Urban Land Utilization Research Articles

Evolutionary Game Analysis of the Government and Enterprises in the Low-Carbon Utilization of Urban Industrial Land: Evidence from China

Evolutionary Game Analysis of the Government and Enterprises in the Low-Carbon Utilization of Urban Industrial Land: Evidence from China

Effects of Industrial Structure on the Green Utilization Efficiency of Urban Land: A Case Study of the Bohai Rim Region, China

The green utilization of urban land is a critical component of regional high-quality development. Enhancing the green utilization efficiency of urban land (GUEUL) is of great significance to improving the quality of ecological environment and achieving a green lifestyle and low-carbon production. With the process of urbanization, the industrial structure is constantly adjusted, which has an impact on the structure and efficiency of urban land utilization. Taking 43 cities in the Bohai Rim region as an example, the super-efficiency slack-based measure model with undesirable outputs (super-SBM-undesirable model) was employed to evaluate the GUEUL from 2006 to 2021, and the panel quantile model was used to explore the impact of industrial structure on GUEUL. The results showed that the GUEUL in the Bohai Rim region appeared a fluctuating upward trend from 0.664 in 2006 to 0.837 in 2021. High-value zones shifted from western Liaoning province and southern Shandong province to a “C”-shaped belt around the coastline and expanded continuously, while low-value zones decreased significantly. Furthermore, the influence of industrial structure on GUEUL was significantly positive, but there were significant differences among different efficiency levels. Industrial structure upgrading exerted the most significant effect on GUEUL improvement in low-value zones, while industrial structure rationalization was dominant in high-value zones, and the influence of industrial structure technologization was more significant in medium-low-value zones. Therefore, differentiated industrial structure adjustment policies should be formulated based on the actual condition of each city to improve GUEUL.

Spatio-Temporal Evolution and Drivers of High-Quality Utilization of Urban Land in Chinese Cities

High-quality utilization of urban land (HUUL) is essential for optimizing urban land use and promoting high-quality development. Previous research has mainly focused on examining urban land use efficiency, neglecting the connection between urban land use and high-quality development. This study reveals the intrinsic association mechanism between high-quality development and urban land use, which can provide comprehensive theoretical and empirical support for high-quality land use and high-quality urban development. This study constructed an evaluation system for HUUL that comprehensively adopted the entropy method, kernel density estimation, and the geodetector model to analyze the spatio-temporal evolution and driving factors of the HUUL levels of 284 Chinese cities from 2006 to 2020. The measurement results showed that during 2006–2020, the HUUL level showed an apparent upward trend, and the eastern region > the central region > the overall region > the western region > the northeast region. From the kernel density map, there was a noticeable trend of varying degrees of increase in the difference of the main peak position of the HUUL level among cities in all regions except the west. Furthermore, some cities in the eastern and western regions had significantly higher HUUL levels than the others. According to the results of the factor analysis, it is evident that innovative use and open use are the internal primary factors that drive the enhancement of the HUUL level. Moreover, the level of economic development is the external primary factor that facilitates the improvement in HUUL level.

The Synergistic Effect of Urban Economic, Social and Space Factors on Residential Carbon Emissions: A Case Study on Provincial Capitals in China

