Habitat International最新文献

{"title":"The costs of delay: Marginalization and sustainable development challenges around Hanoi's urban rail projects","authors":"Quang Cuong Doan ,&nbsp;Xiaohu Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.habitatint.2025.103594","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.habitatint.2025.103594","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Existing studies on urban rail and transit-oriented development tend to emphasize their positive impacts on urban life, such as enhanced accessibility and increased property values. However, it remains unclear how prolonged delays in implementing urban rail projects affect communities, particularly through a sustainable development lens. This study offers a detailed analysis of the under-researched social issue of marginalization by drawing on the concepts of megaproject social responsibility and state-led infrastructure development. Our empirical investigation centres on an urban rail line in Hanoi, Vietnam, which has experienced prolonged construction and operational delays. Through in-depth interviews, we highlight the economic, social, and environmental hardships endured by affected residents during construction and delayed periods. The analysis reveals that households living near the rail stations have suffered substantial losses in income, safety concerns, deteriorating accessibility, and declining environmental quality due to prolonged construction activities. These adverse outcomes are attributed to infrastructure development strategies that have not prioritized citizen well-being. Despite ongoing public complaints, the persistent negative impacts of the rail projects remain unresolved, mainly due to the weak management and cooperation of the state. By examining the case of Hanoi's urban rail line, this paper provides an analytical framework to better understand the social consequences of urban development processes in Vietnam and, more broadly, in Global South contexts.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48376,"journal":{"name":"Habitat International","volume":"166 ","pages":"Article 103594"},"PeriodicalIF":7.0,"publicationDate":"2025-09-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145109307","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The human settlement of urban villages in a mountainous city of China: in-depth survey, comprehensive evaluation and policy implications","authors":"Wenxuan Huo ,&nbsp;Liang Zhou ,&nbsp;Zhenbo Wang ,&nbsp;Bao Wang ,&nbsp;Feng Gao ,&nbsp;Xi Wang ,&nbsp;Zhijie Chen","doi":"10.1016/j.habitatint.2025.103601","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.habitatint.2025.103601","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Rapid urbanization and lagging urban renewal are key factors contributing to the spread of informal settlements and the deterioration of human settlements globally. A comprehensive assessment of human settlement provides a foundation for curbing the spread of informal settlements and treating urban villages (UVs). However, current research lacks in-depth survey and systematic assessment of the human settlement in UVs, as well as research cases combining field investigations and empirical bases. Therefore, our paper delves into an in-depth UVs field study in a mountainous western Chinese city, Lanzhou, and establishes a multilevel UVs human settlement evaluation system with 4 systems, and 27 indicators, and realizes a fine-scale human settlement evaluation by using entropy weighting method and coupled coordination degree model. The results show that: (1) UVs are distinguished by a multi-center distribution pattern in Lanzhou. The human settlement is best in UVs in the center of the old town and worst along the railway line. (2) The human settlement of UVs is most affected by public facility (0.38) and least affected by living environment (0.15). There are significant differences in the quality of human settlement in different types of UVs, with the highest value occurring in Beimiantan (0.94) and the lowest in Heerbao (0.02). (3) The coupling coordination degree of the four evaluation dimensions we selected is as high as 0.94, which confirms the rationality of the evaluation system construction. The value of UVs in the center of the old town is the highest (0.71), along the railway line is the lowest (0.24). The evaluation system we constructed based on field research lays the foundation for quantitatively measuring the human settlement in UVs and provides the basis for scientific governance and systematic improvement of human settlement in UVs.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48376,"journal":{"name":"Habitat International","volume":"166 ","pages":"Article 103601"},"PeriodicalIF":7.0,"publicationDate":"2025-09-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145109306","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Can capable village cadres promote rural revitalization? An empirical study based on 611 village-level data from Shandong Province, China","authors":"Jiawei Wang ,&nbsp;Xia Kuang ,&nbsp;Weiyi Sun ,&nbsp;Hailan Qiu ,&nbsp;Jindi Qiao","doi":"10.1016/j.habitatint.2025.103599","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.habitatint.2025.103599","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>As a crucial link between the state and rural society, village cadres serve as a key force in promoting the implementation of the rural revitalization strategy. Based on 611 village-level samples collected in Shandong Province, China, this study develops a theoretical framework to examine how capable village cadres contribute to rural revitalization. Using OLS regression models, the analysis focuses on five dimensions: industrial development, environmental protection, public infrastructure, grassroots governance, and collective economy. The results show that capable village cadres with business experience have a significant positive impact on rural revitalization, a finding supported by robustness and endogeneity tests. Further analysis reveals that the effect is more pronounced in villages with smaller population sizes or where village cadres do not hold hybrid identities. Accordingly, this study recommends improving the selection and training mechanisms for village cadres, encouraging individuals with business experience to participate in grassroots governance based on local conditions, and fully leveraging their strengths in resource integration and governance enhancement to promote the effective implementation of the rural revitalization strategy.