Respective impacts of global warming, permafrost thaw and urban sprawl on debris-flow risk: Insights from the Dorfbach Torrent, Swiss Alps

Objective: To describe the methods of conservation and transformation of cultural heritage through a review of academic papers, focusing on how these are integrated into sustainable urban development.Methodology: An exhaustive narrative review of the scientific literature was carried out, using databases such as Scopus, Science Direct and SciELO. Specific terms related to “heritage”, ‘culture’ and “development” were used, and Boolean operators were applied to refine the search. The review covered a period from March to April 2024, considering articles published between 2021 and 2024, and resulted in a corpus of 10 relevant articles after a filtering process.Results: The results presented include an analysis of the strategies and approaches that different studies have used to address cultural heritage conservation. Several articles were identified that discuss both tangible and intangible heritage, highlighting the importance of social participation and the multidisciplinary approach.Conclusions: Heritage conservation and urban development are not opposites; they can complement each other if integrated into urban planning. The need for an integrated approach that balances heritage conservation with the demands of economic growth and tourism is emphasized. The article stresses the importance of conducting impact assessments before initiating development projects that may affect cultural heritage, which helps to minimize or avoid damage. The most important lesson is that it is essential to adopt sustainable approaches to urban development in order to protect the cultural and heritage identities of cities.

Development and economic growth in Indonesia have experienced rapid progress, followed by urbanization marked by the expansion of urban areas towards the outskirts, and have triggered urban expansion and land cover changes, especially on the outskirts of Surabaya City, and continue to expand to the Gerbangkertosusila area, which can indicate a decrease in Green Open Space (GOS). Given the important role of green open space in the sustainability of metropolitan areas, this study has three objectives. First, to analyze the impact of urban sprawl on GOS with spatial dynamics of land cover changes using Land Use Cover Changes (LUCC) analysis using ArcGIS software. Second, to identify spatial patterns of urban sprawl, and third, to calculate the index sprawl value to determine areas with urban sprawl impacts. The results of our study show that GOS has decreased in 25 years by 9.32%, and built-up area has increased by 8.27% of the total area of Gerbangkertosusila. The patterns of urban expansion that occur are Leap Frog Development, Ribbon Development, and Post- suburbia. The highest area expansion index value is in Sidoarjo at 4.74 and the lowest in Bangkalan at -7.62. The expansion of this area is marked by the development of settlements, industrial areas, and transportation routes, which result in the conversion of green open spaces into Built-up areas. Based on the analysis used in the Gerbangkertosusila area, the concept of Urban Growth Boundaries (UGB) is necessary; this concept effectively addresses urban expansion by establishing urban development permit policies.

Urban sprawl and high-rise buildings are essential for meeting housing demands and optimising land use, thereby mitigating urban sprawl through vertical urbanisation in densely populated cities. This paper explores the evolution of forensic structural engineering through various case studies, emphasising the urgent need for forensic engineers and their recommendations following structural failures, including subsequent legal actions. Case studies of structural collapses in Bengaluru and Gurgaon are examined. In these instances, buildings were illegally constructed, resulting in fatalities. Forensic engineers, acting as consultants, discuss issues such as weak foundations, poor construction quality, and unauthorised vertical extensions, which violate building codes and bylaws. These violations have led to a disregard for quality and safety standards. The study employs Normalised Differential Built-up indices using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to assess the increase in the built-up index. This article reviews the utility matrix of forensic engineers and highlights their growing importance in recent years. Furthermore, the discussion underscores the significance of geotechnical engineering, the need for stringent building codes that focus on people, materials, and machinery, regular inspections, and effective disaster management. The analysis draws lessons for policymakers, builders, and the community aimed at preventing illegal construction practices and enhancing disaster management strategies, thereby reducing the risk of structural failures.

