Rapid Urbanization Area Research Articles

Unraveling land system vulnerability to rapid urbanization: An indicator-based vulnerability assessment for Wuhan, China

Rapid urbanization induced by land use change poses a great threat to the structure and function of land system. There is an urgent need to profile the components underlying the vulnerability of land system and the areas that are most vulnerable to land use change. In this study, we attempt to integrate indices associated with land system vulnerability and assess the influence of urbanization on the urban environment for the case study area of Wuhan city in China. The paper aims to (1) establish a conceptual model to explore the formation mechanism of the vulnerability coupling source-pathway-receptor-consequence (SPRC) model and IPCC vulnerability definition; (2) provide an indicator system of land system vulnerability assessment based on ecological and socioeconomic dimensions; (3) analyze the spatio-temporal variations of exposure, sensitivity, adaptive capacity and vulnerability. Results shed light on the spatio-temporal dynamics of components and vulnerability in rapid urbanization areas as follows: (1) land use intensity, ecological land area, three key ecosystem services (including haze regulation, flood regulation, biodiversity) and economical capacity constitute the indicator system of land system vulnerability assessment, (2) seven central districts are more exposed and sensitive to rapid urbanization than other districts and the areas of the lowest adaptive capacity are mainly located in the urban-rural fringe regions with lower ecological function and moderate economic development, (3) the most vulnerable areas mainly concentrate in central areas, while the slightly vulnerable areas are in the suburban areas. Meanwhile, the vulnerability of the urban-rural fringe region shows the fastest growing tendency, (4) the spatial-temporal distributions of vulnerability display certain relevance with that of exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity. This study not only contributes to promoting a general methodology to assess vulnerability in rapid urbanization area but also provides information for land use planning and policy formulation that can be used by cities in order to mitigate the vulnerability of urban ecosystem.

Using Systems Thinking and Modelling: Ecological Land Utilisation Efficiency in the Yangtze Delta in China

Ecological land has two definitions: the broad category and the narrow category. This paper studied the narrow category, which refers to the land whose main purpose is to provide ecological services, such as environmental regulation and biological conservation. Ecological land areas are likely to decrease with the development of urbanisation all over the world, which poses potential risks to the environment, society, and public health, and low utilisation efficiency of ecological land will exacerbate this risk. Based on the actual input–output situation of ecological land utilisation, we constructed an index system in the Yangtze Delta to measure the ecological land utilisation efficiency with a Slack-Based Model (SBM) in the data envelopment analysis (DEA). The results revealed that the comprehensive efficiency exhibited an increasing trend from 2012 to 2020, and more high-efficiency cities appeared in the areas closer to Shanghai. Both the technical efficiency and scale efficiency increased over the research period. The technical efficiencies in most cities were efficient and equal to the scale efficiencies. Among the remaining cities, the technical efficiencies and scale efficiencies were inefficient and not synchronous. In addition, we found that the that poor efficiencies of some cities can mainly be attributed to low-technology, an unsuited-scale, or a combination of these. In the future, improvement should be focused on the economical and intensive use of ecological land, technical innovations, and the optimal scale. The present results can provide references for making scientific decisions regarding the efficient utilisation of ecological land in the Yangtze Delta and other similar rapid-urbanization areas.

Spatiotemporal variation of essential ecosystem services and their trade-off/synergy along with rapid urbanization in the Lower Pearl River Basin, China

The Lower Pearl River Basin (LPRB) of China has witnessed the rapidest urbanization in the world, along with which there has been significant spatiotemporal heterogeneity of essential ecosystem services and their trade-off/synergy within this rapid urbanization region. This study firstly explored the spatiotemporal heterogeneity of three essential ecosystem services (i.e., the carbon sequestration service, habitat quality and water yield) in the LPRB with the Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Trade-offs model based on time-series data during 1990–2015. This study then categorized the study area into different urbanization areas according to the urbanization level, and thereafter separately revealed the trade-off/synergy between these ecosystem services with correlation analysis on the sub-watershed scale. Results suggested the carbon sequestration service and habitat quality in the whole study area showed a slightly decreasing trend, while the water yield in the whole study area showed significant inter-annual fluctuation. Besides, there were obvious differences in the trade-off/synergy between three essential ecosystem services in different urbanization areas, indicating urbanization had important impacts on these ecosystem services and their trade-off/synergy. Specifically, there was always a significant synergy between the carbon sequestration service and habitat quality, which tended to decline and then keep stable as urbanization proceeds. While there was a trade-off between the carbon sequestration service and water yield, which tended to be firstly stronger and significant but then weaker and insignificant as urbanization proceeds. By contrast, there tended to be a decreasing but still significant trade-off between the habitat quality and water yield as urbanization proceeds. Moreover, there was an unusual trade-off/synergy between the water yield and the other two ecosystem services in 1990 and 2015, which was primarily due to the significant spatial variation of some relatively unstable factors (e.g., precipitation). It is necessary to take proper measures (e.g., sponge city construction, water transfer projects) to cope with the effects of these relatively unstable factors on the essential ecosystem services as urbanization proceeds. The results of this study can provide valuable supporting information for land use management to guarantee sustainable provision of essential ecosystem services in these rapid urbanization areas.

