Analysis of Spatial and Temporal Changes and Expansion Patterns in Mainland Chinese Urban Land between 1995 and 2015

Chuanzhou Cheng,Xiaohuan Yang,Hongyan Cai

doi:10.3390/rs13112090

Abstract

China has experienced greater and faster urbanization than any other country, and while coordinated regional development has been promoted, urbanization has also introduced various problems, such as an increased scarcity of land resources, uncontrolled demand for urban land, and disorderly development of urban fringes. Based on GIS, remote sensing data, and spatial statistics covering the period 1995–2015, this study identified the patterns, as well as spatial and temporal changes, with respect to urban land expansion in 367 mainland Chinese cities. Over this study period, the area of urban land in mainland China increased from 3.05 to 5.07 million km2, at an average annual growth rate of 2.56%. This urban land expansion typically occurred the fastest in medium-sized cities, followed by large cities, and then small cities, with megacities and megalopolises exhibiting the slowest expansion rates. Nearly 70% of the new urban land came from arable land, 11% from other built land, such as pre-existing rural settlements, and 15% from forests and grasslands. When considering marginal-, enclave-, and infill-type expansion patterns, growth in >80% of the 367 cities surveyed was dominated by marginal expansion patterns. Marginal and enclave expansion patterns were found to be becoming more prevalent, with infill-type expansion being seen less. The results of this study provide a theoretical basis and data support for urban spatial planning, the protection of farmland, and the promotion of urban land use efficiency, and can be used as guidance for regional urbanization planning.

Highlights

Urban land, as a key support for human lifestyles and production activities, provides the material basis for sustaining socio-economic development and continuity [1].Urbanization promotes rapid socio-economic development and significant improvement in people’s living standards, and accelerates urban land area expansion [2,3,4,5]
The results of this study provide a theoretical basis and data support for urban spatial planning, the protection of farmland, and the promotion of urban land use efficiency, and can be used as guidance for regional urbanization planning
The landscape expansion index (LEI) was applied to characterize urban land spatial expansion patterns, which were determined by comparing spatial relationships between new and pre-existing urban land (Figure 3)

Summary

Introduction

As a key support for human lifestyles and production activities, provides the material basis for sustaining socio-economic development and continuity [1].Urbanization promotes rapid socio-economic development and significant improvement in people’s living standards, and accelerates urban land area expansion [2,3,4,5]. As a key support for human lifestyles and production activities, provides the material basis for sustaining socio-economic development and continuity [1]. The scale of urban land use and availability, optimal urban land structures, and spatial expansion modes are important metrics in measuring the achievement of intensive and efficient production spaces, livable and healthy living spaces, and attractive environmental surroundings—which promote the healthy development of urbanization [6,7,8]. Researchers mostly use statistical yearbooks and land use remote sensing datasets to directly assess the area, rate, and intensity of urban land expansion, as these sources reveal expansion scale, speed, and strength [12,13]. Land use remote sensing datasets—including both datasets released by government departments and research

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion