Landscape Planning Research Articles

Landscape Planning and Visualization Instructional Method Based on CAD and GIS Technology

Landscape Planning and Visualization Instructional Method Based on CAD and GIS Technology

Democratising local values and priorities in regional landscape planning: a Danish strategy-making case

This article analyses and discusses how to develop contemporary methods to conduct democratic and sustainable planning in rural landscapes based on place-making, collaborative planning and strategy-making. The analysis is based on a Danish regional strategy-making case, the Nørreådalen river valley (NRV), which is used to explore how to democratically incorporate local values and establish sustainable development priorities. The NRV case highlights the significance of cultivating a shared frame of reference to foster inclusive and informed landscape strategies, which underscores the importance of understanding diverse values and their holders in landscape governance. Collaborative strategy-making may serve as a powerful method for addressing complex challenges and fostering sustainable development in rural landscapes provided it is tailored to the specific contextual considerations and nurtures a comprehensive understanding of shared landscape values.

Modern architectural landscape planning and design based on environmental sensors and 3D point cloud processing

With the continuous development of modern technology, the application of sensor technology in architectural landscape planning and design is becoming increasingly widespread. The combination of environmental sensors and 3D point cloud processing technology provides new possibilities for modern architectural landscape planning and design. Environmental sensors can provide accurate environmental data support for the design process by monitoring the climate conditions of the building site in real-time, better understanding the natural environmental characteristics of the building site, and making targeted planning and design. Environmental sensors can accurately measure the intensity and direction of light, helping designers arrange the layout and window design of buildings to maximize the use of natural lighting. By monitoring and analyzing temperature data, the design team can effectively optimize the energy consumption management of buildings and improve their energy efficiency performance. The combination of 3D point cloud processing technology and environmental sensor data accurately restores the real environment of the building site to a digital model, allowing designers to conduct comprehensive spatial analysis and design. This digital and intelligent design process improves the precision and efficiency of design, allowing the design team to better understand the environmental characteristics of the building site and achieve intelligent and personalized landscape design, Injecting new vitality and creativity into future architectural planning and design.

‘The rules of nature are changing; every year is unpredictable’: perceptions of climate change by beekeepers of Liguria, NW Italy

Beekeeping activity is a privileged lens for looking at the impacts of climate change since this human activity is profoundly and intimately embedded in the local ecology with particular reference to the flora. Therefore, we conducted 47 semi-structured interviews to identify the local perceptions of climate change impacts and their drivers among beekeepers of Liguria, a mountainous region of NW Italy. We found that beekeepers especially noticed changes in bee productivity and behaviour and melliferous flora productivity. Moreover, drought is a significant driver of changes in beekeeping as it affects both bees and melliferous plants. However, other drivers, namely alien species, pesticide spread, and abandonment of small-scale agriculture, also concur synergistically. We conclude that landscape planning sensitive to the needs and requests of beekeepers can further contribute to their adaptation to the impacts of climate change and reduce other detrimental phenomena on honeybee wellbeing by supporting small-scale agriculture to maintain a diverse landscape that provides fodder for pollinators.

Creating wildlife habitat using artificial structures: a review of their efficacy and potential use in solar farms.

The biodiversity crisis is exacerbated by a growing human population modifying nearly three-quarters of the Earth's land surface area for anthropogenic uses. Habitat loss and modification represent the largest threat to biodiversity and finding ways to offset species decline has been a significant undertaking for conservation. Landscape planning and conservation strategies can enhance habitat suitability for biodiversity in human-modified landscapes. Artificial habitat structures such as artificial reefs, nest boxes, chainsaw hollows, artificial burrows, and artificial hibernacula have all been successfully implemented to improve species survival in human-modified and fragmented landscapes. As the global shift towards renewable energy sources continues to rise, the development of photovoltaic systems is growing exponentially. Large-scale renewable projects, such as photovoltaic solar farms have large space requirements and thus have the potential to displace local wildlife. We discuss the feasibility of 'conservoltaic systems' - photovoltaic systems that incorporate elements tailored specifically to enhance wildlife habitat suitability and species conservation. Artificial habitat structures can potentially lessen the impacts of industrial development (e.g., photovoltaic solar farms) through strategic landscape planning and an understanding of local biodiversity requirements to facilitate recolonization.