Why Low-Carbon Publicity Effect Limits? The Role of Heterogeneous Intention in Reducing Household Energy Consumption

Low-carbon knowledge is seen as having a key role in interfering with household energy consumption behaviors by wide consensus from political and academic areas. Whether low-carbon publicity will help to reduce household energy consumption is still in dispute. By constructing an integrated knowledge-intention-behavior model and using 1335 detailed survey questionnaires of household energy behavior in Henan Province, the central area in China, this paper finds that in the developing area low-carbon knowledge or publicity cannot positively impact household energy-saving behavior even if mediated by energy awareness and energy-saving attitudes. Low-carbon knowledge does improve energy-saving attitude and attitude does not decrease household energy consumption directly. Familiarity with particular energy-saving knowledge would decrease the household energy consumption but not significantly in the statistics. Path analysis unfolds the reason that the heterogeneous effects of purchase-based intention and habitual intention explain energy consumption behavior. Subgroup analysis supports those economic factors of income and energy prices play key roles in explaining such household energy consumption behavior in the rapid urbanization area. This paper gives new evidence on the residential energy-saving behavior intervention among developing areas.

Spatiotemporal variation and sources of soil heavy metals along the lower reaches of Yangtze River, China

Excessive accumulation of soil heavy metals (HMs) result in the deterioration of soil quality and reduction of agricultural productivity and safety. The accumulation status, temporal change, and sources of soil HMs were determined by large-scale field surveys in 2014 and 2019 in rapid urbanization and industrialization area along the lower reaches of the Yangtze River, China. Eighty-two surface soil samples were collected in 2014 and ninety-five surface soil samples and seven soil profiles (0–100 cm) were collected in 2019. The mean concentrations (in, mg kg−1) of As (10.17), Cd (0.33), Cr (86.38), Cu (38.22), Hg (0.11), Ni (37.67), Pb (43.95), and Zn (113.15) were greater than the corresponding background values. The concentrations of these 8 HMs significantly varied with site-specific distributions depending on nearby landscape patterns with decreasing order: agricultural soil around industrial > agricultural soil > fallow soil. Cd and Hg were found to be priority pollutants due to their greater accumulations in this study area. Combined analyses of principal component analysis and positive matrix factorization model addressed source apportionment of soil HMs. Industrial activities, parent materials, and agricultural and traffic activities were three major sources and their contributions were 35.56%, 35.20%, and 29.23%, respectively. The concentrations of soil As, Cd, Cr and Pb increased with time. This study elucidates how changes in land uses and time affect soil HMs and provides reasonable suggestions for the effective reduction of HM contamination in economically and industrially developed areas of China, and elsewhere.

Influence of the variation in rural population on farmland preservation in the rapid urbanization area of China

Influence of the variation in rural population on farmland preservation in the rapid urbanization area of China

