Linking the ecosystem services approach to social preferences and needs in integrated coastal land use management – A planning approach

Coastal zones with their natural and societal sub-systems are exposed to rapid changes and pressures on resources. Scarcity of space and impacts of climate change are prominent drivers of land use and adaptation management today. Necessary modifications to present land use management strategies and schemes influence both the structures of coastal communities and the ecosystems involved. Approaches to identify the impacts and account for (i) the linkages between social preferences and needs and (ii) ecosystem services in coastal zones have been largely absent. The presented method focuses on improving the inclusion of ecosystem services in planning processes and clarifies the linkages with social impacts. In this study, fourteen stakeholders in decision-making on land use planning in the region of Krummhörn (northwestern Germany, southern North Sea coastal region) conducted a regional participative and informal process for local planning capable to adapt to climate driven changes. It is argued that scientific and practical implications of this integrated assessment focus on multi-functional options and contribute to more sustainable practices in future land use planning. The method operationalizes the ecosystem service approach and social impact analysis and demonstrates that social demands and provision of ecosystem services are inherently connected.     

Effects of local land-use planning on development and disturbance in riparian areas

Land-use change can significantly affect the provision of ecosystem services. On a local scale, zoning laws and other land-use regulations are commonly used to influence land-use change, but their effectiveness is often unclear. We evaluate the effectiveness of local land-use planning in concentrating development and minimizing impacts in riparian areas. We use spatially-explicit land cover data from the USGS Land Cover Trends project to measure development and disturbance rates before and after implementation of Oregon’s land-use planning system. We apply a difference-in-difference estimator to address the problem of non-random assignment of regulations on the landscape. We find that land-use laws in Oregon have concentrated development inside of UGBs and lowered development rates in riparian areas. However, disturbance in riparian areas has increased inside of UGBs. Overall, our findings suggest that local land-use planning can be an effective tool for promoting the provision of non-market ecosystem services.     

Understanding the term green infrastructure: origins,rationales, semantic content and purposes as well as its relevance for application in spatial planning

Recently the term green infrastructure has come to shape professional and scientific debate, political strategies and practical approaches concerning green space development, particularly in urban areas. Actors from all fields of spatial development and planning are referencing this as an emergent approach, which is expected to have a considerable environmental and socio-economic impact. The wide and ubiquitous use of the term in planning debates fosters an impression of agreement in its definition and meaning. Yet several theoretical studies and manifold practical observations confirm a variety of definitions and meanings of this “new” approach in the scientific, political and practical arenas, ranging from simply a buzzword to a mature approach. Clearly, this confusion in meaning has a practical relevance for planning. It seems wise, therefore, to raise awareness and deepen our understanding of the different conceptions of the term green infrastructure. This paper aims to systematically analyse and clarify the contextual, geographical and temporal origins of green infrastructure, as well as its impact on rationales, semantic content and main purposes for spatial planning. To this end, a content analysis of relevant literature has been conducted to reveal the strands which influence the current debate as well as the application of green infrastructure in planning practice. These results are used to derive key statements as a foundation for further critical reflection and conscious application of the term green infrastructure within spatial planning.     

Integration of stakeholder choices and multi-criteria analysis to support land use planning in semiarid areas

The ecosystem services concept is increasingly considered as a policy tool to achieve the sustainable use of natural resources. However, it is still not sufficiently integrated into land use planning. We assessed five land use types (Tetraclinis articulata woodlands, Pinus halepensis plantations, Shrublands, Cereal-almond crops and Cactus groves) in a semiarid area of northern Morocco using empirical data on 17 ecosystem services whose weights were established by 67 stakeholders. The analysis included MCA and direct ranking of the five land uses. Three groups of stakeholders (scientists and managers, collaborators, and direct users of natural resources) were particularly concerned by water supply, protection against erosion and floods, soil fertility and food provision. Multi-criteria analysis showed that the three groups concurred in that Tetraclinis woodlands, crops and cactus fields were the most suitable land uses for the area, regarding ecosystem service provision. Direct ranking confirmed this tendency but showed some divergence between the three groups, as collaborators and users were more inclined towards crops and cactus. The integration of the ecosystem services concept in land use planning is needed to be more practical and easily perceived as a logical response to environmental exigencies and social aspirations.     

