Land Development Research Articles

Correlations between Urban Morphological Indicators and PM2.5 Pollution at Street-Level: Implications on Urban Spatial Optimization

During rapid urbanization, microclimate environment deterioration through events such as haze pollution and heat waves has continuously occurred in cities, which greatly affects the living environment, production activities, and health of urban residents. Therefore, it is particularly necessary to explore methods for controlling and optimizing the urban microclimate environment. In this paper, based on the mechanism of the effect of urban spatial structure at street-level on the distribution of atmospheric particulate matter, an indicator system that can be employed to comprehensively describe and quantify urban morphological structure at street-level was constructed from eight aspects: the spatial morphology of street-valleys, intensity of land use and development, geometric structure of buildings, inhomogeneity of buildings, roughness of the underlying surface, distribution of ecological landscapes, 3D architectural landscape morphology, and ventilation potential. Furthermore, using satellite remote sensing images and vector thematic maps of Shanghai, indicator factors were quantified by applying GIS technique. The intrinsic mechanism of the influence of the urban morphology on the diffusion and transport of atmospheric particulate matter was comprehensively analyzed by combining statistical methods and data mining algorithm, and eight key dominant factors were identified that can be considered to improve the urban ventilation conditions and help control urban air pollution, namely, the land use intensity, urban canopy resistance, vegetation cover, spatial congestion rate, comprehensive porosity, height-to-gross floor area ratio, building density, and average building volume ratio. As such, according to the quantitative analysis results for various combinations of the dominant factors, a spatial optimization strategy at street-level that can help improve the urban air quality was proposed in terms of identifying the pathways through which urban spatial elements affect the distribution of particulate matter, i.e., controlling the source–flow diversion–flow convergence process.

Natural or Reclaimed Coastal Areas? The Role of Environmental Awareness in Supporting Coastal Ecotourism

Objective – This study was undertaken to analyze the relationship between perceived negative impacts on land reclamation (LR) and support for coastal ecotourism within fishing communities (CE), with environmental awareness (EA) as the mediating variable. Methodology – This study utilized a convenience sampling technique to distribute questionnaires to 400 domestic tourists in coastal areas. Data analysis was conducted using Hayes’s PROCESS in IBM Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS v25.0). Findings – Results showed that LR had a direct effect on CE [β= 0.183; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.095–0.270; P= 0.000 <0.05]. Furthermore, a statistically significant indirect effect between LR and CE via EA was also observed (β= 0.269; 95% CI =0.192–0.351; P= 0.000<0.05), indicating partial mediation. Novelty – These findings highlight that EA is important and essential to be promoted when considering sustainable development in both land reclamation and coastal ecotourism in fishing communities. Affected communities, usually with high environmental awareness, will comprehend the impacts of land developments and react to conserve the environment. In this case, as significant stakeholders with high environmental awareness, tourists are more inclined to support ecotourism, advocate for environmental conservation, and preserve local fishing cultures for appreciation. Type of Paper: Empirical JEL Classification: Q5, O13, P28, R5 Keywords: Sustainable development; land reclamation; coastal ecotourism; environment awareness Reference to this paper should be made as follows: Mahyudin, M.N.H.B.M; Kamaruddin, H; Hassan, M.S. (2024). The Legislative and Governance Framework of Wastewater in Malaysia, J. Bus. Econ. Review, 8(4), 38–47. https://doi.org/10.35609/jber.2024.8.4(4)

Potential Ecological Risk Assessment of Soil Heavy Metals in Fengdong New District Based on Information Diffution Model

