Characteristics of Environmental Change and Sustainable Development Ways in the Urbanization Process

Research Article
Open access

Characteristics of Environmental Change and Sustainable Development Ways in the Urbanization Process

Linjing Zhang 1*
  • 1 Department of Earth Science, Faculty of Mathematical and Physical, University College London, London, United Kingdom, WC1E 6BT    
  • *corresponding author zljzhanglinjing@outlook.com
Published on 22 June 2025 | https://doi.org/10.54254/2753-8818/2025.24078
TNS Vol.118
ISSN (Print): 2753-8826
ISSN (Online): 2753-8818
ISBN (Print): 978-1-80590-211-9
ISBN (Online): 978-1-80590-212-6

Abstract

As time elapses, a growing number of countries have either experienced urbanization or are currently in the process of it. Urbanization is a process typified by the growth of economic activities and the increase in population density within urban areas.This transformation can significantly drive economic growth, foster innovation, and promote societal progress. However, it also brings about various environmental impacts, both positive and negative. Sustainable management of these changes is necessary to maintain a balance between urban expansion and ecological preservation. Although urbanization is an unavoidable and frequently advantageous process, its long-term viability hinges on people's capacity to manage it responsibly. This study analyzes the multifaceted environmental changes accompanying urbanization, focusing on aspects such as air quality, water resources, land use, and biodiversity. By embracing sustainable development pathways, policymakers, planners, and communities can forge resilient, equitable, and eco-friendly cities in an era of accelerating urbanization.

Keywords:

Urbanization process, environmental change, sustainable development, biodiversity, low-carcon development

Zhang,L. (2025). Characteristics of Environmental Change and Sustainable Development Ways in the Urbanization Process. Theoretical and Natural Science,118,10-15.
Export citation

References

[1]. Sukanya, R. and Tantia, V. (2023). Urbanization and the Impact on Economic Development. [online] www.igi-global.com. Available at: https://www.igi-global.com/chapter/urbanization-and-the-impact-on-economic-development/327396.

[2]. Zeng, C., Deng, X., Dong, J. and Hu, P. (2016). Urbanization and Sustainability: Comparison of the Processes in ‘BIC’ Countries. Sustainability, 8(4), p.400. doi:https://doi.org/10.3390/su8040400.

[3]. Cui, L., Weng, S., Nadeem, A.M., Rafique, M.Z. and Shahzad, U. (2022). Exploring the role of renewable energy, urbanization and structural change for environmental sustainability: Comparative analysis for practical implications. Renewable Energy, [online] 184, pp.215–224. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.renene.2021.11.075.

[4]. Garschagen, M., & Romero-Lankao, P. (2013). Exploring the relationships between urbanization trends and climate change vulnerability. Climatic Change, 133(1), 37–52. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10584-013-0812-6

[5]. Chapman, S., Watson, J. E. M., Salazar, A., Thatcher, M., & McAlpine, C. A. (2017). The impact of urbanization and climate change on urban temperatures: a systematic review. Landscape Ecology, 32(10), 1921–1935. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10980-017-0561-4

[6]. Oke, T.R. (1982). The energetic basis of the urban heat island. Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society, [online] 108(455), pp.1–24. doi:https://doi.org/10.1002/qj.49710845502.

[7]. Argüeso, D., Evans, J.P., Fita, L. and Bormann, K.J. (2013). Temperature response to future urbanization and climate change. Climate Dynamics, 42(7-8), pp.2183–2199. doi:https://doi.org/10.1007/s00382-013-1789-6.

[8]. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (2021). Climate Change 2021: The Physical Science Basis. [online] IPCC. Available at: https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg1/.

[9]. Grimm, N.B., Foster, D., Groffman, P., Grove, J.M., Hopkinson, C.S., Nadelhoffer, K.J., Pataki, D.E. and Peters, D.P. (2008). The changing landscape: ecosystem responses to urbanization and pollution across climatic and societal gradients. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, 6(5), pp.264–272. doi:https://doi.org/10.1890/070147.

[10]. Gurjar, B.R., Butler, T.M., Lawrence, M.G. and Lelieveld, J. (2008). Evaluation of emissions and air quality in megacities. Atmospheric Environment, 42(7), pp.1593–1606. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosenv.2007.10.048.

