Urban Spatial Planning Research Articles

Amplifying weak signals: a method-building approach for inclusive climate resilience strategy making

Socio-ecological inclusion and the impacts of climate change on the built environment are two shared concerns central to the design and planning of the just transition in cities. The just transition leans heavily on inclusive convergence processes that are grounded in knowledge integration and transdisciplinary practice. However, there is a paucity of effective methods for the inclusion of so-called weak signals from actors situated at the periphery of these convergence processes. Building on the concept of structured flexibility, we introduce a building-blocks approach as a modular architecture for constructing methods for distributed engagement and knowledge integration beyond conventional small-group settings. By engaging in research through design, the Amplifying Weak Signals approach was prototyped with students in the context of dealing with heatwaves in The Hague and tested with expert users from the region who facilitate resilience strategy-making processes. Out of 900 possible building block combinations, 18 methods were created during prototyping. The resulting heatwave strategies that were drafted based on the collected peripheral knowledge showed the integration of new socio-ecological issues rather than a drastic departure from the baseline resilience strategy of the city. We discuss the research findings and their use in the production of guidelines for the construction of methods to integrate peripheral knowledge in convergence processes. Ongoing work to develop the guidelines in the form of an open-access, interactive repository of knowledge elicitation methods for urban resilience spatial planning will also be described. Recommendations for scaling the approach are provided.

Is urban spatial expansion on track to achieve low-carbon cities? An empirical comparative study of Xi’an and Chengdu in western China

Rapidly expanding urban areas constitute places of high-intensity energy consumption and, hence, major carbon emissions. There is an urgent need to systematically review the relationship between urban spatial expansion and carbon emissions at the city level, especially for cities in western China where development lags behind compared to other parts of the country, and differences among resource availability exist. Here, we conducted a systematic comparative analysis of carbon emissions and urban expansion indicators for urban spatial development. We introduce and apply an extension of the STIRPAT model to quantify the impact of urban spatial expansion on carbon emissions for the cities of Xi’an and Chengdu located in western China. The model findings indicate that both cities have reached the absolute and relative goal of carbon emissions, although they experienced a sprawling pattern. Moreover, population density for both cities displayed a negative relationship with carbon emissions, whereas road area per capita displayed a positive relationship. Since western cities have a later starting point for development, the empirical research on influencing variables of carbon emissions for western cities is important to local and regional urban spatial planning and governance. We propose further empirical studies regarding the gaps of existing urban spatial structure and low-carbon urban areas, in order to construct a systematic and scientifically sound approach to further low-carbon strategies in urban development.

Carbon peak prediction and emission reduction pathways of China’s low-carbon pilot cities: A case study of Wuxi city in Jiangsu province

Carbon peaking is a research hotspot in China, aiming to reduce the impact of human activities on global climate change, promote the transformation of Low-carbon economy and realize high-quality development. The article takes Wuxi City in China's Jiangsu Province as a pilot low-carbon city to study its carbon emissions characters, then introduces the KAYA model, and sets different scenarios for the influencing factors, further predicts carbon emissions peak in 2019∼2030, and finally proposes the corresponding carbon reduction pathways. Results show that the total of carbon emissions in the study area is still in the upward period of the Kuznets' inverted U-shaped curve, the main factors are population growth rate, economic growth rate, energy consumption intensity and energy structure. If the enhanced carbon reduction scenario is adopted, carbon emissions peak will occur in 2025 or 2026, and the total carbon emissions will be between 120 million tCO2 e to 130 million tCO2 e, and the per capita carbon level will be about 17.5–19.5 tCO2 e. On the future, ten emission reduction pathways for China's low-carbon cities are put forward: strengthening urban spatial planning, upgrading economic structure, developing low-carbon systems in energy, industry, housing, transportation, and agriculture, encouraging low-carbon lifestyles, reforming low-carbon boosting mechanism, and improving low-carbon governance capability.