The large-scale construction of new districts has led to severe soil heavy metal pollution. Therefore, taking Fengdong New District as the target research area, the descriptive statistics of heavy metal content characteristics and Kriging interpolation analysis have been conducted, and the potential ecological risk index and information diffusion theory were further combined to create an information diffusion model based on risk assessment. Finally, the pollution degree, ecological risk, and risk occurrence probability of Pb, Cu, Cd, and Hg were discussed. The findings revealed that the average concentrations of the four heavy metals far exceeded the background value of soil heavy metals by a factor of 1.943 (Pb), 1.419 (Cu), 3.074 (Cd), and 3.567 (Hg), respectively. Moreover, the distribution of soil heavy metals showed strong variability(CV>65%)owing to human interference. The distribution of Pb and Cu pollution were predominantly influenced by industrial production and land development for construction purposes, whereas industrial activities, agricultural practices, and transportation served as the primary sources of Cd contamination. On the other hand, industrial construction emerged as the major factor contributing to Hg pollution. The average values of individual potential ecological risk index for heavy metals of 9.716 (Pb), 7.095 (Cu), 92.292 (Cd), and 142.469 (Hg), coupled with the regional comprehensive potential ecological risk index (RI) average of 251.573, signified that the region was overall characterized by a relatively high potential ecological risk status. The overall potential ecological risk for Pb and Cu in the region were mild, whereas Cd and Hg posed moderate to high risks, indicating that Cd and Hg were the dominant driving factors behind regional heavy metal pollution. The evaluation results of the information diffusion model based on the potential ecological risk indicated that the probability ranking of different levels of comprehensive potential ecological risk was as follows:slightly high (38.98%) > moderate (38.55%) > high (5.89%) > slight (5.15%) > extremely high (3.56%). The exceeding probabilities of potential ecological risk levels for Cd and Hg were significantly higher than those for Pb and Cu. The exceeding probability of different pollution levels of Hg were slight (94.89%), moderate (66.85%), slightly high (23.62%), high (3.9%), and extremely high (2%), of which only the surpassing probability of the slight level was lower than that of Cd. The prediction error of pollution probability of each potential ecological risk level was less than 5%, demonstrating the reliability of the information diffusion model based on the risk assessment. This research will provide technical reference and support for the monitoring and management of potential ecological risks from soil heavy metals in limited sample data regions.

URBAN PLANNING APPROACHES TO PLANNING THE BEAUTIFICATION SYSTEM OF RESIDENTIAL AREAS DURING THEIR RECONSTRUCTION

The analysis of planning experience of inhabited localities urban beautification in view of reconstruction was undertaken in the article. The question of Ukrainian experience of urban beautification system in accordance with approved standards and State Constructional Standards was envisaged. Analysis of validation state of local documents in urban beautification field was carried out and it has shown deficient percentage of regulatory documents approval on local level, which is one of key issues of urban beautification development. Furthermore, detailed analysis of foreign experience of urban beautification planning and development trend of this system I such countries, as USA, Canada, France, Singapore, Hong Kong, Japan was carried out. It is shown that first and critical stage of planning of effective urban beautification is preparing and approving corresponding certificates and standards. Emphasis added to functioning normative legal documents on issues relating to urban beautification, in accordance to which the territory reconstruction in mentioned countries is realized. It was established that reference direction of urban beautification development in mentioned countries lies in parking lots removing out of the borders of curtilage or underground parking arrangement, landscape gardening development and classification of such territories by levels of urban gardening, territory reconstruction in accordance with typical schemes of street infrastructure development, urban gardening, cycle paths, etc. It is shown that problem solution of habitable open grounds organization on city level resides in usage intensification of such territories, and on the level of residential compounds – in increasing exploitation properties of open grounds. As a result of undertaken analysis it was established that raised problem of increasing the effectiveness of residential area usage within residential areas imposes complex approach, including question of land development intensiveness, architectural and planning organization and open grounds beautification.

Liquefaction-induced ground and building interactions in İskenderun from the 2023 Kahramanmaraş earthquake sequence

Significant and widespread liquefaction occurred in İskenderun during the 2023 moment magnitude (Mw) 7.8 Kahramanmaraş earthquake. Liquefaction effects on buildings were observed in several areas of İskenderun, predominantly in areas of reclaimed land and near historic shorelines. Liquefaction-induced building settlements were particularly concentrated in the Çay District, which is almost entirely reclaimed land. Liquefaction-induced ground and building settlements were either marginal or not apparent in areas away from the historical shorelines. Building settlement and ground deformation were documented at 26 buildings in İskenderun through lidar scans and laser-level hand measurements. Liquefaction-induced building settlements ranged from 0 to 740 mm. Building-ground interactions were evident from hogging ground deformations, including cases where buildings deformed nearby ground and damaged nearby buildings, and sagging buildings. Historic land development affected the spatial extent of observed liquefaction-induced building damage. Representative liquefaction-induced building settlement and building interaction case histories are discussed and key insights are shared.

