Hasil untuk "Urbanization. City and country"

Liqun Sun, Ji Chen, Qinglan Li et al.

The world has experienced dramatic urbanization in recent decades. However, we still lack information about the characteristics of urbanization in large cities throughout the world. After analyzing 841 large cities with built-up areas (BUAs) of over 100 km2 from 2001 to 2018, here we found an uneven distribution of urbanization at different economic levels. On average, large cities in the low-income and lower-middle-income countries had the highest urban population growth, and BUA expansion in the upper-middle-income countries was more than three times that of the high-income countries. Globally, more than 10% of BUAs in 325 large cities showed significant greening (P < 0.05) from 2001 to 2018. In particular, China accounted for 32% of greening BUAs in the 841 large cities, where about 108 million people lived. Our quantitative results provide information for future urban sustainable development, especially for rational urbanization of the developing world. Urban development has dramatically increased in recent decades. Analyzing 841 large cities throughout the world for the period from 2001 to 2018, the authors disclosed uneven features of global urbanization in terms of urban expansion, population growth, and greening at different economic levels.

Thu Thuy Nguyen, H. Ngo, Wenshan Guo et al.

Climate change, rapid urbanization and inappropriate urban planning policies in many countries have resulted in urban water-related problems, such as flooding disasters, water pollution and water shortages. To tackle these issues, the specific urban water management strategy known as Sponge City has been implemented in China since 2013. This is a complex method and one involving many challenges. This paper critically assesses the approaches associated with conventional urban water management. The Sponge City concept and its adoption are then scrutinized to comprehensively assess the limitations and opportunities. It emerges that Sponge City has four main principles, these being: urban water resourcing, ecological water management, green infrastructures, and urban permeable pavement. The uncertainties in Sponge City design and planning, and financial insufficiencies are the most serious problems that can risk the failure of the Sponge City concept. While significant barriers exist, the opportunities for implementing a Sponge City are evident. To obtain multi-ecosystem services of Sponge City, it should be implemented at the watershed scales and be flexible, depending on different decision levels or catchment characteristics. It is essential to apply an intelligent decision-making mechanism and consider the need for close cooperation between various agencies with which the central government can work. A suitable sized and harmonious Sponge City, ensuring a good balance between socio-economic development and environmental conservation, is the ideal.

Zihan Wang, Yanguang Chen, Muchen Zheng

Fire stations are critical urban public infrastructures, and their spatial distribution should align with the spatial patterns of urban buildings to ensure efficient service delivery. Evaluating the rationality of fire station distributions requires appropriate methods, yet conventional spatial analysis approaches rely on characteristic scales that fail to capture the scale-free nature of urban forms. This study employs fractal geometry to analyze the spatial distribution of urban fire stations in 15 Chinese cities, using point-of-interest (POI) data from Gaode Map and building footprint data from OpenStreetMap (OSM). The results demonstrate that both urban fire station networks and building footprints exhibit fractal properties. However, the fractal dimension of fire stations is consistently smaller than that of building footprints, indicating insufficient spatial coverage. Furthermore, the fractal dimension of large fire stations is generally lower than that of small fire stations, suggesting an imbalance in the hierarchical structure of fire station networks. Fractal geometry provides a novel and effective framework for comparing the spatial isomorphism between fire station networks and urban forms. But the fractal structure of fire stations in Chinese cities does not adequately match the fractal structure of buildings, with an insufficient number of small fire stations preventing the formation of robust fractal hierarchies. This study contributes to the development of fractal-based approaches to urban planning, providing new methods for optimizing fire station layouts in complex urban systems.

Rashid Mushkani, Hugo Berard, Toumadher Ammar et al.