Definition of the city in the legal aspect of urban development

The article provides a general overview of the definition of a city in the legal aspect of urban development. The relevance of the study is due to the lack of a generally accepted legally fixed definition of a city at the federal level, the variety of interpretations of this concept at the regional level and the identified cases of inconsistency of administrative boundaries with real urban boundaries. This leads to the fact that the established categories of settlements are often a reflection of administrative management, rather than the real spatial structure; there is no clear understanding of the degree of real urbanization of Russia and the number of cities in it. The study examines cases of inconsistency between the administrative boundaries of cities and their actual spatial characteristics. The object of the study is the definition of the city, the subject of the study is the representation of the concept of the city in the legislation regulating urban development.The article analyzes the upper-level regulations, laws on the administrative and territorial structure of various subjects of the Russian Federation, and statistical data. Various approaches to the concept of a city in the legislation on the administrative-territorial structure of the subjects of the Russian Federation are identified and the signs of classifying a settlement as a city contained in them are considered. It is established that the definition of a city in the legal field is vague, its urban planning and spatial planning aspects are lost. The city ceases to be considered as a real physical space and is replaced by administrative-territorial and municipal categories. It is necessary to develop a unified conceptual framework and criteria fixed at the federal level for classifying settlements as urban, taking into account regional peculiarities. The development of a unified methodology for determining the criteria of urban structure based on spatial characteristics will help determine the number of cities in Russia and determine the real degree of urbanization of the country.

An Analytical Hierarchy Process Approach for Prioritization of Objectives and Parameters for an Integrated Urban Water Management

For sustainable development of urban areas, it is essential to address urban water management integrated with the urban water systems and spatial planning of the cities and the subsequent uncertainties. An integrated urban water management and planning model will help ensure water security, mitigate floods and droughts, reduce the negative environmental impact of urbanization and climate change, and bring coherence in the water supply management with the cities' spatial planning and relevant policies. In the present research, the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP), a multi-criteria decision analysis, has been implemented to calculate the weightage of different parameters associated with urban water management and planning. AHP uses linguistic and quantitative variables based on experts' opinions for selecting and prioritizing the objectives and parameters for an integrated approach to urban water management and spatial planning under uncertainties. The local and global weights of objectives, parameters, key indicators, and sub-indicators were calculated after pairwise comparison by 32 experts from academia and industry in urban planning and civil and environmental engineering for the case of Ranchi, a city in eastern India. The study establishes the financial factors (36.97%) as one of the important attributes, followed by environmental factors (26.71%) for consideration in integrated urban water management. Further, Alternative D (45.256%) is framed by collaborating different objectives of IUWM, such as ensuring water security through alternative water sources, mitigating floods and droughts, and water supply planning considering land use, management policies, and climate change. The research findings can assist decision-makers in prioritizing the various objectives and parameters for integrated urban water management in cities with similar population sizes and organic growth.

The Impacts of Urban Morphology on Urban Heat Islands in Housing Areas: The Case of Erzurum, Turkey

The growing importance of climate change underlines the need to comprehend Urban Heat Islands (UHI), particularly those influenced by urban morphology. As progress has been made in understanding the macroscale relationship between urban morphology and UHIs, the microscale effects are often overlooked. This study, conducted in the city of Erzurum in Turkey, delves into the complex relationship between urban morphology and UHI intensity in different housing areas with distinct microclimates, focusing particularly on street networks, building systems, and land use. Pearson correlation analysis was performed to investigate the relationships between morphological indicators and UHIs in different housing areas. Key findings include that (1) noticeable UHI effects were observed, especially in dense areas with high-rise buildings. (2) UHIs reveal a strong correlation with both 2D and 3D urban morphological indicators. A moderate-to-high Sky View Factor (SVF) tends to reduce UHIs, while an extremely high SVF aggravates UHIs. (3) Enhancing street network integration emerges as a more effective strategy for mitigating UHI effects in mid-rise buildings compared to other morphological factors. The Normalised Difference Built-Up Index (NDBI) and Normalised Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) may not reliably indicate UHIs in housing areas with a predominantly rural character. Consequently, this article recommends that urban morphology optimisation for UHI mitigation should prioritise spatial and indicator specificity in urban design and spatial planning for cities. Future research endeavours should investigate the influence of morphological indicators on UHI dynamics in different seasons, including various remote sensing indicators related to morphological structure, to enrich our understanding of daily UHI fluctuations within urban morphology research.