Immersive protagonists – exploring the notion of the ‘hero’ in theme parks

ABSTRACT This article considers how the prolonged immersive storytelling experiences that theme parks provide have developed over time, with a particular focus on the role the individual guest can choose to take. Using examples from the Star Wars Intellectual Property developed for Disney Parks, and specifically Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser (an extended three-day/two-night immersive experience), I consider how the role and agency of the individual participant/guest has changed over time and opened up from rather passive, to much more engaged. I argue that recent developments in theme park land, attraction and experience design (including extensions made possible by digital media) have opened up different structures in the narrative, allowing guests the option to become protagonists in a story they have agency over. This significantly extends the notion of the templated ‘hero’ Joseph Campbell introduced as part of his hero’s journey framework and makes way for the guest as immersive protagonist.

Drivers and drags of speculative land developments in a prospective mining landscape, Ghana

This study investigated the drivers and trends of land developments in Newmont Ahafo North Project area. We analysed Landsat imagery to determine land use and cover changes from 1990 to 2021, utilizing a supervised classification method and data from a sample of 200 stakeholders through structured interviews in five project communities. The interrelation of factors influencing land developments in the area was examined using the Partial Least Squares (PLS) model. The results demonstrated a substantial decline in cropland and bareland from 45 % and 38 % to 17 % and 21 %, respectively, with corresponding increases in the built-up and vegetation covers over the period. The pending mining project induced significant speculative developments affecting agriculture and native vegetation. Long mineral exploration, unemployment and poverty, non-compliance and enforcement of mining laws, inadequate compensation, and the compensation experience of farmers drove speculative developments in the mining landscape. The mines declared a mining area without prompt compensation and economically constrained poor locals. This generated contention between the mine and the affected community, culminating in costly expenditure and frustration of the project's timelines. The study underscores the need to rigorously enforce the mining land access legislation and review provisions and application of mining laws on speculative development to curb contestations.

Analysis of built-up land development in the center of Boyolali District, Indonesia in 2009 and 2019

Built-up land development will continue to increase over time. Population growth and regional spatial plans are examples of several factors that influence the process of implementing built-up land development in an area. Boyolali Sub-district became an area with rapid development of built-up land that occurred between 2009 and 2019. Therefore, this study was conducted to determine the area of land that experienced development and to determine the distribution of the development of undeveloped land into built-up land. This study used satellite imagery in 2009 and 2019 of Boyolali. Those images are interpreted and digitized, resulting in two maps of built-up land of Boyolali Sub-district in 2009 and 2019. The change of undeveloped land into built-up land is not only centered in one place but spread across all areas of the Boyolali Sub-district. The results of this study show that the area of built-up land in Boyolali District increased from 2009 to 2019. The change of undeveloped land into built-up land in Boyolali District was 62.59 ha (625,900 m2) within 10 years.

The City of Penticton’s comprehensive approach to wildfire risk reduction

From 2017 to 2023, British Columbians experienced four record-breaking wildfire seasons, resulting in reduced air quality, mass evacuations and the destruction of homes, properties and livelihoods. Wildfire risk reduction is vital to breaking the sequence of disaster that has befallen such communities as Kelowna, BC in 2003, Ft. McMurray, AB in 2016, and Lytton, BC in 2021. As the City of Penticton (‘the City’) is located in a wildfire-prone environment, its Fire Department, FireSmart Team and Emergency Program have worked closely together to facilitate a proactive and comprehensive approach towards reducing the impacts of wildfire on Penticton’s neighbourhoods, businesses and residents through a variety of wildfire mitigation initiatives. This paper discusses the City’s efforts to achieve a holistic wildfire risk management plan through alignment with the seven disciplines of FireSmart and the four pillars of emergency management, namely: the use of education; land use planning and development considerations; vegetation management; emergency planning; and cross training and interagency cooperation. The paper describes the challenges the City has faced, as well its successes, and provides recommendations to help other local authorities reduce the risk of wildfire in their communities.