[11]. A. Nakhjiri and A.A. Kakroodi (2024). Air pollution in industrial clusters: A comprehensive analysis and prediction using multi-source data. Ecological informatics, 80, pp.102504–102504. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoinf.2024.102504.

[12]. Alloway, B.J. (2012). Sources of Heavy Metals and Metalloids in Soils. Environmental Pollution, [online] 22, pp.11–50. doi:https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-4470-7_2.

[13]. Saxena, V. (2025). Water Quality, Air Pollution, and Climate Change: Investigating the Environmental Impacts of Industrialization and Urbanization. Water, Air, & Soil Pollution, 236(2). doi:https://doi.org/10.1007/s11270-024-07702-4.

[14]. Gaston, K.J. and Spicer, J.I. (2012). Biodiversity : an introduction. Malden: Blackwell Publishing.

[15]. McKINNEY, M.L. (2002). Urbanization, Biodiversity, and Conservation. BioScience, [online] 52(10), pp.883–890. doi:https://doi.org/10.1641/0006-3568(2002)052[0883:ubac]2.0.co;2.

[16]. Ruas, R. de B., Costa, L.M.S. and Bered, F. (2022). Urbanization driving changes in plant species and communities – A global view. Global Ecology and Conservation, [online] 38, p.e02243. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gecco.2022.e02243.

[17]. Dincer, I. and Acar, C. (2015). A review on clean energy solutions for better sustainability. International Journal of Energy Research, 39(5), pp.585–606. doi:https://doi.org/10.1002/er.3329.

[18]. Maka, A.O.M. and Alabid, J.M. (2022). Solar energy technology and its roles in sustainable development. [online] Oup.com. Available at: https://academic.oup.com/ce/article/6/3/476/6606003.

[19]. Spittler, N., Davidsdottir, B., Shafiei, E., Leaver, J., Asgeirsson, E.I. and Stefansson, H. (2020). The role of geothermal resources in sustainable power system planning in Iceland. Renewable Energy, 153, pp.1081–1090. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.renene.2020.02.046.

[20]. Feng, X., Wang, S., Wu, N., Li, Y. and Yang, J. (2024). Urban low-carbon governance zoning coupled with urban attributes and spatial networks: Theoretical framework and practical path. Journal of Environmental Management, [online] 373, p.123865. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2024.123865.


Cite this article

Zhang,L. (2025). Characteristics of Environmental Change and Sustainable Development Ways in the Urbanization Process. Theoretical and Natural Science,118,10-15.

Data availability

The datasets used and/or analyzed during the current study will be available from the authors upon reasonable request.

Disclaimer/Publisher's Note

The statements, opinions and data contained in all publications are solely those of the individual author(s) and contributor(s) and not of EWA Publishing and/or the editor(s). EWA Publishing and/or the editor(s) disclaim responsibility for any injury to people or property resulting from any ideas, methods, instructions or products referred to in the content.

About volume

Volume title: Proceedings of the 3rd International Conference on Environmental Geoscience and Earth Ecology

ISBN:978-1-80590-211-9(Print) / 978-1-80590-212-6(Online)
Editor:Alan Wang
Conference website: https://2025.icegee.org/
Conference date: 10 April 2025
Series: Theoretical and Natural Science
Volume number: Vol.118
ISSN:2753-8818(Print) / 2753-8826(Online)

© 2024 by the author(s). Licensee EWA Publishing, Oxford, UK. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license. Authors who publish this series agree to the following terms:
1. Authors retain copyright and grant the series right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgment of the work's authorship and initial publication in this series.
2. Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the series's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgment of its initial publication in this series.
3. Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See Open access policy for details).

References

[1]. Sukanya, R. and Tantia, V. (2023). Urbanization and the Impact on Economic Development. [online] www.igi-global.com. Available at: https://www.igi-global.com/chapter/urbanization-and-the-impact-on-economic-development/327396.

[2]. Zeng, C., Deng, X., Dong, J. and Hu, P. (2016). Urbanization and Sustainability: Comparison of the Processes in ‘BIC’ Countries. Sustainability, 8(4), p.400. doi:https://doi.org/10.3390/su8040400.

