Urban Sprawl Research Articles

Urban sprawl and the changing socioecological systems in peri-urban Ghana

ABSTRACT The growth of African cities is characterised by sprawl, significantly impacting social, economic and environmental systems. The change in land use due to urban sprawl often dispossesses farmers in peri-urban communities, resulting in income loss. Focusing on social and ecological changes in peri-urban communities of Ghana, this paper sheds light on land use and land cover change stemming from urban sprawl. It is argued that land governance systems that shape resource access in peri-urban areas have been transformed with farming being the most impacted. Emerging livelihoods like sand winning further compounds a precarious situation. Women and youth are the most affected, with limited options for alternative occupations and uncertain futures. It is thus imperative that policy interventions prioritise sustainable land governance and urban planning, taking into account the needs and vulnerabilities of peri-urban communities, particularly women and youth.

Patterns of Urban Sprawl and Agricultural Land Loss in Sub-Saharan Africa: The Cases of the Ugandan Cities of Kampala and Mbarara

Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) is undergoing rapid urbanization, yet research comparing urban expansion and agricultural land loss in peri-urban areas is scarce. This study utilizes multi-temporal Landsat imagery to examine the impact of urban growth on agricultural land and fragile ecosystems in Kampala (a mega city) and Mbarara (a regional urban center) in Uganda. We distinguish between random and systematic land-use and land-cover (LULC) transitions in the landscape. The results reveal substantial urban expansion. Kampala’s urban area surged from 7.14% in 1989 to 55.10% in 2015, while Mbarara increased from 6.37% in 2002 to 30.95% in 2016. Correspondingly, agricultural land decreased, from 48.02% to 16.69% in Kampala, and from 39.92% to 32.08% in Mbarara. Notably, a significant proportion of urban growth in both cities encroached upon agricultural land (66.7% in Kampala and 57.8% in Mbarara). The transition from agricultural to built-up areas accounted for 14.72% to 28.45% of the landscapes. Additionally, unsustainable practices led to the conversion of wetlands and forests to agricultural land, with approximately 13% of wetlands and 23% of Savannah and forests being converted between 2001 and 2015. These findings underscore the necessity of monitoring LULC changes for sustainable urban growth management, emphasizing the importance of preserving agricultural land and ecosystems to ensure present and future food security. This research contributes to the understanding of urbanization’s impact on peri-urban agricultural land and ecosystems in SSA, providing insights that are crucial for informed urban planning and policy formulation aimed at sustainable development in the region.

Do informal settlements contribute to sprawl in Sub-Saharan African cities?

Cities in Sub-Saharan Africa are recognized as drivers of development but also as internally disconnected and sprawling. Informal or “unplanned” settlements are often suggested to hamper sustainable growth, while commonly being labeled “sprawl” by default. This notion is addressed in the present paper, which aims to analyze empirically whether informal settlements do contribute more to sprawl than planned areas, in the setting of Sub-Saharan African cities. To this end, the street network accessibility of buildings in informal and planned areas is compared, to understand compactness beyond population density under overcrowding. The setting consists of Tanzanian secondary cities. To trace the effect of informality on compactness within and across cities, regression analysis is used, while controlling for other characteristics of urban structure such as population density. Pooled regression results indicate an approximately 12.8 % lower connectivity for informal settlements. Importantly, this association is not homogeneous and varies substantially across different types of cities. In several cities, informality's impact on connectivity is relatively pronounced, pointing to sprawl. In other cities, no significant relation between informality and connectivity is found. This observable ambiguity underlines the unclear relationship between informality and sprawl. This may be considered within the policy discourse on urban sprawl in Sub-Saharan-Africa.

Noise control tactics to balance the demand for sustainable energy storage, community tranquility, and environmental regulatory compliance

As the construction of large-scale Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) facilities increases in California, their impact on urban sprawl is also becoming more pronounced. Projects involving BESS arrangements increasingly find themselves within or near residential land uses in California, providing greater challenges for noise control and abatement to comply with state and local operational noise thresholds. This paper presents case studies of what Dudek has found to be the most efficient noise control tactics related to lowering the noise emission of BESS facilities, particularly through the implementation of onsite noise walls, direct noise attenuation applied to BESS equipment (i.e., noise attenuation for battery thermal management systems involving the operation of ventilation fans and refrigeration system components), and modified BESS equipment arrangements. These strategies are essential for ensuring that BESS projects are not only compliant with environmental standards but also socially acceptable within residential communities. By presenting practical and efficient noise mitigation techniques, this paper aims to guide planners and developers in the sustainable development of BESS facilities, balancing the demand for energy storage with the preservation of community tranquility and compliance with regulatory noise limits.