This study aims to quantitatively assess the effects of socioeconomic changes experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic on urban sprawl dynamics. The research was conducted in the Döşemealtı District of Antalya Province, located in the Mediterranean Region of Türkiye, which stands out with its semi-rural urban characteristics and is part of one of the country’s most important tourism destinations. Settlement dynamics, expansion patterns of built-up areas, and their spatiotemporal changes in the study area were analyzed for the pre- and post-pandemic periods using artificial intelligence–supported land use/land cover (LULC) data. In this context, the Built-up class filtered from the ArcGIS Living Atlas LULC dataset was compared between 2017 (pre-pandemic) and 2023 (post-pandemic), and thematic maps of built-up surfaces were produced for each reference year. These maps were analyzed using geographic information system (GIS) technologies to evaluate the magnitude, spatial direction, and temporal trends of changes in impervious surfaces.The findings indicate that the spatial restructuring tendencies triggered by the pandemic reached a remarkable scale in the Döşemealtı District, with an increase in construction clusters within rural belts and a rapid conversion of vacant lands into built-up areas. Impervious surfaces, which covered 4146,94 km2 in 2017, increased to 4412,74 km2 in 2020, reached 5426,62 km2 in 2023. Accordingly, a short-term increase of 30,9% in impervious surfaces was observed, largely attributable to the pandemic period. By providing a rapid, low-cost, and objective analytical framework, this study demonstrates strong potential for application in remote sensing–based urban planning and spatial change monitoring during crisis periods. The results are expected to serve as an important data source for regional and local authorities in defining urban growth strategies, supporting sustainable planning decisions, and evaluating spatial transformations in future disaster or crisis scenarios.

The study examined the impact of urban sprawl on land use and forested Areas in Calabar Municipality, Cross River State. The main objective was to assess the rate of change in urban expansion between the period of 2000 and 2019. Data on land use cover change between 2000 and 2019 was gotten from Erdas imagine. The result proved that in the year 2000 built-up area was 132 sqkm and in the year 2019 built-up area was 232 sqkm, in the year 2000, water bodies covered an area of 14.7 sqkm and in the year 2019, water bodies covered an area 15.7 sqkm. Cultivated area as of 2000 was 112.3sqkm and reduced to 97.3sqkm in 2019, forested area was 147sqkm as at 2000 and reduced to 61.1sqkm. This showed that there was a drastic change between the year 2000 and 2019 with forested areas reserved as carbon sink being reduced drastically and thus implying that urban expansion has negative impact on land use particularly ecologically protected areas. The study recommends that government should strictly enforce its sustainable urban policies so as to control rapid urbanization to mitigate the impact of land use on ecologically protected zones in Calabar Municipality.

Reduction planning has been implemented to mitigate urban sprawl in Chinese megacities. However, few studies have focused on the spatial implementation of urban land consolidation, and tools to estimate and simulate urban land consolidation are still lacking. To address the critical gap in urban land consolidation modeling, this study develops a bidirectional cellular automata model as a novel geospatial tool for quantifying consolidation potential and simulating future construction land dynamics under reduction planning. Our framework uniquely integrates high-resolution (30 m) simulation of simultaneous construction land expansion and reduction, overcoming limitations of conventional unidirectional models like the Future Land Use Simulation (FLUS) system, with validation confirming better accuracy. Using Beijing as a case study, the model identifies hotspots for land consolidation and, based on neighborhood-scale land transformation probabilities, delineates the spatial distribution of expansion and reduction zones, highlighting priority areas for consolidation. This provides the first operational tool for evidence-based urban reduction planning and land consolidation, offering a transferable methodology for optimizing land use efficiency and curbing disorderly expansion in megacities globally.