Within the context of China’s commitment to carbon reduction goals, particularly in urban areas, addressing carbon emissions stemming from residents’ travel activities assumes paramount significance. Drawing upon established theoretical frameworks, this study advances several hypotheses delineating the determinants of low-carbon behaviors among urban residents. It analyzes panel data from 30 provincial capitals in China using a time–individual dual fixed effects model. This study empirically scrutinizes the posited theoretical model, aiming to elucidate the factors shaping urban residents’ low-carbon behavioral patterns and provide a decision-making basis for low-carbon construction and management of urban space. The findings underscore several notable associations. The disposable income, population density, and urban built-up areas exhibit significant positive correlations with carbon emissions among residents. Conversely, the urban gross domestic product (GDP) displays a significant negative correlation with carbon emissions. Furthermore, a positive correlation is discerned between the expanse of green spaces and the per capita carbon emissions intensity, while the availability of subway systems exhibits a negative correlation with both the per capita public green space area and the carbon emissions intensity. Notably, the configuration intensity of urban bus systems manifests an inverted U-shaped relationship with residents’ carbon emissions intensity. Specifically, within a certain threshold, an escalation in the bus equipment intensity coincides with heightened carbon emission intensity; however, beyond this threshold, a notable reduction in the per capita carbon emissions intensity ensues. Additionally, a U-shaped relationship is observed between the number of urban parks and residents’ carbon emissions intensity, indicating that an increase in parks may not necessarily contribute to carbon reduction efforts. Moreover, a discernible synergy is observed among various factors influencing carbon reduction efforts. These factors encompass residents’ education levels and disposable incomes, the presence of subway and regular public transportation systems, urban land utilization scales, economic development levels, green space provisions, public transportation infrastructure, population densities, and land equilibrium. This interplay underscores the interconnectedness and interdependence of diverse variables in shaping strategies for mitigating carbon emissions within urban contexts.

Assessing Traffic Noise and Its Impact on High-Rise Apartment Buildings Adjacent to an Urban Expressway: A Case Study in Chengdu, China

With rapid urbanization, traffic growth has accelerated in some cities in China. Due to strict urban construction land utilization policies, many high-rise apartment buildings have been constructed adjacent to expressways. To better understand the impact of urban traffic noise on the residents of high residential buildings adjacent to expressways and the differences in noise impacts on different floors, on-site noise monitoring and questionnaires for building residents have been conducted. The characteristics of traffic noise were analyzed based on the measured data, and factors, including time periods and building floors, were considered. According to the results of the questionnaire survey, 56.06% of the male respondents and 54.55% of the female respondents think that the impact of traffic noise on high-rise buildings is “high” or “very high”; 50.53% of the respondents who were in “good” or “very good” condition thought that the traffic noise has a “significant impact” or “very significant impact” on their sleep and daily life. In addition, 25% of respondents living on floors 4–10 and 62.5% of respondents living on floors 11–20 considered the traffic noise to have a “significant impact” or “very significant impact” on their sleep and daily life. The on-site noise monitoring results show that the noise levels (LAeq) outside the windows of the studied buildings remain significantly elevated, with daytime noise on working days ranging from 56 to 70 dB(A), and on weekends ranging from 50 to 65 dB(A). During the four time periods on weekdays from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m., 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., and 10 p.m. to 12 a.m., the average LAeq levels on floors 11–20 are higher than those on floors 4–10 by 4.04 dB(A), 4.92 dB(A), 4.06 dB(A), and 2.67 dB(A), respectively. Similarly, during these time periods on weekends, the levels on floors 11–20 are higher than those on floors 4–10 by 4.96 dB(A), 6.32 dB(A), 5.28 dB(A), and 5.24 dB(A), respectively. This indicates that floors 4–10 of the building experience relatively lower noise levels, while floors 11–20 are subjected to comparatively higher levels of noise disturbance.

Impact of digital economy on urban land green use efficiency: evidence from Chinese cities

Abstract Improving urban land green use efficiency (ULGUE) is essential for achieving the sustainable use of land resources and the high-quality economic development of cities. The digital economy has overcome spatial and locational constraints, blurred the boundaries between industries, and created a collaborative and open economic model, inevitably affecting urban land utilization. However, whether the digital economy will affect ULGUE and how such an effect would take place are still unclear. This study evaluates the digital economy and ULGUE of Chinese cities from 2011 to 2019 and systematically analyzes both the direct and indirect impact mechanisms through which the digital economy affects ULGUE. The results show that the digital economy can significantly enhance ULGUE, and these results prove to be reliable, as shown by various endogeneity treatments and robustness tests. The digital economy enhances ULGUE by optimizing the industrial structure (structural effect), increasing green technology innovation (technical effect), and agglomerating digital talent (scale effect). Moreover, land finance dependency plays an adverse moderating role in the relationship between the digital economy and ULGUE. Further heterogeneity analysis shows that the promoting effect of the digital economy on ULGUE takes full effect in the eastern cities, larger cities, and cities with high levels of digital economy development and land marketization. This paper presents recommendations for supporting the balanced and integrated development of the digital economy across regions and provides differentiated development strategies to enhance ULGUE in the context of digitization.