Characterising the urban–rural fringe area (URFA) in China: a review of global and local literature on urban–rural fringe areas

Urban-Rural Fringe Areas (URFAs) in China have experienced significant change since 1978 due to extensive urban growth and sprawl. This article explores the characteristics of URFAs in China through a scoping review approach. Analysis identifies that URFAs in China possess features that are located in and connected to urban and rural areas, mixed land use, occupied by both urban and rural populations, and driven by changes in social structure, economic development and policy implementation. These findings are consistent with URFAs in a global context, illustrating synergies in academic and practitioner approaches. However, China’s URFAs are unique due to the country’s social structure, topographical diversity, divergent urban diversity and the regional variations that exist within urban development policies and strategies. The article contributes to a better understanding of the characteristics of URFAs in China, providing guidance for future policy to support more effective and sustainable development.

Climate change and urban sprawl: Unveiling the escalating flood risks in river deltas with a deep dive into the GBM river delta

River deltas, such as the Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna (GBM) delta, are highly vulnerable to flooding, exacerbated by intense human activities and rapid urban growth. This study explores the evolution of urban flood risks in the GBM delta under the combined impacts of climate change and urban expansion. Unlike traditional assessments that focus on a single flood source, we consider multiple sources—coastal, fluvial, and pluvial. Our findings indicate that future urban expansion will significantly increase flood exposure, with a substantial rise in flood risk from all sources by the end of this century. Climate change is the main driver of increased coastal flood risks, while urban growth primarily amplifies fluvial, and pluvial flood risks. This highlights the urgent need for adaptive urban planning strategies to mitigate future flooding and support sustainable urban development. The extreme high emissions future scenario (SSP5–8.5) shows the largest urban growth and consequent flood risk, emphasizing the necessity for preemptive measures to mitigate future urban flooding. Our study provides crucial insights into flood risk dynamics in delta environments, aiding policymakers and planners in developing resilience strategies against escalating flood threats.

Flood risk assessment of the Garita River in the urban zone of San Luis Potosí City, by hydrodynamic modeling

Rapid and uncontrolled urban growth and land use changes in watersheds worldwide have led to increased surface runoff within metropolitan areas, coupled with climate change, creating a risk for residents during the rainy season. The city of San Luis Potosí is no exception to this phenomenon. One affected watercourse is the Garita Stream, which flows inside the city near urbanization. It is essential to analyze the effects of urban sprawl on this stream based on historical precipitation data for the town. Hydrological and topographical information were required to conduct this research. The hydrological study of the basin involved analyzing the region’s geomorphology and historical climatological data. For the stream’s topography, aerial photogrammetry using an unmanned aerial Vehicle (UAV) and Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) equipment was employed to conduct topographic surveys in the area. To find out when the Garita stream would overflow and which areas are most likely to flood, numerical modeling was done using 1D, 2D, and 3D programs like SWMM5 (Storm Water Management Model), HEC-RAS (Hydrologic Engineering Center’s River Analysis System), and EDFC Explorer (Environmental Fluid Dynamics Code). These models simulated different return periods and their correlation with current flooding events recorded in the area, thereby further proposing solutions to mitigate overflow issues. By conducting these simulations and analyzing the results, solutions can be suggested to address the overflow problems in the area based on historical flood events at various return periods caused by the Garita Stream.

Common bean polyphenolic enriched extracts decrease reactive oxygen species induced by heavy metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in Hs27 and Hs68 human fibroblasts