Comprehensive approach to the accounting and restoration of land resources disturbed as a result of military actions in Ukraine

The article proposes a comprehensive approach to the accounting and restoration of disturbed lands as a result of military operations in Ukraine, which requires careful analysis, planning and implementation of various measures aimed at restoring land resources and ensuring the sustainable development of land uses. The proposed approach requires joint efforts of the state, society, domestic enterprises and international partners.

How to Sell a Poison: The Rise, Fall, and Toxic Return of DDT

How to Sell a Poison: The Rise, Fall, and Toxic Return of DDT

Hydrology Balance in Sustainable Land Development

Several cities in West Sumatra are in an alluvial system formation even though they are at an altitude above 350 m msl, for example, Kota Solok 350 m, Bukittinggi 900 m, and Padang 25 m msl. The growth of this city was initially safe from floods, but lately, it has often experienced flood disasters or disturbed the hydrological balance. This is presumably due to changes in land use. The city of Solok has lost 385 ha of rice fields so far, the city of Padang has lost 35 ha of rice fields/year, and Bukittinggi has lost nearly 200 ha of its total rice field area. When there is a land use change to a settlement, the amount of water required during rice cultivation becomes water that has to be disposed of, and this should affect the expansion of the drainage channel. If the water requirement for one growing season is at a value of 1,300 mm, with a length of time from soil processing to harvesting is 4 months, meaning that every month the rice fields need water as much as 1,251,250 m3, which is equivalent to 0.48m3/sec.

How to Sell a Poison: The Rise, Fall, and Toxic Return of DDT

How to Sell a Poison: The Rise, Fall, and Toxic Return of DDT

Spatio Temporal Analysis of Water Quality at Tasek Bera

Bera Lake is Malaysia’s largest natural fresh water reservoir. It has critical environmental and ecological significance for both humans and wildlife. Nonetheless, the water quality of this lake has deteriorated during the previous few decades as a result of land development projects in the river basin area. This study aims to analyse the spatio temporal pattern of water quality in Tasek Bera and to identify and evaluate the degradation grade for water quality, as well as to identify the environmental crucial factor for Tasek Bera and its surrounding area. This study also implements remote sensing technology to determine the water quality parameters in Tasek Bera. The data for this study was obtained from Landsat 8 OLI and Landsat 5 MSS from 3 different years which are year 2000, 2010 and 2020. The landset image were processed and integrated into the Geographical Information System (GIS) software to undergo classification, principal component analysis and weighted overlay process. Based on the weighted overlay mapping and Malaysia’s water quality index, the result showed that in year 2000, the water quality in Tasek Bera is mostly being in the second class (fair water quality) but in 2010, it shows a prominent increasing performance when the lake is mostly being in the first class (excellent water quality). However, in the year 2020, we had observe a significant decreasing of water quality especially on the upper section and the middle section of Tasek Bera. Through this study, researchers will be able to further analyse Tasek Bera’s current environmental state, and eventually bring evidence in the environmental deterioration that Tasek Bera has endured. This is also to make people realise the ecological importance of wetlands in Malaysia.

Assessment of land degradation risks in the Loess Plateau

AbstractHuman activity and climate change are degrading the environmentally fragile Loess Plateau in dry and semiarid regions. Land deterioration threatens human and ecological existence. To prevent additional land degradation and ensure the ecological development and quality of arable land in the region, China launched “Grain for Green” in the late 1990s. This effort greatly boosted Loess Plateau vegetation. However, land degradation is complex, and so we must also examine natural and social variables to prevent additional degradation. Thus, this study presents a comprehensive index system to quantify land degradation on the Loess Plateau and uses machine learning to anticipate high‐risk locations. The project improved land degradation, and the spatial distribution of degradation risk is high in the northern and low in the eastern and southern regions of the Plateau. Gross Domestic Product and population density are the main drivers of land degradation. Industrialization and urbanization have raised the risk of land degradation, which now accounts for 1%–2% of the area. This study emphasizes sustainable land management in the Loess Plateau, a critical area for sustainable development in China. The integrated assessment indicator system and random forest modeling machine learning help grasp the current status and future preventive measures. The outcome of this study advances the Loess Plateau land degradation research and sustainable land management. The research findings possess significant scientific reference value in terms of mitigating and managing land degradation in environmentally vulnerable regions worldwide.

