Plant Phenology and Its Anthropogenic and Natural Influencing Factors in Densely Populated Areas During the Economic Transition Period of China

As a sensitive, observable, and comprehensive indicator of climate change, plant phenology has become a vital topic of global change. Studies about plant phenology and its responses to climate change in natural ecosystems have drawn attention to the effects of human activities on phenology in/around urban regions. The key factors and mechanisms of phenological and human factors in the process of urbanization are still unclear. In this study, we analyzed variations in xylophyta phenology in densely populated cities during the fast urbanization period of China (from 1963 to 1988). We assessed the length of the growing season affected by the temperature and precipitation. Temperature increased the length of the growing season in most regions, while precipitation had the opposite effect. Moreover, the plant-growing season is more sensitive to preseason climate factors than to annual average climate factors. The increased population reduced the length of the growing season, while the growing GDP increased the length of the growing season in most regions (8 out of 13). By analyzing the impact of the industry ratio, we found that the correlation between the urban management of emerging cities (e.g., Chongqing, Zhejiang, and Guizhou) and the growing season is more significant, and the impact is substantial. In contrast, urban management in most areas with vigorously developed heavy industry (e.g., Heilongjiang, Liaoning, and Beijing) has a weak and insignificant effect on plant phenology. These results indicate that different urban development patterns can influence urban plant phenology. Our results provide some support and new thoughts for future research on urban plant phenology.

Urban Management of City Centers the Road to The Sustainable Development (Sustainable Land Use Management)

The urban management, municipal councils and their local committees, in addition to the laws, and regulations enacting them, play an important role in defining economic, social and environmental scenarios, and directing them towards achieving sustainable development. Sustainability in all its forms. The research seeks to identify the mechanisms and concepts of urban management in general and the management of urban land uses in city centers in particular, and how to use them optimally and achieve the best distribution of their uses in order to be sustainable and achieve sustainable development in the city center by integrating the principles of sustainability in the urban management process to become As a result, we have a vibrant sustainable center. In the theoretical framework, concepts related to the city center, its importance, characteristics, components and limits were presented. The concepts of sustainability and sustainable development were also presented, and what are its objectives, dimensions, standards, and approaches, in addition to defining the sustainable city center and its components and how, and through the theoretical framework, indicators of sustainable urban management were extracted. On the practical side, the researcher used the field surveys of the study area (the old Rusafa Center) in addition to distributing the questionnaire form to the specialists from the planning and executive departments of the study area to show the extent of their agreement and disagreement about the extent of the application of sustainable urban management indicators within the context of the work of the current urban management system. The results of the research showed a shortcoming in the adoption of the principles of sustainability within the context of the work of the current urban management, as the results of the questionnaire showed the non-conformity of most of the indicators that were applied to the current urban management system.

Cultural landscape management through the application of environmental certifications

Environmental certifications are a tool that aims to measure and evaluate the environmental quality of buildings and their surroundings, with potential collaboration in urban planning. Among the various cultural landscapes that constitute the cities, the historical landscapes can report unique images of urban places, acting as testimonies of the past, which establish connections with the present and serve as reference for the construction of the future. Thus, the need to work the heritage field in sustainable urban management policies is demonstrated. Based on analytical research in the fields of environmental certification and cultural landscape, and documentary research on the Urban-Landscape Set on Avenida Köeler, in the Historic Center of Petrópolis/RJ, the possibility of certifying the set through AQUA/HQE - Neighborhoods was assessed. The aim of this study is to investigate the potential of the environmental certification instrument with regard to the maintenance of historical and cultural values ​​and to the physical conservation of this complex. In addition to meeting the objectives and indicators, the opportunity to establish an urban management program to achieve with excellence the performance of high environmental quality is evident. This study also shows that when analyzing the certification guidelines, as far as the cultural dimension is concerned, a review is needed to better cover the heritage issue, to establish specific guidelines for the conservation of existing landscapes as an incentive to the preservation and promotion of urban quality for current and future generations.

Smart Cities and Urban Management—A Section of Energies (ISSN 1996-1073)

The aim of Energies’ Smart Cities and Urban Management Section is to present new research results and new proven practices aimed at optimizing the energy use of smart cities and improving the energy efficiency in urban management [...]

