Study on the Difference of Urban Land Expansion Intensity and Its Influencing Factors—Taking Shaanxi Province as an Example

Abstract

This study is based on the data of 10 prefecture level city of 2002–2013 in Shaanxi Province, using the ratio of urban built-up area and urban area as the index of urban land expansion. The research uses decomposition method of Theil index and Econometrics Fixed Effects Model to discuss land expansion intensity difference of prefecture level city and their influencing factors in Shaanxi Province. The results show that the overall level of urban land expansion intensity in Shaanxi Province is low and increases slowly. The differences of land expansion intensity in different cities are significant, and the regional differences in the area of Shan Bei, Guan Zhong, Shan Nan is increasing year by year. The urban land expansion of Guan Zhong is far ahead of Shan Bei and Shan Nan. Regional population density, the development of second industry and the third industry are the significant influencing factors of urban land expansion intensity in Shaanxi Province, but the influence factors are different in the different regions. At the regional level, government expenditure and urban population density are significant influencing factors in the area of Shan Bei and Shan Nan, and the development of second industry and urban population density are significant influencing factors in Guan Zhong.