Ecological niche suitability model with an application in Taojiang land use planning

Ecological suitability analysis is an important step in ecological planning. It applies the basis toestablish a sound development planning. In this paper, by applying multi-dimension niche concept, an eco-logical niche suitability (ENS) model was developed. The ENS model, combined with geographical informa-tion system (GIS) and spatial simulation, was used to analyze regional resources and environmental features ,and identify the suitability of regional resource and environment to regional development. An application ofthe ENS model in Taojiang agricultural land use planning is presented.

Underground space planning in Helsinki

This paper gives insight into the use of underground space in Helsinki,Finland.The city has an underground master plan(UMP) for its whole municipal area,not only for certain parts of the city.Further,the decision-making history of the UMP is described step-by-step.Some examples of underground space use in other cities are also given.The focus of this paper is on the sustainability issues related to urban underground space use,including its contribution to an environmentally sustainable and aesthetically acceptable landscape,anticipated structural longevity and maintaining the opportunity for urban development by future generations.Underground planning enhances overall safety and economy efficiency.The need for underground space use in city areas has grown rapidly since the 21 st century;at the same time,the necessity to control construction work has also increased.The UMP of Helsinki reserves designated space for public and private utilities in various underground areas of bedrock over the long term.The plan also provides the framework for managing and controlling the city’s underground construction work and allows suitable locations to be allocated for underground facilities.Tampere,the third most populated city in Finland and the biggest inland city in the Nordic countries,is also a good example of a city that is taking steps to utilise underground resources.Oulu,the capital city of northern Finland,has also started to ‘go underground’.An example of the possibility to combine two cities by an 80-km subsea tunnel is also discussed.A new fixed link would generate huge potential for the capital areas of Finland and Estonia to become a real Helsinki-Tallinn twin city.

Development and Prospect of Zoning Mode in the Three Rounds of Overall Land Use Planning of China

Zoning system is the basic mode of establishment of overall land use planning. In this study,the zoning mode and practice in the three rounds of overall land use planning that have been carried out in China were analyzed and summarized firstly,and then some obvious problems existing in the implementation of the zoning mode were analyzed. Finally,countermeasures and suggestions were put forward to provide necessary reference for further development and improvement of the zoning mode and the development of overall land use planning at all levels in China.

Study on the Layout of Urban Planning in Rapid Urbanization Areas under the Background of Air Pollution

China＇s urbanization has been over the medium-term process,which has made great achievements,but also triggered a huge problem of air pollution. Air pollution has become a big problem after the water pollution in China,and a serious threat to people＇s life and health. Under the background of ＂ the construction of beautiful China＂ and rapid urbanization,how to build a beautiful home has become the focus of attention. Taking Shenyang as an example,the author contrastively analyses the spatial distribution of the main air pollutants（ PM10,PM2. 5,and SO2） and the present situation of land use,and thus finds out the rules between pollutants distribution and land use. Then combining the urban planning scheme and the rules obtained above,reasonable suggestions are proposed for the scheme to improve the air quality,and reduce or avoid air pollution,and providing the basis for the construction of a piece of blue sky. The conclusions are as follows： 1 air pollutants concentration above Light Oil Gas Making Factory in south vice city of Shenyang reaches the peak value,and industrial point source is the main air pollutants emission source; 2 pollutants concentration above greenbelt is the lowest; 3 the overall spatial structure of urban planning can insulate the industrial agglomeration areas to some extent; greenbelt planning covers 40%- 50% of the area with high concentration of air pollutants,and it is suggested to achieve full coverage; traffic planning can achieve shunt most of the pollutants in many regions,but it can also expand the scope of pollutants in some certain regions,in such regions,it should reduce the road density.

THE APPLICATION OF GIS IN URBAN PLANNING:ENVIRONMENTAL ZONING STUDY IN THE OLD CITY OF WENZHOU,CHINA

Due to rapid growth of population, urbanization and industrialization, in many cites of the developing world, there is severe contradiction between urban land supply and land demand which resulted in many urban land use conflicting situations and urban environment degrading. This paper is mainly focused on this problem, demonstrating the feasibility and efficiency of environmental study by integrating GIS and environmetal zoning method. Two neighbourhoods of the old city of Wenzhou were chosen as the study area. With the aid of GIS software PC Arc/info as dBate IV, an urhan environmental impact assessment study was carried out based on the data available such as land use map and detailed attribute data of each land planning unit. The main factors taken into consideration include: the type of activity causing environmental stress, the type and strength of environmental impact and the type of receptive area that could be affected.