A framework for analyzing the effects of modifiable areal unit problem on ecological security pattern

Ecological security pattern (ESP) provide a solution to balance ecosystems and urban development. The modifiable areal unit problem (MAUP) is a well-known geographical issue that affects the understanding of ecological processes and the results of spatial modeling. However, only a few studies have explicitly clarified the effects of MAUP on ESP. Herein, we propose new methods for identifying ecological sources and mapping the resistance surface, as well as a framework for analyzing the effects of MAUP on ESP. Our results indicate that (1) the datasets used for identifying ecological sources should possess a grain size of smaller than 300 × 300 m2. (2) The resistance surface directly influenced the results of the ecological corridors and nodes. (3) MAUP could generate uncertainties in ESP policymaking. Additionally, this study developed comprehensive network analysis tools based on graph machine learning to analyze the effect of MAUP on ESP policymaking, which can provide important landscape planning. The network analysis approaches may help policymakers gain a comprehensive understanding of the ESP network to improve the credibility of policies.

Design of intelligent agricultural landscape planning and ecological balance control system based on remote sensing images

Abstract With the modernization of agricultural production and the acceleration of urbanization, agricultural landscape planning and ecological balance control have become important issues in promoting sustainable development. Traditional agricultural production methods have problems such as resource waste, environmental pollution, and ecological damage. This article aimed to achieve scientific planning and management of agricultural landscapes, and promote the efficiency of agricultural production, rational utilization of resources, and protection of the ecological environment, thereby promoting sustainable agricultural development. This study first focused on denoising and feature extraction of agricultural remote sensing data images, using remote sensing technology to obtain agricultural landscape information. After that, artificial intelligence was adopted to achieve intelligent agricultural landscape planning, with the goal of maintaining ecological balance and promoting efficient, eco-friendly, and sustainable agricultural production. This study took the landscape of a certain city as an example to test the processing effect of remote sensing images, and it was proved that the effect was good. We tested the performance of an intelligent agricultural landscape planning and ecological balance control system based on remote sensing images. According to the experimental results, it can be concluded that the resource utilization efficiency of farmland A monitored by the intelligent agricultural landscape planning system using remote sensing image technology was 82%, while the traditional one was only 60%. This indicated that the collection effect of remote sensing image technology was much better than that of traditional technology. This article comprehensively and timely monitored and evaluated farmland through remote sensing image technology, including crop growth status, soil moisture, nutritional status, etc. The system can provide precise planting and management suggestions for farmers based on this information, and help them optimize farmland layout, crop selection, and irrigation management, thereby improving the production efficiency of farmland and crop yield.

The socio-ecological impacts of tourism development in the Western Ghats: the case of Wayanad, India

Globally, tourism is advocated as a development tool with the potential to uplift socioeconomic conditions for marginalized populations and contribute to biodiversity conservation. The expectation is that the tourism model of development can bring about positive social changes in diverse communities by broadening livelihood opportunities and concurrently preserving crucial ecosystems, which are regarded as valuable assets in the tourism sector. We investigated Wayanad in the Western Ghats of India, challenging the notion of “tourism for development.” We examined the socio-ecological features of the region, the evolution of tourism and sustainable tourism, and the implications across various sectors. The research employed an empirical approach grounded in the critical examination of socio-ecological systems for tourism governance and sustainability. The data were obtained through in-depth interviews conducted in Wayanad and a review of the relevant literature. The results reveal that despite the prevalent and persuasive arguments favoring tourism, there are extensive multi-sectoral implications in tourism development that negatively affect both the environment and people at large. These impacts include the erosion of agrobiodiversity-linked traditional Adivasi lifestyles, the displacement of local communities, the encroachment of tourism projects into forests and increased human–animal conflicts, the absence of social security measures for marginalized communities, a decline in traditional livelihood options, and an overreliance on the tourism industry and the private sector. These discernible impacts have pushed the fragile region further into a socio-ecological imbalance. Tourism development in ecologically delicate areas should take into account socio-ecological impacts because a region's culture and nature are key components of its attractiveness as a tourist destination. Large-scale landscape planning should involve the perspectives of various stakeholders, including both direct and indirect participants who could be influenced by tourism. The marginalization of Adivasi communities that maintain the region's ecological integrity is unproductive for both the economic and regional development interests of tourism.

