Land Use Dynamics: Insights 2026

The Land Use Dynamics research explains patterns, trajectories, and drivers of land-use change and evaluates the socio-ecological consequences of these dynamics. Given accelerating urbanization and its effects on landscapes and ecological processes. Understanding these transformations calls for an integrated assessment of land–water–food–energy interactions within urban–rural systems, and of the associated ecological and social consequences.This Research Topic Land Use Dynamics: Insights 2026 aims to publish interdisciplinary research that explains how and why land use changes over time, with a particular focus on rapid urbanization and its ripple effects across urban–rural systems. We will prioritize studies that connect land-use/land-cover change patterns to the underlying social, economic, policy, and environmental drivers, and that quantify the resulting impacts on ecosystem services, carbon and climate-relevant processes, biodiversity/habitat quality, food production and rural livelihoods, and the coupled land–water–food–energy nexus. We welcome submissions that advance theory, methods, and actionable evidence for land-use planning and management, including work that integrates remote sensing, spatial analysis, modeling, and mixed social–ecological approaches to assess trade-offs, feedbacks, and equitable pathways toward resilient landscapes.We invite articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:• Analysis of historical land use changes and scenario studies, with a thematic emphasis on anthropogenic activities and their impacts;• Intricate exchanges and interactions within the urban-rural dynamics, considering socio-economic and environmental factors;• Implications of land use management on carbon dynamics and its distribution across urban and rural settings;• Impacts of urbanization on food system dynamics, agricultural land use, and rural livelihoods;• Exploration of varied global environments to strengthen understanding of historical and contemporary land use dynamics, with implications for future trends;• Investigations on the ecological mechanisms underpinning ecosystem services and their vulnerability to land use changes;• Investigations on urban areas as focal points of intensified land use and the resulting socio-ecological conflicts;• What drives changes in ecosystem services and how those changes affect urban–rural systems.• Evaluation of the resilience and adaptive-responses of urban-rural ecosystems in the face of ongoing land use changes and urbanization processes.We encourage contributors to identify prevailing challenges and propose evidence-based solutions, fostering both critical debate and scientific progress. Original Research, Reviews, Case Studies, and Opinion Pieces are all welcome. Topic editors: Riccardo Buccolieri, Merja H Tölle Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/79916/land-use-dynamics-insights-2026