Mining towns and urban sprawl in South Africa

South Africa’s mining towns were established by mining companies mostly after World War II. The workforce lived in company-owned or privately-owned houses, or high-density compounds. Since the demise of apartheid, South African government policy for these towns has promoted integrated mining communities and homeownership. The government’s urban policy aims to densify the country’s urban areas, which have some of the lowest urban densities. This paper compares the changes in urban density and the unintended land-use implications of mining in settlements around five types of mines: iron ore, manganese, coal, gold and platinum, and in a combination of towns during periods of mining boom and bust. We ask how the South African legal framework addresses land issues that are associated with mining settlements, how urban density has evolved in the five case studies; and how this evolution should be explained. We argue that the sprawl is associated with historical path dependencies and interdependencies. Contributing factors are the need to house miners, the unintended consequences of policies designed to minimise compound living, changing labour regimes, the continuation of migrant labour and the presence of traditional-authority land. This sprawl is evident in market-driven housing, government-subsidised housing and informal settlement development.     

Climate resilient urban development: Why responsible land governance is important

In less-developed countries, the major global pressures of rapid urbanization and climate change are resulting in increased vulnerability for urban dwellers. Much of the climate impact is concentrated in urban and coastal areas, as urban development spreads into areas that are hazard-prone. Often this development is dominated by poor quality homes in informal settlements or slums on informal or illegally occupied or subdivided land.Urban development needs to be more climate-resilient to meet the post millennium development goals (MDGs) agenda. One of the elements in achieving climate-resilient urban development is the degree to which climate change adaptation and risk management are mainstreamed into two major elements of land governance, viz. securing and safeguarding of land rights, and planning and control of land-use.This paper proposes ways in which the growth of human settlements can be better managed through responsible governance of land tenure rights, and effective land-use planning to reduce vulnerability, provide adequate access to safe land and shelter, and improve environmental sustainability.     

Drivers of informal settlements at the peri-urban areas of Woldia: Assessment on the demographic and socio-economic trigger factors

Though Ethiopia is one of the least urbanized countries of the world, its urban areas are expanding rapidly. Woldia, which is a Zonal town is no exception to this trend and situation. As a result of its rapid horizontal expansion and growth, Woldia is currently confronted with different types of urban problems. The emergence and growth of informal settlements is one of these challenges. To that end, this paper investigates the foremost demographic and socio-economic triggering factors that played key roles for the growth of informal settlements at the peri-urban areas of Woldia. In order to achieve the objective of the study, a questionnaire survey covering a total of 244 sample households was carried out in addition to in-depth interviews, FGDs and key informants. Accordingly, the income disparity; the rise in the lease price of urban land, and the meager compensation paid to peri-urban farmers during their lands expropriation are among the key economic drivers for the growth of informal settlements. Similarly, ever-increasing urban population and inefficient land provision, and lack of housing affordability compounded by the rise in the rental accommodation are the other triggers factors. All these factors, among others, point to the fact that socio-economic and demographic factors are all tied to the immediate growth of such settlements. Thus, lands at the periphery are misused and the situation has greatly contributed to the unlawful and rapid expansion of built-up areas in the city administration.     

快速城镇化背景下北京市乡村人居环境研究

目的 基于“三生”空间理论建立北京市乡村人居环境评价指标体系，对其演变发展趋势进行系统分析，并分别从不同功能区和各区层面，对其人居环境空间格局进行评价，探析北京市乡村人居环境优化策略。方法 文章通过分析“三生”空间系统与人居环境系统演变的关联性，构建乡村人居环境评价指标体系，以北京市各区为研究单元，并基于GIS10.2平台分析其空间格局。结果 （1）各区域三生空间变化趋势：海淀区、朝阳区、丰台区等城市功能区的耕地面积所占比重较小，且呈快速下降趋势，生产发展空间在不断缩小；顺义区、大兴区、通州区、房山区等城市拓展区的耕地面积所占比重较大，其中大兴区和顺义区耕地面积有所增加。（2）北京市乡村人居环境评价结果：城市功能区>生态涵养区>功能拓展区。其中生产发展空间的高值区集中在生态涵养区；社会保障空间则与经济发展水平相关，城市功能区对其具有明显的辐射和带动作用；生态环境空间的高值区则集中在自然景观资源丰富的生态涵养区。结论 2011—2021年北京乡村人居环境容量先表现为逐步变大的趋势，后表现为乡村人居环境容量下降趋势。生产和生态空间以生态涵养区为主，生活空间中距离城市功能区较近的区域，依靠其优越的区位条件和经济基础使得其社会保障空间明显高于远离功能区的区域。     

北京市朝阳区第一道绿化隔离带政策实施评价

以北京第一道绿隔所占面积最大的地区朝阳区1997、2001和2006年3个年度的土地变更调查数据为数据源,采用地理信息系统的方法,在对第一道绿化隔离带的土地利用变化特点和景观格局变化进行时空变化分析的基础上,对绿化隔离带在控制城市蔓延及改善景观生态格局这两个主要功能进行了政策实施评价。结果表明,通过第一道绿化隔离带政策的实施增加了林地的面积,在一定程度上控制了北京中心城市的蔓延,改善了城市生态环境,但是控制和改善的程度与预期比尚有一定的差距,绿化隔离带的相关政策仍需要进一步完善。     

Impact of formalisation of property rights in informal settlements: Evidence from Dar es Salaam city

This paper aims to study the responsiveness of the informal property market and management systems towards the introduction of land registration for informal settlements in Tanzania. City governments are increasingly recognising the need to strengthen legal rights for the urban poor as a means to bring them more effectively into the urban economy and ensure better provision of water, sanitation and other primary services. The research focuses on Tanzania and in particular two case studies within Dar es Salaam. The findings of the work suggest that the introduction of residential licenses whilst potentially assisting in creating legal certainty has not resulted in the financial sector accepting them as full security against loans. Accessing credit by the poor however has not yet been fully realised resulting in some further hurdles for the financial sector to overcome. Finally, and of some significance is the registration of property in the informal settlements has provided the opportunity of formal property transactions within these settlements.     

基于AHP的四川秦巴山区人居环境的评价体系构建及应用研究

四川秦巴山区是我国连片贫困地区之一,在国家扶贫攻坚政策背景下,对四川秦巴山区人居环境进行评价具有重要意义。在归纳国内城市人居环境评价指标体系的基础上,提出建立四川秦巴山区人居环境评价的原则、指标以及评价方法。运用AHP层次分析法,从居住建设、生态环境和社会经济三大方面提出了26个单项指标,在区县层面对人居环境的建设水平和满意度两方面进行了对比评价,得出四川秦巴山区人居环境整体处于中等偏下水平,其中居住建设和社会经济因素得分较低,生态环境因素得分较高。评价结论可以为四川秦巴山区后续人居环境建设提供科学依据,为贫困地区人居环境评价提供参考。     

Spatio-temporal dynamic patterns of farmland and rural settlements in Su–Xi–Chang region: Implications for building a new countryside in coastal China

This paper analyzes the spatio-temporal dynamic patterns of farmland and rural settlements from 1990 to 2006 in Su–Xi–Chang region of coastal China experienced dramatic economic and spatial restructuring, using high-resolution Landsat TM (Thematic Mapper) data in 1990, 1995, 2000 and 2006, and socio-economic data from both research institutes and government departments. To examine the spatial patterns of farmland and rural settlements and their change over time, a set of pattern metrics that capture different dimensions of land fragmentation was identified. The outcomes indicated that, to a large extent, land-use change from 1990 to 2006 in Su–Xi–Chang region was characterized by a serious replacement of farmland with urban and rural settlements, construction land, and artificial ponds. Population growth, rapid industrialization and urbanization are the major driving forces of farmland change, and China's economic reforms played an important role in the transformation of rural settlements. China's “building a new countryside” is an epoch-making countryside planning policy. The focuses of building a new countryside in coastal China need to be concentrated on protecting the farmland, developing modern agriculture, and building “clean and tidy villages.” Rural construction land consolidation and cultivated land consolidation are two important ways to achieve the building objectives. The authors argue that it is fundamental to lay out a scientific urban–rural integrated development planning for building a new countryside, which needs to pay more attention to making the rural have certain functions serving for the urban. In addition, the cultural elements of idyll and the rural landscape need to be reserved and respected in the process of building a new countryside in coastal China, instead of building a new countryside, which looks more like a city.     

北京城市建成区扩张的经济驱动：1978-2002

北京是我国改革开放以来高速城市化建设及城市用地扩张的典型城市,1978—2002年期间其城市建成区土地面积以年均约13.10平方公里的速度增长。文章选取了北京地区重要经济指标,采用多元统计分析方法,对1978年至2002年北京城市用地扩张的经济驱动力进行了分析。结果表明经济的发展程度、农村与城市居民的生活水平差距、第二和第三产业生产规模、固定资产投资额是影响城市用地扩张的重要经济因素。其结果可为北京的城市化控制管理与生态安全保障提供科学依据。     

Sensitivity evaluation and land-use control of urban ecological corridors: A case study of Shenzhen,China

Constructing an urban ecological corridor system is a major component and critical factor of forming an effective network within an urban ecosystem. Shenzhen, as a highly urbanized area in China, is facing the dual pressures of urban development and ecological conservation. The ecological corridors in Shenzhen are being constantly eroded by urban expansion, resulting in an urgent need to carry out sensitivity evaluations and ecological land management studies. By identifying the spatial range of planned ecological corridors in Shenzhen, we develop a GIS-based ecological sensitivity evaluation model from the perspectives of soil environment, habitat conditions, geological hazards, and human disturbance. Management strategies are proposed with regard to macroscopic protection guidance and microscopic land-use control. The results show that there is little difference in the sensitivity grade of ecological corridors in Shenzhen. With regard to spatial distribution, the sensitivity level is high in the north and low in the south, with moderately sensitive corridors being the dominant type. Meanwhile, we design the land-use control program by taking into account the present management and new land demand and provide the path for implementing the withdrawal, reservation, occupation, and avoidance polices. The results of the sensitivity evaluation objectively reflect the eco-environmental condition of ecological corridors in Shenzhen. The classified and graded protection guidance and space regulatory framework proposed in this study are of significance for guiding the ecological conservation, land use, and sustainable development in urban contexts with similar issues.     

Land change in the Brazilian Savanna (Cerrado), 1986–2002: Comparative analysis and implications for land-use policy

The Brazilian Cerrado, a biodiverse savanna ecoregion covering 1.8 million km² south and east of the Amazon rainforest, is in rapid decline because of the expansion of modern agriculture. Previous studies of Cerrado land-use and land-cover (LULC) change imply spatial homogeneity, report widely varying rates of land conversion, use ambiguous LULC categories, and generally do not attempt to validate results. This study addresses this gap in the literature by analyzing moderate-resolution, multi-spectral satellite remote sensing data from 1986 to 2002 in two regions with identical underlying drivers. Unsupervised classification by the ISODATA algorithm indicates that Cerrado was converted to agro-pastoral land covers in 31% (3646 km²) of the study region in western Bahia and 24% (3011 km²) of the eastern Mato Grosso study region, while nearly 40% (4688 km² and 5217 km², respectively) of each study region remained unchanged. Although aggregate land change is similar, large and contiguous fragments persist in western Bahia, while smaller fragments remain in eastern Mato Grosso. These findings are considered in the current context of Cerrado land-use policy, which is dominated by the conservation set-aside and command-control policy models. The spatial characteristics of Cerrado remnants create considerable obstacles to implement the models; an alternative approach, informed by countryside biogeography, may encourage collaboration between state officials and farmer-landowners toward conservation land-use policies.     

Abstracts of Award-Winning Theses

This thesis investigates the demand for water supply improvements in Queretaro, Mexico. Queretaro currently lacks adequate water supply services, and it is of interest to know if residents would be willing to finance improvements to the water supply system.
The data for this work were collected with two in-person surveys of Queretaro's households. The first survey was administered to a stratified random sample of 629 homes with piped water services. The second survey was conducted with a semi-random sample of 207 households in informal settlements that do not have private water services. This thesis is one of the first studies in Mexico that demonstrates that residents are willing to pay a significant amount of money for water supply improvements. This study also provides some of the first evidence from Latin America that residents from informal settlements are willing to pay a considerable proportion of their income for water service improvements.     

Globalization and population drivers of rural-urban land-use change in Chihuahua,Mexico

A thorough examination of the causes of land-use change is necessary to effectively deal with the magnitude of changes across the globe. Chihuahua, Mexico is experiencing rapid land-use changes due to processes of globalization. The emergence of Mexico's maquiladora program is an indicator of economic globalization that has had far-reaching social and environmental consequences. This article examines population and income patterns from 1970 to 2000 as part of a hierarchical system and tests whether or not processes of globalization can be detected in the patterns. Findings indicate that population and income concentrate primarily in Juarez, while simultaneously deconcentrating in most other municipios of the State. Moreover, these patterns correlate with patterns of maquiladora concentration. Additional findings identify proximity to the US and established urban centers as drivers of population concentration. These findings support the notion that patterns and processes of globalization are important drivers of population and income concentration at the local level in Chihuahua, Mexico. Finally, the findings support the conceptualization of population land-use and income concentration as part of a hierarchical system.     

Concentrated poverty and neighbourhood effects: youth marginalisation in Buenos Aires’ informal settlements

This paper provides evidence for the relationship between concentrated poverty as manifested in the informal settlements and the labour market in the city of Buenos Aires. It also examines the consequences that these have on the social marginalisation of young people. First, it analyses the effects of residential location in informal settlements on labour market access. Secondly, it examines the results of multivariate analyses which measure the net effect of living in informal settlements on key indicators of youth marginalisation, as well as the interrelation of the effects of family educational and occupational status. The results demonstrate that the spatial concentration of poverty in informal settlements is linked to labour market segmentation, and is a central determinant of urban marginality. For young people, the very fact of living in informal settlements, in households with highly precarious employment status, significantly increases their risk of marginalisation in a cumulative manner. These findings point to the importance of adopting an integral approach that addresses the dynamics of deprivation in a multi-dimensional and multi-level setting.     

A cellular automata-based land-use model as an integrated spatial decision support system for urban planning in developing cities: The case of the Bogotá region

Bogotá and the 17 neighboring municipalities make up one of the biggest metropolitan areas in Latin America. However, despite strong functional interactions within the area, there is no official government body at this level in charge of coordinating authorities and providing solutions to the wide variety of issues arising in the regional urban land system. Aiming at providing an insight on future land-use developments linked to new transport infrastructures and at offering a tool to support territorial decision-making, this paper presents a cellular automata-based (CA) model based in Metronamica® software, that allows testing different scenarios based on potential land-use policies, environmental suitability and transport alternatives.There has not been, so far, an urban planning tool that accounts for the complexities of this region. CA-based land-use simulations constitute a useful approach to understanding the impacts of urban planning policies and regulations. This tool can help to improve inter-territorial and inter-institutional coordination, which through planning and management policies seek a spatially integrated development, with a long-term perspective.The CA-based model proposed was calibrated to reproduce land-use changes between 2007 and 2016 using different methods and indicators. The model was used to simulate and analyze eight scenarios with different policy directions of transport infrastructure in the future of the region. The results of the simulations reflect the dynamics of territorial occupation. The calibration indices in the experiment indicate a high degree of suitability for the CA Bogotá model, proving its effectiveness and potential as a useful tool for decision-making. The results show that occupation scenarios with restricted developable zones within the city, tend to have the greater dispersion rate in the study area, compared to scenarios where land development plans are promoted in Bogotá, which representing a more compact development.     

论生态城市建设中发展都市农业的必要性

建设生态城市是人们追求的共同目标,低碳、节能、环保成为区域各项产业可持续发展的基本要求。都市农业作为高效、节能、高技术、可持续的新兴产业与生态城市建设相结合,是区域生态环境与社会经济协调发展的必然选择。文章首先介绍了生态城市的内涵和意义;另一方面,对都市农业的内涵和功能也进行了梳理,在此基础上分析了建设生态城市与发展都市农业之间的相互关系。指出了生态城市建设中发展都市农业的必要性,即两者相结合的价值与意义:都市农业的发展有助于调控城市的非理性扩张和蔓延,是城市可持续发展和彰显城市特色的重要手段和方法。最后,文章提出了在生态城市建设中发展都市农业的几点思考与建议。指出生态城市建设中发展都市农业的实现路径主要包括:一是对都市农业发展合理布局、科学规划,在生态城市建设中打造都市农业品牌,以农产品基地形成规模经济;二是相关部门实现联动,共同实施建设生态城市都市农业。     

城乡交界带农村居民点用地演变规律研究——以济南市历城区为例

济南市历城区位于城乡、山地平原交界带,农村居民点用地影响因素多,特殊性强.以历城区土地利用现状图(1996年)、历城区第二次土地利用现状调查图(2008年)为依据,应用MAPGIS软件对1996-2008年农村居民点用地的扩展演变进行了定量分析.结果表明:研究期内,历城区农村居民点用地总面积呈增加趋势,全区共增加了34...     

An interval fuzzy chance-constrained programming model for sustainable urban land-use planning and land use policy analysis

In this study, an interval fuzzy chance-constrained land-use allocation (IFCC-LUA) model is developed for sustainable urban land-use planning management and land use policy analysis under uncertainty. This method is based on an integration of interval parameter programming (IPP), fuzzy flexible linear programming (FFLP) and chance-constrained programming (CCP) techniques. Complexities in land-use planning management system can be systematically reflected, thus applicability of the modeling process can be highly enhanced. The developed method is applied to planning land-use allocation practice in Nanjing city, China. The objective of the IFCC-LUA is maximizing net benefit from LUA system and the main constraints include investment constraints, land suitability constraints, water/power consumption constraints and wastewater/solid waste capacity constraints. Modeling results indicate that desired system benefit will be between [1.34, 1.74] × 10¹² yuan under the minimum violating probabilities; the optimized areas of commercial land, industrial land, agricultural land, transportation land, residential land, water land, green land, landfill land and unused land will be [290, 393] hm², [176, 238] hm², [3245, 4390] hm², [126, 170] hm², [49, 66] hm², [1241, 1679] hm², [102, 138] hm², [7, 10] hm² and [178, 241] hm². They can be used for generating decision alternatives and thus help decision makers identify desired land use policies under various system-reliability constraints of economic development requirement and environmental capacity of pollutant. Tradeoffs between system benefits and constraint violation risks can also be tackled.     

Assessing the fragmentation of construction land in urban areas: An index method and case study in Shunde, China

The fragmentation of construction land due to decentralised urban development, disorderly mixed land use, and large-scale transportation infrastructure poses a threat to urban integrity. There is a need to quantify the fragmentation level in a consistent way for inclusion in planning-related decisions. In the context of China's urban sprawl, this study develops a quantitative and intuitive index approach that planners can use to analyse multiple fragmentation features of construction land within urban areas. The approach can be used in planning policy reviews for timely land-use assessment and can be integrated into urban planning processes for developing strategic land-use scenarios. The method was applied in Shunde, a typical urban area in southern China, and construction-land fragmentation and its impacts on environmental quality were analysed. The results show that the entire built-up area in Shunde displays a high level of fragmentation. Patches of industrial and rural residence have been identified specifically higher fragmentation level. The shortage of available construction land makes land consolidation within built-up areas very important in planning Shunde's future development. Moreover, the land shortage requires the progressive reduction of construction land fragmentation. The results of the study also indicate that although land fragmentation has been affected by transportation infrastructure and the existence of rivers and hills in this region, decentralised decisions from hierarchical local governance regimes have greatly exacerbated this situation. Shunde provides examples of typical land-use problems associated with quasi-urbanised regions in China; construction-land fragmentation is a greater determinant for the sustainable development of urban and rural areas than construction-land growth.     

Monitoring cropland transition and its impact on ecosystem services value in developed regions of China: A case study of Jiangsu Province

Cropland use is experiencing an intense transition in both depth and breadth with rapid development of the Chinese economy. Unwarranted land use transitions can affect the ecosystem services value (ESV) and ecosystem functions significantly. This paper reports the dynamic patterns of cropland transition (CLT) and its impact on ESV in Jiangsu Province based on land-use data from 1990, 2000, 2010, and 2013, crop yield data, empirical data related to ESV, some revisions adapted to the situation of Jiangsu, and Geo-information Tupu methods. Jiangsu has experienced rapid economic growth and urbanization, which can be seen as a microcosm of China's development. Results showed that the total area of cropland decreased markedly from 1990 to 2013. This loss of cropland took place mainly through the expansion of construction land and water area, accounting for 83.78% and 13.71%, respectively. The gain in cropland came mainly from construction land, water area, grassland, and woodland, accounting for 58.92%, 19.92%, 11.46%, and 10.22%. The transitions from 2000 to 2010 were much more significant than during 1990–2000 and 2010–2013. CLTs were accompanied by relatively concentrated distributions near towns and cities and the distributions in southern and central Jiangsu were more than in northern Jiangsu. Between 1990 and 2013, CLTs gave rise to a decrease of 6.78 million US$ ESV that was mostly caused by the transition from cropland to construction land and water area to cropland. Based on this information, some of the major implications for improving the land use policy and ecological protection policy in China were discussed. These include increased emphasis on land quality and ecological environment in balance between cropland addition and conversion, introducing ESV measures to evaluate the ecological effect of land-use planning, and establish an all-around ecological compensation mechanism.