Application of image rendering based on improved neural networks and sensors in landscape design

Landscape planning and design is an indispensable part of modern urban construction. In landscape design, rendering technology can transform designers' imagination into actual images, allowing people to better understand the design intent. In order to solve the problem of insufficient precision in image rendering in landscape design, this paper proposes a landscape design image rendering technology based on improved neural network technology. This technology combines stereo matching algorithms, which evaluate the corrected stereo images to calculate the differences between the real scene and the underlying model. The stereo matching algorithm is based on the basic model and obtains accurate depth information from a wide range image pair, making the rendered landscape image more realistic and precise. The experiment demonstrates the effectiveness of the landscape design image rendering system through two important aspects: processing speed and parallax accuracy. The development of image rendering technology in landscape design cannot be separated from the mutual promotion of theory and practice. The technology proposed in this article has certain practical value and hopes to make more positive contributions to urban construction and cultural inheritance.

The Balance between Artistry and Science in Landscape Design of Memorial Garden Based on the Prediction Model of Multimedia Visual Perception Quality

The importance of careful planning and design of the memorial garden's landscape has been steadily rising in recent years as people have grown more aware of the garden's surroundings. The analysis is carried out from two perspectives of the artistic and scientific balance of the memorial garden landscape in this paper, explaining the effect of the balance between artistry and science in landscape design, while illustrating the effect of artistic and scientific balance based on some real memorial garden landscapes. This analysis and explanation play a pivotal role in the landscape design of the memorial garden. The pervasiveness of multimedia programmes and the recognition of their value in enriching life go hand in hand. Researchers need to pay close attention to the spread of multimedia apps that improve such encounters.

Analysis of the effect of landscape component classification on landscape diversity index

The landscape diversity index (LDI) is an important level in biodiversity conservation, and its scale dependence has an important role in regional landscape planning and biological conservation. The aim of this study is to analyze in depth the effects of spatial scale changes in the classification of different landscape components on LDI and to explore the thresholds of LDI. The classification of landscape components was accomplished in the ArcMap environment using fusion and merging tools, and the LDI thresholds and scale changes were quantitatively assessed by LDI values. The results show that there are differences in LDI values for different classifications, and the threshold for LDI without considering scale changes can be interpreted as: 0.4215 ≤ LDI ≤ 1.9754. The grain sizes suitable for landscape diversity analysis are 160m and 1280 m, and the effective amplitude range of the I, II and III land type is 9~31 km, while the effective amplitude of three land use types is 20∼31 km, relatively lagging behind. However, when considering amplitude changes, the LDI threshold can be interpreted as 0.3027 ≤ LDI ≤ 2.0947, which is suitable for large-scale regional landscape diversity studies when the grain size is large. In conclusion, the essence of landscape diversity change with scale is caused by changes in the number and area of landscape components, and the threshold analysis should not only take into account the grain size and amplitude, but also consider the landscape background of the study area.

Determinants of taxonomic, functional, and phylogenetic beta diversity in breeding birds within urban remnant woodlots: Implications for conservation.