Public Participation in Land Use Planning:Values and Case Analysis

Objective:we want to explore values and methods of public participation in land use planning through analysis on values of public participation and case of Ji'an County in Jiangxi Province.Methods:document and data method,case analysis method,qualitative and quantitative combined methods.Results:public participation in land use plays a positive role in improving science and practice of planning.Conclusions:preparation and implementation of land use planning should manifest human-oriented,public participation,wisdom of the masses,scientific demonstration,and democratic decision-making.

Preliminary Analysis of Sea Use Planning Strategies in Coastal Cities:A Case Study of Binhai New Area in Tianjin City

Through investigating current sea use in coastal cities of China,and exploring foreign and domestic researches on sea use,this paper took Binhai New Area of Tianjin City for example to analyze major problems of its sea use in ecological security,planar form,land use layout,specialized planning,management and regulatory mechanism,then proposed strategies from 4 perspectives,namely ecological conservation and restoration,optimization of planning planar form,optimization of planning land use layout,and planning management,in order to provide references and instructions for the sea use planning of Chinese coastal cities.

Studies on Land Resource Inventory for Agricultural Land Use Planning in Northern Transition Zone of India through Remote Sensing and GIS Techniques

Land suitability analysis is a prerequisite to achieving optimum utilization of available land resources. Hence, a study on land resource inventory for agricultural land use planning was conducted in the Northern Transition Zone of India to determine land capability and develop a suitability map for wheat and sorghum-based on physical and climatic factors of production using remote sensing and GIS techniques. Detailed soil survey information was used for this exercise. Four series (Singhanhalli, Mugli, Bogur and Venkatapur series) were identified and mapped into seventeen mapping units. Land capability classification showed that a greater portion of the study area belonged to class III followed by class IV with limitations of erosion, wetness and varying soil properties. Four land capability classes viz., II, III, IV, and VI, and seven subclasses viz., IIsf, IIItsf, IVs, IVt, IVts, IVtsf and VIt were identified. Major limitations of these subclasses were slope, erosion, depth, texture, coarse fragments, pH, organic carbon and base saturation. Soil suitability assessment revealed that the soils are moderately suitable to permanently not suitable. About 234 ha (31.6%) is moderately suitable, 494 ha (65.0%) marginally suitable and 10.2 ha (1.3%) permanently not suitable for wheat;while 78.5 ha (10.3%) is moderately suitable, 633.4 ha (82.3%) marginally suitable and 32.6 ha (4.3%) permanently not suitable for sorghum respectively. The moderate, marginal and permanent non-suitability was due to moderate, severe and very severe limitations respectively. However, it is possible to achieve potential yield of the crops in the study area if these limitations are addressed.

COCKPIT-PLUS:A proposed method for rapid groundwater vulnerability-driven land use zoning in tropical cockpit karst areas

Karst groundwater is highly vulnerable to contamination,which urges better land use zoning.This paper proposes a new approach,called COCKPIT-PLUS,to minimize groundwater contamination within cockpit karst regions.The method employed four parameters:P(the existence of ponor/swallow hole),L(lineament density),U(sinking stream to an underground river),and S(distance to spring/pumping site).These parameters are essential for identifying contaminant pathways and transport from the surface to the karst groundwater/springs.COCKPIT-PLUS has been developed and validated in the Gunungsewu karst in Java,Indonesia.This research considers a cockpit as a single hydrological unit that uniquely recharges karst groundwater.We analyzed 2,811 cockpits and 81 other closed depressions to develop a land use planning map.The research used the time to first arrival(Ta),time to peak(Tp),and Q_(max/min)ratio parameters of two karst springs and two underground pumping sites for validation.Cockpits with ponors/swallow holes,sinking streams,high lineament density,and short distances to springs are vulnerable to groundwater and thus must be restricted areas for any land uses.The findings show that though the COCKPIT-PLUS uses a limited karst dataset,the proposed method seems reliable enough for a rapid land-use zoning approach in cockpit karst areas.