Urban Expansion and Vegetation Cover Change in and Around Jimma Town Since 1990

Urbanization is the renovation of rural society into an urban society as a result of socio-economic and political growth leading to foundation and expansion of urban agglomerations along with changing land use patterns. The main aims of this study was Investigating the extent of vegetation loss through urban expansion in and around Jimma Town over a 30 period of 6 years interval by using Geographic Information System (GIS) and Remote Sensing (RS) techniques. To achieve this objectives, Data was obtained from earth explorer (USGS) 6 years interval from1990 to 2020 of the study area. Downloaded image were extracted and each layer stacked together using the digital image-processing software ENVI 5.2. The Processed images were classified using supervised classification Algorithms into 5 hierarchical classes; Built-up area, Vegetation, Agricultural land, Grass land, and wetlands based on a modified classification scheme. Change analysis was also undertaken by applying post-classification change detection procedures. Accuracy of the image classification was assessed using error matrix, overall accuracy and kappa coefficient. The change analysis result revealed that the LULC have shown both positive and negative significant changes. Built-up were the top LULC that experienced positive change; whereas grass land, vegetation, agricultural land and wetlands have substantially declined. An important implication of the observed changes is that rapid urban expansion, compounded by poor urban planning is leading to enormous losses of key ecosystems such as wetlands and natural vegetation. The consequence of this rapid ecological degradation could potentially impact ecological functioning and environmental sustainability in and around Jimma city. Therefore, critical system thinking is required to address these complex problems in the study area and areas of rapid urbanization elsewhere in the country. Keywords : Image classification, Land use/cover, Remote sensing, GIS, Change detection DOI: 10.7176/JEES/11-16-02 Publication date: June 30 th 2021

Rural Morphology and Forces Driving Change in Rapidly Urbanizing Areas: A Case Study in Fujian, China.

Rapid urbanization in China has transformed many rural areas from agriculture-dominated to diverse systems, but studies of rural morphology are limited compared to studies of urban settlement. This paper uses a fractal dimension (FD) value to analyze the change in rural morphology in Fujian Province, a region with a long history of rural settlement and rapid recent urbanization, and to explore the factors that influenced this change. We found that the rural FD value increased from 2000 to 2012 and that rural morphology was spatially heterogeneous. FD was generally lower than in urban areas but very close to a typical urban area value in the southeast coastal region. A structural equation model was used to identify key factors influencing rural morphology, which were natural conditions, rurality and economic development, while historic administration had the smallest positive effect. With a long history and unique administrative system, the spatial morphology of Chinese rural areas has shown characteristics distinct from compact urban or scattered rural areas. The urban planning method adopted by rural planners is not suitable in rural regions, because the planning potential of rural areas with high and low FD values varies. Although rural planning currently uses a very similar approach to urban planning, it should use a local, flexible and adaptive policy based on rural morphological characteristics.

Retraction: Assessment of Ecological Risk of Soil in Rapid Urbanization Area by Risk Regionalization (IOP Conf. Ser.: Earth Environ. Sci. 687 012169)

This article has been retracted at the request of the authors, who admit a similar paper has already been published based on the same project [1] . IOP Publishing confirms significant overlap between the two articles and agrees to retract on the basis of redundant publication. IOP Publishing expresses additional concern regarding the authorship of the article, which differs between the two articles. The authors state that all authors of the two papers are members of the same research group, and research achievements are the joint property of the group. This conflicts with the IOP Publishing ethical policy, which states all those who have made a significant contribution are cited as co-authors. Any other individuals who have contributed to the study in a lesser capacity should be acknowledged.[1] Xiaoying Ye and Chaofeng Shao 2018, Ecological Risk Assessment of Soil in Rapid Urbanization Area by Risk Regionalization, International Conference on Advanced Chemical Engineering and Environmental Sustainability (ICACEES 2018) http://www.dpi-proceedings.com/index.php/dtetr/article/view/25496/24910 Retraction published: 06 May 2021

Assessment of Ecological Risk of Soil in Rapid Urbanization Area by Risk Regionalization

Rapid urbanization is a major source of environmental risk in soil. In this study, we developed the method of the potential ecological risk assessment, and investigated risk sources and soil pollution in a typical rapid urbanization area in Tianjin City, China. The proposed method was used to evaluate the level and spatial distribution of ecological risk of soil. Results show that the maximum of RI in all 114 sampling points was 1437.37, and four sampling points had RI exceeding 600, indicating extreme risk level. Moreover, the mean value of RI was 227.17, which was in moderate risk level. Among 10 heavy metals, Cd was the metal element that exhibited the most serious harm to the ecological environment, and reached high and extreme levels.

