Behind the Land Use Mix: Measuring the Functional Compatibility in Urban and Sub-Urban Areas of China

Land use mix (LUM) has long been employed as one of the key methods to improve urban vibrancy and optimize built-up areas. Within the urban studies discipline, LUM is usually defined as a functional compatible but diverse land use pattern. However, its quantitative methodological approaches thereby heavily rely on the diversity of land use and fail to consider functional compatibility as another critical defining characteristic, providing only a partial picture of land use pattern. Thus, reviewing LUM’s concepts and definitions, this paper develops a new index to describe functional compatibility according to the spatial segregation measurements. To evaluate and provide empirical evidence of the proposed index, this paper selects the medium-sized city of Xiangtan as a case study. The findings demonstrate that Xiangtan exhibits a quite compatible land use pattern to a certain extent. In addition, particular clusters with relatively incompatible land use patterns are observed, which are closely linked to a special historical working unit, the ‘Danwei’ compounds, and a special rural planning authority, ‘Township-Village-Enterprise’, in China. Finally, an integrated evaluation is conducted based on the proposed index and Shannon entropy index, which can be regarded as a useful tool in future land use planning while contributing to shaping a sustainable form of urban development.

Land-Use Mix and Urban Sustainability: Benefits and Indicators Analysis

Sustainable development is one of the biggest challenges for the future of our cities. With this in mind, eco-districts are essentially designed to respond to four challenges that place emphasis mainly on complexity and resilience by acting on aspects such as urban green spaces, mobility, energy, water management and waste management. In this study, the focus is on the concept of mixitè, from both a functional and social perspective, which is seen as a tool to increase the sustainability of urban settlements and bring benefits to the social, environmental and economic system. Despite the growing interest of research into the impacts of an urban land-use mix, there have been few methodological analyses on how to measure the functional mix in an urban environment. Therefore, the goal of this study is to define one or more indicators that are able to represent the diversity of the soil through their application to different areas. It is therefore possible to define a tool that helps to design, evaluate and support decision makers in urban planning choices. Indeed, it is important to understand how the soil mix, and subsequently the social mix, affects sustainability and how planners can take it into account in planning and developing urban policies. In this document: (a) we will highlight the theories and concepts underlying both functional and social mixitè; (b) the benefits it brings both to the city and to the individual; (c) a review of the main methods of measurement of the mixitè; (d) application and a subsequent comparison of the methods identified in case studies represented by three areas related to the establishment of the University of Salerno, in Italy, consisting of its two campuses as well as an adjacent site. The results obtained show that some of the indicators analyzed are more effective at representing the phenomenon of mixitè than others. Therefore, widening research, especially for those concerning the social mixitè, is advisable. Despite this, the results show that proper planning and management of urban devices bring about a series of advantages by increasing the sustainability and urban efficiency of settlements.

Research on the Difference Between Recreational Walking and Transport Walking Among the Elderly in Mega Cities With Different Density Zones: The Case of Guangzhou City

Walking is the easiest method of physical activity for older people, and current research has demonstrated that the built environment is differently associated with recreational and transport walking. This study modelled the environmental characteristics of three different building density zones in Guangzhou city at low, medium, and high densities, and examined the differences in walking among older people in the three zones. The International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) was used to investigate the recreational and transport walking time of older people aged 65 years and above for the past week, for a total of three density zones (N = 597) and was analysed as a dependent variable. Geographic Information Systems (GIS) was used to identify 300, 500, 800, and 1,000 m buffers and to assess differences between recreational and transport walking in terms of the built environment [e.g., land-use mix, street connectivity, Normalised Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) data]. The data were processed and validated using the SPSS software to calculate Pearson's correlation models and stepwise regression models between recreation and transit walking and the built environment. The results found that land use mix and NDVI were positively correlated with transport walking in low-density areas and that transport walking was negatively correlated with roadway mediated centrality (BtE) and Point-of-Interest (PoI) density. Moreover, recreational walking in medium density areas was negatively correlated with self-rated health, road intersection density, and PoI density while positively correlated with educational attainment, population density, land use mix, street connectivity, PoIs density, and NDVI. Transport walking was negatively correlated with land-use mix, number of road crossings while positively correlated with commercial PoI density. Street connectivity, road intersection density, DNVI, and recreational walking in high-density areas showed negative correlations. Moreover, the built environment of older people in Guangzhou differed between recreational and transport walking at different densities. The richness of PoIs has different effects on different types of walking.

Uncovering the Nature of Urban Land Use Composition Using Multi-Source Open Big Data with Ensemble Learning

Detailed information on urban land uses has been an essential requirement for urban land management and policymaking. Recent advances in remote sensing and machine learning technologies have contributed to the mapping and monitoring of multi-scale urban land uses, yet there lacks a holistic mapping framework that is compatible with different end users’ demands. Moreover, land use mix has evolved to be a key component in modern urban settings, but few have explicitly measured the spatial complexity of land use or quantitively uncovered its driving forces. Addressing these challenges, here we developed a novel two-stage bottom-up scheme for mapping essential urban land use categories. In the first stage, we conducted object-based land use classification using crowdsourcing features derived from multi-source open big data and an automated ensemble learning approach. In the second stage, we identified parcel-based land use attributes, including the dominant type and mixture mode, by spatially correlating land parcels with the object-based results. Furthermore, we investigated the potential influencing factors of land use mix using principal components analysis and multiple linear regression. Experimental results in Ningbo, a coastal city in China, showed that the proposed framework could accurately depict the distribution and composition of urban land uses. At the object scale, the highest classification accuracy was as high as 86% and 78% for the major (Level I) and minor (Level II) categories, respectively. At the parcel scale, the generated land use maps were spatially consistent with the object-based maps. We found larger parcels were more likely to be mixed in land use, and industrial lands were characterized as the most complicated category. We also identified multiple factors that had a collective impact on land use mix, including geography, socioeconomy, accessibility, and landscape metrics. Altogether, our proposed framework offered an alternative to investigating urban land use composition, which could be applied in a broad range of implications in future urban studies.