Global Mapping of Three-Dimensional (3D) Urban Structures Reveals Escalating Utilization in the Vertical Dimension and Pronounced Building Space Inequality

Three-dimensional (3D) urban structures play a critical role in informing climate mitigation strategies aimed at the built environment and facilitating sustainable urban development. Regrettably, there exists a significant gap in detailed and consistent data on 3D building space structures with global coverage due to the challenges inherent in the data collection and model calibration processes. In this study, we constructed a global urban structure dataset (GUS-3D), including building volume, height, and footprint information, at a 500 m spatial resolution using extensive satellite observation products and numerous reference building samples. Our analysis indicated that the total volume of buildings worldwide in 2015 exceeded 1 × 1012 m3. Over the 1985 to 2015 period, we observed a slight increase in the magnitude of 3D building volume growth (i.e., it increased from 166.02 km3 during the 1985–2000 period to 175.08 km3 during the 2000–2015 period), while the expansion magnitudes of the two-dimensional (2D) building footprint (22.51 × 103 km2 vs. 13.29 × 103 km2) and urban extent (157 × 103 km2 vs. 133.8 × 103 km2) notably decreased. This trend highlights the significant increase in intensive vertical utilization of urban land. Furthermore, we identified significant heterogeneity in building space provision and inequality across cities worldwide. This inequality is particularly pronounced in many populous Asian cities, which has been overlooked in previous studies on economic inequality. The GUS-3D dataset shows great potential to deepen our understanding of the urban environment and creates new horizons for numerous 3D urban studies.

Optimizing Land Use for Carbon Neutrality: Integrating Photovoltaic Development in Lingbao, Henan Province

This study aims to examine the impact of land use variations on carbon emissions by incorporating the development of photovoltaics as a scenario. To meet this end, we investigate the carbon emissions fluctuations resulting from different development scenarios: natural development, low-carbon strategies, and widespread adoption of photovoltaic technology. We identify important influencing factors related to these changes and utilize multi-objective optimization and the PLUS model to simulate land use patterns in Lingbao City projected for 2035, with a focus on achieving carbon neutrality. Through multiple scenarios, we analyze differences in carbon emissions, economic benefits, ecological impacts, and land use allocations. Our findings demonstrate that the photovoltaic scenario leads to a substantial 3500-ton reduction in carbon emissions and boosts overall benefits by RMB 85 million compared to the low-carbon scenario. This highlights the significant role of photovoltaic systems inefficient land utilization, meeting carbon emission targets, and generating economic gains. This research explores the relationship between land use alterations and carbon emissions, aiming to achieve ambitious carbon reduction objectives by integrating photovoltaic applications across diverse land types. It provides fresh perspectives for examining urban land utilization and strategies to reduce carbon emissions.

Science, technology and innovation driving urban land use and urban planning development: policy and practice

Abstract In an era where science, technology, and innovation are key drivers of urban transformation, this research addresses the critical influences of policy and practice on urban planning and land utilization, proposing efficacious planning strategies to navigate emerging challenges. The study offers a comprehensive examination of urban development trends by integrating methods such as fuzzy set urban planning models, multi-objective planning, fuzzy regression, and GIS-based land use analysis. Specifically, our analysis of Shenzhen’s expansion and agricultural land growth from 1998 to 2023 demonstrates the significant impacts of technological innovation on urban landscapes, notably in expanding built-up regions by 90.21 square kilometers and augmenting greenfield farmland by 17.83%, thereby markedly enhancing land designated for ecological purposes. These findings affirm the vital role of innovation in advancing environmental sustainability and sustainable urban planning practices.