How urban residents perceive and value the quality of public space remains crucial to inclusive urban planning and design. Yet, understanding these perceptions is often complicated by the diverse social and cultural backgrounds of city dwellers. This article examines how citizens in Montréal assess their streetscapes across multiple criteria, such as accessibility, comfort, and aesthetics, and reports on rating and ranking experiments that reveal notable discrepancies in individual perceptions, particularly on inclusivity-related dimensions. More convergent assessments emerged during group discussions. Building on these findings, this study offers a framework for integrating individual and collective assessments, providing insights for municipal planners. The results underscore the importance of localized, context-sensitive evaluations and illustrate how stakeholder engagement, especially in smaller focus groups, can reconcile differing views on what constitutes a welcoming and inclusive urban environment. We conclude that responsive public space management, grounded in iterative, localized participatory processes, can enhance accessibility and foster inclusivity by incorporating regular small-group dialogues that identify the diverse cultural and social needs of residents. Such an approach promotes a dynamic sense of publicness, supports adaptive management practices, and contributes to the welfare of diverse urban communities.

Wenze Yue, Yang Chen, Pham Thi Mai Thy et al.

Abstract Urban vitality is widely recognized as an authentic philosophy that reflects chaotic urbanization and orthodox planning in the developed world. However, comparative studies on the urban vitality of developing countries are scarce. This study developed a framework for analyzing urban vitality in developing countries. Using Ho Chi Minh City and Shanghai as cases, we measured urban vitality and analyzed its spatial pattern by using a projection pursuit model based on three dimensions of human activity, built environment, and their linkage. Both cities show a declining gradient of urban vitality from the urban cores to suburbs. However, Shanghai also fosters several peaks of urban vitality in its subcenters. The different spatial patterns of urban vitality are largely determined by the monocentric or polycentric urban form. A similar pattern of high urban vitality in both urban cores may be associated with the European-style block planning in the former concession areas. Recently, these two cities launched large-scale transport projects and replicated the modern style of broad and grid roads from the US, thereby reducing their urban vitality. This comparative study can improve our understanding of urban vitality patterns in developing countries and provide some planning suggestions that can help nurture urban vitality.

Licheng Fu, Qingping Zhang, Yizhou Tang et al.

Urbanization is inevitable in both developing and developed countries. However, this growth and transformation of the urban area can pose a significant threat to urban cultural heritage, which is a sensitive component of the urban environment. As cities modernize and change, a risk of irreparable loss of cultural heritage exists. Therefore, taking steps to protect and preserve these sites for posterity is crucial. To better protect urban cultural heritage, decision-makers must rapidly assess the impact of urbanization on cultural heritage while maintaining a balance between cultural heritage preservation and urban growth. This study developed a risk-based cumulative impact assessment (CIA) method that integrates a set of quantifiable indicators to address these issues. This method generates standardized assessment results based on game theory and set pair analysis theory. In contrast to other CIA methods, this risk-based approach effectively manages scientific complexity and uncertainties, thus enhancing the quality of the assessment results. This method was applied to 21 classical gardens in Suzhou, China. The results show that Suzhou classical gardens are impacted by urbanization. This study confirmed that adopting a risk-based CIA method that considers the impact of adverse urbanization on cultural heritage sites is an efficient approach. Successful implementation of the proposed method can provide decision-making support for different types of cultural heritage in other areas.

Yamen Nafeth Al-Betawi

This study seeks to understand the working dynamics through which Greater Amman Municipality (GAM) responds to the challenges of protracted displacement in the city, focusing particularly on the concept of “tactical urbanism” (TU) as a tool and framework. This could be broadly useful to key actors in reconsidering response strategies, strengthening the role of local administrations. The research adopted a qualitative data collection and analysis framework via participatory forums and key informant interviews, steered by guiding research questions. Findings reveal the presence of interconnected multi-scale limitations, opportunities and roles that determine GAM’s response towards displacement and constrain its ability to act within a comprehensive planning rationale. Instead, GAM is driven towards TU as an alternative approach that mitigates these determinants and offers a means for more responsive, constructive action. It is argued that TU affords a more agile response towards displacement, enhancing community engagement, innovation, resilience and identity.