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48376,"journal":{"name":"Habitat International","volume":"166 ","pages":"Article 103599"},"PeriodicalIF":7.0,"publicationDate":"2025-09-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145107214","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Spatiotemporal dynamics and influencing factors of rural settlement reclamation in China from 2000 to 2020","authors":"Yun Ji ,&nbsp;Xiang Zhao ,&nbsp;Yiqing Zhang ,&nbsp;Changxin Liu ,&nbsp;Yuying Wu ,&nbsp;Ping Jiang","doi":"10.1016/j.habitatint.2025.103597","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.habitatint.2025.103597","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>To address the imbalances in rural human-land relationship amid rapid urbanization, the Chinese government has been undertaking extensive rural settlement reclamation efforts across the country since the 2000s. However, the spatiotemporal dynamics and influencing factors of these efforts remain unclear. This study analyzes the spatiotemporal distribution and influencing factors of rural settlement reclamation in China from 2000 to 2020 using spatiotemporal land use data and the Geographical and Temporal Weighted Regression (GTWR) model, achieving a satisfactory adjusted R² of 0.8037. The research reveals significant progress in rural settlement reclamation, with approximately 34,589 km² of rural settlement area reclaimed, primarily in the North China Plain, Northeast Plain, and northern Xinjiang. The regression results show that the key factors influencing reclamation include per capita rural settlement area, geological hazards density, rural population change, and per capita cultivated land area. This study also highlights the significant spatiotemporal non-stationarity of influencing factors such as per capita rural settlement area and geological hazards density across different regions and time periods. These findings provide a comprehensive understanding of the spatiotemporal evolution of rural settlement reclamation while offering crucial insights for policymakers. They highlight the importance of adaptive, region-specific strategies for rural land consolidation to promote sustainable development by harmonizing human-land relationships with population dynamics and economic considerations in rural areas.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48376,"journal":{"name":"Habitat International","volume":"166 ","pages":"Article 103597"},"PeriodicalIF":7.0,"publicationDate":"2025-09-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145107213","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Risk-carrying capacity, homestead confirmation, and farmers’ homestead withdrawal willingness: Evidence from 6754 rural households in Jiangsu Province","authors":"Shu Han ,&nbsp;Guancheng Guo ,&nbsp;Junjie Liu ,&nbsp;Hao Sun","doi":"10.1016/j.habitatint.2025.103598","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.habitatint.2025.103598","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study investigates the effect of risk-carrying capacity (<em>RCC</em>) and homestead confirmation on farmers' homestead withdrawal willingness. The aim is to provide theoretical and practical guidance to enhance the utilization efficiency of rural homesteads and promote rural revitalization. Using a binary logistic model, we conduct a baseline analysis of withdrawal willingness, employ threshold regression to identify the dual-threshold effect of <em>RCC</em>, and construct a moderation effect model to explore the role of homestead confirmation in <em>RCC</em>'s effect on homestead withdrawal willingness. The findings are as follows: (1) <em>RCC</em> exhibits a significant dual-threshold effect on withdrawal willingness, with thresholds of 45.64 and 65.83. Below the first threshold, <em>RCC</em> negatively affects withdrawal willingness; in the moderate range, it positively affects withdrawal willingness; and above the second threshold, the negative effect reemerges. (2) There are significant differences in homestead confirmation's effect on withdrawal willingness. When <em>RCC</em> is low, a limited understanding of property rights results in a restraining effect on withdrawal willingness. In the moderate range, homestead confirmation significantly boosts withdrawal willingness by clarifying property boundaries and reducing transaction costs. When <em>RCC</em> is high, the main obstacle is the limitation imposed by excessive <em>RCC</em>, making the effect of homestead confirmation insignificant. (3) Homestead confirmation significantly moderates the relationship between <em>RCC</em> and withdrawal willingness. With low <em>RCC</em>, the moderating effect is insignificant; in the moderate range, homestead confirmation enhances the positive effect of <em>RCC</em>; and with high <em>RCC</em>, it enhances the negative effect. We recommend that the government establish a diversified compensation mechanism to alleviate economic pressure on farmers during withdrawal, improve the property rights confirmation system to protect farmers' rights, and enhance policy promotion and education to improve farmers' understanding of rural homestead reforms.