Rapid increases in urban sprawl in many cities across the planet pose a challenge that needs to be addressed urgently. This study proposes targets, limits, and warning values to urban sprawl as a quantitative reference framework for exploring potential future pathways and to provide guidance for future land management. The reference framework serves to evaluate the effectiveness of potential urban growth management strategies and to assess a set of greenbelt scenarios as potential strategies to mitigate urban sprawl. Using Montreal as a case study, seven urban development scenarios until 2070 are compared, of which only one is assessed as sustainable. Valuable natural and semi-natural areas and agricultural lands surrounding the city provide an opportunity to establish a greenbelt. As an example of a growth management strategy, we evaluate four greenbelt scenarios regarding their potential to reach the proposed targets and limits. At Montreal's broader city scale (Census Metropolitan Area, CMA), the results reveal that the greenbelt scenarios would significantly reduce sprawl compared to current trends. However, they would remain insufficient to achieve the proposed target and limit to urban sprawl for Montreal. At the level of municipalities (census subdivisions, CSDs), the greenbelt scenarios would significantly benefit some of them, with one CSD projected to meet its target, while urban sprawl in several others would fall within the range between their limits and warning values. The findings demonstrate the use of targets and limits to serve as benchmarks in land-use management. The results reveal a high potential of greenbelts to positively influence urban development towards sustainability, even if the greenbelt proposals currently under discussion would not achieve the recommended targets and limits corresponding to sustainability.

Urban expansion poses persistent challenges to China’s sustainable spatial development. This study examines how the digital economy influences urban spatial dynamics by integrating theoretical and spatial–economic perspectives. Using panel data from 284 prefecture-level cities from 2007 to 2023, we construct multidimensional entropy-weighted indices for both digital-economy development and urban expansion. We employ a range of econometric models, including benchmark regressions, instrumental-variable estimation, mechanism tests, heterogeneity analysis, and spatial Durbin models. The results indicate that the digital economy has a significant impact on urban expansion, enhancing total factor productivity, stimulating innovation, and improving fintech efficiency. Extended heterogeneity tests reveal that this inhibitory effect is more potent in eastern and central regions, large and high-tier cities, and those with advanced network infrastructure, higher accessibility, and richer human capital. Moreover, spatial econometric analysis confirms that digitalization generates adverse spillover effects on neighboring cities’ expansion through technology diffusion, policy coordination, and factor-market channels, forming a regionally networked equilibrium. Robustness tests—including sample trimming, alternative dependent variables (remote sensing and NTL data), and leave-one-hub-out estimation—support these findings. Overall, digital transformation constrains inefficient urban sprawl and promotes compact, coordinated, and high-quality urbanization, offering empirical evidence and policy implications for sustainable spatial governance in the digital era.

Against the backdrop of rapid urbanization and an increase in extreme rainfall, the impermeable expansion caused by land use changes is significantly altering the urban property convergence process and intensifying the risk of waterlogging. To reveal the impact of land use change on the urban flooding processes, this study takes the main urban area of Wuhan (MUAW) as an example. Based on land use data from 2006 and 2020, it designs rainfall events with return periods of 5, 50, and 100 years. The NewFlood two-dimensional hydrodynamic model is employed to simulate flood evolution, with results validated against flood-prone locations. Flow velocity changes at typical flood-prone points are grouped and statistically analyzed according to land use conversion types. The results showed the following: (1) Between 2006 and 2020, land use transfer in MUAW is primarily influenced by urban sprawl and cropland reduction. (2) Urban expansion led to an increase in the area and depth of rainwater accumulation during rainstorms, which was highly aligned with the direction of urban sprawl, thereby increasing the risk of urban flooding during rainstorms. (3) Land use transfer has a limited impact on the maximum water depth and flow direction in MUAW. However, it can increase peak flow velocity or shift the peak time earlier, reducing the city’s available emergency response time and increasing the difficulty of emergency response. The contribution of this paper lies in quantifying the waterlogging effect of land use change from dynamic dimensions such as “flow velocity—peak occurrence time”, providing process evidence for the assessment of urban early warning advance, the allocation of drainage capacity and land use control, and offering a reference for prioritizing the layout of nature-based solutions and green infrastructure in low-lying catchment areas and key catchment channels to reduce flood risks.