Examining beta diversity of animal assemblages in fragmented habitats, which measures variation in species composition among different fragments, is important for understanding the impact of habitat fragmentation on biodiversity. However, relying solely on taxonomic composition may not provide a comprehensive understanding. Incorporating measures of functional and phylogenetic diversities is essential for elucidating the ecological mechanisms underlying changes in community composition. In addition, prevailing studies often prioritize the evaluation of landscape characteristics within fragments as determinants of beta diversity, neglecting differences in habitat type and plant community composition. In this study, we surveyed birds in 26 remnant woodlot patches (ranging from 0.3 to 290.4 ha) in an urban landscape, southwest China, during the breeding season from 2017 to 2022. We recorded 70 bird species (excluding those recorded only once and high-flying birds, including raptors, swallows, and swifts), with the number of species per patch varying from 14 to 56. The overall bird taxonomic and phylogenetic beta diversities were primarily contributed by the turnover component, while functional beta diversity was dominated by the nestedness-resultant component. Patch area and perimeter area ratio significantly influenced the taxonomic, functional, and phylogenetic beta diversities, primarily mediated through the nestedness-resultant component, while inter-patch distance had a significant effect via the turnover component. In addition, there was a considerable correlation of bird taxonomic, functional, and phylogenetic beta diversities with habitat type and woody plant beta diversities, including their respective partitioned turnover and nestedness-resultant components. Our results suggest that bird assemblages in these patches may be regulated by selective extinction, interspecific competition, and environmental filtering. The findings have significant implications for sustainable landscape planning and habitat restoration. Conserving habitat patches of different sizes and maintaining or enhancing habitat heterogeneity between patches can facilitate the persistence of metacommunities.

Metamorphosing sprawl to walkable city: a study on the role of public transport – Muscat case study

ABSTRACT The tolerance of urban sprawl has allowed private cars to become the dominant mode of transport in Muscat. Consequently, the associated sedentary lifestyle led to many health and social problems. Moreover, the rapid population growth started causing some sustainability challenges like high energy consumption and air pollution. Recently, public transit rather than the private vehicles started to gain popularity within academics. In Muscat, the urban sprawl was tolerated in its development schemes starting in the 1970s. However, the aforementioned issues caused the state to adopt new policies to mitigate those consequences. Accordingly, the National Transport Company (MWASALAT) was given the task of providing public transport service in 2014 in Muscat. However, many challenges remain given that only 0.5% of Muscat’s population are using its bus service. The main hypothesis of this research is that promoting public transit in cities with large urban sprawl must be within a comprehensive scheme to transform it into a walkable city utilizing other urban & landscape planning elements. Due to a complete lack of relevant studies, the main source of information was via interviews with two high ranking officials in MWASALAT, a survey given to a random sample of Muscat residents, and data analysis. In addition, drawing an interpretation from relevant references was also employed. The research provides some approaches to achieve the desired changes for one of the best examples of urban sprawl cities in Muscat; Madinat el Sultan Qaboos.

Past and future of landscape planning

Past and future of landscape planning

Influence of landscape pattern changes on water conservation capacity: A case study in an arid/semiarid region of China

With the accelerating changes of land use/cover caused by natural and human factors, landscape pattern has undergone significant changes. Given the scarcity of water resources and the degradation of ecological functions in arid and semi-arid regions of China, it is necessary to analyze the impact of landscape pattern changes on water conservation. Taking the Wei River Basin (WRB) as the research area, based on water balance equations, FRAGSTATS 4.2 software, and correlation analysis method, this study explored the spatiotemporal distribution characteristics of water conservation and landscape pattern in the WRB from 1990 to 2020, as well as the correlations between the two. The results showed that from 1990 to 2020: (1) the water conservation capacity (WCC) showed no insignificant change trend (P > 0.05) in sub water basins as well as the entire WRB, and it presented a spatial distribution pattern of more in the south and west, and less in the north and east; (2) the landscape diversity and fragmentation of the WRB have increased, and the patch shapes tended to be complex, while connectivity and agglomeration between patches decreased; (3) The WCC had significant negative correlations with the Contagion Index (CONTAG), connectivity index (COHESION), and largest patch index (LPI), while had significant positive correlations with landscape shape index (LSI), Shannon diversity index (SHDI), and separation index (SPLIT), indicating that the increase of landscape fragmentation and diversity was conducive to the improvement of WCC. In the process of ecological landscape planning and optimization, the fragmentation degree of landscape can be appropriately increased. (4) Vegetated grassland, forestland, and farmland were the main sources of WCC, with average WCC values of 81.90, 68.04, and 8.72 mm, respectively. NDVI of the watershed increased significantly (P < 0.01) during the research period and showed a significant positive correlation with WCC, indicating the promoting effect of increasing vegetation coverage on WCC. Relevant results may provide referential information for ecological restoration and optimization of landscape pattern in arid/semiarid regions.