Zhaoyang Cai, Qing Liu, Shixiong Cao

Urbanization is an important engine of modernization and economic growth, and appears to be an inevitable trend in human socioeconomic development around the world. However, China’s unusually rapid urbanization rate has attracted increasing attention. Our research suggests that understanding the country’s real estate market is the key to understanding the country’s rapid urbanization. The booming real estate market represents a major source of funding for urban infrastructure construction, and has accelerated the migration of rural residents to cities. We describe how four typical Chinese cities supported urbanization by promoting the development of different aspects of a real estate market to illustrate real estate’s role in Chinese urbanization, thereby providing examples and cautions for urbanization both in China and in other parts of the developing world.

Zhao Tong, Feng Ye, Ming Yan et al.

: With the rapid development of human society, the urbanization of the world’s population is also progressing rapidly. Urbanization has brought many challenges and problems to the development of cities. For example, the urban population is under excessive pressure, various natural resources and energy are increasingly scarce, and environmental pollution is increasing, etc. However, the original urban model has to be changed to enable people to live in greener and more sustainable cities, thus providing them with a more convenient and comfortable living environment. The new urban framework, the smart city, provides excellent opportunities to meet these challenges, while solving urban problems at the same time. At this stage, many countries are actively responding to calls for smart city development plans. This paper investigates the current stage of the smart city. First, it introduces the background of smart city development and gives a brief definition of the concept of the smart city. Second, it describes the framework of a smart city in accordance with the given definition. Finally, various intelligent algorithms to make cities smarter, along with specific examples, are discussed and analyzed.

Nusrat Farzana, M. Qamruzzaman, Yeasmin Islam et al.

This study examines the correlation between personal remittances, financial development, urbanization, and renewable energy utilization in Southeast Asian countries for the period 1991-2020. The study employs both linear and nonlinear analyses to examine the symmetric and asymmetric effects of these variables on renewable energy consumption. The results offer a plethora of significant insights. To commence, it is noteworthy that there exists an adverse correlation between financial deepening and the utilization of renewable energy, thereby challenging the prevailing notion that these two factors are positively interconnected. This demonstrates that the increasing financial growth in South Asian countries could potentially have adverse effects on the environment and hinder the implementation of renewable energy solutions. Furthermore, previous studies have demonstrated a positive correlation between urbanization and the utilization of renewable energy sources. The utilization of renewable energy technology is encouraged in cities due to factors such as population density, resource availability, and supportive legislation. Thirdly, personal remittances exhibit a varied impact, yielding favorable long-term consequences in Bangladesh and Pakistan, while conversely resulting in negative long-term effects in India and Sri Lanka. The findings indicate the necessity for governmental interventions aimed at mitigating the adverse effects of remittances, while simultaneously optimizing their positive influence on the utilization of renewable energy. Trade openness is positively correlated with long-term utilization of renewable energy, suggesting the potential for international trade in renewable energy resources. Nevertheless, it is worth noting that there is a negative correlation between trade liberalization and the utilization of renewable energy in the short term. This highlights the importance of implementing additional policy measures to address this issue. This study contributes to our comprehension of the intricate connections among personal remittances, financial deepening, urbanization, and energy consumption in Southeast Asian nations. It offers valuable insights for policymakers, researchers, and practitioners involved in advancing sustainable energy transitions and environmental sustainability.

Xianbao Zha, P. Luo, Wei Zhu et al.

With the rapid development of urbanization, more and more cities are facing the risk of flood disasters and the threat of water environment safety during the rainy season. Sponge City, as a new urban water resources management method, has attracted extensive attention in the academic circle. In order to promote the development of Sponge City, a bibliometric analysis method based on Web of Science (WoS) database and Bibliometrix tool is proposed in this study. After refining the retrieved 26,383 papers, 1456 papers were obtained. All the article information including author, keywords and publication time was downloaded. The bibliometric analysis model was established to analyse and discuss the development of Sponge City and related researches during the period 1998–020 (data up to 15 August 2020). Research performance, research focus and development trend were displayed by bibliometric measurement indicators and visual graphics. The results show that the number of research papers on Sponge City has been increased year by year in the past 10 years (2010–2020). Sponge City and related research are increasing rapidly, and the top five countries in terms of research volume are China, the United States, the United Kingdom, South Korea and Canada. China, the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia are the countries with the most extensive international cooperation in the field of Sponge City. Keywords such as ‘Sponge City’, ‘LID (Low Impact Development)’ and ‘SWMM (Storm Water Management Model)’ appeared frequently. In our opinions, interdisciplinary research methods, digital information management technology and comprehensive performance evaluation are the hot research directions for Sponge City in the future. This study aims to provide directions for future research on Sponge City, as well as scientific guidance and reference for government decision makers on Sponge City.