The Influence of “Farmers Going Upstairs” on Urban-Rural Integration

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to seek advantages and avoid disadvantages, and to play the positive role of “farmer upstairs” in the integration of urban and rural areas.
 Design/Methodology/Approach - Through the research methods of case interviews and literature review, this paper makes a comparative analysis of the positive and negative effects of “farmer upstairs” in order to avoid the negative effects of “Farmer upstairs” and give full play to the positive role of “Farmer upstairs” in the integration of urban and rural areas.
 Findings - “Farmers upstairs” plays a positive role in promoting the overall and coordinated utilization of urban and rural land, increasing rural collective income, improving rural infrastructure construction, promoting the pace of agricultural modernization and the process of farmer citizenship, and is an important means to achieve the goal of urban and rural integration. However, in the process of implementation, some local governments have unilaterally considered the economic benefits of land and ignored the provision of supporting facilities and services, violated the legitimate rights and interests of farmers’ housing land, and lacked stable employment security services, which has also brought negative impacts on the realization of urban-rural integration.
 Research Implications - We will further improve the Administrative Measures for Pilot Projects Linking the Increase and Decrease of Urban and Rural Construction Land, and strengthen supervision over local governments. Safeguard the rights and interests of farmers, increase the income of “upstairs” farmers; Establish special funds to strengthen the provision of related supporting facilities and services; Do a good job of industrial support and promote the social transformation of rural areas. Through these measures to play the role of advantages and avoid disadvantages, to promote the realization of urban-rural integration.

Human-environment nexus: evaluating the anthropo-geomorphology and urban expansion of the Weija Gbawe Municipality, Ghana

The study's overarching goal was to examine the dynamics of geomorphological interaction and their effects on the urban expansion of the Weija-Gbawe Municipality in Ghana's Greater Accra Region. The study deployed a quantitative research approach to achieve the objective. A descriptive research design was used in collecting and analyzing data from three hundred and fifty-one (351) participants with a closed-ended questionnaire. The study employed a cluster sampling technique to select the participants based on areas with high concentrations of built-ups and other areas with low concentrations. Using the important relative index (RII), the fundamental level is ranked by the index. SPSS version 26 was used to analyse the data, and the results are shown in a descriptive frequency distribution table. The findings revealed population growth in the Weija-Gbawe Municipality as the main human factor transforming the landscapes' geomorphology, as residents change the landscape for human occupation and industrial uses. Similarly, the topographical terrain, emphasizing slope and elevation were the predominant geomorphological characteristic modifying urban expansion in the Municipality, as settlements were mainly distributed on flat terrain, and the elevation and slope were significant constraints for expansion of the city. Furthermore, urban land utilization in the Weija Gbawe Municipality is distinguished by an industrialized economy and built-up facilities. The paper concludes that applying geographic information systems, remote sensing, and field surveys is essential for generating comprehensive knowledge of urban and anthropocene geomorphology; this is possible through the use of GIS and remote sensing in analyzing the land use land cover changes in the study area. The study suggests enacting, enforcing environmental by-laws, intensifying, and restructuring environmental education by various stakeholders, including the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Municipality's Physical Planning Agency (PPA). This could be done by bridging the weak linkage between land use/road planning and aborting applications received which were not in line with the planning standards and approving those that are accurate and standard.

Environmental Regulation and Urban Land Green Use Efficiency: China as Case Study

