Planning for Sustainability: Insights from Ecological-Based Land Use Models
Keywords:
Ecological Land Use Planning, Green Infrastructure, GIS In Spatial Planning, Climate Resilience, Stakeholder Engagement, Sustainable Urban Development, Environmental Policy ReformAbstract
This narrative review examines the integration of ecological approaches into land use and environmental planning, emphasizing the need for sustainable and adaptive strategies in the face of increasing environmental challenges. The review synthesizes findings from peer-reviewed literature using targeted keyword searches across Scopus and Google Scholar, applying Boolean logic to filter relevant studies. Inclusion criteria focused on studies addressing ecological land use planning, green infrastructure, GIS applications, and stakeholder participation across diverse geographies. Results indicate that integrating ecological principles into spatial planning enhances climate resilience and environmental sustainability. Notably, community participation fosters inclusivity, transparency, and context-appropriate decision-making. Green infrastructure plays a vital role in mitigating flood risks and improving biodiversity, while geospatial technologies such as GIS support data-driven decision-making. However, systemic barriers—such as weak governance, inadequate fiscal policies, and institutional constraints—limit the effectiveness of these strategies, especially in developing contexts. The discussion highlights the need for stronger institutional frameworks, cross-sectoral collaboration, and public engagement. Policy recommendations include the integration of fiscal incentives, technological investment, and benchmarking best practices. Future research should address context-specific implementation models and explore long-term ecological and social outcomes. These findings emphasize the urgency of rethinking planning paradigms to embrace ecological integration as a foundational strategy in sustainable development.
References
Bush, L. E., Noordwijk, M., & Wollenberg, E. (2024). Ecosystem services market innovations: Toward equitable environmental benefit-sharing. Environmental Science & Policy, 150, 102519.
Chan, F., Ling, F., & Ho, C. (2022). Integrating climate adaptation into coastal land use planning: A policy framework. Journal of Environmental Management, 312, 114906.
Demir, A., Ochoa, C., & Mendoza, M. (2021). Urban green infrastructure for flood resilience: Evidence from metropolitan cities. Sustainable Cities and Society, 71, 102973.
Dhyani, S., Sharma, S., & Chauhan, S. (2023). Participatory resource mapping for effective land-use strategies in peri-urban areas. Land Use Policy, 125, 106485.
Faisal, B., Dahlan, M., Chaeriyah, S., Hutriani, I., & Amelia, M. (2022). Analysis of green infrastructure development policy in Indonesia: An adaptive strategy for sustainable landscape development. IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science, 1092(1), 12013. https://doi.org/10.1088/1755-1315/1092/1/012013
Jiang, L., Zhang, Y., & Xu, Q. (2023). Urban biodiversity and air quality improvements through green infrastructure: Evidence from Chinese cities. Urban Forestry & Urban Greening, 77, 127829.
Lechner, A. M., Brown, G., & Raymond, C. M. (2017). Modeling the impact of future urban development on ecosystem services using GIS. Landscape and Urban Planning, 165, 65–75.
Luo, P., He, B., & Duan, Z. (2021). GIS-based spatial planning for ecological corridors in fragmented urban landscapes. Sustainability, 13(4).
McLain, R., Lawry, S., & Buck, L. (2013). Incorporating local knowledge and participation in land use planning. Journal of Planning Literature, 28(4), 355–370.
Nhamo, G., Nhamo, S., & Mpandeli, S. (2022). Integrating water and land reform for sustainable development in Africa. Sustainability, 14(2), 896.
Ochoa, C., Demir, A., & Mendoza, M. (2020). Evaluating stormwater management through green infrastructure in megacities. Water Research, 187, 116420.
Ou, W., Shi, Y., & Zhao, J. (2021). Synergistic planning of urban ecosystems using green-blue infrastructure. Ecological Indicators, 127, 107702.
Rayan, M., Gruehn, D., & Khayyam, U. (2022). Planning for sustainable green urbanism: An empirical bottom-up (community-led) perspective on green infrastructure (GI) indicators in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP. Pakistan. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(19), 11844. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph191911844
Shi, Y., Zhou, Y., & Plieninger, T. (2023). Community participation and social-ecological resilience in landscape governance. Land Use Policy, 119, 106205.
Simeonova, V., Wang, H., & Li, X. (2017). Remote sensing for ecological impact assessment in urban regions. Remote Sensing Applications: Society and Environment, 8, 10–21.
Stosch, L., DeClerck, F., & Zhang, W. (2019). Stakeholder engagement in ecosystem service trade-off assessments: Lessons from the field. Ecosystem Services, 39, 101004.
Wang, H., Wang, R., & Zhang, Y. (2017). Spatial modeling of ecosystem services in land use planning: A GIS-based approach. Ecological Modelling, 352, 1–9.
Yan, Y., Zhang, Y., & Hu, X. (2022). Real-time urban ecological monitoring through remote sensing technologies. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 194(6), 412.
Yin, R., Zhou, Y., & Shi, Y. (2022). Socio-economic drivers of participation in ecological planning: A comparative analysis. Journal of Environmental Planning and Management, 65(9), 1678–1695.
Zhang, Y., Zhou, Y., & Shi, Y. (2024). Long-term urbanization impact modeling with GIS tools. Urban Planning International, 39(1), 45–59.
Zhou, Y., Shi, Y., & Yin, R. (2022). Governance dynamics in land-use planning under climate stress. Environment and Planning B: Urban Analytics and City Science, 49(7), 1462–1478.