The increase of coarse particulate matter (PM10) due to industrialization and urban sprawl has been identified as a significant contributor to air pollution and a threat to human skin health and premature aging. The objective was to analyze the antioxidant effect of phenolic-enriched extracts (PHE) obtained from black bean (BB) and pinto bean (PB) varieties (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) and pure phenolic compounds (rutin, catechin, and gallic acid) in two human dermal fibroblasts cell lines exposed to PM10. Petunidin-3-O-glucoside was the most abundant anthocyanin, with 57 ± 0.9 mg/g dry extract (DE) in PHE-BB. Gallic acid was the prevalent phenolic acid with 8.2 ± 2.8 mg/g DE in PHE-BB (p < 0.05). Hs27 and Hs68 cell lines were exposed to PM10 (100 μg/mL) to induce oxidative stress; PHE-BB reduced it by 69% ± 12 and PHE-PB by 80% ± 5 relative to PM10 treatment (p < 0.05). Delphinidin-3-O-glucoside showed the highest binding affinity in adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) with −9.0 kcal/mol and quercetin-3-D-galactoside with −6.9 kcal/mol in sirtuin 1 (Sirt1). Rutin increased the expression of Sirt1 by 30% (p < 0.05) in the Hs27 cell line treated with PM10. Common bean extracts can potentially reduce oxidative stress induced by PM10 in human dermal fibroblasts.

Investigating Financial Motivators and Demotivators of Urban Sprawl Through the Lens of Municipalities: A Case of the Qom Municipality, Iran

Investigating Financial Motivators and Demotivators of Urban Sprawl Through the Lens of Municipalities: A Case of the Qom Municipality, Iran

Spatial imbalance in the digital era: how the digital economy affects urban sprawl in China

ABSTRACT Economic and social activities in the digital age have changed business forms and spatial relations, and identifying evolution of the urban form in the digital age is the key to sustainable urban governance. Based on data from prefecture-level cities in China from 2010 to 2021, this study explores the impact of the digital economy on urban sprawl and the path to its realization, thus providing policy implications for urban governance in the digital economy era. The empirical results show that the digital economy significantly promotes urban sprawl and that the urban sprawl effect caused by the digital economy has regional and scale heterogeneity. Western and medium-sized cities show greater sprawl trends under the influence of the digital economy. Digital economy development can significantly affect residents’ lifestyles and lead to urban sprawl, such as encouraging green, digital, and suburban lifestyles. In addition, the digital economy significantly affects the demand for urban land space, such as the industrial division of labour patterns, urbanization processes, and industrial virtual agglomeration, which are indirect factors leading to urban sprawl.

Insight into the spatial nature of the urban sprawl phenomenon in European capitals

Insight into the spatial nature of the urban sprawl phenomenon in European capitals

Promoting sustainable communities through affordable housing. A case study of Beirut, Lebanon

Promoting sustainable communities aims at creating both environmentally and socially responsible living environments. This paper explores the role of affordable housing in promoting the long-term sustainability of a community within healthy living conditions by closely examining the relationship between affordable housing, urban development policies, and sustainability, with the capital of Lebanon, Beirut, serving as a case study. The first part of the paper focuses on the current building laws issued in the official newspaper in 2004 using a content analysis methodology to demonstrate the impact of the changes in the laws on the new morphology and social fabric of the city through the creation of a favorable environment for big developers, wealthy property owners, and real estate agencies and, at the expense of old city residents and low-income families. The second part of the paper uses the qualitative analysis methodology to justify the presence of large unused stock of residential units in Beirut, referring to information from multiple data sources selected based on their applicability to sustainable development, affordable housing, and urban planning in areas related to the case study, Beirut. This part then investigates the potential presented by this stock of residential units in Beirut to increase the supply of affordable housing and foster a sustainable community. This paper argues that the promoted vertical expansion of the city weighs heavily on the environment and fails to provide a diverse mix of housing units, excluding a significant portion of the community from the city. Alternative development models aligning with principles of sustainable development and challenging the current building laws can promote social inclusivity, reduce urban sprawl, and minimize environmental impacts associated with new constructions, thus preserving the city’s physical and social fabric.

Spatiotemporal Dynamics of Carbon and Nitrogen in Subtropical Urban Streams (Santo André, SP, Brazil)

Urban sprawl poses a significant threat to urban stream water quality due to impermeabilization, reduced vegetation cover, and the release of diffuse pollutants. This study evaluates water quality in seven catchments in Santo André, SP, considering seasonality. Nutrient concentrations and in situ measurements were taken during both dry and rainy seasons. Comparisons were made using Kruskal–Wallis and Mann–Whitney tests. Streams showed significant differences in relation to water quality parameters. The Carapetuba, Jundiaí, and Apiaí streams were most adversely affected, underscoring the need for urgent water quality intervention (water conductivity above 500 μS/cm, dissolved oxygen below 2 mg/L, total dissolved carbon above 50 mg/L, and total dissolved nitrogen above 25 mg/L). Significant differences were observed across seasons. The dry season showed elevated temperatures (above 25 °C) and increased total dissolved carbon (above 50 mg/L) and nitrogen concentrations (above 30 mg/L), indicating reduced dilution effects from rainfall and heightened organic contamination. Conversely, the wet season demonstrated lower nutrient concentrations, emphasizing seasonal dynamics. Sustained, long-term monitoring of urban streams in Santo André and the implementation of sewage collection and treatment in irregular settlements are recommended. These measures are essential to mitigate the adverse impacts of urban expansion on water quality.

