Measuring Sustainability for Rural Settlement Development: Environmental Balance Assessment Based on the Ecological Footprint
Publication: Journal of Urban Planning and Development
Volume 142, Issue 4
Abstract
Rural areas support urban areas by preserving natural environments such as forests and agricultural food products. However, because of urbanization after the high-growth period, the ecological balance has deteriorated because of land development, abandonment of cultivation, automobile dependency, and similar factors. This study assessed an improved method of calculating the ecological footprint (EF) value, which assigns a rating for environmental balance in rural areas. Residents’ consumption is calculated based on the environmental load (cultivation, emission, and similar loads) that residents generate during daily life activities. A case study of Tsukuba city in Ibaraki Prefecture reveals a wide distribution of traditional settlements for which this system can determine the environmental balance. Analysis of the case study shows: (1) environmental productivity and consumption capacity differed greatly according to the advancement of urban development, and (2) only a few settlements, located in forested areas, are ecologically balanced.
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Published In
Journal of Urban Planning and Development
Volume 142 • Issue 4 • December 2016
Copyright
© 2016 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Jan 5, 2015
Accepted: Feb 1, 2016
Published online: Jun 14, 2016
Discussion open until: Nov 14, 2016
Published in print: Dec 1, 2016
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