Urban Expansion and Landscape Transformation in Năvodari, Romania: An Integrated Geospatial and Socio-Economic Perspective
Urban growth often surpasses the actual needs of the population, leading to inefficient land use and long-term environmental challenges. This study provides an integrated perspective on urban landscape transformation by linking socio-demographic dynamics with ecological consequences, notably vegetat...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2025-07-01
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| Series: | Land |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/14/7/1496 |
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| author | Cristina-Elena Mihalache Monica Dumitrașcu |
| author_facet | Cristina-Elena Mihalache Monica Dumitrașcu |
| author_sort | Cristina-Elena Mihalache |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Urban growth often surpasses the actual needs of the population, leading to inefficient land use and long-term environmental challenges. This study provides an integrated perspective on urban landscape transformation by linking socio-demographic dynamics with ecological consequences, notably vegetation loss and increased impervious surfaces. The study area is Năvodari Administrative-Territorial Unit (ATU), a coastal tourist city located along the Black Sea in Romania. By integrating geospatial datasets such as Urban Atlas and Corine Land Cover with population- and construction-related statistics, the analysis reveals a disproportionate increase in urbanized land compared to population growth. Time-series analyses based on the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and Normalized Difference Built-up Index (NDBI) from 1990 to 2022 highlight significant ecological degradation, including vegetation loss and increased built-up density. The findings suggest that real estate investment and tourism-driven development play a more substantial role than demographic dynamics in shaping land use change. Understanding urban expansion as a coupled social–ecological process is essential for promoting sustainable planning and enhancing environmental resilience. While this study is focused on the coastal city of Năvodari, its insights are relevant to a broader international context, particularly for rapidly developing tourist destinations facing similar urban and ecological pressures. The findings support efforts toward more inclusive, balanced, and environmentally responsible urban development, aligning with the core principles of Sustainable Development Goal 11, particularly Target 11.3, which emphasizes sustainable urbanization and efficient land use. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-debedaaf2a6e41d58d8c0b1e75aee4e1 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2073-445X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Land |
| spelling | doaj-art-debedaaf2a6e41d58d8c0b1e75aee4e12025-08-20T03:58:31ZengMDPI AGLand2073-445X2025-07-01147149610.3390/land14071496Urban Expansion and Landscape Transformation in Năvodari, Romania: An Integrated Geospatial and Socio-Economic PerspectiveCristina-Elena Mihalache0Monica Dumitrașcu1Faculty of Land Reclamation and Environment Engineering, University of Agronomic Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Bucharest, 011464 Bucharest, RomaniaInstitute of Geography, Romanian Academy, Dimitrie Racoviţă Str., no. 12, Sector 2, 023993 Bucharest, RomaniaUrban growth often surpasses the actual needs of the population, leading to inefficient land use and long-term environmental challenges. This study provides an integrated perspective on urban landscape transformation by linking socio-demographic dynamics with ecological consequences, notably vegetation loss and increased impervious surfaces. The study area is Năvodari Administrative-Territorial Unit (ATU), a coastal tourist city located along the Black Sea in Romania. By integrating geospatial datasets such as Urban Atlas and Corine Land Cover with population- and construction-related statistics, the analysis reveals a disproportionate increase in urbanized land compared to population growth. Time-series analyses based on the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and Normalized Difference Built-up Index (NDBI) from 1990 to 2022 highlight significant ecological degradation, including vegetation loss and increased built-up density. The findings suggest that real estate investment and tourism-driven development play a more substantial role than demographic dynamics in shaping land use change. Understanding urban expansion as a coupled social–ecological process is essential for promoting sustainable planning and enhancing environmental resilience. While this study is focused on the coastal city of Năvodari, its insights are relevant to a broader international context, particularly for rapidly developing tourist destinations facing similar urban and ecological pressures. The findings support efforts toward more inclusive, balanced, and environmentally responsible urban development, aligning with the core principles of Sustainable Development Goal 11, particularly Target 11.3, which emphasizes sustainable urbanization and efficient land use.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/14/7/1496landscape transformationurban expansionland useland coverremote sensingRomania |
| spellingShingle | Cristina-Elena Mihalache Monica Dumitrașcu Urban Expansion and Landscape Transformation in Năvodari, Romania: An Integrated Geospatial and Socio-Economic Perspective Land landscape transformation urban expansion land use land cover remote sensing Romania |
| title | Urban Expansion and Landscape Transformation in Năvodari, Romania: An Integrated Geospatial and Socio-Economic Perspective |
| title_full | Urban Expansion and Landscape Transformation in Năvodari, Romania: An Integrated Geospatial and Socio-Economic Perspective |
| title_fullStr | Urban Expansion and Landscape Transformation in Năvodari, Romania: An Integrated Geospatial and Socio-Economic Perspective |
| title_full_unstemmed | Urban Expansion and Landscape Transformation in Năvodari, Romania: An Integrated Geospatial and Socio-Economic Perspective |
| title_short | Urban Expansion and Landscape Transformation in Năvodari, Romania: An Integrated Geospatial and Socio-Economic Perspective |
| title_sort | urban expansion and landscape transformation in navodari romania an integrated geospatial and socio economic perspective |
| topic | landscape transformation urban expansion land use land cover remote sensing Romania |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/14/7/1496 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT cristinaelenamihalache urbanexpansionandlandscapetransformationinnavodariromaniaanintegratedgeospatialandsocioeconomicperspective AT monicadumitrascu urbanexpansionandlandscapetransformationinnavodariromaniaanintegratedgeospatialandsocioeconomicperspective |