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48376,"journal":{"name":"Habitat International","volume":"166 ","pages":"Article 103598"},"PeriodicalIF":7.0,"publicationDate":"2025-09-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145107210","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Disappearance of rural settlements in China: Characterizing and interpreting the implementation of the “increasing vs. decreasing balance” policy","authors":"Haoran Su ,&nbsp;Tao Liu","doi":"10.1016/j.habitatint.2025.103593","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.habitatint.2025.103593","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The contradiction between urban construction and farmland protection is a prominent unresolved issue in global urbanization, thus reflecting the challenge of balancing economic development and food security. China's increasing vs. decreasing balance (IDB) policy provides a feasible approach to resolve this contradiction and promote the sustainable use of land resources. However, the outcomes of the IDB policy in this regard remain unclear because of the prolonged lack of comprehensive data on its implementation. Therefore, to investigate the implementation and evaluate the effectiveness of the IDB policy, this study adopts China's National Land Resources Survey data and observes the disappearance of rural settlements (DRS) within the land use change dynamics in Shandong Province during 2009–2019. A binary logit regression model is employed to identify the key factors influencing the successful policy implementation. Results indicate that over the past decade, the area of DRS was only 14.0 kha, reflecting a relatively limited implementation of the policy and the inability to reconcile urban expansion with farmland protection effectively. Moreover, significant spatial imbalance exists in the supply and demand of land quotas for construction at the county level, and non-agricultural land use and cropland abandonment have further undermined the effectiveness of farmland protection. An examination of the spatial heterogeneity in the DRS reveals that successful policy implementation originates from dual influence of regional characteristics and settlement characteristics. This study provides practical implications for optimizing China's land use policies and contributes to global efforts in sustainable land management.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48376,"journal":{"name":"Habitat International","volume":"166 ","pages":"Article 103593"},"PeriodicalIF":7.0,"publicationDate":"2025-09-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145107211","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Evolution of migrant workers’ roles and attitudes amidst robotic production: Evidence from China","authors":"Zhihao Zhao ,&nbsp;Xin Lao ,&nbsp;Ping Lei ,&nbsp;Hengyu Gu ,&nbsp;Dayi He","doi":"10.1016/j.habitatint.2025.103588","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.habitatint.2025.103588","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Sustainable development requires more intelligent production and the effective allocation of labour. The impact of increasing robot penetration on migrants' employment has led to fluctuations in their attitudes toward urban settlements. However, the mechanism of influence remains dormant in a black box. Using the China Migrants Dynamic Survey data, we estimate the impact of industrial robot penetration on migrants' settlement intentions. The results show that the increased penetration of robots exerts complementary and substitution effects, leading to a nonlinear characteristic of rising and falling settlement intentions among migrants. Their skills and income drive migrants’ migration direction, and this process is moderated by technological progress. We also discuss the role of inequality factors in the city that prevent migrants from achieving citizenship. The key to improving urban sustainability is mitigating the income and institutional inequalities that disadvantaged migrants suffer in cities. Reducing the income and institutional inequalities suffered by disadvantaged migrants in cities is important to mitigate the human-technology conflict in the urbanisation process and thus promote sustainability.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48376,"journal":{"name":"Habitat International","volume":"166 ","pages":"Article 103588"},"PeriodicalIF":7.0,"publicationDate":"2025-09-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145107212","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Build a resilience assessment framework for cross-city networks in urban agglomerations","authors":"Chuangchang Liao ,&nbsp;Yaxing Li ,&nbsp;Renzhong Guo ,&nbsp;Xiaoming Li","doi":"10.1016/j.habitatint.2025.103573","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.habitatint.2025.103573","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Informatization and urbanization have driven the development of strongly connected and complex urban agglomerations, and the cooperation and spatial interaction between cities have become more and more intense, triggering increased attention to regional issues and cross-city resilience responses. This study begins by reviewing the concepts of region and resilience, selecting urban agglomeration as a representative case for cross-city network research. Then, we explore the mechanisms and evolution of cross-city network resilience, based on regional network components. A framework for assessing the resilience of cross-city networks is proposed by combining the network tools, integrating urban resilience, cross-city resilience, and dynamic assessment procedures. The validity and limitations of the framework are examined by choosing the Greater Bay Area as an empirical object, and obtained two important results: (1) the resilience pattern is analyzed in terms of resilience intensity and relative function, (2) the performance of cross-city network resilience mechanisms during the disaster and recovery phases is revealed. Finally, we discuss the need for the dynamics and scenario-based assessment of resilience in cross-city networks. The aim is to contribute to the design of practical frameworks that can guide regional resilience-building and responses to disasters.