Soil Health and Sustainable Land Resource Management Practices at Municipal Level: A Case from Bheri Nagarpalika (Municipality), Jajorkot District, Nepal

The increasing challenges of pressure and ever-growing demands on limited resources in Nepal by diverse actors,land degradation,biodiversity loss and climate change require the rational use of land resources to sustain and enhance productivity and maintain resilient ecosystems for achieving the sustainable and efficient use of resources,taking into account biophysical and socioeconomic dimensions.Regarding this,Nepal Government has realized and taken initiation of scientific and sustainable land use zoning following the National Land Use Act 2019(2076 B.S.)to use land resources in practicable and sustainable manner.Using spatial information techniques such asZ-3 satellite image,remote sensing(RS),global positioning system(GPS)and geographic information system(GIS).Multicriteria decision making(MCDM)methods for acquiring spatial/temporal data,through expert judgment techniques based on field observation as well as laboratory analysis result,it was found that the soil nutrient status of,the municipality varied spatially and has pH with very high acidic to slightly alkaline but most of the soils are slightly acidic(39.58%).Majority of the soil are loam and sandy loam type with very low to high level of organic matter.Most of the municipal area is under medium range of organic matter.Nitrogen content ranges from very low to very high level as to same ranges of phosphorous(37.69%).Potassium level is also in very high to low as 37 percent land area has high level of potassium.Reclamation of acidic soil mainly in leachable soil is recommended with the proper management of Nitrogen with addition of organic matter is needed to manage for improving crop production.

Land Use Capability and the Sustainable Scale: An Overview of Agriculture in São Paulo State, Brazil

Establishing a sustainable scale in natural resources management enables effective economic and ecological policies and guarantees the long-term sustainability of economic production. In agriculture, land evaluations determine the land use sustainable scales, that is, those that avoid land degradation and allow the provision of food, wood, energy, and ecosystem services over time. The paper assessed São Paulo State’s agricultural sustainability by analyzing the current land use adequacy to the land use capability map that follows FAO 1976 “guide for land evaluation” and was applied to São Paulo by the State Agricultural Secretariat. Results indicate inefficiencies in land use at the state level, where more than one-third of agricultural lands do not satisfy technical land capability indications. According to technical land use capability, more than 4.5 million hectares are being underused (economic inefficiency) and another 2.2 million hectares are being overused (environmental inefficiency). Pasturelands represent the most unsustainable land use, where 3.7 million hectares are allocated in high quality lands with high agricultural production potential, and another 0.7 million hectares are allocated in lands with very low quality for agriculture, most of than area degraded. To achieve sustainability, lands with high agricultural production potential should be used to improve agriculture and food production and, on the other hand, lands with very low agricultural production potential should be used for wood production, agroforestry, ecotourism and natural ecosystems conservation. Our results provide a framework for improving land use policies in São Paulo State and highlight an opportunity to achieve land use sustainability.

Pathways towards the integration of periurban agrarian ecosystems into the spatial planning system

Introduction:The potential of periurban agrarian ecosystems is recognized as one of the cornerstones for improving urban sustainability;however,this potential has been disregarded in spatial planning and decision making.The main goal of the PAEc-SP project was to assess the feasibility of integrating periurban agricultural areas into spatial planning by developing a viable ecosystem services-based methodology.Methods:The research unfolded along three axes:i)mapping ecosystem services in periurban areas,distinguishing between the current state and the future potential by applying a set of indicators;ii)analyzing the regulatory framework,identifying gaps in the consideration of agrarian ecosystem services;and iii)analyzing the perceptions of these areas held by local actors.Provisioning services(food)are widely recognized by actors and plans,but this leads to weak protection.Results:Cultural services(identity,recreation)are also recognized by all actors and addressed by local urban planning,though this is not connected to farming practices.Regulating services(CO_(2) storage,water quality)are barely addressed by spatial planning and actors do not value them either.Supporting services(biodiversity)are mostly associated with natural areas.Most technicians are reluctant to changes,while new farmers and civil society demand a new holistic approach.Conclusion:The reluctant attitude to change of some actors and the inadequate understanding of ecosystem services,render it imperative to adopt a comprehensive approach through a participatory process of urban planning.Mapping ecosystem services,calculations,and graphs are a valuable communication tool both in discussing the consequences of the loss of agrarian ecosystems with different actors and in planning future scenarios.