Behavioural drivers of long-term land leasing adoption: application of an extended theory of planned behaviour

AbstractIncreasing agricultural productivity while also protecting the environment, requires careful stewardship of the most important resource in production – land. Most land in Northern Ireland is controlled via owner occupation and granting access to others is a matter for careful consideration. Proprietorial caution, combined with custom and values attributed to land in the region has resulted in a pattern of tenure dominated by short-term rental agreements called conacre. An insecure, short-term land rental system, such as the conacre may be a disincentive to farmers in their decision-making around investing in land management and development, consequently resulting in reduced farm-level sustainability. In this study, we analysed the psychological and behavioural factors influencing farmers’ intention to take up long-term land leasing in Northern Ireland. To achieve our objective, we employed a mixed-methods approach and statistically analysed our quantitative data using an extended theory of planned behaviour (TPB) approach in a structural equation modelling framework. The results of our analyses showed that attitude, perceived behavioural control, subjective norm and perceived risk were statistically significant determinants of farmers’ intention to adopt long-term land leasing. The study results have important implications for the design of effective policies aimed at encouraging long-term land leasing through behavioural change to ensure sustainable agricultural production and effective land management.

Association mining of coastline change and land use patterns to enhance conservation

Coastal zones, as interfaces between marine and terrestrial ecosystems, possess great ecological and economic value but are environmentally fragile. This research provides a new perspective for studying development and change patterns in coastal zones, offering insights for land planning and contributing to the ecological preservation and sustainable development of coastal areas. We utilized Landsat TM and OLI sensor imagery (from the years 1990, 2000, 2010, and 2020) to extract coastline and land use information from the coastal zone of Shandong Province. Through the establishment of association mining models between coastline changes and land use patterns, the relationships between spatial layout changes and development processes in different geographical locations are revealed. In the initial stage, weak expansion and moderate changes in the coastline corresponded to units with lower land development intensity sequences. In the intermediate stage, with increasing coastline expansion and intense changes, the sequence of land development intensity was extremely strong > strong > moderate > weak from the sea to the land. This type of association was mostly distributed in the Laizhou Bay salt field and coastal port areas and was mostly focused on aquaculture and port trade, causing “strong” and “extremely strong” units of regional land development intensity. In the later stage, as coastline expansion slowed, the use of ports and docks caused the development intensity of the surrounding land to fluctuate. Farming, fishing, salt field and port construction in the coastal zone of Shandong Province were the major forms of land expansion and change. The association rules between coastline expansion or erosion and coastal development intensity revealed the impact of coastline changes on the spatial pattern from sea to land, which is important for planning layouts, optimizing industrial structures, and maximizing socioeconomic and environmental benefits in coastal areas.

Impact of the New International Land–Sea Transport Corridor on Port Competition between Neighboring Countries Based on a Spatial Duopoly Model

The development of international land–sea transport corridors has provided more convenient access to the sea for inland areas and promoted the improvement of transportation efficiency, environmental improvement, and the strengthening of international cooperation. However, the construction of international land–sea transport corridors has also intensified competition among the ports, which has extended from the local and regional to the national and even international levels. This paper explores the impact of international land–sea transport corridors on oligopolistic port competition between neighboring countries using the Hotelling model. By setting up the utility of the shipper’s port selection, the equilibrium price, market share, and profit of duopoly ports in neighboring countries are analyzed under different conditions of cross-border land transportation and maritime transportation. It is found that the high cross-border transportation cost of the international land–sea transport corridor is not conducive to increasing the market share of the overseas oligopolistic ports in the region. If the maritime transportation cost of overseas oligopoly ports is too high compared with domestic oligopoly ports, it will offset the land transport advantages brought by international land–sea transport corridors. The findings in this paper could provide support for strategic decision making in port markets and cross-border transport corridor development.

