Abstract
Urban sprawl is a complex phenomenon related to abnormal urbanization, and it has become a key issue of global concern. This study aimed to measure urban sprawl in China and explore its spatiotemporal patterns and driving factors. Based on 343 Chinese cities at the prefecture level and above, remote sensing-derived data from 2000 to 2017 were used to calculate the urban sprawl index (USI). The evolutionary trend and spatiotemporal pattern of urban sprawl in China were then analyzed using trend analysis and exploratory spatiotemporal data analysis, and Geodetector was applied to investigate the factors driving the changes. The results show the following. ① Moderate or high urban sprawl development occurred in China from 2000 to 2017. In terms of spatial distribution, the USI was high in northwest China and low in southeast China. ② The local spatial stability of the USI gradually decreased from southeast to northwest and northeast. USI had strong spatial dependence. No significant spatiotemporal transitions in urban sprawl were observed, and the spatial pattern was stable with strong spatial cohesion. ③ The gross regional product (GRP) of the tertiary industry, the total GRP, and investment in real estate development have been the most important factors affecting sprawl in cities at the prefecture level and above in China.
Highlights
Urban sprawl is a complex phenomenon related to abnormal urbanization, and it has become a key issue of global concern
2 The local spatial stability of the urban sprawl index (USI) gradually decreased from southeast to northwest and northeast
Method and manual classification were used to divide the USI into five categories based on data from 2008, and the classification standard was applied to all other years between 2000 and 2017 to compare the spatial and temporal patterns of urban sprawl in China (Figure 2)
Summary
Urban sprawl is a complex phenomenon related to abnormal urbanization, and it has become a key issue of global concern. Urban sprawl refers to unsustainable spatial expansion in a city in the process of development: it tends to be random and unplanned, scattered and discontinuous, associated with strong dependence on transportation for travel, and characterized by a single land-use type and severe land-use conflicts [2]. With the advancement of industrialization, the improvement of highway transport facilities, and the increased use of motor vehicles, suburban areas have rapidly developed, urban centers have tended to decline, and sprawl has gradually become a prevalent urban development issue in developed Western countries [3]. Insufficient ecosystem services related to phenomena of uncontrolled urban expansion in cities have prevented many countries from making significant progress toward sustainable development goals [11]. The continuous emergence of the above drawbacks has attracted the attention of the government, the public, and scholars [14]
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