Street connectivity and active mobility in emerging economies: disparities of socioeconomic features and travel behavior in sprawling versus compact urban neighbourhoods

ABSTRACT Our knowledge of urban sprawl and its relationship with urban mode choices in the context of developing countries is limited. The present study aims to evaluate the influence of travel behaviour, socioeconomic features of residents in sprawling and compact areas as two different types of neighbourhoods Hamedan and Nowshahr, Iran. Also, this study analysed the relationship between street connectivity with the use of active mobility. Ordinary least squares (OLS) regression models were generated for trips in these two cities, which is complemented by chi-squared and Kruskal–Wallis tests to evaluate the similarities and dissimilarities of travel behaviour and other socioeconomic characteristics among the residents of compact and sprawling neighbourhoods. A significant relationship was observed between street connectivity and active mobility in all kinds of commuting and non-commuting trips inside and outside of neighbourhoods when age, gender, car ownership, and monthly income are controlled in the models of the two cities.

Distribution Profile of Benthic Macroinvertebrates in Some Rivers of Yaoundé City and Its Surroundings Using Self Organizing Map and Indicator value methods

Urban sprawl leads to the degradation of aquatic environments and, consequently, to the destruction of biodiversity. With the aim of highlighting the distribution profile of benthic macroinvertebrates in the city of Yaoundé and its surroundings according to the level of degradation, this study was carried out in seven rivers. A total of 144 taxa of benthic macroinvertebrates, belonging to 74 families, 15 orders, five classes, and three phyla, were collected from seven rivers in urban, peri-urban, and forest environments on Yaoundé and its surroundings. The self-organizing map (SOM) analysis tool was used to group the collected taxa from all stations into three clusters or affinity cores. The indicator value analysis (IndVal) method was employed to determine, based on their ecological preferences, which organisms were most likely to belong to each group. Out of the 144 collected taxa, only 44 were indicated to represent the three different groups. Thus, three communities were defined: the Hydropsyche community, with Hydropsyche sp. as the predominant taxon in Group III, characterizing well-oxygenated and low-mineralized stations; the Hydrocyrius community, where the species Hydrocyrius sp. predominates in Group I, describing stations with low oxygenation and moderate mineralization; and the Lumbriculidae community, where Lumbriculidae is the taxon associated with environments with high mineralization and critical oxygenation. These two methods contribute to the biomonitoring of tropical aquatic environments, firstly by grouping organisms by affinity and then identifying those that reflect the environment conditions. This facilitates the detection of changes in the quality of hydrosystems and guides management and conservation efforts.

Promoting Peri-urban Agriculture: A Remedy for Climate Change. Case of the Town of Delly Brahim in Algiers

The issue of promoting peri-urban agriculture seems to be an important one in response tothe various current concerns about the future of cities in the face of climate change. At firstsight, these peri-urban agricultural areas, which in the past provided shelter for cities, arenow threatened by urban sprawl and are increasingly losing their function of protectingurban areas from climatic hazards. This question is a priority when considering the future ofagriculture in today&amp;#39;s urban sprawl. We are therefore raising a number of concerns linked tomultiple issues: the trampling of green space, agricultural environmental sustainability,territorial impacts and the difficulty of managing rural and urban populations.Around these questions, this research is structured to provide theoretical and practicalknowledge that will enable us to place peri-urban agriculture at the heart of urban concerns,in a perspective of reaction to climate change. The interest of this work is reinforced in thecase of peri-urban areas surrounding the capital of Algiers, such as the commune of DelyBrahim: a concrete example of a territory concerned by the subject. On the one hand, thisperiphery boasts important agricultural production zones in close geographical proximity tothe capital Algiers, and on the other, it plays a fundamental economic, environmental andlandscape role in relation to its region. Between its dense urban residential areas, itsagricultural areas threatened by urban sprawl and its natural areas rich in resources, thisterritory is today confronted with numerous environmental vulnerabilities. The aim istherefore to examine the issue of preserving the agricultural sector and its role in mitigatingclimate change.

