Abstract
Intensive land use can support sustainable socioeconomic development, especially in the context of limited land resources and high population. It is measured by land-use intensity that reflects the degree of land-use efficiency. In order to support decision-making for efficient land use, we investigated the mechanism whereby natural and socioeconomic factors influence land-use intensity from the perspectives of overall, region-, and city-based analysis, respectively. This investigation was conducted in Chinese cities using the multiple linear stepwise regression method and geographic information system techniques. The results indicate that: (1) socioeconomic factors have more positive impact on land-use intensity than natural factors as nine of the top 10 indicators with the highest SRC values are in the socioeconomic category according to the overall assessment; (2) education input variously contributes to land-use intensity because of the mobility of a well-educated workforce between different cities; (3) the increase in transportation land may not promote intensive land use in remarkably expanding cities due to the defective appraisal system for governmental achievements; and that (4) in developed cities, economic structure contributes more to land-use intensity than the total economic volume, whereas the opposite is the case in less-developed cities. This study can serve as a guide for the government to prepare strategies for efficient land use, hence promoting sustainable socioeconomic development.
Highlights
Population growth and economic development have been increasing the demand for food, fuel, and many other materials, mostly derived from land [1,2,3]
Using the multiple linear stepwise regression method, this study provides detailed insights about natural and socioeconomic influences on Land-use intensity (LUI) in China from four different perspectives
The overall assessment reveals that nine of the top 10 indicators with the highest SRC values were in the socioeconomic category, indicating that socioeconomic factors have more positive impact on land-use intensity than natural factors
Summary
Population growth and economic development have been increasing the demand for food, fuel, and many other materials, mostly derived from land [1,2,3]. Most fertile land globally has been already occupied by human beings [4,5]. This means that more products from land to support social development largely rely on the efficient use of farms, forests, and built-up land rather than undeveloped land [6]. Land-use intensity (LUI) is an effective indicator reflecting the degree of land-use efficiency [7]. Intensive land use is regarded as a sustainable path to reducing the competition for productive land and reconciling urban development with environmental protection [8]. Erb et al indicated that the intensification of land use denotes an increase in socioeconomic inputs to and/or outputs from land, and that it
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