快速城镇化区域生活垃圾处置的生态效率评价

快速城镇化区域生活垃圾处置的生态效率评价

Applying Multi-Index approach from Sentinel-2 Imagery to Extract Urban Area in dry season (Semi-Arid Land in North East Algeria)

<p>The mapping of urban areas mostly presents a big difficulty, particularly, in arid and semi-arid environments. For that reason, in this research, we expect to increase built up accuracy mapping for Bordj Bou Arreridj city in semi-arid regions (North-East Algeria) by focusing on the identification of appropriate combination of the remotely sensed spectral indices. The study applies the ‘k–means’ classifier. In this regard, four spectral indexes were selected, namely normalized difference tillage index (NDTI) for built-up, and both bare soil index (BSI) and dry bare-soil index (DBSI), which are related to bare soil, as well as the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI). All previous spectral indices mentioned were derived from Sentinel-2 data acquired during the dry season. Two combinations of them were generated using layer stack process, keeping both of NDTI and NDVI index constant in both combinations so that the multi-index NDTI/BSI/NDVI was the first single dataset combination, and the multi-index NDTI/DBSI/NDVI as the second component. The results show that BSI index works better with NDTI index compared to the use of DBSI index. Therefore, BSI index provides improvements: bare soil classes and built-up were better discriminated, where the overall accuracy increased by 5.67% and the kappa coefficient increased by 12.05%. The use of k-means as unsupervised classifier provides an automatic and a rapid urban area detection. Therefore, the multi-index dataset NDTI/ BSI / NDVI was suitable for mapping the cities in dry climate, and could provide a better urban management and future remote sensing applications in semi-arid areas particularly.</p>

Using Vegetation Indices to Characterize Vegetation Cover Change in the Urban Areas of Southern China

Vegetation is essential for the provision of ecosystem services. To ensure that ecosystem services are provided, urban planning must consider vegetation cover in both urban core areas and in peripheral areas. This study explored changes in vegetation cover in both urban core and peripheral areas (buffers of 5, 10 and 15 km from the urban core areas) and the relationships between these changes and urban development. To compare the differences in vegetation cover between the urban core and peripheral areas, we developed two vegetation indices, the vegetation influence strength index (VISI) and the vegetation restoration index (VRI), using normalized difference vegetation index datasets and nighttime stable light data from 50 cities in southern China. Using these two indices, we clustered the cities into four types based on their vegetation cover characteristics. The city types varied among the different regions of the study area and cities of the same type tended to occur together geographically. In addition, the two indices showed temporal changes during the study period: A downtrend from 1992 to 2000, an uptrend from 2000 to 2005, and stability from 2005 to 2013. Furthermore, in all cities, the range of the VISI was larger in the peripheral areas than in the urban core areas. However, the range of the VRI was smaller in the peripheral areas than in the urban core areas. As the distance to the urban core areas increased, the fluctuation range of both the VISI and VRI decreased, suggesting that there was less vegetation disturbance farther from the urban core areas. We also showed that changes in vegetation cover were related to differences in urbanization rates, gross domestic products, population densities, and stages of urban development among the cities. These results provide scientific support for urban planning and sustainable development in rapid urbanization areas.

Examining spatial carbon metabolism: Features, future simulation, and land-based mitigation

A comprehensive understanding of the spatial carbon metabolism distribution is essential for future mitigation policies from a land-based perspective. This study develops a methodological framework for carbon metabolism measurement and future simulation. An assessment of carbon sequestration and emission is conducted based on land use components within the biosphere. Carbon scenarios in accordance with the governmental mitigation policy were then established, and these were coupled with future multiple-type land use transitions to simulate the future spatial carbon distribution. This future carbon distribution map can help us understand the carbon dynamics in specific locations with possible land-based mitigation for policy making. Guangzhou, which is a rapid urbanization metropolis in China, was taken as a case study to conduct the proposed methodological framework and models. The results revealed that high-density carbon emissions dominated in the city center and expanded in the east-west direction, while carbon sequestration diminished in the middle and southern areas, with a decreased total sequestration amount. The carbon distribution in the 2030 scenarios highlighted different mitigation implications for different locations in the north, south, and central areas. Projections of emission reductions in northern outskirts and southern sub-center, as well as the projections of sequestration increases in the city center and northern mountainous area are then proposed to support mitigation. The established framework is proven to be effective for examining spatial carbon features at an urban scale, and the empirical findings can provide valuable insight into carbon mitigation strategies for rapid urbanization areas in developing countries.