[3]. Cui, L., Weng, S., Nadeem, A.M., Rafique, M.Z. and Shahzad, U. (2022). Exploring the role of renewable energy, urbanization and structural change for environmental sustainability: Comparative analysis for practical implications. Renewable Energy, [online] 184, pp.215–224. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.renene.2021.11.075.

[4]. Garschagen, M., & Romero-Lankao, P. (2013). Exploring the relationships between urbanization trends and climate change vulnerability. Climatic Change, 133(1), 37–52. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10584-013-0812-6

[5]. Chapman, S., Watson, J. E. M., Salazar, A., Thatcher, M., & McAlpine, C. A. (2017). The impact of urbanization and climate change on urban temperatures: a systematic review. Landscape Ecology, 32(10), 1921–1935. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10980-017-0561-4

[6]. Oke, T.R. (1982). The energetic basis of the urban heat island. Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society, [online] 108(455), pp.1–24. doi:https://doi.org/10.1002/qj.49710845502.

[7]. Argüeso, D., Evans, J.P., Fita, L. and Bormann, K.J. (2013). Temperature response to future urbanization and climate change. Climate Dynamics, 42(7-8), pp.2183–2199. doi:https://doi.org/10.1007/s00382-013-1789-6.

[8]. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (2021). Climate Change 2021: The Physical Science Basis. [online] IPCC. Available at: https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg1/.

[9]. Grimm, N.B., Foster, D., Groffman, P., Grove, J.M., Hopkinson, C.S., Nadelhoffer, K.J., Pataki, D.E. and Peters, D.P. (2008). The changing landscape: ecosystem responses to urbanization and pollution across climatic and societal gradients. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, 6(5), pp.264–272. doi:https://doi.org/10.1890/070147.

[10]. Gurjar, B.R., Butler, T.M., Lawrence, M.G. and Lelieveld, J. (2008). Evaluation of emissions and air quality in megacities. Atmospheric Environment, 42(7), pp.1593–1606. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosenv.2007.10.048.

[11]. A. Nakhjiri and A.A. Kakroodi (2024). Air pollution in industrial clusters: A comprehensive analysis and prediction using multi-source data. Ecological informatics, 80, pp.102504–102504. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoinf.2024.102504.

[12]. Alloway, B.J. (2012). Sources of Heavy Metals and Metalloids in Soils. Environmental Pollution, [online] 22, pp.11–50. doi:https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-4470-7_2.

[13]. Saxena, V. (2025). Water Quality, Air Pollution, and Climate Change: Investigating the Environmental Impacts of Industrialization and Urbanization. Water, Air, & Soil Pollution, 236(2). doi:https://doi.org/10.1007/s11270-024-07702-4.

[14]. Gaston, K.J. and Spicer, J.I. (2012). Biodiversity : an introduction. Malden: Blackwell Publishing.

[15]. McKINNEY, M.L. (2002). Urbanization, Biodiversity, and Conservation. BioScience, [online] 52(10), pp.883–890. doi:https://doi.org/10.1641/0006-3568(2002)052[0883:ubac]2.0.co;2.

[16]. Ruas, R. de B., Costa, L.M.S. and Bered, F. (2022). Urbanization driving changes in plant species and communities – A global view. Global Ecology and Conservation, [online] 38, p.e02243. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gecco.2022.e02243.

[17]. Dincer, I. and Acar, C. (2015). A review on clean energy solutions for better sustainability. International Journal of Energy Research, 39(5), pp.585–606. doi:https://doi.org/10.1002/er.3329.

[18]. Maka, A.O.M. and Alabid, J.M. (2022). Solar energy technology and its roles in sustainable development. [online] Oup.com. Available at: https://academic.oup.com/ce/article/6/3/476/6606003.

[19]. Spittler, N., Davidsdottir, B., Shafiei, E., Leaver, J., Asgeirsson, E.I. and Stefansson, H. (2020). The role of geothermal resources in sustainable power system planning in Iceland. Renewable Energy, 153, pp.1081–1090. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.renene.2020.02.046.

[20]. Feng, X., Wang, S., Wu, N., Li, Y. and Yang, J. (2024). Urban low-carbon governance zoning coupled with urban attributes and spatial networks: Theoretical framework and practical path. Journal of Environmental Management, [online] 373, p.123865. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2024.123865.