ABSTRACT Urban sprawl represents a critical issue for island and coastal areas. In addition to the intense tourist development, the Cyclades islands also face issues related to the shortcomings and the way of implementation of spatial planning in Greece. This research endeavour seeks to offer a multitemporal quantitative depiction of the built-up area changes of the Cyclades through the utilization of remote sensing methodologies and geoinformatics tools for analysis. The analysis employs Landsat satellite images, spanning the period from 2000 to 2020, with a five-year interval. The Random Forest (RF) machine learning algorithm was selected for image classification. The results obtained demonstrate the significant changes that have occurred in the built-up area. The exurban area has been the focus of spatial metrics, which highlight the fragmentation, complexity and dispersion of the built-up area, indicating ad-hoc practices and the absence of integrated planning. An integrated, contemporary and consistent spatial planning should be implemented in order to counteract the dynamics of urban sprawl on the islands, which poses a significant threat to the distinctive and fragile landscape of the Cyclades, thereby jeopardizing the sustainable development of the region.

Urban sprawl is one of the major challenges facing urbanizing societies. This study quantifies the extent of urban sprawl in southern Poland's four most populous metropolitan areas, encompassing 164 municipalities, and assesses the effectiveness of spatial planning strategies aimed at limiting sprawl. The first phase of the research establishes comparative parameters for evaluating sprawl across these urban regions. To measure it, we apply the weighted urban proliferation (WUP) method, which comprises three indicators: the proportion of built-up land, the degree of spatial dispersion, and land consumption per capita. The most dispersed metropolitan areas are Rzeszów and Upper Silesia-Zagłębiowska and the most compact are Kraków and Wrocław. In the second phase, we analyze sprawl at the municipal level and examine how specific planning instruments—namely local spatial development plans (MPZPs) and decisions on land development and management conditions (WZs)—influence its occurrence. We correlate the WUP metrics for each municipality with the percentage of land covered by MPZPs in 2018 and the total number of WZs issued from 2009 to 2018. The analysis reveals diverse sprawl patterns, shaped by differing historical contexts, planning coverage (MPZPs), and intensity of WZ decisions. Notably, the number of WZs per square kilometer appears to exert a stronger impact on sprawl dynamics than the mere extent of MPZP coverage. Our findings indicate only weak to moderate correlations between the presence of MPZPs and sprawling development, suggesting the need for more targeted and effective anti-sprawl planning policies. This study highlights the critical role of well-designed spatial management tools for coping with urban expansion. • Weighted urban proliferation (WUP), integrating land use, dispersion, and population density, is applied in Poland. • The most dispersed metro areas are Rzeszów and Upper Silesia-Zagłębiowska and the most compact are Kraków and Wrocław. • Certain regions are more dispersed due to historical legacies, weak planning, and high intensity of land development. • Due to the low effectiveness of local spatial development plans, new tools should be used to limit urban sprawl. • The WUP method enables new empirical evidence of planning effectiveness in Polish cities.

Effective knowledge of ecological connectivity at sea and at the land-sea interface is key to supporting global policy goals to conserve and restore ocean biodiversity and function. However, a persistent lack of commonality in terminology and understanding around the concept of connectivity in marine ecological studies hampers its integration across disciplines, and its application in spatial planning and policy. Building on an extensive literature review, we clarify definitions and subcategories of marine connectivity, and propose a unified conceptual framework for Marine Functional Connectivity (MFC) research to support the integration of multidisciplinary scientific knowledge into management and policy. We identify key challenges and future directions for advancing this emerging field, bringing together most strands of marine science to understand changes in biodiversity and functional interdependencies between habitats and regions. Embedding this new integrated MFC research at the core of marine environmental science promises to improve significantly predictions of environmental and socio-economic change and the sustainable use of ecosystems and resources at sea and at the land-sea interface.

An agent-based model for the urban and spatial planning in the center of Athens

Mitigating the effects of facility decline at the local level through spatial planning: A case study of the Municipality of Knjaževac, Serbia

Spatial collimation sequencing enhances low-dose sparing and geometric robustness in single-isocenter SBRT for multiple liver metastases.