China's economy has shifted from high-speed growth to high-quality development, and the constraints of high consumption, high pollution, and low efficiency in urban land use on sustainable urban economic development have gradually emerged. In the process of urban land resources development, it is urgent to get rid of the traditional “sloppy” utilization method and shift to the green utilization of urban land with low consumption, low pollution, and high efficiency, which can adapt to the requirements of economic and social development in the new era. Based on this, this paper investigates the effect of environmental regulations (ER) on urban land green use efficiency (ULGUE) by using SBM model, two-way stationary panel regression and threshold regression model. The results show that: (1) The connection between ER and ULGUE is strongly U-shaped. (2) Within the bounds of land use structure optimization effect, technology innovation effect, industrial structure optimization and upgrading effect, ER significantly impacts ULGUE. Still, its threshold impact coefficient has a gradient-decreasing characteristic. (3) In the heterogeneity analysis, the effect of ER on ULGUE is more evident in eastern cities, low-pollution cities, Type II, and large cities of Type I scale. Hence, in order to maximize the effectiveness of land use, it is essential to understand the environmental restrictions that cover a realistic spectrum, play the interactive and synergistic role of "combination box", and adjust the intensity of dominant environmental regulations dynamically and flexibly according to the time and place.

Peri-Urban Pressures: The Interplay of Land Strategies and Urbanization in Algeria’s Oran Metropolis

In contemporary times, the worldwide trend of urban expansion has become an inexorable force. This article engages in a comprehensive examination of the intricate dynamics surrounding urban sprawl and land utilization within the peri-urban regions of significant Algerian municipalities, with a specific focus on the city of Oran. Employing a methodology rooted in social geography, this study deploys a trio of investigative approaches: documentary analysis, spatio-temporal scrutiny of peri-urban domains, and in-situ field investigations to shed light on the intricate intricacies of land ownership dynamics in the context of urban sprawl. The swift development of the Oran metropolis, along with its manifold ramifications, underscores a profound disconnection between the aspirations of political stakeholders and the unfolding urban milieu. This article accentuates the pivotal role of land as a coveted resource profoundly influencing the contours of emerging urban regions. In response to these emerging challenges, Algeria must adopt integrated land and urban planning strategies that foster harmonious and sustainable urban development. This necessitates a comprehensive vision for metropolitan regions, a departure from sectoral planning that subordinates agriculture to industrial and urban considerations, and the formulation of efficient and coordinated urban planning instruments. Within this intricate nexus of urban and rural development, the urban sprawl's encroachment upon rural landscapes mandates a strategic approach to attain equilibrium and coherence within the urban fabric.

Spatial–temporal evolution and spatial spillover of the green efficiency of urban construction land in the Yangtze River Economic Belt, China

There are urgent ecological and environmental problems in the process of the utilization of urban construction land, promoting green utilization of construction land is conducive to urban sustainable development and high-quality economic development. Based on the panel data of 108 prefecture-level and above cities in the Yangtze River Economic Belt, China from 2003 to 2017, this paper uses the super-efficiency SBM model to measure the green efficiency of urban construction land (GEUCL), analyzes its spatial–temporal evolution characteristics, and constructs the spatial autoregressive model to study its spatial spillover effects from the perspective of urban hierarchy. It is found that, in terms of temporal variation, the average efficiency value shows a fluctuating upward trend during the study period, rising from 0.27 in 2003 to 0.39 in 2017, the cumulative growth rate is 44.44%, with an average annual growth rate of 3.14%. In terms of spatial distribution characteristics, during the study period, the number of medium-efficiency and high-efficiency cities increases significantly, while the number of low-efficiency cities decreases sharply; high-efficiency cities always present scattered distribution, while medium-efficiency cities change from scattered distribution to agglomeration distribution. In addition, GEUCL has significantly positive spatial spillover effects between neighboring cities of different grades and between neighboring cities of the same grade, among them, the increase of GEUCL in higher-grade cities has significantly positive spatial spillover effects on that in adjacent lower-grade cities; the increase of GEUCL in lower-grade cities has significantly positive spatial spillover effects on that in neighboring higher-grade cities; GEUCL has significantly positive spatial spillover effects between neighboring cities of the same grade.

