Influence of Urban-Growth Pattern on Air Quality in China: A Study of 338 Cities.

Yanchuan Mou,Yan Song,Qingsong He,Qing Xu,Ang Hu

doi:10.3390/ijerph15091805

Abstract

Air pollution in China is a serious problem and an inevitable threat to human health. This study evaluated the relationship between air quality and urban growth pattern in China by conducting empirical research involving 338 prefecture-level and above cities. Spatial regression techniques considering spatial autocorrelation were applied to correct the calculation bias. To obtain local and accurate results, a conception of eight economic zones was adopted to delineate cities into different groups and to estimate regression separately. An additional six urban form and socioeconomic indicators served as controlling variables. Significant and positive relationships between the aggregated urban growth pattern index and air pollution were observed in Northeast China, northern coastal China, and Northwest China, indicating that a high degree of urban aggregation is associated with poor air quality. However, a negative parameter was obtained in southern coastal China, showing an opposite association on urban aggregation and air quality. Nonsignificant connections among the other four zones were found. The findings also highlighted that land use mix, population density, and city size exerted varied and significant influence on air quality across eight economic zones. Overall, this study indicated that understanding the quantitative relationships between urban forms and air quality can provide policymakers with alternative ways to improve air quality in rapidly developing China.

Highlights

With the implementation of the Reform and Opening-up policy, China has experienced rapid urbanization with an increase from 20.16% to 54.77% between 1981 and 2014 [1]
The tremendous nationwide expansion of urbanized area resulted in various configuration types of urban development, and considerable attention has been paid to the research on dynamic development of urban morphology from the perspective of landscape ecology in recent years [2]
The cities with small values are mainly centralized in Northwest China (NWC), MRYLR, and Northeast China (NEC), indicating a comparatively severe urban sprawl in the region (Figure 2B)

Summary

Introduction

With the implementation of the Reform and Opening-up policy, China has experienced rapid urbanization with an increase from 20.16% to 54.77% between 1981 and 2014 [1]. China is experiencing a period of unprecedented urban expansion. The tremendous nationwide expansion of urbanized area resulted in various configuration types of urban development, and considerable attention has been paid to the research on dynamic development of urban morphology from the perspective of landscape ecology in recent years [2]. As an important index of landscape ecology, spatial patterns of urban growth refer to the locations of newly grown patches in developed lands. This indicator provides a powerful tool for understanding the evolutionary process of urban areas, identifying the degree of urban sprawl, and predicting urban growth, and has attracted considerable attention [3].

Methods

Results

Conclusion