Urban environments have profoundly impacted natural ecosystems, particularly in large cities. Industrialization, urban sprawl, and air pollution have hindered sustainable green development and affected the availability of recreational spaces, peace, and eco-tourism. Among the most appealing features of urban green spaces is natural greenery, which can be leveraged as a tool for promoting eco-tourism. Most tourists visiting these areas travel by private tourist buses, with some using personal vehicles. Winter is considered the peak season for visits, driven by tourists seeking a peaceful environment and mental relaxation through the attraction of snowfall. This seasonal preference highlights the connection between natural spaces and stress reduction. The government has taken steps to conserve natural green spaces through initiatives aimed at controlling deforestation and launching large-scale conservation projects. Collaboration between environmental and tourism departments could further enhance both conservation efforts and tourism. About 34.8% of respondents believe that natural greenery and vegetation in urban areas have improved in recent years and expressed a desire for more greenery during future visits. This study concludes that the preservation of natural green spaces plays a vital role in fostering eco-tourism and contributes to the national economy. Ensuring their continued conservation will provide long-term benefits for both the environment and the tourism sector.

ABSTRACT This study examines the impact of Saudi Vision 2030 on urban mobility changes in Riyadh, focusing on how the national policies have spurred sustainable transportation reforms in a city traditionally reliant on cars. As the capital and economic center of Saudi Arabia, Riyadh has experienced rapid population growth and urban sprawl, resulting in severe traffic congestion, high energy consumption, and limited mobility options. Launched in 2016, Vision 2030 is a national development plan that emphasizes sustainable urban transportation as essential for achieving environmental, economic, and social goals. Using a qualitative approach, the research combines analysis of policy documents with secondary data on infrastructure and performance. It evaluates the progress and initial results of key projects such as the Riyadh Metro, Riyadh Bus Network, and related smart mobility initiatives. The findings demonstrate that these infrastructure efforts have significantly increased public transportation capacity and coverage. Early indications suggest a slight shift away from private cars, with expected reductions in fuel consumption and CO 2 emissions. The study also highlights ongoing challenges such as behavioral resistance, lack of sufficient active transportation infrastructure, spatial inequalities in transit access, and gaps in institutional coordination. Ridesharing services and smart mobility platforms are emerging as helpful additions, but require better integration into the formal transportation network. Overall, the research finds that while Vision 2030 has built a strong foundation for a sustainable mobility shift, long‐term success will rely on multimodal integration, inclusive planning, and increased public participation. Riyadh's experience offers valuable lessons for other cities in the Global South working toward government‐led sustainable urban transformation.

Rapid urbanization in Pakistan has led to urban densification that increase the environment to deterioration and the gap in the living standard between different areas to get wider. Lahore, Islamabad, and Rawalpindi, the three major metropolitan centers of the country, show very different patterns of urban growth ranging from very compact to planned low, density development. This paper presents a multi, criteria GIS, based spatial assessment to analyze these cities concerning land use change, urban density, vegetation loss, and ambient air quality. The research employs satellite images of Sentinel and Landsat, supervised classification, NDVI, and AQI data to track urban expansion and its environmental impact. Lahore represents a typical example, urban growth there is without any control. The city is continually expanding outward, with air quality hotspots remaining where AQI is more than 200. Thus, the people of Lahore breathe highly polluted air every day. However, Rawalpindi’s urbanization pattern is polar opposite to that of Lahore. It is less continuous and more scattered, densification is happening very fast and, in most cases, it is unplanned, with air pollution being concentrated around those areas where commercial activities take place. Meanwhile, Islamabad is maintaining lower building density and stable vegetation cover. The quality of its air is still fairly good; however, pollution is gradually increasing. The study pinpoints a very obvious pattern: the disappearance of vegetation goes hand in hand with rapid urban sprawl, and air quality gets worse. The conclusions here are calling for the radical change of the system. Planning the cities should not be a mere task of guesswork whereby planners would need a variety of data from the field to make the right decision. It is time they utilized geospatial data, invested in green infrastructure, and enforced zoning laws that consider air quality. Taking such measures is absolutely necessary if the big cities of Pakistan are to expand in a way that is not detrimental to human health and nature.

