Abstract
Although China has promoted the construction of Chinese Sustainable Ground Transportation (CSGT) to guide sustainable development, it may create substantial challenges, such as rapid urban growth and land limitations. This research assessed the effects of the Hangzhou Bay Bridge on impervious surface growth in Cixi County, Ningbo, Zhejiang Province, China. Changes in impervious surfaces were mapped based on Landsat images from 1995, 2002, and 2009 using a combination of multiple endmember spectral mixture analysis (MESMA) and landscape metrics. The results indicated that the area and density of impervious surfaces increased significantly during construction of the Hangzhou Bay Bridge (2002–2009). Additionally, the bridge and connected road networks promoted urban development along major roads, resulting in compact growth patterns of impervious surfaces in urbanized regions. Moreover, the Hangzhou Bay Bridge promoted the expansion and densification of impervious surfaces in Hangzhou Bay District, which surrounds the bridge. The bridge also accelerated socioeconomic growth in the area, promoting rapid urban growth in Cixi County between 2002 and 2009. Overall, the Hangzhou Bay Bridge is an important driver of urban growth in Cixi County, and policy suggestions for sustainable urban growth should be adopted in the future.
Highlights
This study investigated the potential impacts of Chinese Sustainable Ground Transportation (CSGT) on the growth of impervious surfaces by combining multiple endmember spectral mixture analysis (MESMA) and landscape metrics
In 1995, Cixi County was dominated by non-impervious surfaces, which accounted for 87% of the total area (Table 3)
The average density of impervious surfaces (%) in 2009 was vastly different than the densities in the other years (Figure 3). This change indicated that the rapid expansion of impervious surfaces mainly occurred between 2002 and 2009, when the bridge was under construction
Summary
China started to implement reform and opening up policy in 1978, resulting in the evolution of the urban land market because most economic activities were centered in urban areas [1]. Few studies have explored the combined application of MESMA and landscape metrics to analyze the impacts of CSGT, such as sea bridges, on changes in impervious surfaces. It is worth noting that it would be difficult to separate the impacts of ground transportation factors, such as the Hangzhou Bay Bridge, from other factors when assessing changes in urban impervious surfaces To minimize this problem, we selected Cixi County, Ningbo, Zhejiang Province, as our study area because part of the bridge is located in this county. China has concentrated on efficient and modern transportation systems since 1978, expressways, high-speed trains, and cross-sea bridges In this context, CSGT has facilitated sustainable economic and urban growth in China. The East Sea Bridge connects Shanghai’s Luchao Port and Shengsi County in Zhejiang Province [33]
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