Environmental policy integration: Towards a communicative approach in integrating nature conservation and urban planning in Bulgaria

As urban areas continue to expand, the need to consider nature conservation objectives in planning is growing. Policy makers across Europe recognize that effective nature conservation requires an integrated approach to land use planning that includes relevant ecological and spatial knowledge. Although a number of such integrated approaches have been developed, many local authorities in Europe encounter important institutional barriers to this integration. This is particularly true for countries in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) like Bulgaria. The post-socialist transformation in Bulgaria led to intensified urban growth and local authorities struggle to find a balance between environmental and socio-economic interests. Meanwhile, the Environmental Policy Integration ‘principle’ (EPI) has been gaining prominence in Europe, aiming to address the trade-offs between environmental and economic incentives. Research highlights that successful EPI depends on institutional processes within different economic sectors and across governmental scales. These processes have not yet been comprehensively studied in the CEE and in Bulgaria. This article assesses the EPI process in urban planning in Bulgaria and identifies the institutional approaches that may contribute best to EPI in urban planning. Using the example of the “Corner Land” project in the city of Burgas, we discuss the key challenges that the local authorities face in addressing nature conservation in land use plans. The findings indicate that EPI is to a high degree constrained by the lack of an efficient communicative process across fragmented organizational structures throughout the entire planning process. While a procedural approach to EPI appears to be prevalent it is concluded that a communicative approach is urgently needed if the sustainability of urban plans is to be safeguarded and negative impacts on nature prevented.     

The DPSIR framework in support of green infrastructure planning: A case study in Southern Italy

Human activities such as urban densification, soil sealing and the spread of service infrastructure are altering the quality and quantity of ecosystems. They are depleting natural capital, like water supply and air quality, on which society depends. To preserve natural capital, the European Commission is promoting new land-use policies, one of which is Green Infrastructure (GI). It has been postulated that GI planning can promote sustainable land-use by supporting a wide range of ecosystem services. Research conducted in the GREEN SURGE project (FP7-ENV.2013.6.2-5-603567) has suggested that a number of tangible benefits accrue when GI planning is implemented at different spatial scales. In support of this, GI has been conceptualized in a case study in Southern Italy using the Driving force–Pressure–State–Impact–Response (DPSIR) framework. This framework was employed to promote the GI approach with the aim of ensuring sustainable land development without compromising natural capital. In fact, the DPSIR framework used in the case study shows how GI, through the provision of ecosystem services, is a response to various critical environmental issues. Despite known limitations as reported in the literature, the DPSIR framework was selected for its simplicity in representing and reporting the interactions between the environment and society. Given the complexity of environmental issues and the presence of various stakeholders involved in decision-making processes, DPSIR provides planning professionals with a streamlined tool to develop strategic solutions for sustainable land-use and for promoting societal wellbeing.     

Land use planning around major risk installations: From EC directives to local regulations in Italy

This paper offers some reflections regarding the application of regional and provincial laws concerning major industrial risks and urban and land use planning, and focuses on their application problems and capabilities with reference to some practical cases. The European Directive “Seveso 2” was implemented in Italy with two national laws, and in Piedmont they were enforced with the “Guidelines for the assessment of industrial risk in land use planning”. According to the Guidelines, the municipalities had to introduce into their urban and land use planning instruments new criteria for the areas around Seveso plants. The application of the Guidelines requires a multidisciplinary approach but local authorities are often not sufficiently prepared for this kind of multilevel analysis, because they do not have the human or economic resources or even the technical abilities necessary to conduct it. As a result, they can underestimate the importance of a correct urban and land planning in the areas around major risk installations.     