СПЕЦИФИКА ПРОСТРАНСТВЕННО-ПЛАНИРОВОЧНОЙ ОРГАНИЗАЦИИ МНОГОУРОВНЕВЫХ ОБЩЕСТВЕННЫХ ПРОСТРАНСТВ В СТРУКТУРЕ СОВРЕМЕННОГО ГОРОДА

The article examines the prerequisites for the multi-level public spaces’ emergence, the main features of their inclusion in the city planning structure; urban planning, spatial planning, social, economic and landscape-ecological factors contribut-ing to the emergence and development of multi-level public spaces in the modern ur-ban environment have been identified. Taking into account an analysis of global design experience, a typology of these urban areas is given on the assumption of the functional content, composition and relationship of their structural elements and features of placement relative to the earth surface; spaces in the structure of large transport hubs, multi-level spaces accompanying public buildings and complexes, multi-level parks, multi-level transport and pedestrian areas are identified as the studied types. Based on the analysis of the multi-level public spaces’ organization, the characteristic features of their successful functioning have been identified: accessibility, optimal filling of space as a node of social activity concentration, differentiation of use types by level and nature of activity, ensuring urban planning flexibility and continuity, green technologies’ use. Project proposals for the multi-level public space formation for Volgograd city condi-tions were considered on projects for the Station Square reconstruction, providing for the functional zoning improvement, transport and pedestrian traffic and the use of landscape design.

Design and Optimization of Urban Spatial Environment Based on Digital Intelligent VR Technology

With the advent of the information age, new generation information technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and blockchain have had a profound impact on urban development. It not only improves the operational efficiency of various industries, changes the operational processes of various industries, but also has an important impact on the spatial environment composition of cities by influencing the production and living patterns of residents. "Smart city" is a form of urban organization based on information technology, characterized by digitization, intelligence, and networking. This article focuses on using virtual reality (VR) technology to deeply explore the design and optimization of urban spatial environment, and analyzes in detail the application of digital intelligence technology in urban planning. Through case studies, how these technologies optimize urban spatial layout is demonstrated. Furthermore, this article points out the optimization and improvement directions of existing urban spatial environment design technologies, and evaluates the effectiveness. The specific application of intelligent VR technology in urban spatial optimization is pointed out. In terms of design cost, the traditional method requires 5 million yuan, and the VR method requires 6 million yuan; in terms of change costs, the traditional method requires 800 thousand yuan, and the VR method requires 500 thousand yuan. This article is of significant value and provides new perspectives and practical tools for future urban spatial planning and design work.

Spatial and temporal dynamics of urban heat environment at the township scale: A case study in Jinan city, China.

The prolonged dependence on industrial development has accentuated the cumulative effects of pollutants. Simultaneously, influenced by land construction activities and green space depletion, the Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect in cities has intensified year by year, jeopardizing the foundation of sustainable urban development. Prudent urban spatial planning holds the potential to robustly ameliorate the persistent deterioration of the UHI phenomenon. This study selects Jinan City as a case study and employs spatial autocorrelation and spatial regression algorithms to explore the spatiotemporal evolution of urban-rural patterns at the township scale. The aim is to identify key factors driving the spatiotemporal differentiation of Land Surface Temperature (LST) from 2013 to 2022. The research reveals a trend of initially rising and subsequently falling LST in various townships, with low-temperature concentration areas in the southern mountainous region and the northern plain area. The "West-Central-East" main urban axis and the southeast Laiwu District exhibit high-temperature zones. Significant influences on LST are attributed to pollution levels, topographical factors, urbanization levels, and urban greenness. The global Moran's Index for LST exceeds 0.7, indicating a strong positive spatial correlation. Cluster analysis results indicate High-High (HH) clustering in the central Shizhong District and Low-Low (LL) clustering in the northern Shanghe County. Multiscale Geographically Weighted Regression (MGWR) outperforms Geographically Weighted Regression (GWR) and Ordinary Linear Regression (OLR), providing a more accurate reflection of the regression relationships between variables. By investigating the spatiotemporal evolution of LST and its driving factors at the township scale, this study contributes insights for future urban planning and sustainable development.

Comprehensive evaluation of global health cities development levels.