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48376,"journal":{"name":"Habitat International","volume":"166 ","pages":"Article 103573"},"PeriodicalIF":7.0,"publicationDate":"2025-09-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145107216","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Securing the future of urban agriculture: Legislative reform and planning for sustainability in sub-Saharan African cities","authors":"Nurudeen Issifu ,&nbsp;Owusu Amponsah ,&nbsp;Yetimoni Kpeebi ,&nbsp;Stephen Appiah Takyi ,&nbsp;Amma Birago Kantanka Gyimah ,&nbsp;Imoro Braimah","doi":"10.1016/j.habitatint.2025.103591","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.habitatint.2025.103591","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Urban and peri-urban agriculture (UPA) holds significant promise for advancing sustainable urban development in rapidly urbanizing cities. UPA contributes to food security, enhances urban resilience, and supports the creation of green spaces, all of which are essential in mitigating the adverse impacts of urbanization. Yet, as cities in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), including Ghana, continue to expand, agricultural lands are increasingly converted into residential and commercial developments. This phenomenon threatens UPA, despite its recognized importance. While there is growing recognition of the importance of UPA in the sustainable city discourse, there is a dearth of empirical evidence on its integration into formal urban planning documents in Ghana, and the challenges associated with its integration remain largely unexplored. This study employed document analysis and key informant interviews to assess the integration of UPA into land use planning frameworks in Ghana, using Greater Kumasi and its peri-urban areas as a case study. It further unpacked the barriers that hinder the integration of UPA into formal planning frameworks. The results indicate a significant legislative gap in the current land use planning frameworks that hinders the integration of UPA into Ghana's land use planning. Land tenure systems, infrastructure deficit and housing design constraints also hinder the integration of UPA into Ghana's land use plans. It is recommended that legislative mandates be formulated and rigorously enforced to formally embed UPA within both national and local land use planning frameworks.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48376,"journal":{"name":"Habitat International","volume":"166 ","pages":"Article 103591"},"PeriodicalIF":7.0,"publicationDate":"2025-09-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145107215","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"“What has become a burden in rental housing? Workplace location, neighbourhood and housing environment on household rental burden”","authors":"Man Tsun Wong,&nbsp;Yik Wa Law","doi":"10.1016/j.habitatint.2025.103576","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.habitatint.2025.103576","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The escalating severity of housing affordability issues has compelled households to make compromises across various life domains in order to maintain a manageable rental burden. However, the dynamics between household factors and rental burden have not been thoroughly explored, and it remains unclear which factors most significantly affect rental burden, particularly among those experiencing disproportionately high burdens. This study employs a multi-level model using a census sample dataset (<em>n</em> = 20047) and geospatial data from Hong Kong to explore the effects of workplace location, neighbourhood and housing environment on rental burden. The analysis compares these effects across households with varying levels of rental burden. This study reveals that workplace location, housing features, and neighbourhood environments have differentiated impacts on rental burdens among households in a high-rent, dense urban context. The results uncover a novel positive association between remote working and rental burden among high-burden households—contrasting with a negative association for their lower-burden counterparts—highlighting an emerging dynamic in housing affordability shaped by evolving remote work patterns. Additionally, the findings show that high-burden households lack flexibility to accommodate additional dependents, exposing a “housing squeeze” that constrains family formation and intergenerational care. Mobility and connectivity are found to be vital for households under financial strain, suggesting that investments in transportation infrastructure could help mitigate some affordability pressures by broadening access to jobs and services.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48376,"journal":{"name":"Habitat International","volume":"166 ","pages":"Article 103576"},"PeriodicalIF":7.0,"publicationDate":"2025-09-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145050010","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}