• Ecological Niche Factor Analysis (ENFA) provides robust insights into seasonal habitat selection. • Long-term monitoring identifies key habitats and seasonal resource shifts critical for species persistence. • Complementary use of temporary crops and habitat heterogeneity supports breeding and foraging across seasons. • Evidence-based, targeted farmland management enhances the conservation of threatened species in intensively cultivated landscapes. The great bustard ( Otis tarda ) is a globally threatened farmland bird with variable population trends across Europe. While many populations are declining, the West-Pannonian population has increased, providing an opportunity to investigate species persistence in intensively cultivated landscapes. We examined seasonal habitat use of this population using Ecological Niche Factor Analysis (ENFA) on a seven-year dataset of systematic observations—the first ENFA application for the West-Pannonian great bustard population. This methodological framework allowed us to identify key ecological factors driving habitat selection, assess interannual consistency, and explore sex-specific differences. Our results indicate that agri-environmental scheme (AES) supported fallows and winter rapeseed are consistently selected and function as critical seasonal resources, whereas other habitat types are used only during certain periods of the season, but remain essential within the agricultural mosaic. Habitat preferences were largely similar between males and females, with minor seasonal differences. By linking habitat selection to measurable land-use features, our study provides a robust, evidence-based framework for guiding conservation management of great bustards. These findings demonstrate how targeted agri-environmental interventions can enhance habitat suitability and persistence of threatened farmland species, offering practical guidance for spatial planning and conservation strategies grounded in empirical habitat-use data.

Riparian zone transformation in South Africa: Evaluating changes, causes, and the role of legal frameworks

As cities are the main carriers of carbon emissions, researchers have been continuously exploring the relationship between various elements in cities and carbon emissions. In this study, a multisource data set was produced for the Hefei Municipal District in Anhui Province, China, and the carbon emission data estimated by both direct and indirect methods were fitted and corrected by the function of nighttime lighting data. Carbon emission drivers were established in accordance with the current 5D spatial indicator system. Based on the current 5D spatial indicator system, the carbon emission driver indicators were established, taking into account the complex process of carbon sources and sinks, and incorporating natural spatial factors other than man-made space. The spatial autocorrelation model was used to analyze the distribution of carbon emissions and each indicator separately and spatially, and the driving force of each factor in the driving system was measured and verified by combining the characteristics of multiple models. The results showed that among the five dimensions of urban space, the driving forces of functional composite strength, public transport station density, and road network density are higher, which are 70.2%, 63.3%, and 63.3%, respectively, which are important factors affecting carbon emission intensity. By prioritizing the improvement of these factors and optimizing public transport and land use, valuable lessons can be provided for spatial planning for carbon reduction and the construction of low-carbon cities.

The role of paradiplomacy for cultural heritage preservation: The cosmological axis of yogyakarta

Scenario-based cumulative impacts assessment on iconic species habitats under marine spatial planning and fishing policies in the Yangtze River Estuary

Multiscale evolution of the coupling relationship between ecosystem service value and human activity intensity in the southwest Guangxi Karst-Beibu Gulf

This paper traces the evolution of marine spatial planning (MSP) in Spain, from early geographical reflections on the territoriality of the sea to the institutional implementation of legally binding marine spatial plans. Building on the tradition of maritime geography, Spanish scholarship conceptualized the ocean as a political and spatial domain long before MSP emerged as a formal policy tool. The paper situates this intellectual lineage within the Europeanization of marine policy and the establishment of the Planes de Ordenación del Espacio Marítimo (POEMs) in 2023. By combining theoretical, cartographic, and administrative perspectives, it highlights how Spain’s trajectory exemplifies the convergence between academic innovation and policy implementation. The analysis underscores both the achievements and the ongoing challenges of developing a coherent, adaptive framework for marine governance in a multilevel European context.

ABSTRACT With the acceleration of urbanization, flood detention areas (FDAs), as vital components of flood defense systems, are increasingly exposed to land use conflicts. These conflicts are particularly acute in peri-urban FDAs, where ecological protection, flood safety, and urban expansion interact and often compete. To identify and quantify spatial mismatch risks in multi-objective land use processes, this study takes Wuhan and its surrounding representative FDAs as a case study. We develop an integrated geospatial framework that combines flood control assurance, ecological conservation, and land use simulation, and propose a land use conflict index (LUCI) to systematically capture conflicts between urban expansion and the “three control lines” (Cropland and Permanent Basic Farmland Protection Line, Ecological Protection Redline, and Urban Development Boundary). Using the patch-generating land use simulation (PLUS) model, four scenarios – natural development, economic priority, flood control priority, and ecological priority – are simulated to project land use patterns to 2035 and evaluate conflict dynamics. Results show that: (1) LUCI demonstrates higher precision and robustness in detecting conflicts in function-sensitive areas, with 18.95% of the region identified as mild conflict and only 0.22% as high conflict, in contrast to the traditional spatial comprehensive conflict index (SCCI), which classifies 74.10% as high conflict. (2) Across all scenarios, new IO (impervious surface expansion beyond the Urban Development Boundary) conflicts account for no less than 54.50%, indicating that peri-urban transition zones between cities and FDAs are the primary hotspots of spatial mismatch. (3) Policy orientation has a decisive impact on future patterns: the economic-priority scenario raises the average LUCI to 0.0570 compared with 0.0299 in the base year, while ecological- and flood-control scenarios effectively mitigate conflict growth. Overall, LUCI provides a policy-sensitive geospatial tool for conflict detection, scenario evaluation, and risk-informed spatial planning, supporting the sustainable development of FDAs and other rapidly urbanizing regions.