How to scientifically assess the health status of cities and effectively assist in formulating policies and planning for health city development remains a profound challenge in building a global "health community." This study employs the Building Research Establishment's International Healthy Cities Index (BRE HCI), encompassing ten environmental categories and fifty-eight indicators, to guide and support the scientific development of healthy cities. The entropy weight-TOPSIS method and the rank sum ratio (RSR) method were applied to comprehensively rank and categorize the health development levels of fifteen global cities. Furthermore, through cluster analysis, this research identifies universal and unique indicators that influence the development of healthy cities. The results indicate that: (1) Within the scope of 58 evaluation indicators, the precedence in weight allocation is accorded to the kilometres of bicycle paths and lanes per 100,000 population (0.068), succeeded by m2 of public indoor recreation space per capita (0.047), and kilometres of bicycle paths and lanes per 100,000 population (0.042). (2) Among the ten environmental categories, the top three in terms of weight ranking are transport (0.239), leisure and recreation (0.172), and resilience (0.125). Significant disparities exist between different cities and environmental categories, with the issue of uneven health development within cities being particularly prominent. (3) The study categorizes the development levels of healthy cities into three tiers based on composite scores: it classifies Singapore, Shanghai, and Amsterdam at an excellent level; places Dubai and Johannesburg at a comparatively poor level; and situates the remaining ten cities at a moderate level. (4) The analysis identifies 53 international common indicators and 5 characteristic indicators from the 58 indicators based on the significance of the clustering analysis (p < 0.05). The study proposes four strategic recommendations based on these findings: establishing a comprehensive policy assurance system, refining urban spatial planning, expanding avenues for multi-party participation, and augmenting distinctive health indicators. These measures aim to narrow the developmental disparities between cities and contribute to healthy global cities' balanced and sustainable growth. However, due to existing limitations in sample selection, research methodology application, and the control of potential confounding variables, further in-depth studies are required in the future.

Assessment of Drainage System in Bangetayu Kulon Village, Genuk District, Semarang City

The drainage system is infrastructure related to urban spatial planning and must be considered. This planning was carried out in Bangetayu Kulon Village, Genuk District, Semarang City, which consists of residential, commercial and other areas. Bangetayu Kulon sub-district has inundation problems at several points due to a lack of channel capacity caused by high sedimentation at the bottom of the channel, vegetation, rubbish and changes in land use. In evaluating the drainage system, a 5 year return period hydrological analysis will be carried out using EPA SWMM 5.1 software. Apart from that, a hydraulic analysis will also be carried out which begins with an analysis of existing conditions, then applies SUDS and continues with evaluation through channel normalization in the form of sediment burrowing and changes in channel dimensions. The concept of implementing SUDS in the Bangetayu Kulon Village drainage system is the application of Permeable Pavement on road areas that do not yet have paving pavement of 30,877 m2 and a Retention Pool with a storage capacity of 10,560 m3. This plan succeeded in reducing flooding by 52.06% from initially 147.82 x 106 L to 70.84 x 106 L.

Little Turkey in the Medan Maimun Area

Community service is one of the core activities of the Tri Dharma of Higher Education. This activity is carried out as an effort to apply practical scientific knowledge to comprehensively address community problems in the field by involving both the community and university lecturers collaboratively. The current community service activity focuses on urban spatial planning issues in the Jl. Mahkamah area, Medan Kota District, Medan City, North Sumatra. The theme of this project is "Little Turkey," which is related to the Al-Mashun Mosque by proposing urban space designs and building facades along Jl. Mahkamah. The implementation of this community service follows a series of stages, starting with field surveys, conducting the first and second meetings, and finally delivering the final design to the local government and community. The outcome of this community service is expected to serve as an initial step toward further developing and enhancing the architectural quality of Medan City and improving the local community’s economy.

Retracted: A Study on Urban Spatial System Planning of Qingdao City Park Based on Intelligent Monitoring Sensors

Retracted: A Study on Urban Spatial System Planning of Qingdao City Park Based on Intelligent Monitoring Sensors

Exploring the Effects of Socioeconomic Factors and Urban Forms on CO2 Emissions in Shrinking and Growing Cities

Exploring the mechanisms influencing carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions is crucial to seeking low-carbon development paths. Previous studies have analyzed the effects of socioeconomic factors and urban forms on CO2 emissions. However, little attention has been paid to the heterogeneity of their interactions in differing urban development patterns, such as growth and shrinkage. This study focused on how socioeconomic factors and urban forms work together to comprehensively affect CO2 emissions within the context of urban shrinkage and growth. A selection of 285 prefecture-level cities in China were divided into four groups of shrinking and growing cities based on a comprehensive index system. After assessing variables involving socioeconomic factors and urban forms, a panel data model was used to verify their mutual mechanisms influencing CO2 emissions. The results show that CO2 emissions in shrinking cities continue to rise due to the driving force of secondary industry and the coexistence of population loss and space expansion. For growing cities, in addition to economic development and population growth, urban forms with excessive compactness and polycentricity significantly accelerate CO2 emissions. Consequently, disorderly urban expansion should be avoided, and industrial upgrading should be promoted for shrinking cities. Meanwhile, growing cities are advised to develop modern service industries. Moreover, it is recommended that urban spatial planning follows urban functions and their development stages to avoid excessive agglomeration and polycentricity.