Comparison of the influences of different ventilation corridor forms on the thermal environment in Wuhan City in summer

The ventilation corridor is an essential element in urban planning and design to improve the climate and environment. In this paper, four forms of two ventilation corridors were set up in the southeast of Wuhan City based on its urban planning outline to quantitatively study the influences of different ventilation corridor forms on the urban thermal environment in summer. The urban micro-meteorological environment was simulated using the next-generation mesoscale Weather Research and Forecast (WRF) model coupled with an urban canopy model (UCM). Critical time-dependent meteorological values were extracted and plotted, including temperature and wind difference fields, average temperature at 2-m height, average wind speed at 10-m height, and surface energy flux. By conducting a comparative analysis of the quantitative results, the ventilation corridors in construction land are arranged at intervals in the upwind position of the city in summer, which can slightly adjust the thermal environment of the central area of the city, and have an effective regulation on the temperature of the corridors and surrounding areas during the daytime. Especially at 15:00 pm when the temperature is at its highest during the day, the temperature can be reduced by 0.8 °C. Compared to other corridors, the wind speed in and around the corridor is the strongest 11 h a day. Due to the internal arrangement of construction land, this corridor form is more advantageous in the urban land utilization. After considering comprehensively, the ventilation corridor form with construction land arranged at intervals is the preferred corridor form in the southeast of Wuhan. The experimental results can provide quantitative reference for the layout of ventilation corridors in hot inland cities located in central China.

Urban land policy and urban land use efficiency: An analysis based on remote sensing and institutional credibility thesis

Ethiopia has an urban land lease policy in place to facilitate the transfer of land for residential, commercial and industrial purposes. Because of the lease policy, many cities have experienced significant expansion through massive conversion of agricultural land. Although the lease policy has been in place for nearly three decades, little is known about its effectiveness in promoting sustainable urban land use. This paper examines the effects of the lease policies on urban land use efficiency (ULUE). Building on the institutional credibility thesis, this paper investigated the performance of land institutions using the urban land use efficiency approach. Remote sensing data was used to investigate urban land use efficiency through spatiotemporal analysis of land use change. Analysis of satellite imagery was performed using ArcGIS. Moreover, quantitative and qualitative data from secondary sources were studied. The study findings show that in almost all study areas, urban land use efficiency is low, which is mainly reflected in the forms of land hoarding, land banking, illegal land grabbing, informal settlement, land use fragmentation and urban sprawl. A significant portion of the land transferred for various urban uses has remained vacant or underutilised for years, in direct violation of the provisions of the lease policy. This means that the lease policy has hardly been enforced to ensure efficient urban land utilization. This demonstrates the ineffectiveness (dysfunctionality) of the existing land institutions. It is concluded that some elements of the lease policy have evolved into an empty institution, i.e., a symbolic institutional arrangement that is largely ignored by socioeconomic and political actors.

Dynamic analysis of correlation patterns between urban population and construction land at different administrative levels: The case of Hangzhou megacity

Understanding the urban human-land interaction at multiple administrative levels comprehensively plays an important role in the refined governance and thus provides critical references for urban planning and management. This paper analyzes the relationship between urban population and urban construction land in Hangzhou from perspectives of equilibrium, intensification and coordination at the multi-level during 2010 and 2020. Meanwhile, the underlying mechanism among the urban construction land expansion, population flow and land utilization efficiency with different demographic migration pattern is defined by Kaya identity and further quantitatively deconstructed by the Logarithmic Mean Divisia Index (LMDI). Regraded with the multi-level evaluation of human-land interactions, the prefectural-level analysis reveals significant reduction in both internal difference and absolute value of per capita urban construction land area, and the growth rate of urban population is 2.24 times faster than that of the urban construction land. At the county-level, the proportion of balanced and intensive county-level units increase by 15.38% and 38.46% respectively. The proportion of the county-level units under coordinated status reaches up to 92.31%. At the township-level, the proportion of intensive township-level units increases by 16.84% and the proportion of the township-level units under coordinated status is up to 64.74%. Furthermore, analysis of the multidimensional combination characteristics of urban human-land interaction is performed with six combination types at the county-level and four combination types at the township-level, which are useful for managers to develop categorized and refined urban development guidance. The driving mechanisms demonstrated that 47% of the townships with net population inflow and 41% of the townships with net population outflow are mainly influenced by the increase of permanent resident population, while the deterioration degree of land utilization efficiency in the former is significantly lower than that in the latter. This result implies that the townships in the core urban areas present the better performance in the improvement of land utilization efficiency than those in the western areas of Hangzhou. The exploration will provide references for coordinating the rational allocation of land resources and optimizing the regional human-land relationship.