CONCEPTUAL PREREQUISITES AND PRINCIPLES FOR CHANGING THE DESIGNATED PURPOSE OF INDUSTRIAL LAND OF TERRITORIAL COMMUNITIES

Developing territories in accordance with the principles of sustainable land development is easier and more effective together with the people who directly use these lands, as well as executive authorities, who, with the involvement of the public, know, understand, and implement changes. For reasonable and prompt decision-making on land issues, the territorial communities must have up-to-date information support with data about all land parcels and property within the boundaries of territorial community. Industrial lands deserve special attention, because due to their rational use, it is possible to achieve an increase revenue to local budgets. Today, the state of industrial lands in Ukraine is negatively affected by the presence of a significant number of industries that require modernization, including infrastructural transformations with the provision of further balanced consideration of the ecological component of the territories' sustainability. The purpose of the work is to substantiate the principles of determining and changing the target designation of industrial lands within the territorial communities to improve their functioning and ensure their competitiveness. The development of urban planning documentation is a mandatory prerequisite for changing the purpose of industrial land of the territorial community to another purpose and vice versa. Management of the development of territories today directly depends on the planning structure and functional zoning of settlements. The changes of legal acts should have been taken effect from July 2021, but inconsistencies were found in the legislation of Ukraine, which relate to the functional zones approved by the comprehensive spatial development plan of the territory of territorial communities, within which the change of purpose must take place. Due to the introduction of martial law in Ukraine, the pace of development of urban planning and land management documentation slowed down, and as a result, today there is no any approved comprehensive spatial development plan. That is, it has been 2 years since the changes came into effect, but the change of the land purpose is carried out according to the old procedure with the development of land management documentation. Taking into account the above-mentioned components, the authors identified three main prerequisites for changing the target purpose: 1. The needs of industrial enterprises in the context of modern economic challenges. Changes in technology and production practices may require adaptation of land use to ensure the efficient functioning and competitiveness of enterprises. 2. Integration of social aspects into the decision-making process. It is important to consider the impact of these changes on local communities and ensure citizen participation in the process of determining the future use of industrial land. 3. The need to settle environmental issues. The change of purpose must take into account the potential effects on the environment and natural resources. Based on the prerequisites described above, the authors developed the principles of industrial land transformation, which take into account the principles of sustainable development. By following the developed principles, stakeholders can guide the transformation of industrial land in a way that maximizes benefits, minimizes negative impacts and promotes sustainable development.

Forest carbon tax and reward: regulating greenhouse gas emissions from industrial logging and deforestation in the US

AbstractIndustrial logging activities associated with land development, agricultural expansion, and tree plantations generate significant greenhouse gas emissions and may undermine climate resilience by making the land more vulnerable to heat waves, water shortages, wildfires, flooding, and other stressors. This paper investigates whether a market-based mechanism—a forest carbon tax and reward program—could play a role in mitigating these climate impacts while advancing the Glasgow Leaders Declaration on Forests and Land Use, which seeks to end deforestation and forest degradation by 2030. We do this by describing key differences between the natural and industrial forest carbon cycle, identifying design features of a program that mimics existing carbon tax mechanisms, demonstrating how that program could be implemented using four US states as an example and completing a cash flow analysis to gauge potential effects on forestland investors. Across the states, we estimate the range of taxable GHG emissions to be 22–57 Mt CO2-e yr−1, emissions factors of 0.91–2.31 Mg C m−3, and potential tax revenues of $56 to $357 million USD yr−1. A model of net present value and internal rate of return for a representative forestland investor suggests that while the tax may reduce profitability somewhat (~ 30%) for a 100,000-acre (40,486 ha) acquisition, it would still generate an attractive rate of return (> 7%), especially for patient capital investors. We conclude that a forest carbon tax program is feasible with existing data available to US state agencies and could be a significant source of funding to promote climate smart forest practices without major disruptions of timber supply or forestland investments.