EXPLORING URBAN FUNCTIONAL ZONES BASED ON MULTI-SOURCE SEMANTIC KNOWLEDGE AND CROSS MODAL NETWORK

Abstract. The refined identification of urban functional zones can provide important basic data and decision-making basis for the formulation of urban spatial development planning, effective relaxation of urban spatial development planning, effective relaxation of urban functions, and optimal allocation of resource space. The multi-source spatiotemporal data represented by multi-source geographic data, social perception data, and thematic data have been widely used in various fields, providing new data sources for the refined identification of urban functional areas. However, there are significant differences in the data generation sources, collection methods, and storage organization formats of multi-source data. In this paper, we propose a method for exploring urban functional zones based on Multi-source Semantic knowledge and deep Coupling Model (MSCM). Our approach integrates information from multiple sources and incorporates the semantics of urban functional zones into a knowledge graph, enabling effective fusion and mining of multi-source data.This method can improve the credibility and precision of the results, providing a richer research perspective for refined urban functional zoning. The results of this paper have important theoretical value and practical significance for the construction of identification, labelling, and monitoring tools for engineering smart cities.

UrbanGenoGAN: pioneering urban spatial planning using the synergistic integration of GAN, GA, and GIS

Introduction: Urban spatial planning is critical for the development of sustainable and livable cities. However, traditional planning methods often face challenges in handling complex planning scenarios and large-scale data.Methods: This paper introduces UrbanGenoGAN, a novel algorithm that integrates generative adversarial networks (GANs), genetic optimization algorithms (GOAs), and geographic information system (GIS) to address these challenges. Leveraging the generative power of GANs, the optimization capabilities of genetic algorithms, and the spatial analysis capabilities of GIS, UrbanGenoGAN is designed to generate optimized urban plans that cater to various urban planning challenges. Our methodology details the algorithm’s design and integration of its components, data collection and preprocessing, and the training and implementation processes.Results: Through rigorous evaluation metrics, comparative analysis with existing methodologies, and case studies, the proposed algorithm demonstrates significant improvement in urban planning outcomes. The research also explores the technical and practical considerations for implementing UrbanGenoGAN, including scalability, computational efficiency, data privacy, and ethical considerations.Discussion: The findings suggest that the integration of advanced machine learning and optimization techniques with spatial analysis offers a promising approach to enhancing decision-making in urban spatial planning. This work contributes to the growing field of AI applications in urban planning and paves the way for more efficient and sustainable urban development.

Exploring and Documenting Urban Renewal Projects in Kisumu City, Kenya with Emphasis on Preservation of Urban Landscape Identity

Urban renewal is undertaken to respond to physical deterioration within cities to improve the quality of urban life. Urban renewal in Africa is undertaken in once colonial societies with their existing spatial built forms undergoing changes in post-colonial times. This paper aimed to explore and document the various projects undertaken in Kisumu City's urban renewal in Kenya with emphasis on preservation of urban landscape identity. The main aim of the various projects was to improve the urban infrastructure, public facilities and spatial planning and carry out slum upgrading in addition to modernisation of public policies to improve public service delivery through effective city management. Consequently, several urban renewal projects were implemented in Kisumu City from 2019 to 2022. The research was done as a case study analysis of Kisumu City, Kenya, which has been undergoing the upgrading of various urban forms and spaces. Data capturing was based on mixed methods, including archival records, mapping, photographic documentation, and semi-structured interviews. This paper sets out the categories of ongoing and completed projects and describes them in terms of project locations, type of project, what components it entailed. Data collection was through desk review on urban renewal and review of City of Kisumu documents, interviews and field investigations. The interviews were carried out with purposively selected officials from Kisumu County including the City Planning Department, Environment Department, Kisumu Urban Project. The findings revealed the projects included non-motorised transport (NMT) within the CBD that comprises the improvement of pedestrian walkways, parking spaces, construction of new markets, bus parks, rehabilitation of public parks, beautification of roundabouts, road islands and proposed new high-rise affordable housing