Measurement of Polycentric County-Level Areas in a Rapid Urbanization Region from a Public Service Perspective

Despite various studies regarding polycentric development at metropolis or even larger spatial scales, there is little systematic analysis regarding the rapid urbanization area at the county-level scale. Therefore, this study explored polycentric development in 52 county-level administrative units in Zhejiang Province, China, from a public service perspective. Based on point-of-interest data, our analysis detected the intra-county urban centers and measured their polycentric characteristics. According to the number, scale, and equilibrium value of intra-county polycentricity, the 52 county-level units were classified into three types using a two-step cluster algorithm method. The empirical results suggest that polycentric characteristics vary in the rapid urbanization area, and the spatial distribution of typological units is characterized by agglomeration. Topographical condition, fixed assets investment, public transportation, and residential consumption ability are highly associated with the classification of polycentric urban areas. The conclusion of this study would help local governments initiate better urban development policies and provide potential research directions for further studies about the relationship of inter-county urban centers.

Establishing Ecological Security Patterns Based on Reconstructed Ecosystem Services Value in Rapidly Urbanizing Areas: A Case Study in Zhuhai City, China

Rapid urbanization has caused a reduction in green lands, negatively affecting the functions of ecosystem services (ESs). The 11th goal and other goals of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) have highlighted the importance of the balanced development of cities and the environment. ESs are essential for human well-being, so their application in sustainable development study is indispensable. The ecological security pattern (ESP) provides an integrated strategy for maintaining a balance between a sustainable supply of ESs and urbanization. However, establishing an ESP with the goal of satisfying human requirements for ESs in a rapidly urbanizing area has not been well studied. Thus, it is necessary to build an ESP based on ecosystem service value (ESV) reconstruction to manage urban ecosystems sustainably. Based on land use data and field data, this study approached the research gap by related analyses. The first analysis involved dynamic reconstruction of ESVs using the static ESV and importance indices of ESs from 1999–2013. The second analysis involved using hot spot analysis (Getis-Ord Gi * statistics) to distinguish heterogeneous units of the dynamic ESV to identify ecological sources. The third analysis involved establishing the ESP in Zhuhai city, using the minimum cumulative resistance (MCR) model. The results indicated that the ESV of Zhuhai city displayed an upward trend. The functions of water conservation and waste treatment contributed most to the total ESV, while grain production and raw material contributed least in the study area. In the restructuring of ESVs in 2005, 2009, and 2013, the per unit area of the ESV decreased slightly. The areas with high ESVs continued to shrink, while the areas with low ESVs gradually expanded. The ESP of Zhuhai city exhibits great connectivity and strong plasticity, which specifically provides a reliable and visual way to build sustainable cities from a quantitative perspective, generally consistent with the urban ecological planning of Zhuhai city. This study provides an important reference for the application of ESs to achieve SDGs in coastal, rapidly urbanizing regions.

Machine learning-based source identification and spatial prediction of heavy metals in soil in a rapid urbanization area, eastern China

Accelerated urbanization has resulted in the accumulation of considerable amounts of heavy metals (HMs) in urban soils. It is important to identify correlations between the urbanization process and HM accumulation in the soil and predict the spatial distribution of soil HMs based on variables related to urban expansion, so that strategies for urban soil management can be created. However, accurate predictions of urban soil HMs based on predictors associated with urbanization are still lacking. In this study, 251 topsoil samples (0–20 cm) were collected using the grid-sampling method (2 km × 2 km) in a rapid urbanization area (Hefei City, China). The concentrations of As, Zn, Pb, Hg, Ni, Cu, Cr, and Cd in the soil, as well as some attributes of soil that were impacted by urbanization were determined. The areas of different land use types in a specific grid, urbanization history, and soil properties of the site were used as predictors. The overall distribution of soil HMs were then predicted using random forest (RF), artificial neural network (ANN), and support vector machine (SVM) models. The results showed that the concentrations of As, Zn, Pb, Hg, Cu, and Cd increased significantly with an increase in urbanization history. However, the highest concentrations of Ni and Cr were observed in soils between the 2nd and 3rd ring road. According to the RF model, soil CaO, OM, sulfur, phosphorus, and surrounded built-up area were identified as the most important factors for soil Zn, Pb, Cu, and Cd, indicating a predominant anthropogenic control of these HMs. The level of Hg in the soil was also likely related to human emissions because of the importance of urbanization history and the surrounded constructing area (CA) in governing the spatial distribution of Hg. The influence of Fe2O3, Al2O3, and SiO2 on soil As, Ni, and Cr indicates their primary origin from natural processes. In comparison, the SVM and RF model revealed higher R2 and lower error indices than those of the ANN model, suggesting that SVM and RF have the ability to predict urban soil HMs satisfactorily. By using independent predictors for soil HM prediction, ANN, RF, and SVM also produced significant predictions. Furthermore, the performance of the ANN, RF, SVM models were expected to be improved by introducing variables that can reflect the sources, transport, and retention of HMs in urban soils.