Quantifying spatial supply-demand mismatches in ecosystem services provides insights for land-use planning

Global trends in land-use changes, including urbanization and abandonment of rural areas, have important repercussions for the supply and demand of ecosystem services (ES). In this study, we assessed and mapped the supply and demand of three ES (water provision, climate regulation, and outdoor recreation) along an urban-rural gradient in the Madrid region (Spain) from 1990 to 2012. We mapped ES supply, based on land use/land cover (LULC) data, using InVEST models and complementary methods, and ES demand, using population density and demand indicators. Then, we explored spatial supply-demand mismatches at a municipality spatial scale. Despite an increase in ES supply in some areas, a general increase in ES demand led to increasing dependence by the Madrid metropolitan area on outlying areas. We found that the number of municipalities that exhibited mismatches between the supply and demand in ES increased throughout the study period, due mainly to urban sprawl. Our results suggest the need for comprehensive land-use planning at the regional scale, taking into account that many ES flows reach beyond municipality boundaries. Finally, we discuss the utility of analyzing spatial mismatches in the supply and demand of ES for land-use planning and decision-making.     

Assessing the synergies and trade-offs between ecosystem services provided by urban floodplains: The case of the Warta River Valley in Poznań, Poland

While ecosystem services (ES) provided by green areas receive increased recognition, there is a shortage of knowledge on the role of blue spaces to contribute to the delivery of ES. The aim of this paper is to investigate ES provided by the urban floodplain of the Warta River in Poznań, Poland. To achieve this, we used a set of methods, including a field survey, spatial analysis, and analysis of source materials. The paper documents both the services of public interest, as well as ones that can be overlooked by the public due to their “hidden nature”. The results strengthen the idea that assessment of social and ecological benefits from urban floodplains should be conducted jointly to account for the different categories of ES. A complex exploration of the ES delivery may help to better weight the synergies and trade-offs between different management options and to tie the local needs with preservation the integrity and ecological stability of the whole river corridor.     

Linking ecosystem services trade-offs,bundles and hotspot identification with cropland management in the coastal Hangzhou Bay area of China

Understanding the co-occurrence of multiple ecosystem services within farming systems and how they are associated across space are relatively new topics. Quantifying ecosystem services and their interactions as dependent on cropland management can help to formulate a more effective and sustainable land use management system. However, current academic efforts and cropland management practices based on the perspective of ecosystem services bundles and tradeoffs remain limited, especially in developing countries. This paper aimed to integrate ecosystem services into cropland protection and functional zoning. Taking Cixi County in the Hangzhou Bay area, China, as the case study area, five typical ecosystem services (food supply, carbon sequestration, hydrological regulation, soil fertility and recreation potential) delivered by croplands and their correlations were quantitatively assessed. The results demonstrated a heterogeneous spatial pattern of multiple ecosystem services and diverse interactions between them, which depended on regional specific conditions and agricultural activities. Further, we adopted the framework of ecosystem services bundles as a planning tool to support the spatial strategy of cropland management. Cropland protection priority and functional zoning were determined by hotspot analysis and clustering algorithms, respectively. The croplands in Cixi were classified into three protection grades and a zoning scheme comprising four functional types with policy guidelines was proposed based on the spatial cluster results. The integrative approach used in this study is applicable to supplement the current cropland management actions by incorporating the perspective of ecosystem services tradeoff and bundles.     

