometer of area increase in the linear density of the Cropland and Grassland classes is associated with an increase in Zika virus risk. These spatial associations inform a risk reduction approach to rural and urban morphology and land development that emphasizes simple and compact land use geometry that decreases habitat availability for mosquito vectors of Zika virus.

A method for calculating land degradation neutrality

Land degradation neutrality (LDN) has been introduced by United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD). Studies of LDN has been encouraged worldwide by UNCCD to compact land degradation. The LDN aims to maintain or even improve the land quality over time and therefore, it envisages quantifying the balance between the gains and losses within a given land type and scale. In this regard, a mathematical model was developed to calculate and redress land degradation. The calculations showed that the model is stable within the values of quality indices (1 and 2) and correlation coefficients (0 and 1).•The model calculates a proxy parameter as a representative of land quality using a set of land quality indices and correlation coefficients between those indices.•The model compares the values for proxy variable for initial and degraded conditions, and calculates the gains needed to equalize the two values.•The model is independent of scale and it is easy to use.

Effect of Distinct Land Use Patterns on Quality of Life in Urban Settings

AbstractFrom an academic perspective, compact land use and spatial development patterns are regarded as the primary aspects of urban development for environmental sustainability and government fina...

Exploring the impact of built environment on car use: does living near urban rail transit matter?

ABSTRACT Urban rail transit (URT) is often implemented in order to reduce car ownership and use. However, it is still unclear how the impacts of the built environment on car dependence differ in transit-oriented development (TOD) areas and non-TOD areas. Based on 2012 Changchun household travel survey data, this study aims to explore whether the relationships between the built environment and household vehicle kilometers traveled (VKT) vary between station and non-station areas by employing a multi-group structural equation model (SEM). The results suggest that the effects of the built environment on household VKT vary between station and non-station areas. Additionally, the results confirm the remarkable role that the built environment plays in influencing car ownership and use by revealing the direct, indiract and total effects. These findings provide a better understanding of the inherent mechanism by which URT moderates the impacts of the built environment on car ownership and use. It suggests that, for urban planners and policy makers, promoting compact land use strategies can have a positive effect on reducing car use, and URT implementation can effectively strengthen the effects.

Balanced, compact and networked national land spatial planning:Japan’s practice and implications

Balanced, compact and networked national land spatial planning:Japan’s practice and implications

An improved knowledge-informed NSGA-II for multi-objective land allocation (MOLA)

ABSTRACTMulti-objective land allocation (MOLA) can be regarded as a spatial optimization problem that allocates appropriate use to certain land units subjecting to multiple objectives and constraints. This article develops an improved knowledge-informed non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm II (NSGA-II) for solving the MOLA problem by integrating the patch-based, edge growing/decreasing, neighborhood, and constraint steering rules. By applying both the classical and the knowledge-informed NSGA-II to a simulated planning area of 30 × 30 grid, we find that: when compared to the classical NSGA-II, the knowledge-informed NSGA-II consistently produces solutions much closer to the true Pareto front within shorter computation time without sacrificing the solution diversity; the knowledge-informed NSGA-II is more effective and more efficient in encouraging compact land allocation; the solutions produced by the knowledge-informed have less scattered/isolated land units and provide a good compromise between construction sprawl and conservation land protection. The better performance proves that knowledge-informed NSGA-II is a more reasonable and desirable approach in the planning context.