Xun Li, E. Hui, Tingting Chen et al.

Abstract The continuing expansion of construction land at the cost of agricultural lands and natural resources has elicited considerable concern among scholars and policy makers. Habitat III sponsored by United Nations in 2016, encourages spatial development strategies of prioritizing urban renewal and highlights approaches using contextual urban planning and design, policies, rules and regulations to shape the New Urban Agenda for sustainable urbanization. Chinese government sets New-type Urbanization for promoting urban renewal. In respect of land use policy in a local context, the “three old renewals” practice underpins the pioneering movement by planners and decision-makers in Chinse cities (started from Guagnzhou city). This research selects three typical urban renewal cases in Guangzhou, China, namely, Shipai Village, Litchi Bay, and Huangbiancun Industrial Park, to investigate the transformation of the “three old”. Policies and processes of “three old renewals” differ from the previous “top-down” approach to property-led urban redevelopment projects, which requires local governments to incentivize different stakeholders with active involvement from the public to engage in urban redevelopment projects. Culture-driven creativity is a catalyst in designating the renewal of historical neighborhood areas and the micro-transformation approach is a good strategy for community rebuilding, which provides valuable lessons and experiences that can be borrowed for other cities in China or in other developing countries.

Shaojian Wang, Jingyuan Zeng, Yong-yuan Huang et al.

Urbanization has been viewed as an important factor in soaring energy consumption and rapidly increasing CO2 emissions, globally. While much existing literature has explored the effects of urbanization on CO2 emissions, little work has been undertaken to examine how differences in the urbanization process itself affect the impact that urbanization has on such emissions. In order to supplement the shortness of existing literature, this paper empirically investigates the multiple effects of urbanization on CO2 emissions, by addressing four different aspects of the urbanization process—namely, economic urbanization, population urbanization, land urbanization, and social urbanization, and expects that these four aspects of urbanization will conduct multiple effects on CO2 emissions. A balanced city panel remote sensing and socioeconomic data and stepwise panel data model were used in the study, which examined the period of 1990–2013 in the Pearl River Delta, an economically developed region in China that has experienced rapid urbanization since the country’s economic reforms. Our empirical results show that urbanization exerts two opposing effects on CO2 emissions: land urbanization and economic urbanization positively affects emissions due to transformation from non-built to built-up area and wealth accumulation respectively, while population urbanization exerts a negative impact on CO2 emissions as a result of improvement in energy consumption mode and efficiency. Social urbanization decreased emissions mainly through cultivating the awareness of energy-saving. Surprisingly, the industrial structure and social consumption had positive but not significant impacts on CO2 emissions in the Pearl River Delta. This finding suggests that urbanization, if measured by different indicators, does have different effects on CO2 emissions. In addition, we note the remarkable positive influence of energy intensity, indicating that lower energy efficiency tends to increase emissions. Furthermore, the impact of FDI was found to be positive, and R&D was not found to have performed any significant negative effect on CO2 emissions. These findings provide a useful insight into the relationship between urbanization and CO2 emissions that can support policy makers and urban planners.

Shahfahad, M. W. Naikoo, Tanmoy Das et al.