Association of perceived environment walkability with purposive and discursive walking for urban design strategies

The relationship between the built environment and walking behavior has been explored extensively. However, little research has been done to either differentiate between walking for transport and walking as activity or that applies urban design tools to walkability improvement based on environment-walking associations. Therefore, this study constructed perceived environment walkability factors to replace unidentified physical environments that varied among individuals and examined their associations with walking to a destination (purposive walking) and walking as activity (discursive walking), using factor analysis and structural equation modeling. Results suggest that residential density, land-use mix diversity, and pedestrian/traffic safety were associated with purposive walking while aesthetics and crime safety were associated with discursive walking. Land-use mix access and street connectivity were common correlates of both walking patterns. This study also explored how to apply urban design tools, including land-use plans, zoning control, and urban design guidelines, to shape a walkable environment based on the environment-walking associations.

Do Neighborhoods with Highly Diverse Built Environment Exhibit Different Socio-Economic Profiles as Well? Evidence from Shanghai

The link between the built environment and residential segregation has long been of interest to the discussion for sustainable and socially resilient cities. However, direct assessments on how extensively diverse built environments affect the social landscapes of cities at the neighborhood level are rare. Here, we investigate whether neighborhoods with a diverse built environment also exhibit different socio-economic profiles. Through a geodemographic approach, we scrutinize the socio-economic composition of Shanghai’s neighborhoods. We statistically compare the top 10% (very high values) to the bottom 10% (very low values) of the following built environment variables: density, land use mix, land use balance, and greenness. We show that high-density areas have three times the percentage of divorced residents than low-density areas. Neighborhoods with a high level of greenness have median values of 30% more residents aged between 25–44 years old and five times the percentage of houses between 60 to 119 m2 than low-greenness areas. In high land-use mix areas, the share of people that live on a pension is 30% more than the low land-use mix areas. The findings of this study can be used to improve the designs of modern, sustainable cities at the neighborhood level, significantly improving quality of life.

Land use mix and physical activity in middle-aged and older adults: a longitudinal study examining changes in land use mix in two Dutch cohorts

Background With urbanization and aging increasing in coming decades, societies face the challenge of keeping aging populations active. Land use mix (LUM) has been associated with cycling and walking, but whether changes in LUM relate to changes in cycling/walking is less known. Objectives Our objective was to study the effect of LUM on cycling/walking in two Dutch aging cohorts using data with 10 years of follow-up. Methods Data from 1183 respondents from the Health and Living Conditions of the Population of Eindhoven and Surroundings (GLOBE) study and 918 respondents from the Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam (LASA) were linked to LUM in 1000-m sausage network buffers at three time-points. Cycling/walking outcomes were harmonized to include average minutes spent cycling/walking per week. Data was pooled and limited to respondents that did not relocate between follow-up waves. Associations between LUM and cycling/walking were estimated using a Random Effects Within-Between (REWB) model that allows for the estimation of both within and between effects. Sensitivity analyses were performed on smaller (500-m) and larger (1600-m) buffers. Results We found evidence of between-individual associations of LUM in 1000-m buffers and walking (β: 11.10, 95% CI: 0.08; 21.12), but no evidence of within-associations in 1000-m buffers. Sensitivity analyses using 500-m buffers showed similar between-associations, but negative within-associations (β: -35.67, 95% CI: − 68.85; − 2.49). We did not find evidence of between-individual associations of LUM in any buffer size and cycling, but did find evidence of negative within-associations between LUM in 1600-m buffers and cycling (β: -7.49, 95% CI: − 14.31; − 0.66). Discussion Our study found evidence of positive associations between LUM and average walking time, but also some evidence of negative associations between a change in LUM and cycling/walking. LUM appears to be related to cycling/walking, but the effect of changes in LUM on cycling/walking is unclear.

The Hidden Characteristics of Land-Use Mix Indices: An Overview and Validity Analysis Based on the Land Use in Melbourne, Australia

The land-use mix index is a way to quantify the mixture of land-use patterns. Due to practical limitations, few studies have highlighted the validity of land-use mix indices. This paper aims to explore the potential characteristics of land-use mix indices using a three-step screening method. The data precision of indices was concluded after the first-step screening. A total of 10 virtual blocks and 217 blocks in Melbourne city center served as a case study and reflected the various land-use structures. The randomized controlled comparative trial was incorporated into the second- and third-screening to indicate the applicable condition and validity. The results illustrate that the value Herfindahl–Hirschman index related to the diversity of land-use types. The results also confirmed that Dissimilarity index-I was significantly associated with the balance status of the land-use mix. Entropy index reflects the evenness but did not correlate to the diversity or balance of the land-use mix. In addition, the study also provides a set of general recommendations for the application conditions of land-use mix indices.