Abstract. A geospatial analysis of urban morphogenesis in India’s Tier-2 cities is essential as these cities face rapid expansion driven by population growth, infrastructure development, and economic pressures. This study investigates the spatial patterns, growth processes, and projected urban trajectories in three representative Tier-2 cities—Nashik, Gandhinagar, and Thiruvananthapuram using a multi-decadal analytical framework. The research employs satellite-based Land Use Land Cover (LULC) data from 1995 to 2025, supervised image classification, Shannon’s Entropy Index, and Built-up Density metrics to assess spatio-temporal urban expansion. Urban growth simulations for 2035 are conducted using the MOLUSCE plugin in QGIS, supported by Artificial Neural Networks and Cellular Automata modeling. A cardinal zoning-based directional analysis reveals significant spatial variation across the three cities. Nashik exhibits dispersed urban sprawl, driven by the expansion of industrial corridors and the Samruddhi Expressway. Gandhinagar demonstrates relatively stable and concentric growth, influenced by its planned urban design and proximity to Ahmedabad. Thiruvananthapuram shows compact, high-density growth constrained by coastal and topographic barriers. Projected LULC scenarios for 2035 indicate substantial built-up expansion, particularly in Nashik, accompanied by the loss of green spaces and vegetation. The findings emphasize the urgent need for region-specific, data-driven planning to address the risks of unregulated sprawl, ecological loss, and inefficient land use. This study offers a geospatially integrated, comparative framework to support urban planners and policymakers in shaping sustainable, balanced growth trajectories for India’s rapidly urbanizing Tier-2 cities. The research underlines the importance of integrating ecological preservation within future urban development strategies.

Imphal City and Its Surrounding Areas in Manipur: An Urban Sprawl Appraisal

Purpose The purpose of this study is to assess the effectiveness of Amman’s Metropolitan Growth Plan (MGP) in reducing urban sprawl. It explores the effects of densification strategies on urban form, focusing on accessibility, connectivity and land-use diversity in both built-up neighborhoods and new expansion areas, aiming to offer insights for future urban planning. Design/methodology/approach This study evaluates urban sprawl mitigation in Amman, focusing on three neighborhoods: Tabarbour, AL-Basalah and AL-Karamah. A comparative analysis using GIS data, census data and interviews examined density, accessibility, connectivity and land-use diversity. The study assesses the impact of MGP densification strategies on urban form and sprawl reduction. Findings This study found a negative correlation between density and sprawl dimensions such as connectivity, accessibility and diversity. Despite densification, urban sprawl persisted in Tabarbour. In AL-Karamah, challenges in landownership hindered the full implementation of high-density mixed-use development. The findings highlight limitations in the MGP’s impact on sprawl mitigation. Research limitations/implications This study is limited to three neighborhoods in Amman, and the findings may not fully represent other areas. GIS and census data were used, but additional factors influencing sprawl, such as socioeconomic aspects, were not explored. Future research could expand to include more neighborhoods and longitudinal data for deeper insights. Practical implications This study suggests urban planners and policymakers focus on overcoming landownership barriers, improving infrastructure and enhancing connectivity and land-use diversity. These findings offer guidance for refining MGP strategies to ensure urban growth is sustainable and equitable, addressing the challenges of rapid urbanization and promoting resilience in urban areas. Social implications This study highlights the need for inclusive urban planning that ensures equitable access to urban infrastructure and services. Addressing social inequalities in urban development is crucial to enhancing the quality of life for residents. The findings emphasize the importance of social inclusion in urban sprawl mitigation efforts. Originality/value This study provides a novel evaluation of the MGP’s impact on urban sprawl in Amman, combining densification strategies with urban form analysis. It contributes valuable insights into sustainable urban development practices, particularly in rapidly growing cities and emphasizes the need for a holistic approach to urban sprawl mitigation and planning.