ABSTRACT In the cities of developing countries like India, rapid and uncontrolled urbanization has been taking place due to continuous population growth in last few decades. As a result, land use/land cover (LU/LC) is changing very fast in the cities of developing countries. Therefore, this study aims to examine the changes in LU/LC pattern in Delhi during 1991–2018 and simulate the future LU/LC pattern of Delhi for 2030. The LU/LC pattern mapping was done from Landsat datasets using k-means clustering technique. The cellular automata (CA) technique was integrated with artificial neural network (ANN) for simulating the future LU/LC patterns. The projected LU/LC pattern shows that Delhi’s built-up area will increase to nearly 60% of the total area of city, while cropland and open land will decrease to 19.86 and 0.15%, respectively. The highest increase in built-up area was observed in the northern, western, and south-western sub-districts of Delhi. Outcomes of the study may be used for future land use planning in Delhi and other cities. In addition, they can also provide valuable insights for the development of transportation network and other facilities and amenities in the areas of future urban expansion.

Marissa Liponhay, Jesus Felix Valenzuela, Michael Dorosan et al.

The rapid urbanization of cities often brings about complex mobility issues, such as traffic congestion that, when unplanned, results in decreased productivity and quality of life. While many cities have adopted smart city initiatives to capture and monitor mobility, applying these in a developing country context remains a challenge when infrastructure and high-resolution spatial and temporal data are lacking. In this work, we use GPS data obtained from probe vehicles (a mix of public and private transport vehicles) within the city of Baguio, The Philippines, to develop and propose the <i>Zone-based Speed Index (ZSI)</i>, a mobility index based on the speed clusters observed in this city. The ZSI dynamically infers monthly speed thresholds to classify zones as <i>fast</i> or <i>slow</i> and successfully captures the decrease in vehicle mobility associated with the impact of typhoons and holidays. Thus, it can be used to characterize urban vehicle mobility with high (hourly) resolution. Insights from the use of our dynamic mobility index are useful in the development and optimization of transportation systems, in monitoring the ease of vehicle mobility, and in the performance assessment of smart city initiatives, which are much needed in tourism hotspots.

Xiaokun Gu, Qiang Li, S. Chand

Abstract A new type of green space “country park” has been established in mega cities in China to deal with the challenges of the shortage of green space in built-up areas, and to meet the increasing demands of residents for amenities of nature accompanying rapid urbanization. This paper identifies the determinants of the accessibility and the use of country parks. Data from a total of 795 questionnaires administered in Shanghai, with the help of the local governments, is used for the analysis. The results from the Logit model shows that the size of the area, natural landscape and the uniqueness of the country parks are the main factors underscoring demand. Residents with younger ages, married couples, and people with higher education play a significant role in the use of the country parks. However, gender, income and travel time to country parks are insignificant in determining demand. We conclude that country parks can provide residents a cost-effective source of green space. Our findings have important implications for the planning of country parks and can be applied to other high-density cities which are experiencing similar pace of urban expansions.

Shouying Liu, Yue Zhang

Abstract China's urbanization has avoided the expansion of slums despite the influx of rural migrants. What might explain this phenomenon? We argue that Chinese urbanization is driven by two tracks rooted in the country's land ownership: 1) a state-led track relying on land financing and expropriation, facilitated capital accumulation, infrastructure construction, and the provision of public goods; 2) an informal track based on collective land ownership and self-governance resulted in informal “urban villages” that provide affordable housing and services to migrants. China's urbanization underscores the credibility thesis, which posits that institutional form follows from function, as the urban villages – as informal settlements – fulfil a credible function in driving urbanization by accommodating the migrant population. However, Chinese urbanization is challenged by issues of sustainability and inclusiveness, and its current credibility might not last. In this context, local policy innovations may highlight possibilities to integrate the tracks and achieve a new type of urbanization by “formalization of the informal.” Put differently, the inclusion of that what is done into law, which should be critically distinguished from privatization through titling. At this point, one could consider the Credibility Scales and Intervention (CSI) Checklist, a “toolbox” of policy interventions predicated upon the credibility thesis.