Ecosystem services in spatial planning and strategic environmental assessment—A European and Portuguese profile

Despite the growing interest on ecosystem services (ES) in research, significant knowledge gaps on ES integration in decision making subsist. Particularly, ES-focused profiles of governance frameworks for different policy areas, like spatial planning, are scarce. The goal of this research is to draw a profile on ES integration in the European policy and guidance framework for spatial planning and strategic environmental assessment (SEA). To investigate how this framework might be translated in a particular country of the EU and across different levels of governance, the Portuguese spatial planning and SEA framework is also analysed. To achieve these goals, a content analysis of policy and guidance documents was conducted. We have found a general low level of explicit ES integration, but some notions associated with ES are present in the documents, although more indirectly. Results highlight the potential role of SEA for ES integration. However, in the Portuguese context, the contribution of SEA in practice is currently limited and for the coming years ES will not be specifically targeted or integrated in regional spatial planning practice. Recent changes in the wider European governance framework contribute to potentially higher degrees of ES integration in the future. Nevertheless, bottom-up demand for improved ES integration in plans and policies will be an important driver. Our approach contributes to identify which policies, plans and guiding documents need improved ES integration.     

Changes in coastal city ecosystem service values based on land use—A case study of Yingkou,China

The valuation of ecosystem services is intended to facilitate the rational and sustainable utilization of natural resources. However, calculating the values of natural resources is complex, and research is underway in this regard. The change of land use types can reflect the changes in the area of each ecosystem; therefore, in this study, land use changes in Yingkou (located in the south of Liaoning Province and an important port city) over a 10-year period (2004–2014) are assessed using a geographic information systems platform and the 2004, 2009 and 2014 Thematic Mapper remotely sensed images of the area. The Costanza calculation method and classification system are used to estimate changes in the total values of ecosystem services in the Yingkou area from 2004 to 2014 and to investigate the causes of these changes. The “change tendency” of particular ecological communities is calculated using the Variable coefficient, the Gini coefficient, and the Theil index. The results reveal the following: (i) The total value of ecosystem services in the Yingkou area decreased drastically (i.e., from $2567.60 million to $2127.26 million, representing a 17.2% decline) between 2004 and 2014. (ii) Aquatic ecosystem services are valued greater than terrestrial services. In Yingkou, a decline in the value of aquatic ecosystem services accounts for 88.6% of the total decrease in ecosystem service value. (iii) Land reclamation in the Yingkou urban area emerges as the primary factor influencing ecosystem service values for the various ecological communities in the region. The ecosystem service value of each ecological community is different, and the differences between the contributions made by the various communities to the total ecosystem services value are increasing over time. (iv) The decline in ecosystem service values in Yingkou is linked to urban development. Following widespread land reclamation, an increase in land area intended for urban construction is associated with a decrease in water area.     

Bringing the sharing-sparing debate down to the ground—Lessons learnt for participatory scenario development

The concepts of Land Sharing (LSH) and Land Sparing (LSP) shall help to manage trade-offs between land use and biodiversity conservation but applications in real world contexts are scarce. We review the literature on scenario and stakeholder processes and present a participatory approach to translate the LSH/LSP concept into practice. It is based on a scenario definition process harmonized across five case studies in Europe and resulted in semi-quantitative participative LSH and LSP scenarios. Harmonization eases comparability among case studies despite fundamentally different scenarios due to heterogeneous conditions across the regions. A key challenge was the right level of standardization for the scenario process to reach a common understanding across case study regions while acknowledging regional peculiarities. The resulting scenarios support for regional specific planning recommendations and can be input to quantitative ecosystem service and biodiversity models.     

Exploring the environmental value of ecosystem services for a river basin through a spatial multicriteria analysis

Environmental quality preservation and nature conservation are complex land use planning problems, involving not only environmental aspects but also socio-economic and operational factors and represent ecosystem services of fundamental importance to human well-being, for health, livelihoods and survival. The present paper proposes a Multicriteria Spatial Decision Support System (MC-SDSS) development for the assessment of the environmental quality of the river basin of the Pellice river in the Province of Turin (Italy) with the objective of increasing awareness of environmental issues in the territorial planning phase. In order to fulfill this goal, the environmental quality issues were divided into two main aspects, “naturalness” and pressures”, which represent the strengths and the weaknesses of the territory. Different criteria were considered for each theme and were integrated into composite maps by a weighted linear combination of factors resulting from a focus group with several experts in different fields. The results of this approach generated a final suitability map of the study area. The map identifies some critical zones that need mitigation measures and highlights areas with high environmental quality which require future specific monitoring procedures and valorization actions. The application was performed by means of the IDRISI software. This paper is based on an integrated approach which facilitates the comprehension of complex phenomena and aims at exploring innovative MCDA models in the field of the environmental quality preservation assessment of territorial transformation.     