Development vs. conservation in limited urban sprawl: An integrated framework for resolving the urban boundary dilemma in China

Development vs. conservation in limited urban sprawl: An integrated framework for resolving the urban boundary dilemma in China

Future land use and land cover simulations with cellular automata-based artificial neural network: A case study over Delhi megacity (India)

According to United Nations projections, future global urban growth will mostly occur in Asian megacities. In this study, a Cellular Automata based Artificial Neural Network (CA-ANN) model is used to simulate the future land use and land cover (LULC) over Delhi megacity (India). Delhi, projected to become the world's most populated city by 2030, is an example of a data poor city in Asia, having millions of climate vulnerable people. The CA-ANN model of Modules for Land Change Simulation (MOLUSCE), an open-source plugin, is first tested to simulate the LULC for 2009. Based on good validation results-structural similarity (SSIM; 0.8288), overall accuracy (79.78 %), kappa index of agreement (KIA; 77.25 %), and minimum validation overall error (0.0379), the same model set-up is used to carry out LULC simulation for 2030. This model is found to be simple, efficient, and computationally less expensive tool, and can be used to model future LULCs with a minimal set of inputs, a constraint often found in data poor cities. Results show continued increase in built-up area from 38.3 % (2014) to 53.8 % (2030), at the expense of cultivable areas, forests, and wastelands. The study incorporates past and future LULC change trajectories to highlight the changing LULC dynamics of the megacity from 1977 to 2030. Rate of urban sprawl, calculated using compound annual growth rate (CAGR) is projected to be 2.51 % for 2014–2030, substantially higher than the estimates for 2006–2014 (0.62 %). Further, the past and future urban growth patterns for Delhi are found to mimic other big Asian cities. The database generated from the present study has wide applicability for scientific research community, governmental bodies, profit and non-profit organizations for topics concerning-future urban climate research, climate risk and adaption policy frameworks, climate finance budgeting, future town planning, etc.

Making room for affordable housing: Project-based negotiations between planning authorities and landowners in Dutch and Swiss densification

The emerging objective to combat urban sprawl has put densification on the political agenda. Simultaneously, the complexity of planning within the existing built environment means that planning increasingly occurs on the project level. Project-based negotiations between planning authorities and landowners, in which agreements between parties are formalized in negotiated land use plans or private law contracts, thus shape the outcomes of densification projects. Considering the potential adverse effects of densification on housing affordability, it is important to understand how this shift towards project-based negotiations affects the ability of planners to secure public benefits such as affordable housing in redevelopment projects. This study uses a neo-institutional framework to analyze the negotiations between landowners and planning authorities and illuminates under which conditions affordable housing is provided. Case studies of six projects in two larger-scale redevelopment areas in the cities of Bern (Switzerland) and Nieuwegein (Netherlands) show this ability is highly dependent on (1) the existence of binding affordable housing targets, (2) landownership by non-profit actors, and (3) the direct involvement of citizens. The cases show a distinction between different types of project negotiations. In the Netherlands, contract-based negotiations can lead to the dilution of affordability targets, while in Switzerland, these targets are implemented more consistently through negotiated land use plans. The findings indicate that a project-based approach to planning may speed up the implementation of densification objectives but comes at the cost of democratic accountability. Instead, to ensure the social sustainability of urban densification projects, the scope of negotiations between planners and developers needs to move beyond cost-benefit considerations to include a broader range of public interests.

Mitigating the Impact of Urban Sprawl: Strategies and Solutions

This paper explores the challenges cities face when dealing with urban sprawl and the strategies that can beimplemented to mitigate its impact. The importance of preserving cultural spaces and making the most ofavailable land potential is emphasized. The paper discusses various strategies, such as redeveloping industrialareas and former military sites, retrofitting existing structures for mixed-use developments, and promotingsustainable urban growth. The need using the already existing urban planning expertise and awareness amongdecision-makers is highlighted. The key focus areas of the paper include urbanization, urban sprawl, brownfieldredevelopment, grey energy, and sustainability. Overall, by implementing these strategies, cities can protect theenvironment, preserve open spaces, and achieve sustainable urban development.