Elahe Moradi , yaghowb Peyvastehgar

Today, smart growth is one of the effective urban planning strategies for sustainable urban development because, as an effective tool in measuring the concentration or dispersion of a city's growth, it plays an undeniable role in the development, change and shape of urban areas, especially in metropolises. The aim of this study is to measure the indicators of smart urban growth in order to prioritize the areas of Yasuj city, with emphasis on sustainable development. The present research is applied in terms of purpose and descriptive-analytical in nature and method. Data collection was carried out through documentary method, and the study benefited from the statistics and detailed plan of Yasuj city (2017). For this purpose, Shannon's entropy multi-indicator technique was used to weigh the indices used, then the electrification model was used to analyze and rank the indices. The findings show that the areas under study are at different levels in terms of smart growth indicators, which accordingly and with regards to smart city indicators, three cities of Yasuj was ranked first with 3 wins and 1 loss; district 4 came second with 2 wins and 2 losses; district one was ranked third with 1 win and 3 losses; and district two came fourth without a win and with 4 losses. Depending on the conditions of the area, the residents' opinions can be employed for further development, as using the rational opinions of the residents of the areas not only improve the physical and environmental condition of the urban areas, but also make citizens like and welcome the idea of participating in urban programs and decision-making processes. Extended Abstract 1-Introduction At the beginning of the 21st century, more than half of the population lives in cities, which has led to two major and interconnected environmental and demographic crises. What laid the foundation for urbanization and the development of modern cities dates back to the eighteenth century. Complex economic and technical developments after the Industrial Revolution have caused drastic changes in the size of cities and the proportion of the population living in them. The horizontal expansion of the city is a phenomenon that has occurred in the last half century not only in developed countries but also in developing ones. This phenomenon is the uncontrolled expansion of the city towards the peripheral and outer areas and in the form of gradual and isolated development. Consequences and problems of irregular horizontal distribution of the city include the destruction of local communities, social segregation, increase in the cost of urban service infrastructure, increase in the length and distance of urban travel, etc., all of which have limitations and problems that are obstacles to the city achieving sustainable urban development. The rapid expansion of cities has caused many problems in most countries of the world. Not only urban planning policies, socio-economic and environmental issues in many urban areas have been affected by this phenomenon. Although population growth is the primary reason for the rapid expansion of cities, its unreasonable dispersion has adverse effects on the natural and cultural environment of communities. Many efforts have been made to address the negative effects of sparse urban sprawl, which can be referred to as "smart growth" as a strategy for urban sustainability. Intelligent growth can be considered as a function for sustainable development. In fact, smart growth is a wise strategy to direct dispersion towards sustainability. Smart growth reflects the kind of development in which the promotion of civic life and vitality, public transportation, and the reduction of adverse environmental impacts are at the forefront of urban planners' considerations, and the revitalization of the city as a healthy and active environment that can lead to a better future. The provision (of facitlities) for all citizens is the main goal. Smart urban growth places great emphasis on issues such as mixed use, the use of compact buildings, and the creation of pedestrian-friendly neighborhoods. The term smart growth was coined by Maryland Mayor Paris Englanding from 1994 to 2002. It can be said that the foundations of this theory were in Canada and the United Statesas a reaction to the developments that began in the early 1960s. During the two decades of 1970 and 1980 in these two countries, the theory of smart urban growth based on the principles of sustainable development and intensive city was gradually formed and finally formulated in the form of a theory to stabilize the spatial form of cities. 2-Materials and Methods The approach of the research space is descriptive-analytical in line with the nature of the subject and the goals of the research. Data collection is based on documents and through library method, and the statistical population includes four areas of Yasuj city. Accordingly, using the Elektre multi-criteria decision-making technique and the anthorophy shanon method, we have prioritized the four areas of Yasuj city based on the indicators of smart urban growth and weighing the indicators related to the work process, respectively. 3- Results and Discussion The development of the city at the global level leads to the basic challenges of processing resources and facilities, occupying potential and empty fields for future development by the city and urbanization, and the like, which can develop the physical body of the city individually and in physical form. Urban development has progressed regardless of the efficient, high-efficiency and intelligent indicators. Prior to the issues of smart growth, the distribution pattern was a common and unplanned pattern in third-world countries, and a planned pattern in some developed countries. In the city of Yasuj, in order to achieve urban development and progress, smart growth strategy should be considered as the main strategy in sustainable urban regulations. This, while preserving the environment, prevents the uncontrolled expansion of the city. To achieve such sustainability, it is necessary to make plans based on the knowledge of the current situation in the whole city. Among the areas of Yasuj city, district 3 has the best conditions. Among the indicators proposed for this region, the access index with a weight of 0.3577 has the most impact. And the least impact has the physical index with a weight of 0.1036. Districts four, one and two are in the next ranks, respectively. Therefore, it can be said that there is a significant difference between the districts of Yasuj city. In terms of the degree of appropriateness to the intelligent growth indicators, district 3 has the best conditions and district 2 has the most unfavorable condition in terms of intelligent growth indicators among the districts of Yasuj city. 4- Conclusion The accelerated trend of urban development that has dominated the cities of the country in recent years and the adverse consequences of such developments entail the need to change the prevailing views on urban planning and attention to the application of smart urban growth in urban development plans and programs. In this regard, it is necessary to introduce the concept of smart growth in all dimensions and areas of city life in principle, and to use it as a basis for organizing performance and communication between them. In the city of Yasuj, in order to achieve urban development and progress, smart growth strategy should be considered as the main strategy in sustainable urban regulations. This, while preserving the environment, prevents the uncontrolled expansion of the city. To achieve such sustainability, it is necessary to plan based on the knowledge of the current situation in the whole city. According to the research findings, district three occupied the first place with 3 wins and 1 loss, district four was ranked second with 2 wins and 2 losses, district one came third with 1 win and 3 losses, and district 2 took the fourth place with 4 losses and no win. In general, district three has the first rank of smart growth in Yasuj city.