Opportunity cost of water allocation to afforestation rather than conservation of natural vegetation in China

Estimation of ecosystem service values is a hot area of research in ecological conservation and economics. However, the costs of these outputs are largely unknown. In this paper, we estimated the opportunity cost of water allocated to afforestation projects through mathematical modeling based on statistical data for all of China to provide support for restoration planning based on a fuller consideration of the true costs. To guide future ecological conservation and environmental policy development, we illustrate a neglected concept (ecosystem service costs) and use this concept to compare the ecological services provided by ecological restoration based on afforestation with those of restoration based on the conservation of natural vegetation using data obtained since 1949 in China. The results showed that afforestation and natural vegetation create annual costs related to use of the available water resources equal to 4800 and 3700 RMB ha⁻¹, respectively, representing a water opportunity cost of 1100 RMB ha⁻¹ for afforestation. This illustrates the rule that “there is no free lunch” for any service, including ecosystem services. Therefore, to support the development of more effective and sustainable environmental restoration policy, it will be necessary to evaluate the associated opportunity costs.     

The incremental construction land differentiated management framework: the perspective of land quota trading in China

Construction land plays a vanguard role in China’s rapid urbanization process. However, confront with massive loss of farmland resources, the highly centralized land-use planning and management system established by the central government in 1998 stipulates that the red line of 1.8 billion mu of farmland should be guarantee to ensure food security. A series of land management system innovations such as “the replacement of basic farmland in different places”, “the compensated supplement of farmland in different places”, and “the land conversion quotas transregional transaction” in Zhejiang province have received increasing attention, under the premise that neither dissipating the economic development efficiency nor breaking the constraints of various planning quotas. Inspired by the “three-phase” efficiency improvement based on the concept known as the “adaptive efficiency”, this article first proposes the inherent policy shortcomings as incalculability, inseparability, and uncontrollability. Then, adopting the mathematical model derivation and economic analysis tool, we demonstrate that the “general allocation + competition allocation + rewarded allocation” of new construction land quota allocation scheme has improved the three-stage Pareto efficiency. Relying on the network analysis of the cross-regional trading in Zhejiang province, the “time hotspot”, “regional hotspot”, Siphon effect, price fluctuation and inequality of opportunity are also observed in the process of trading. The authorities should play a quasi “wedge-like” blocking role in due course. It is therefore suggested that a differentiated management scheme should be adopted considering the variance in regional resource endowments and social ecosystem. This paper expected to shed light on improving construction land-use efficiency for China and other similarly placed developing countries.     

Incoherence of urban planning policy in Bucharest: Its potential for land use conflict

Bucharest is a city in transition from its communist past to a market economy, but poor urban planning in is impacting adversely on contested spaces. Lack of effective and strictly enforced regulation and public sector indecision, mixed with problems inherited from the Ceausescu regime, generate many examples of poor urban planning and management. One such example concerns the uncertain future of Văcăreşti “Lake”, our in-depth case study, which is an encapsulated 184 ha wetland whose management has been particularly poor. Employing a mixed methodology of mapping the evolution of the area in question and conducting interviews with surrounding residents and experts in the urban planning or public administration, we demonstrate how lack of an effective planning system and appropriate policies serves to exacerbate conflict between interested parties. Initially there was a conflict between former land owners and authorities, after which developers, surrounding populations, urban planners and ecologists were added. Worse still, the juridical owners of the site are unresolved! Many government agencies and the Bucharest municipality have also compounded the problem by failing to take a lead in future planning and conflict resolution by adopting a passive management approach, which is a recipe for inaction in a poorly regulated land market. Thus, incoherent land use policy has greatly amplified individual and professional conflict both at the local level and city-wide.     

