Urbanization has driven the growth of high-rise residential areas, creating unique challenges for enhancing residents’ well-being, especially in large metropolitan regions. This study investigated the impact of smart green spaces—green areas integrated with technology to optimize environmental benefits—on environmental awareness, social cohesion, and life satisfaction in these dense urban environments. Utilizing data collected from questionnaires and field interviews in seven representative high-rise residential areas in Guangzhou, China, the structural equation model (SEM) was employed to explore the complex effects of smart green spaces. The findings reveal positive correlations between the presence, accessibility, and technological features of smart green spaces, which contribute to heightened environmental awareness, strengthened social bonds among residents, and increased life satisfaction. These results emphasize the diverse benefits of urban green spaces enhanced by smart technologies, beyond their aesthetic and recreational roles. This study suggests that strategic planning and policy initiatives focused on the development and operation of smart green spaces can substantially improve urban residents’ well-being by fostering environmental consciousness, promoting community interaction, and enhancing the overall quality of life in high-rise residential settings. These insights are crucial for urban planners, policymakers, and community stakeholders, providing a blueprint for leveraging smart green spaces in creating sustainable, resilient, and livable urban environments.

With rapid urbanization, the types of land in China’s cities are continuously evolving, irreversibly impacting the habitat patches within urban areas. However, the development of park cities has reversed this trend to some extent, particularly in Chengdu, China. To investigate the influence of land use type changes on habitat quality in Chengdu Tianfu New District, the research team selected remote sensing imagery data from the Landsat satellite for three distinct periods: 2014, 2019, and 2024. By employing a comprehensive approach that includes land cover trajectory analysis, land transfer matrices, FRAG-STATS landscape pattern indices, and the habitat quality module within the In-VEST model, this study analyzes the spatial and temporal evolution of land use patterns and the dynamics of habitat quality categories. The findings reveal: (1) the coverage of trees and shrubs in the study area initially declined but later increased, primarily driven by anthropogenic construction activities. Specifically, the land use types in the built-up areas on the northern side of Tianfu New District underwent notable fluctuations, whereas those on the southern side, adjacent to the Longquan Mountain Range, remained relatively stable. (2) From 2014 to 2019, high-quality habitats were predominantly distributed in the southeast of Tianfu New District, characterized by a robust ecological foundation, high landscape integrity, and strong connectivity of ecological land. In contrast, the areas with the poorest habitat quality were situated in the northern built-up areas of Tianfu New District, exhibiting highly fragmented habitat patches, simple edge shapes, and low connectivity. However, between 2019 and 2024, the overall habitat quality within the study area improved, characterized by an increase in the number of high-quality habitats and continuous expansion of habitat areas. The research findings offer valuable insights into future urban planning, ecological restoration, and conservation efforts in Chengdu Tianfu New District, providing critical guidance for the implementation and strategic development of the park city policy.

Driven by manufacturing supply reform and regional industrial transformation and upgrading, village industrial parks are key areas for deepening urban renewal. The complex relationship between various property rights actors is a key factor limiting the sustainable development of village industrial parks, and thus attracts considerable research. However, existing research is limited to individual cases and lacks systematic approaches to provide effective guidance for the renovation of village industrial parks. In addition, the paper summarises the participation pathways and characteristics of 12 typical cases of village industrial parks in the PRD. This is particularly true for rural industrial parks. The study identifies five scenarios based on the renewal of village collective ownership (government warehousing, land lease to developers, land lease to operating companies, land lease to enterprises, independent management); five situations based on the renewal of market enterprises’ rights of use (regular leasing, government support, abolition on expiry, introduction of enterprises, autonomous management); and four situations based on the renewal of government management rights (land expropriation, unified lease management, policy stimulation, supervision and management). The results are valuable for the research of urban regeneration and sustainable development in the context of government ownership.

With the dual pressures of accelerating urbanization and global climate warming, understanding the evolution and connectivity of cold island networks has become crucial for managing urban thermal risks. This study explores the spatiotemporal dynamics, driving mechanisms, and scenario-based projections of cold island networks in a rapidly urbanizing region of Southwest China. Using multi-temporal Landsat imagery (2000–2024), ecological resistance surface modeling, and least-cost path analysis, the study evaluated historical changes and simulated future scenarios for 2035 and 2050 under both Natural Development (ND) and Park City (PC) planning interventions. The findings reveal that: (1) Between 2000 and 2024, rapid urbanization significantly expanded high-temperature areas, fragmented cooling sources, and reshaped cold island connectivity into a hierarchical corridor network centered on a dominant ventilation axis; (2) Since 2019, ecological restoration measures have notably enhanced the structural cohesion and connectivity of cooling corridors, partially mitigating previous fragmentation; (3) Scenario simulations indicate that proactive ecological planning could reduce the extent of high-temperature zones by approximately 20% by 2050, demonstrating strong potential for mitigating future thermal risks. Overall, the results emphasize the necessity of incorporating continuous cold island corridors and connectivity principles into urban spatial planning to enhance climate resilience and support sustainable development.