The Evolution Pattern and Simulation of Land Use in the Beijing Municipal Administrative Center (Tongzhou District)

Abstract

Beijing Municipal Administrative Center (Beijing MC) in Tongzhou District has inherited the non-capital core functions of Beijing's central urban area, and its rapid construction and development urgently require a scientific understanding of the pattern of land use evolution in the region. This paper analyzes the pattern of land use evolution in Tongzhou District over the past 40 years, from 1980 to 2020. According to the historical evolutionary characteristics of land use and urban development planning goals, combined with the driving factors of cultural tourism development, the Future Land-use Simulation (FLUS) model is used to simulate the spatial distribution of land use in Beijing MC (Tongzhou District) in 2035 under three scenarios of urbanization acceleration, deceleration and sustainable development. The results show three major trends. (1) Beijing MC (Tongzhou District) is dominated by urban development and construction. During the high-speed urbanization stage from 1980 to 2010, the urban expansion pattern of “along the Sixth Ring Road and along the Grand Canal” was formed. During the low-speed urbanization stage from 2010 to 2020, the land distribution was stable, and Tongzhou District formed a pattern of urban-rural differentiation and land intensification from northwest to southeast. As a typical area of Tongzhou District's urbanization, Beijing MC has the same characteristics of the temporal and spatial evolution as Tongzhou as a whole. (2) By 2035, there are significant differences in land use among the three scenarios with respect to the magnitude of change and spatial distribution. The area and distribution of ecological land under the urban sustainable development scenario are optimal, which is conducive to the realization of sustainable urban development. In analyzing the degree of conformity with the three Beijing MC zoning plans, the prediction simulation under the sustainable development scenario is highly consistent with the land use of the “Beijing Municipal Administrative Center Regulatory Detailed Planning (Block Level) (2016–2035)” (hereinafter referred to as “Planning”) issued by the municipal government. However, there are certain deviations between the simulation predictions in the cultural tourism function area and the livable living scenery area and the corresponding “Planning” expectations. During the urban construction process, the internal ecological land area still needs to be increased. (3) Tongzhou District may lack a close connection between the urban and rural areas in the southeast. Potential risks such as the imbalance in the development of northern and southern townships require further attention in the development process. The prediction and simulation results of the model can provide certain data and methodological support for the construction of a harmonious and livable city in Beijing MC (Tongzhou District).