Land Use and Global Environmental Change: An Analytical Proposal Based on A Systematic Review

Abstract

Global environmental changes are multifactorial and affected by multiple forms of land use. For this reason, and also in view of the current world climate scenario, they have become highly relevant and are subject to analysis and discussions on the best uses of land. The research presented here offers a systematic analysis on the priorities related to the multiple uses of land and their implications in urban planning. An exploratory and descriptive analysis is used with a qualitative approach based in a systematic literature review. General findings indicate that land uses arise amid the duality between economy and environmental concerns, while increasing frequencies of heat islands, desertification, suppression of green areas in cities, and other phenomena are the backdrop. Urban planning tied to social and environmental dynamics becomes a powerful engine to predict rational uses of the land, enabling and balancing the economic–environmental dynamics without overriding each other. Proper planning of urban land governs both the infrastructure itself and the human influence over space in addition to predicting future uses and disuse as well as actions not consistent with sustainable development.