Mainstreaming Climate Change Adaptation into Sectoral Plans: An Assessment Based on the Logical Framework Approach

Although climate change adaptation (CCA) and spatial planning are relevant to promoting climate resilience, Italy shows a certain lack of studies focused on the coherence between national CCA objectives and sectoral plans. We aim to investigate such a research gap and propose and apply a logical framework approach (LFA)-based method to assess the coherence of sectoral plans adopted in Sardinia (Italy) with the missions of the Italian National Climate Change Adaptation Plan (NCCAP). We apply LFA to analytically scrutinize sectoral plans by reconstructing their strategic framework—including objectives and actions—and comparing them to the CCA objectives established by the NCCAP. The purpose is to provide the regional administrations with a methodological approach and tangible findings, suggesting the need for updating plans lacking CCA contents and contributing to the drafting or updating of the regional strategy for CCA. The method adopted in this study allowed us to identify plan objectives and actions that fully or partially integrate NCCAP objectives. Then, plans partially (or not at all) consistent with the NCCAP can be integrated with CCA contents. This is relevant to promoting climate resilience issues in plans that have clear effects in terms of spatial, landscape, and urban planning, according to different governance levels.

Evaluating the impact of urban landscape elements on the sense of security and local belonging-case study: Tongdejie, China

Introduction: The urban landscape is a pivotal element shaping the urban space and significantly influences its desirability or undesirability. It has a profound connection with people and their living environment, playing a crucial role in providing identity and a sense of peace to citizens. As urbanization expands and population density increases, the importance of security as a basic need within the urban structure becomes even more significant. A confusing, unattractive, or monotonous urban space can adversely affect citizens’ feelings and reduce their sense of security.Methods: In this research, we investigated the relationship between urban landscape components and the sense of local belonging, as well as the relationship between the sense of security and the urban landscape. We sought to understand how the design and planning of the urban landscape can have a positive impact on urban life and increase citizens’ sense of belonging to the city and its surroundings.Results: Our findings revealed a positive and significant correlation between the sense of local belonging and the sense of security. Living in a safe, attractive, and desirable environment fosters and strengthens feelings of belonging to the environment. This strengthening of the sense of belonging increases residents’ satisfaction and enhances the quality of life in cities.Discussion: The urban landscape serves as a powerful tool that, when optimally designed, can positively influence urban life and enhance citizens’ sense of belonging to their city and its surrounding environment. By prioritizing security and creating aesthetically pleasing and engaging urban spaces, cities can significantly improve the well-being and quality of life of their residents.

Matching supply and demand of cooling service provided by urban green and blue space

