Abstract
Chinese metropolitan areas have been experiencing urbanization over the past decades, impacting biodiversity, carbon emissions, urban heat islands, and food security. Yet, systematic research on spatio-temporal urbanization patterns and drivers along the urban–rural gradient is rarely reported for northwest China. Here, we use land-use data from 1980 to 2015 to explore land-use change, urbanization intensity, and drivers in northwest China. Our results display direct and indirect effects of urban expansion on farmland loss, but also spatio-temporal heterogeneity in the urbanization patterns. While the earlier years were dominated by infill and land conversion close to city centers, the later years displayed sprawling urbanization following the constraints of terrain and administrative boundaries at the cost of farmland. Our regression analysis of spatial variables found a strong relationship with urban planning factors. The spatial analysis of urbanization patterns revealed indirect land-use change on former farmland. Furthermore, we found that regional geography and historic sites considerably influenced land conversion. Overall, our findings indicate the need for sustainable planning strategies that synthesize approaches to farmland and historic site protection and consideration of regionally specific landscape characteristics.
Highlights
Over the past decades, cities in developing countries and especially in China have experienced rapid urbanization [1]
The results of our analysis indicate a high effectiveness of urban planning in Xi’an; the regression analysis showed a strong association between planning areas and urbanization and we found a prevalence of infill development until 2010 when the urbanization pattern showed a qualitative shift to a sprawling pattern
Our analysis of historical urbanization patterns found a concentric, yet northward oriented expansion with a clear association between urbanization and urban planning area, distance to subcenters, and slope, with the latter showing the unique geographical limitations imposed by the Qinling Mountains located south of Xi’an
Summary
Cities in developing countries and especially in China have experienced rapid urbanization [1]. Bank projects that about 90% of the global increase in urban population between 2015 and 2050 is likely to take place in Asia and Africa, and in China, India, and Nigeria [3]. Council in 2016, China’s urbanization level has reached 56% with a total population of 1.37 billion and is projected to reach an urbanization level of 70% with a total population of 1.45 billion in 2030. These numbers show the increasing importance of understanding the spatio-temporal dynamics driving urbanization in general and especially in China—a hotspot of urbanization.
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