Xueping Cong

The sustainable development of the human settlements (HS) has become a global universal program. The comparison of cities in different countries is of great significance to provide international experience for future urban construction. Combined with the UN 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), this paper establishes an evaluation index system for the sustainable development ability of urban HS and constructs a three‐dimensional research framework of “development‐coordination‐sustainability,” which compares the sustainable development ability of the HS of Dalian, China, and Kobe, Japan, from 2005 to 2018 and explores the spatial evolution characteristics and obstacle factors of the HS of the two cities. The results show that (1) the development degree of the HS of the two cities is on the rise. The development level of Kobe is always higher than that of Dalian, and the gap is gradually narrowing; Kobe has advantages in natural and residential environment, while Dalian has advantages in cultural and economic environment. (2) The coordination degree of the development of the HS of the two cities has improved steadily, and the coordination degree of Kobe is better than that of Dalian. (3) The sustainability of the development of the HS of the two cities is fluctuating, and the average sustainable growth rate of Dalian is higher than that of Kobe. (4) The sustainable development space of the HS in Dalian presents a pattern of “high in the south and low in the north,” and the spatial characteristics of the subsystems are different; the main obstacles have changed from economic‐natural to economic‐natural‐cultural‐public services, and the obstacles to development in districts are different. (5) The sustainable development space of the HS in Kobe has a high level of development in the southeast, radiating to the surrounding area, and the spatial characteristics of the subsystems are different; the main obstacles have changed from economic‐cultural‐natural to economic‐natural‐population, and the obstacles to development in districts are different. Finally, it puts forward targeted suggestions for the sustainable construction of Dalian. This paper can provide methodological reference for quantitative assessment of the sustainable development of HS and provide policy reference for scientific planning of the construction of HS.

The fractal nature of urban green spaces is the product of the self-organizing evolution of the complex urban system into a higher stage, and orderly patterns and complex structures of urban green spaces will tend to manifest after they develop to a certain stage. On the basis of GF1 satellite data in 2019 and three fractal models, the complexity of the forms and structures of a green space system in downtown Dalian, China, was studied. The results showed that the boundary dimension measured by the perimeter-scale model was 0.64–1.40, and the boundary dimension measured by the area-perimeter model was 1.79–1.99; these results indicate that the degree of human disturbance in green space boundaries was high, and the stability of the green space spatial structures was poor. The grid dimension measured by the area-scale model was 0.49–1.42, and the average radius dimension measured by the area-radius model was 0.35–0.76; these results indicate that the balance of the spatial distribution of green spaces was low, and the green spaces were excessively concentrated in the city center. Through comparisons of the scaling range among various types of green spaces, the characteristic range (gradient structure) of the spatial distribution of urban green spaces was found, which can reflect the maturity of green space growth and the quality of the green space layout. The gradient structure of green spaces in Dalian was characterized by three gradients, namely, 0–4000 m, 4000–8000 m, and 8000–16,000 m. The development of green spaces in the first gradient zone was the best, and the second and third gradient zones showed relatively large potential for improvement. These research results are of practical significance for guiding the planning and construction of green spaces in urban areas.