The impacts of urbanization and climate change on urban vegetation dynamics in China

Climate change and urbanization are the two major drivers that can alter vegetation growth processes in the urban environment. However, the effects of these two drivers on the continuous vegetation dynamics in the urban environments are not well understood, especially at a high spatial resolution. This study identified the urban fringe zones and explored the spatiotemporal variations of vegetation dynamics (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index) and the mechanisms underlying these variations in the urban core areas and urban fringe zones of China during 2000–2013. The results suggested that from 2000 to 2013, rapid urbanization regions in Yangtze River Delta experienced a high probability of vegetation degradation. However, some rapid urbanization areas in other parts of China did not undergo such sharp vegetation degradation. We demonstrated that about 63 % of the vegetated areas in urban environments showed increasing trends, and the greening trend in the urban core areas was higher than that of urban fringe regions. Furthermore, the relative contributions of climate change, urbanization, and other factors to vegetation variation in the urban area were 33 %, 24 %, and 43 %, respectively. The contribution of urbanization was higher in urban fringe zones than in urban core areas, while the climate change and residual factors were both higher in urban core areas. Our results verified that the urbanization process would not necessarily result in large-scale vegetation degradation. The vegetation in urban environments was mainly determined by climatic variables rather than urbanization. Based on these findings, we propose that the development of fringe areas outside the urban core areas should be avoided as much as possible to effectively mitigate vegetation degradation and the positive influences of urbanization on vegetation growth through effective urban landscape planning should be encouraged.

Characteristics and influences of urban shrinkage in the exo-urbanization area of the Pearl River Delta, China

In the globalization era, shrinking cities have emerged as a widespread phenomenon and become a new buzzword in regional and urban research discourse. The Pearl River Delta (PRD), one of the most representative areas of rapid urbanization in China, is characterized by export-oriented economy and “exo-urbanization.” Induced by the financial crisis of 2008, new spatial symptoms related to urban shrinkage, such as factory collapses, job losses, and vacant dwellings, were observed in this area. To investigate spatial-temporal characteristics of the crisis-induced shrinkage in the PRD, this paper proposes a theoretical approach to interpret urban growth and shrinkage in combination with economic, population, and land dimensions. Moreover, through an analysis of statistical data and in-depth interviews in the case of Dongguan, three primary influences (i.e., global financial crisis, demographic dividend diminishment, and change in institutional arrangement) on urban shrinkage in town-level cities are evaluated. This study not only contributes to the literature by analyzing the short-term urban shrinkage influenced by sudden economic shock in globalization but also demonstrates the complexity and multiplicity of urban shrinkage that emerged in the rapidly urbanizing area of the Global South.

Coastal Landscape Vulnerability Analysis in Eastern China-Based on Land-Use Change in Jiangsu Province.

The unreasonable land use in rapid urbanization areas induced by large-scale urban construction activities have caused massive ecological issues. In this study, landscape vulnerability index (LVI) and landscape human interference index (LHAI) were originally addressed and calculated using multi-temporal land-use data from 2000 to 2015. Then, the spatial-temporal relationship assessment model of landscape fragility caused by human activities were constructed for each county of Jiangsu Province, China, so as to analyze the spatial distribution of landscape vulnerability and determine the impacts of artificial disturbance on landscape vulnerability. The results showed: (1) The number of counties with middle and high landscape vulnerability increased from 20 in 2000 to 27 in 2015 with a peak value (33) in 2010. (2) Counties with high-intensity human activities showed an upward trend. (3) Land use generally has a significant and diverse impact on landscape vulnerability. At the county level, the LVI was positively correlated with the LHAI before 2010 and was followed by a negative correlation of them. As concluded from this study, a total of four sub-regions (continuous benefit zones, variable benefit zones, continuous harmful zones, and variable harmful zones) have been identified for sustainable landscape management in the future. (4) The LVI suggests that the landscape vulnerability in Jiangsu did not continue to deteriorate in the study period. Further, accelerated land exploitation has produced a positive impact on regional economic development and ecological protection. This study provided an effective method set for analyzing the environmental impacts caused by human activities and promoting future ecosystem management in coastal areas.