“Three-Plan Integration”: Exploring the Order and Regulation Capacity of Spatial Planning

China's spatial planning system has a tradition of prioritizing vertical control over horizontal coordination, which leads to conflicts among various plans for one area. This has brought many problems to the spatial management of Chinese cities. Since socio-economic development plan, urban-rural plan, and land use plan are the three major elements of China's spatial planning system, conflicts among them can be taken as an intensified case of the system's problems, and the practice of three-plan integration should focus on bridging the gaps and solving conflicts among them, so as to eventually eliminate predicaments to China's spatial planning. Currently, due to influences of the actual law and governance systems, threeplan integration is largely a sort of government-led planning coordination dedicated to urban-rural spatial development. In the context of China's constantly deepened political and economic system reforms, three-plan integration, together with the extended multi-plan integration, will surely play an important role in the construction and exploration of China's spatial planning system.

A Trend Based Approach to Planning——An Introduction to the Land Use Adjustment Plan in Nanmen District,Suzhou

In view of the irrationality in the present land uses in Nanmen district,the new trendbased approach to planning is adopted in the derivation of a land use adjustment plan forthis area.Examples are discussed here in order to analyse the value of land and its demandand supply relationship,and to illustrate the land market demand trend.The planning ob-ject and land use adjustment plan are then proposed.

2009—2018年毛乌素沙地圆形农田发展及其对土地规划的启示

The Mu Us dune field in China has become a focal region for research of the prevention and control of desertification.Agricultural practices in this area have been modernized in recent years,evidenced by the development of Center Pivot Irrigation(CPI)farmlands.However,the impacts of CPI farmlands on combating desertification remain poorly understood.This study chose the southeastern part of the Mu Us dune field as a study area to investigate the variations of CPI farmlands from 2009 to 2018 and the influencing factors.The results showed growth trends in both the number and the area of these CPI farmland units over the period.The areas of meso-and micro-scale CPI farmland units stabilized over time to mainly 0-0.2 km2 and 0.2-0.4 km2,respectively;Topography,temperature,and geological substratum were preliminarily identified as the major natural factors driving the development of the CPI farmlands.Within the context of varied stakeholders,the potential for soil erosion,and damage to natural vegetation,the current study suggests that strict management of CPI farmland is required through effective long-term planning and land-use policies.The results of this study can assist in realizing the sustainable development of agriculture and its ecological significance in dune field areas.

Land suitability assessment for apple(Malus domestica)in the Republic of Korea using integrated soil and climate information,MLCM,and AHP

Apples(Malus domestica)are one of the major fruits cultivated in South Korea and worldwide.To both sustain the productivity of apple trees and preserve the land,a land suitability assessment has been conducted.Two methods were used to analyze land suitability,a Most-Limiting Characteristic Method(MLCM)and an Analytic Hierarchy Process(AHP)with integrated soil and climate information based on the FAO classification framework.The most-limiting characteristic analysis showed that almost all areas were classified as marginally suitable(S3)or not suitable(N),which together accounted for 94.54%of the land in the Republic of Korea.On the contrary,AHP showed that S1(34.1%)and S2(44.17%)account for the majority of the land.

Urban 8rowth： Chanses, manasement, and problems in larse cities of Southeast China

Compared with medium-sized cities, megacities play an increasingly important role in the rapid urbanization process in China. Owing to the expanding scale of large cities, urban sprawl leads to unsustainable practices that cause ecological, social, and environmental problems. Urban planning and land use planning are major driving forces of land use and land cover change in China. However, the goals of these two types of planning are different, and coordinating them is a challenge for local government decision makers. Thus, we use the SLEUTH model to simulate the implementation scenarios of future urban growth in Nanjing in the Jiangsu province of China. Using the scientific simulation data of the model, we contrasted the alternative futures of the two planning types for local government decision makers to achieve sustainable urban planning. The objective of our study is to explore the problems and possible solutions for urban management in the context of a megacity in China. The results of our study confirm the value of SLEUTH, which provides extensive exploratory knowledge in evaluating the effects of possible local government decisions.

Spatial resource allocation via extremal optimization enhanced by cell-based local search

A new treatment is presented for land use planning problems by means of extremal optimization(EO)in conjunction to cell-based neighborhood local search.EO,inspired by self-organized critical models of evolution has been applied mainly to the solution of classical combinatorial optimization problems.Cell-based local search has been employed by the author elsewhere in problems of spatial resource allocation in combination with genetic algorithms and simulated annealing.In this paper,it complements EO in order to enhance its capacity for a spatial optimization problem.The hybrid method thus formed is compared to methods of the literature on a specific resource allocation problem by taking into account both the development and the transportation cost.It yields better results both in terms of objective function values and in terms of compactness.The latter is an important quantity for spatial planning and its meaning is discussed.The appearance of significant compactness values as emergent results is investigated.