Wildfires increasingly threaten Mediterranean landscapes, particularly in regions like Attica, Greece, where urban sprawl, agricultural abandonment, and climatic conditions heighten the risk at the Wildland–Urban Interface (WUI). The Mediterranean basin, recognized as one of the global wildfire “hotspots”, has witnessed a steady increase in both fire severity, frequency, and burned area during the last four decades, a trend amplified by urban sprawl and agricultural land abandonment. This study represents the first integrated, region-wide mapping of the WUI and associated wildfire risk in Attica, the most densely urbanized area in Greece and one of the most fire-exposed metropolitan regions in Southern Europe, utilizing advanced techniques such as Earth Observation and GIS analysis. For this purpose, various geospatial datasets were coupled, including Copernicus High Resolution Layers, multi-decadal Landsat fire history archive, UCR-STAR building footprints, and CORINE Land Cover, among others. The research delineated WUI zones into 40 interface and intermix categories, revealing that WUI encompasses 26.29% of Attica, predominantly in shrub-dominated areas. An analysis of fire frequency history from 1983 to 2023 indicated that approximately 102,366 hectares have been affected by wildfires. Risk assessments indicate that moderate hazard zones are most prevalent, covering 36.85% of the region, while approximately 25% of Attica is classified as moderate, high, or very high susceptibility zones. The integrated risk map indicates that 37.74% of Attica is situated in high- and very high-risk zones, principally concentrated in peri-urban areas. These findings underscore Attica’s designation as one of the most fire-prone metropolitan regions in Southern Europe and offer a viable methodology for enhancing land-use planning, fuel management, and civil protection efforts.

In an era marked by global economic realignments and shifting urban geographies, this study examines how urban agglomeration, population distribution, and business density shape national income dynamics across the global income spectrum. Using a panel of 214 countries from 2000 to 2023, categorized by World Bank income groups, we explore the differentiated impacts of urban population structures, within and beyond metropolitan centers, and new business density on Gross National Income (GNI) per capita. Leveraging dynamic panel techniques, including Differenced and System Generalized Method of Moments (GMM), our findings underscore that concentrated urban agglomerations significantly boost income levels, particularly in upper-middle-income economies. In contrast, dispersed urban population growth, i.e., indicative of urban sprawl, negatively correlates with income, highlighting the pitfalls of unplanned spatial expansion. Business density emerges as a key enabler of agglomeration economies, contributing positively to income growth through entrepreneurial dynamism. These results offer critical insights into the spatial-economic architecture of development, emphasizing that in a transforming global order, economic gains from urbanization depend less on scale and more on form, functionality, and institutional capacity. The study also reveals strong path dependency in income growth.

Due to urban sprawl and the increase in the number of motorized vehicles, even medium-sized cities are now struggling with mobility problems that primarily affected large cities. In response, cities in Brazil were required to create an urban mobility plan to promote more sustainable modes of transportation. The limited public participation in the development of such plans, combined with often inadequate infrastructure and safety concerns, might contribute to negative perceptions of urban mobility and discourage the use of sustainable transportation alternatives to private cars in Brazilian medium-sized cities. To explore this, we used a questionnaire survey to investigate whether residents of Divinópolis, a medium-sized Brazilian city, participated in the creation of an urban mobility plan and how they perceive urban mobility, focusing on public transportation, active modes of transportation (i.e., walking and cycling), and smart solutions in urban transportation. ...

One of the most significant challenges in the development of modern cities is the rational development of their space. Effective management of empty areas and other land reserves occurring in the urban fabric and their appropriate development is becoming necessary. This study presents the results of research on the identification of warehouse and industrial areas, as well as auxiliary and post-industrial regions, which have the potential to be successfully transformed towards other functions, specifically housing development. The analysis of available literature and a review of successful implementations of this type of transformation reveal that the key to success is the accessibility of transport and the availability of city services in the transformed area. In addition to accessibility, a vital factor is the size of the transformed area, allowing for the introduction of appropriate development. Thus, a suitability index was developed and calculated based on both factors for Warsaw. Subsequently, the areas with the most significant transformation potential were selected in individual city zones (functional inner city, consolidated urban and suburban). The analysis of the results and a review of the areas with the highest index value indicate the accuracy of the adopted analysis method, potentially selecting areas for transformation in other cities with high investment pressure. Thus, using the proposed methodology, the appropriate use of storage areas may limit urban sprawl and implement the idea of a compact city, which is a response to the ongoing urban crisis.