The Challenge of Social Vulnerability Assessment in the Context of Land Use Changes for Sustainable Urban Planning—Case Studies: Developing Cities in Romania
Urban growth triggers massive changes in land use cover, exacerbating extreme natural and technological events. In order for land use planning to be efficient, it requires the integration of comprehensive risk and vulnerability assessment. This paper aims to create a bridge between the existing vuln...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2021-12-01
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| Series: | Land |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/11/1/17 |
| _version_ | 1797492751192817664 |
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| author | Camelia Sabina Botezan Andrei Radovici Iulia Ajtai |
| author_facet | Camelia Sabina Botezan Andrei Radovici Iulia Ajtai |
| author_sort | Camelia Sabina Botezan |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Urban growth triggers massive changes in land use cover, exacerbating extreme natural and technological events. In order for land use planning to be efficient, it requires the integration of comprehensive risk and vulnerability assessment. This paper aims to create a bridge between the existing vulnerability theories and their implementation in land use planning policies and proposes an innovative approach to determine whether the changes in the territorial dynamics of cities draw considerable changes in communities’ social vulnerability. The methodology identifies and selects three case studies from the Urban Atlas inventory, representative of the dynamics of large Romanian cities, taking into consideration the following hazards: earthquakes, floods, and technological hazards. Vulnerability was then assessed by assigning each land use class a specific vulnerability level. The methodology involved assessing the level of vulnerability specific to the situation in 2018 compared to 2006. The results showed that major changes in land use are related to the transition of areas with a low level of vulnerability to areas with a higher level of vulnerability as a result of the urban areas expansion to the detriment of natural and agricultural areas. This is generally translated into a higher degree of vulnerability due to an increased density of artificial elements and of population in the residential areas. The findings of the study of territorial dynamics in the proximity of large industrial operators did not reveal a tendency that differed from the general trend. Although many territorial changes have been observed in the period 2006–2018, it is necessary to extend the analysis, with the issue of the new versions of the Urban Atlas, to confirm the identified trends and to express the up-to-date situation. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T01:09:10Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-45cd077d62f04967afeaa5d7d45250aa |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2073-445X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T01:09:10Z |
| publishDate | 2021-12-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Land |
| spelling | doaj.art-45cd077d62f04967afeaa5d7d45250aa2023-11-23T14:21:17ZengMDPI AGLand2073-445X2021-12-011111710.3390/land11010017The Challenge of Social Vulnerability Assessment in the Context of Land Use Changes for Sustainable Urban Planning—Case Studies: Developing Cities in RomaniaCamelia Sabina Botezan0Andrei Radovici1Iulia Ajtai2Faculty of Environmental Science and Engineering, Babeș-Bolyai University, 30 Fântânele St., 400294 Cluj-Napoca, RomaniaFaculty of Environmental Science and Engineering, Babeș-Bolyai University, 30 Fântânele St., 400294 Cluj-Napoca, RomaniaFaculty of Environmental Science and Engineering, Babeș-Bolyai University, 30 Fântânele St., 400294 Cluj-Napoca, RomaniaUrban growth triggers massive changes in land use cover, exacerbating extreme natural and technological events. In order for land use planning to be efficient, it requires the integration of comprehensive risk and vulnerability assessment. This paper aims to create a bridge between the existing vulnerability theories and their implementation in land use planning policies and proposes an innovative approach to determine whether the changes in the territorial dynamics of cities draw considerable changes in communities’ social vulnerability. The methodology identifies and selects three case studies from the Urban Atlas inventory, representative of the dynamics of large Romanian cities, taking into consideration the following hazards: earthquakes, floods, and technological hazards. Vulnerability was then assessed by assigning each land use class a specific vulnerability level. The methodology involved assessing the level of vulnerability specific to the situation in 2018 compared to 2006. The results showed that major changes in land use are related to the transition of areas with a low level of vulnerability to areas with a higher level of vulnerability as a result of the urban areas expansion to the detriment of natural and agricultural areas. This is generally translated into a higher degree of vulnerability due to an increased density of artificial elements and of population in the residential areas. The findings of the study of territorial dynamics in the proximity of large industrial operators did not reveal a tendency that differed from the general trend. Although many territorial changes have been observed in the period 2006–2018, it is necessary to extend the analysis, with the issue of the new versions of the Urban Atlas, to confirm the identified trends and to express the up-to-date situation.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/11/1/17land use changevulnerability analysissustainable planningUrban Atlashazards |
| spellingShingle | Camelia Sabina Botezan Andrei Radovici Iulia Ajtai The Challenge of Social Vulnerability Assessment in the Context of Land Use Changes for Sustainable Urban Planning—Case Studies: Developing Cities in Romania Land land use change vulnerability analysis sustainable planning Urban Atlas hazards |
| title | The Challenge of Social Vulnerability Assessment in the Context of Land Use Changes for Sustainable Urban Planning—Case Studies: Developing Cities in Romania |
| title_full | The Challenge of Social Vulnerability Assessment in the Context of Land Use Changes for Sustainable Urban Planning—Case Studies: Developing Cities in Romania |
| title_fullStr | The Challenge of Social Vulnerability Assessment in the Context of Land Use Changes for Sustainable Urban Planning—Case Studies: Developing Cities in Romania |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Challenge of Social Vulnerability Assessment in the Context of Land Use Changes for Sustainable Urban Planning—Case Studies: Developing Cities in Romania |
| title_short | The Challenge of Social Vulnerability Assessment in the Context of Land Use Changes for Sustainable Urban Planning—Case Studies: Developing Cities in Romania |
| title_sort | challenge of social vulnerability assessment in the context of land use changes for sustainable urban planning case studies developing cities in romania |
| topic | land use change vulnerability analysis sustainable planning Urban Atlas hazards |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/11/1/17 |
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