A COMPREHENSIVE MEASUREMENT MODEL FOR JOB-HOUSING BALANCE CONSIDERING SPATIAL INTERACTIONS: A CASE STUDY IN SHANGHAI

Abstract. Assessing jobs-housing balance (JHB) is crucial for the optimization of urban spatial pattern and transportation planning. However, due to the limitations of traditional data and the inability to integrate evaluation indicators, the evaluation results may be bias, conflicting with common sense. Considering interaction of multiple factors, a Job-housing balance measurement model (JHBM-SEM) was proposed to accurately evaluate the degree of JHB in a certain area. To address the problem of multi-indicator fusion, the structural equation model is used to incorporate the advantages, limitations and complementary relationships of each evaluation indicator into the evaluation process. A function relationship is defined between factor loadings, path coefficients, and variable scores to construct the measurement model and obtain comprehensive evaluation results. In addition, by integrating multi-source spatiotemporal big data mainly based on mobile signaling data, the paper can effectively mine the current status of job-housing balance in cities, and solve problems such as low precision and granularity of traditional data. The model was validated using Shanghai as an example, and the results show that compared with classical methods, the model's results are more consistent with the real situation of regional jobhousing patterns. It can identify the pseudo-balance phenomenon in underdeveloped areas of the suburbs and make reasonable evaluations, and the intermediate process can explain the direction of the imbalance factors in the region.

Assessing Land Cover Change Projections and Its Suitability with Urban Spatial Pattern Plan Using Google Earth Engine and Cellular Automata in the National Activity Centres on Sumatera Island

The national activity centres (Pusat Kegiatan Nasional – PKN) areas, especially in Sumatera Island, are closely related to the land cover change phenomenon. This study aimed to identify the land cover change projection and assess its suitability with the spatial pattern plan in the “Rencana Tata Ruang Wilayah” (RTRW) which focuses on the study area including Medan, Pekanbaru, and Padang. The integration of remote sensing data, geographic information systems (GIS), and spatial analysis techniques are used to identify and assess the patterns of land cover change over the specific period. The analysis of land cover change patterns is performed using Landsat-7 and Sentinel-2A imagery data which processed in Google Earth Engine (GEE). Furthermore, Cellular Automata and Artificial Neural Network (CA-ANN) modelling is used to identify land cover prediction using transition rules like main road as driving factor then followed by overlay analysis to assess its suitability with the spatial pattern plan. The result shows the different level of each land cover classification in sub-district level. The proportion of the land cover projection suitability in Medan at 2042 was 84,92%; in Pekanbaru at 2040 was only 58,51%; while in Padang at 2030 was 77%. This findings can be able to serve as a suggestion for stakeholders in formulating effective strategies for spatial planning evaluation and managing land cover uses, especially in several national activity centers in Sumatera.

An approach to urban system spatial planning in Chengdu Chongqing economic circle using geospatial big data

Evidence suggests city grouping is an important way to implement urbanization in China. However, the Chengdu-Chongqing Economic Circle (CCEC) is a typical dual-core structure, and the development level of each city is different. If we do not focus on the key directions for urban development, it will not be conducive to the new-type urbanization process. Therefore, we use spatial analysis techniques and geographic big data sets to construct an approach for urban system layout optimization from a global perspective. It mainly includes urban extended trend analysis based on night light, multi-modal traffic network analysis, and spatial economic density analysis using Open Street Map (OSM) and Point of Interest (POI) data. The research results show the following interesting findings. Firstly, the historical relationship of cities has a significant impact on city grouping, and efficient transportation connections and prosperous enterprise distribution are key conditions for urban grouping during the acceleration period of urbanization. Secondly, the development of urban grouping should break through administrative restrictions and achieve a moderate separation of administrative divisions and economic divisions. It is beneficial to the rapid growth of the city group and the improvement of the internal structure. Thirdly, the urban group of Southern Sichuan and Western Chongqing (SSWC) is the region with the most potential for growth in CCEC. The urban expansion index (UEI) of the Yibin-Luzhou area is 2.16, and the spatial economic density has increased by 130/km2 in the past decade. Providing flexible development authority and focus on the construction of the Yibin-Luzhou Urban Belt along the Yangtze River is an important way to integrate southern Sichuan. Moreover, we found the UEI has a good universality and it can be used for studying urban expansion trends and city relationships in rapidly developing regions, especially in metropolitan areas or urban agglomeration.