Ethiopian urban land allocation policy and its contribution to urban densification

Urban densification is considered as the best tool for efficient urban land utilization, containment, and minimizing urban development costs. It is also a widely accepted approach to mitigate shortages of urban land and urban sprawl. With this in mind, Ethiopia has adopted a standard-based urban land allocation policy. The policy relies on population size during the urban planning process to address issues related to sustainable urban development by increasing the densities of its urban areas. However, the impact of the existing urban land allocation policy on urban densification has not been investigated adequately. Thus, this study examines the contribution of existing urban land allocation policies to urban densification in Ethiopia. A mixed research approach was employed to achieve the objective of the study. The study revealed that the policy gives more attention to the immediate and tangible conditions than the efficient use of land resources. Therefore, it allocated an average of 223 square meters of land to each person for urban development. The study implies that the country's urban land allocation policy is ineffective in achieving the intended outcome of urban densification. Instead, coupled with uncontrolled urban population growth, it has been exacerbating the rapid horizontal expansion of urban areas. With the current trend of horizontal expansion of urban areas, the country's land resources is expected to be converted into a built-up environment within the next 127 years unless the policy is radically changed. Thus, this paper calls for revisiting the existing urban land allocation strategy of the country in a way that responds towards efficient urban land allocation and sustainable urban development.

The effect of teak plantation growth on air temperature and oxygen level in green open spaces of the Research and Innovation Department of Perhutani Forestry Institute (PeFI)

Urban land utilization for urban facilities construction continues to grow and impact the urban heat island making the city uncomfortable. Green open space (GOS) is a space within a city with its function in ecological, social, economic, and architectural functions. The purpose of the research was to determine the characteristics of GOS and the effect of teak plantation growth on air temperature and oxygen (O2) levels. The research was conducted from May to November 2021 using an observational design with a purposive sampling technique, considering the variations in measured variables: number of trees, daily climate, micro-climate difference, O2 level, and wind speed. The research analysis used a descriptive study approach relevant to the observed conditions. The teak arboretum and teak hedge orchard were the GOS at the Perhutani Forestry Institute (PeFI). Arboretum had a lower temperature and higher humidity than teak hedge orchard, making the arboretum in the cool-climate category with an ideal temperature of 26.9° C and dry humidity category. This means that the PeFi office was categorized as comfortable. The oxygen levels in PeFI were between 20.9 to 21.1%, meaning that the oxygen in the PeFI environment is highly available with the presence of GOS from the observed sites.

Change of urban and rural construction land and driving factors of arable land occupation.

Under the background of global urbanization, the continuous expansion and extensive utilization of urban and rural construction land has caused a large amount of arable land to be occupied, which seriously threatens national food security. This paper describes the spatio-temporal patterns of urban and rural construction land expansion and its occupation of arable land by using the urban and rural construction land expansion intensity, the urban and rural construction land expansion intensity difference index, and geo-detector model. It also explores the mechanisms through which the arable land was occupied. Results showed that construction land in both urban and rural areas expanded over the period 2009-2018 despite a large number of rural and urban migrants, and the major contributor to the rapid urbanization in China. This dual expansion could mainly be attributed to the tendency of these migrants to keep or even enlarge their rural construction land, which also resulted in a severer arable land loss than that caused by the expansion of urban construction land. Second, the rate of arable land occupied by urban and rural construction land in Henan province has been gradually slowing down, whereas the expansion of rural construction land is most dependent on arable land occupation. Third, according to the geo-detector model, the relationship between urbanization level and arable land occupied by urban and rural construction was the strongest, followed by the growth rate of fixed asset investment and the proportion of secondary and tertiary industries in GDP.