Urbanization towards the expansion of the city area causes urban sprawl and changes in space use. Furthermore, urban agglomeration towards urban spatial integration causes a decrease in environmental quality. This study aims to analyze (1) land-use change and urban sprawl work as determinants of environmental quality degradation in suburban areas. (2) The effect of urban sprawl, urban agglomeration, land-use change, urban activity systems, and transportation systems on environmental quality degradation in suburban areas. A combination of quantitative and qualitative approaches is used sequentially in this study. Data obtained through observation, surveys, and documentation. The results showed that the expansion of the Makassar City area to the suburbs had an impact on spatial dynamics, spatial segregation, and environmental degradation. Furthermore, urban sprawl, land-use change, urban agglomeration, activity systems, and transportation systems have a positive correlation to environmental quality degradation with a determination coefficient of 85.9%. This study recommends the handling of urban sprawl, land-use change, and urban agglomeration to be considered in the formulation of development policies towards the sustainability of natural resources and the environment of Makassar City, Indonesia.

The dynamics of urban development coupled with economic growth have contributed positively to the development of small and medium enterprises (SMEs). Optimizing the utilization and strengthening of the capacity of SMEs’ human resources will encourage increased productivity of economic enterprises and the sustainability of small and medium enterprises (SMEs). This study aims to analyze (1) strengthening the capacity of human resources (HR) of small and medium enterprises to work as a determinant of increasing the productivity of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and labor absorption; (2) the effect of strengthening the capacity of human resources (HR), business productivity, technology utilization, and business diversification on the sustainability of small and medium enterprises (SMEs); and (3) optimizing the role of government in supporting business development, increasing productivity, business stability and sustainability of small and medium enterprises (SMEs). This study uses a sequential explanatory design approach. Data were obtained through observation, in-depth interviews, surveys, and documentation. Qualitative analysis in this study was carried out through a process of data reduction, data presentation, and conclusion drawing, while the quantitative analysis in this study uses quantitative descriptive analysis, correlation, and multiple regression. The results showed that strengthening the capacity of human resources, coupled with the use of technology, and followed by diversification of business, had a positive contribution to increasing the productivity of small and medium enterprises (SMEs). Furthermore, strengthening human resource capacity, business productivity, technology utilization, and business diversification simultaneously have a positive and significant correlation to the sustainability of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) with a determination coefficient of 72.3%. This study recommends that government policy support through strengthening human resource capacity, increasing business productivity, technology utilization, and business diversification have an impact on the sustainability of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Makassar City, Indonesia.

The COVID-19 pandemic, apart from having an impact on public health, has also caused the stagnation of travel-bureau businesses and the management of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the tourism sector. This study aims to analyze the COVID-19 pandemic as a determinant of travel-business stagnation and turbulence in small and medium enterprises (SMEs), the influence of human resources, business development, and product marketing on the productivity of the travel and SME business, the direct and indirect effects of business innovation, economic digitization, and the use of technology on business stability and economic-business sustainability. This study uses an explanatory sequential qualitative–quantitative approach. Data were obtained through observation, in-depth interviews, surveys, and documentation. This study is focused on assessing the efforts made by travel-agency-business actors and SMEs in responding and adapting to changes in the business environment, both internally and externally. Human resources, business development, and product marketing together affect the productivity of travel agents and SMEs with a coefficient of determination of 95.84%. Furthermore, business innovation, economic digitization, and the use of technology simultaneously affect business stability with a coefficient of determination of 63.8%, and business stability affects the sustainability of travel and SMEs with a coefficient of determination of 67.6%. This study recommends a strategy for travel-agency-business sustainability and the stability of SMEs’ economic-business management towards increasing economic growth in the North Toraja Regency, South Sulawesi, Indonesia.

Urbanization in the dynamics of development in Makassar City has an impact on increasing population, poverty, social change, acculturation of community culture, marginalization, differences in lifestyle, socio-economic inequality, complexity of space use, slum settlements, and a decrease in environmental quality. This study aims to analyze: (1) Community participation and socio-cultural changes work as determinants of handling urban slum settlements, (2) The influence of community participation, improving the quality of infrastructure, improving the quality of the environment, and changing the socio-cultural community on the sustainability of city development, and (3) Formulate a model for handling slum settlements, community participation, and community social culture towards the sustainability of urban development. This study uses a qualitative-quantitative approach sequentially. Data were obtained through observation, Focus Group Discussions (FGD), surveys, and documentation. The results showed that community participation, improving the quality of infrastructure, improving the quality of the environment, and socio-cultural changes simultaneously affected the sustainability of Makassar City development. Furthermore, the implementation of the program to improve the quality of slums followed by community participation and accompanied by socio-cultural changes will encourage the creation of equitable development, improve the quality of slum settlements, and improve community welfare towards the creation of social cohesion, increase community productivity, and harmonization of community life towards sustainability development of Makassar City, Indonesia.

The expansion of urban areas towards the development of new urban areas has an impact on changes in land use, socio-economic dynamics and a decrease in environmental quality. This study aims to analyze land use change as a determinant of environmental degradation and the spatial dynamics of metropolitan urban areas, the effect of land use change, housing development, infrastructure development, and land reclamation on the environmental degradation of the new city area, and control strategies environmental pollution and sustainable development of the new city area. This study uses a quantitative-qualitative concurrent triangulation design approach. Elaboration of data through observation, in-depth interviews, surveys, and documentation is used to describe the socio-economic community, and the decline in the environmental quality of new city area development in relation to the spatial dynamics of metropolitan urban areas. The results of the study show that the intensity of land use change coupled with an increase in socio-economic activities in the development of new city areas is positively associated with a decrease in environmental quality and segregation towards the spatial dynamics of metropolitan urban areas. Changes in land use, housing development, infrastructure development, and land reclamation simultaneously affect environmental quality degradation with a coefficient of determination of 64.96%. This study recommends strategies for controlling environmental pollution and sustainable development of new city areas for the needs of formulating urban development policies for Mamminasata Metropolitan South Sulawesi, Indonesia.