Guidelines on Unused Open Spaces between Buildings for Sustainable Urban Management

The side setback areas of buildings are generally underutilized urban spaces. Often, they are used as unauthorized commercial spaces, which lead to legal struggles and safety and sanitation hazards. However, the presence of these establishments implies a demand for using these spaces, and many argue that such structures enhance and vitalize cities. This study establishes a new direction for utilizing side setback areas that harmoniously meets the demands of city dwellers and business owners while ensuring safety and compliance with regulations. We examined the utilization status of 371 side setback areas in various districts of Seoul and surveyed 20 urban management experts. Th results indicate that at least 30% of all buildings in the study repeatedly violated laws regarding the use of their side setback spaces, and 100% of the experts agreed that the current regulatory system is inflexible. Our analysis suggests that reform is needed and offers tangible guidelines so that these generally underutilized spaces may become useful when safety and sanitation requirements are met. In the context of overpopulated urban spaces, side setback areas can be repurposed to meet the needs of urban residents while ensuring safety and sanitation.

Alerta roja para los humedales urbanos

Last November 17th, a fire started by a flare, laid waste to 10 ha of the Paicavi urban wetland in Concepción, which is part of the larger Rocuant-Andalién water system. The incident once again raised a red flag for these green spaces, which have been left behind in Chilean urban management and planning in recent decades, on not having been acknowledged as urban green infrastructure, or as part of a broader environmental matrix.

Fostering Sustainable Cities through Resilience Thinking: The Role of Nature-Based Solutions (NBSs): Lessons Learned from Two Italian Case Studies

Adopting an interdisciplinary approach and framing sustainability issues from a resilience perspective, our paper first aimed to highlight nature-based solutions (NBSs) as levers to foster sustainable cities consistent with Agenda 2030-SDG 11 (2015) and the New Urban Agenda (Habitat III, 2016). Second, we empirically analyzed two Italian municipalities that are experimenting with initiatives of sustainable urban management and planning based on NBSs: the Municipality of Lucca in Tuscany and the Municipality of Latina in the Latium Region. These municipalities present institutional and socioeconomic similarities, making them an interesting study setting that allows us to draw significant lessons. We conducted four research steps: (1) theoretical background analysis, including resilience thinking in sustainable urban management. We investigated the role of NBSs in enabling urban resilience according to the last level of resilience, i.e., the transformative level. (2) We studied the contributions of NBSs to sustainable cities and resilience thinking. (3) We analyzed the NBSs’ projects of Lucca and Latina, and (4) we proposed an urban managerial tool: the NBSs’ curve, which facilitates the estimation of the NBS ecosystem endowment. The results of the NBS initiatives presented in this study have a two-fold value. First, they aim to combine citizens’ well-being with ecological and environmental aspects by better managing urban spaces that facilitate interpersonal relationships and resource sharing. Second, they are developed to meet the needs of local groups by serving as a stimulus (Fridays For Future movement) and as enablers (local associations) of managed actions. The lessons learned about the enhancement of sustainable cities through NBSs were thoroughly debated.

Current Trends in Urban Conservation: Medieval Historic Arab City Centers

As Arab countries are beginning to recover from the socioeconomic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, conservation programs are restarting. Noticeably, traditional conservation efforts have not helped improve the poor living conditions in most historic urban centers of Arab cities due to many reasons such as a lack of funds, urban management policies, and the narrow scope of conservation projects. In 2016, the UN urban agenda recognized tangible and intangible heritage as the basis for sustainable, vibrant, urban economies. These efforts reflect the new shift in conservation activities to tangible and intangible heritage and consider urban heritage a tourist product rather than antiquity. This approach grants urban vitality and sustainability for heritage areas. Thus, this study investigates the existing trends and forthcoming changes in conservation and their implication for the deteriorated historic urban city centers of the Arab world. International urban heritage conservation trends were highlighted, objectives and bases of successful urban conservation trends were reviewed, and an assessment framework was developed. Two case studies of historic centers in two Arab cities, Jeddah, and Aman, were empirically assessed using the developed framework. The findings highlight the most common urban problems of the historic centers in terms of urban management policies and trends. In addition, the impact of urban management policies on historic urban areas' sustainability, vitality, and quality was revealed. The paper ends with recommendations for conservation authorities to define a proposed framework to embed the conservation within the urban development plans for deteriorated historic urban centers. The paper's findings and recommendations can contribute to the required knowledge related to urban heritage conservation for practitioners and decision-makers.