ABSTRACT Long-term spatial planning is essential for sustainable cities, yet its logical consistency is rarely evaluated. This study investigates how public participation influences the logical soundness of plans by identifying 'non-sequitur fallacies' and assessing procedural integrity using the Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan (SUMP) framework. This paper compares South Korea's National Comprehensive Territorial Plan and the 2040 Seoul Plan. The findings reveal that while the National Plan maintained logical coherence through institutionalized, deliberative participation, the 2040 Seoul Plan exhibited significant logical gaps. This paradox stems from 'technical exclusion' during Steps 3-4 and 6-7 of the SUMP process, demonstrating that the quality and timing of participation are decisive. Finally, this study proposes a three-stage framework to integrate procedural rigour with substantive logic, offering practical recommendations for planning authorities to move beyond symbolic consultation toward a democratically consistent and accountable paradigm.

Evaluating Retrieval-Augmented Generation for Guideline-Grounded Textual Planning in Implant Dentistry: A Comparative Study.

Landscape pattern is closely associated with pollution in rapidly urbanizing watersheds, but most studies still focus on single pollutants or single environmental media. This study developed a watershed-based framework to compare coupled water and air pollution in the Liaohe River Basin, China. A total of 156 hydrologically connected sub-basins were used as common spatial units. Landscape metrics were calculated for 2000, 2010, and 2020. Total nitrogen and total phosphorus loads were simulated using the Soil and Water Assessment Tool, while annual mean PM2.5 and O3 concentrations were aggregated from gridded products to the same sub-basin scale. Coupling coordination degree was used to identify relative co-pollution patterns within the aquatic and atmospheric systems. GeoXGBoost with spatial block cross-validation was used to evaluate predictive performance, and GeoSHAP was used to interpret model-based predictor contributions. The aquatic coupled pollution index was predicted more accurately than the atmospheric index, indicating a stronger landscape association with nutrient coupling. Cropland proportion was the most stable predictor of aquatic coupling, whereas forest proportion was the most stable predictor of atmospheric coupling. These results suggest that water-oriented management should focus on cropland structure and ecological buffering, while air-oriented management should emphasize forest continuity and fragmentation control. The framework provides a spatially explicit basis for differentiated watershed management and territorial spatial planning.

ABSTRACT Spatial planning in new democracies offers an opportunity to discuss processes for territorial and local development. This paper reflects on the elaboration of the first municipal spatial plans in Timor-Leste, where process moved beyond technocratic and legalistic-based approaches to engage directly with multi-layered governance structures, power institutions, and local actors. It argues that in countries where spatial planning and democracy are in their early days, planning processes, embedded in local engagement and co-production, can contribute to strengthening local institutions, empower local actors, and serve as an important bridge between conflicting rationales, while promoting societal and institutional planning cultures.

From fractions to fragments: Policy to practice through AI-driven multiscale spatial planning for groundwater nitrate management.

ABSTRACT Focusing on recent developments regarding the area adjacent to the recently privatized port of Thessaloniki, Greece, the article sheds light on the relationship between processes aiming at the modernization and internationalization of the port itself and the spatial development plans promoted for the future of its urban hinterland. The study foregrounds processes of spatial transformation triggered after the port’s concession to a multinational consortium in 2018 and within the context of the long-lasting financial crisis that began in 2008. In doing so, recent development plans about the surrounding area of the port are presented and discussed on the basis of the spatial development orientations they promote, the actors involved, the governance processes they perform and the discourse they adopt. The study of spatial development plans enriches the research on current transformations of the port-city interface, unveiling discursive links between privatization processes, and dominant planning paradigms. Contributing to the discussion of the multiple institutional, administrative, spatial and geographically variegated dimensions of neoliberalization, the article argues that, in Greece, the privatization of major urban infrastructure catalyzed processes of neoliberalization of urban governance and the city itself.