Xiuyuan Zhang, Shihong Du, Hannes Taubenböck et al.

Abstract Global population growth and land development are highly imbalanced, marked by 43% of population increase but 150% of built-up area expansion from 1990 to 2018. This results in the widely concerned ghost city phenomenon and runs against the sustainable development goals. Existing studies identify ghost cities by population densities, but ignore the spatial heterogeneity of land carrying capacities (LCC). Accordingly, this study proposes a general concept termed underload city to define cities carrying fewer people and lower economic strength than their LCC. The underload city essentially describes imbalanced human-land relationship and is understood in a broader context than the usually applied ghost city. In this study, very high-resolution satellite images are analyzed to obtain land functional structures, and further combined with population and GDP data to derive LCC. We empirically identify eight underload cities among 81 major Chinese cities, differing from previous findings of ghost cities. Accordingly, the proposed underload city considers heterogeneous human-land relationships when assessing city loads and contributes to sustainable city developments.

Ali M. Alqahtany, S. Aravindakshan

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore the trajectories of the urbanization process in Saudi Arabia in its regional context from the unification of the country by King Abdul Aziz Al Saud in 1932 to the present time, and the urbanization impact on the status and management of cultural heritage in the Kingdom.Design/methodology/approachOur study design integrated a well-articulated theoretical frame of sustainability to gain a heuristical understanding of urbanization in Saudi Arabia, and its link to cultural heritage. The methodological approach was mixed in nature involving (1) literature search and review, (2) analysis of public documents and databases, (3) analysis of photographs and (4) expert interviews.FindingsOne of the most obvious findings reached in this study is that there is considerable trade-off between heritage site conservation, population and economic demand for increased urbanization. Hence, with increasing urbanization pressures, the value of the heritage site may be rethought based on Saudi Arabia's economic and cultural conservation perspectives.Research limitations/implicationsSince our data are mostly of textual narrative in origin, precise predictions were difficult or impossible for many reasons such as non-linearity, and non-equilibrium dynamics, context and scale dependence as well as the historical exigency of urbanization. However, the same theoretical framework can be applied to appropriate longitudinal/ time series data for predictive analyses, which can be taken up as a future research agenda.Originality/valueThis paper analyzes the urbanization process and sustainability challenges of cultural heritage sites employing a mixed methodological approach, embedded in a holistic theoretical framework of sustainability.