Water in the city: Green open spaces,land use planning and flood management – An Australian case study

With increasing worldwide recognition of the influence of urban development on the hydrological functions of water, there is growing pressure for urban planning to play a greater role in water resources management. Planning for green open spaces in particular can play an important role, as they support important ecosystem services, including those that assist in flood management. It has been argued that interconnected and strategically planned networks of green open spaces should be planned for early in land use planning and design processes, with consideration of water-related ecosystem values and landscape functions in concert with land development, growth management and physical infrastructure planning. Although there is growing recognition of the importance of green open space planning for water sensitive cities and supportive planning measures, there are few analyses of the actual inclusion of this recognition in plans and strategies, or the presence of related actions and planning mechanisms. This paper addresses this gap by comparatively analysing the approaches taken to regional green open space planning in three Australian capital city-regions. Findings indicate the acknowledgement of relationships between flood regulation and green open space planning and various associated planning mechanisms. However, there is limited explicit integration of flood management and green open spaces planning, and significant on-ground barriers to enabling this integration to occur given the legacy of past planning decisions and the lack of information to support implementation. The paper concludes with recommendations for further research to assist planning for green open spaces as an ally to ecosystem services relating to flood management.     

Strengthening the effectiveness of nature reserves in representing ecosystem services: The Yangtze River Economic Belt in China

Nature reserves (NRs) are the main protected areas in China and effective measures for biodiversity conservation. Three key types of ecosystem services, including soil retention (potential soil retention-SR), carbon sequestration (net primary productivity-NPP), and biodiversity conservation (habitat quality-HQ), were applied to evaluate the effectiveness of national NRs in China’s Yangtze River Economic Belt. Ecosystem services were examined from two different scales (grid, individual NR), and different NRs types in 2000–2015, by using the RUSLE, CASA, and InVEST models. The results showed that the NRs had higher ES supply capacity than the non-NRs. SR and NPP showed significant increasing trends in four types of NRs. The HQ of forest ecosystem and wild animal reserves showed an increasing trend, while the HQ of inland wetlands and wild plants reserves showed a decreasing trend. Changes in NPP, SR, and HQ presented significant spatial heterogeneity for different NR types. Comprehensive effects of NRs, dynamic monitoring and evaluation of the conservation effectiveness of NRs, optimizing the institutional system of the NRs and perfecting the property of the NRs are suggested to be strengthened. These findings can provide decision support and methodological information for the effectiveness evaluation of NRs and land use policy in other regions of China and the world.     

2023年土地科学研究重点进展评述及2024年展望——土地资源利用与空间规划分报告

研究目的：总结2023年国内外土地资源利用与空间规划领域研究进展,展望2024年国内研究趋势。研究方法：文献调查法。研究结果：2023年国内研究主要集中于土地资源配置的影响与优化、土地资源的生态系统服务价值、绿色低碳土地利用模式、土地利用效益评价、国土空间规划方法、国土空间规划管理和保障制度等方面;国外研究侧重于多类型资源协同配置、土地资源保护效果与路径、土地利用变化的生态效应、土地利用功能评价、可持续的空间规划方法、空间规划管理制度与方法等方面。研究结论：2023年土地资源利用与空间规划领域在土地资源优化配置、生态系统服务价值权衡关系、土地资源保护、绿色低碳土地利用、土地利用评价方法与相关机制、空间规划方法与管理保障等方面取得了一定进展。2024年将重点关注土地资源同其他资源的协同机制、土地利用评价方法、土地绿色利用效率影响机制、土地低碳绿色利用模式、服务中国式现代化与高质量发展的国土空间治理与规划等研究方向。