Urban blue-green space (UBGS) has been extensively investigated for its climate regulation capability in the context of climate change. However, current efforts are limited toward the cooling effects mismatch in supply and demand of UBGS. This study adapts the framework of ecosystem supply and demand to quantify the supply-demand matching of the cooling effects of UBGS. Two indices were proposed to evaluate cooling provision and demand of UBGS: Cooling Supply Index (CSI), accounting for cooling contribution and spatial effect, and Cooling Demand Index (CDI), considering physical and social dimensions of cooling demand. Four-quadrant analysis and bivariate local indicators of spatial autocorrelation (BiLISA) analysis were employed to distinguish the supply-demand matching status: high supply with high demand, low supply with high demand, low supply with low demand, and high supply with low demand. The results show that 1) CSI and CDI yield great performance in quantifying cooling supply and demand, respectively; 2) the four-quadrant analysis and bivariate LISA analysis are complementary to each other, and can target those areas in different matching statuses for climate-sensitive planning and design; and 3) particular attention should be given to areas characterized by low supply with high demand. This study marks a crucial step toward integrating social aspects into the analysis of cooling effects provided by UBGS. It enriches the analysis framework for urban ecosystem services and provides valuable guidance for landscape planning to mitigate heat stress.

Assessing landscape fragmentation and ecological connectivity to support regional spatial planning: A case study of Jiangsu province, China

Urbanization in China has led to land-use changes resulting in landscape fragmentation, natural habitats loss and ecological connectivity decline. Aiming to support sustainable landscape planning, we proposed an integrated method for ecological structure assessment and optimization including morphological spatial pattern analysis (MSPA), minimal cumulative resistance (MCR) model and circuit theory to assess landscape fragmentation and ecological connectivity change at regional scale. A modified connectivity index is also proposed by employing the index of relative quality of ecological patches and corridors. We applied the combined methods to Jiangsu province in eastern China for multi-temporal landscape analysis and optimization. The results showed that the combined analysis revealed both fragmentation trend of ecological patches and ecological connectivity reduction with regard to all the species as a whole in the study area from 2000 to 2018. While, the trend has been slowed down to a certain extent lately, which is related to a series of ecological protection policies implemented in the study area, including ecological redlines policy, national park construction and returning marginal farmland into forest or grassland. Furthermore, suggestions for improving the ecological network in the study area were proposed. We proposed to improve the ecological network by fostering twenty-five potential ecological sources, maintaining twenty-five pinch points, restoring eleven dredging corridors and planning fifty-three stepping stones. Overall, we argue that the combined method can reveal both structural connectivity and functional connectivity, and the time series analysis can provide dynamics situation for better understanding and planning landscape process. It can also provide planners with a valuable strategic tool that advances the practical utility of landscape ecology techniques for spatial planning, and the combined application of the method helps to reduce some of the limitations of each individual method.

The next step in suburban rural revitalization: Integrated whole-process landscape management linking ecosystem services and landscape characteristics

Suburban rural ecosystem, especially those adjacent to large cities, constitute a key component of rural and urban sustainability and resilience. However, urbanisation often exerts a negative impact on suburban rural landscapes, leading to ecological degradation. Despite making a significant contribution to multiple ecosystem services (ESs), suburban rural landscapes do not receive commensurate attention compared to urban themes, particularly on a smaller scale. We explored key drivers of land use dynamics in the suburban rural area of Jiangning, Nanjing, China, via a quantitative statistical mapping approach, utilising multi-source geospatial data from 2005 to 2018 and relevant ecological and socio-economic data that would enable the quantification of four key ecosystem services. Landscape functional zones characterised by ESs bundles were also identified, and their association with surrounding landscape attributes was statistically analysed. Our results highlighted urbanisation-induced population growth as the macro-context driving the development of Jiangning. The analysis yielded five distinct landscape functional zones (LFZs) that displayed synergistic relationships between their ESs, namely, carbon storage and soil retention, n-output and water yield. Furthermore, these results linked LFZs to environmental spatial characteristics and created detailed landscape elements for each zone, thereby emphasising the need for more comprehensive landscape planning and designing for ecological transition zones. We were thus able to imply zoning attributes-based rural landscape designs that may optimise ecological benefits. This study provides a systematic method to integrate ESs, landscape functional zones, and environmental spatial characteristics into the whole process management of suburban rural landscape planning. It aims to promote sustainable multifunctionality in suburban rural areas by providing spatial-level management indicators and landscape element-level design strategies for each LFZ, thereby revitalising the countryside from the perspective of landscape architecture.