The Heterogeneity of the Drivers of Urban Form in China: Perspectives from Regional Disparities and Development Stage Variations

Rong Wu, Yongli Zhang, Meilin Dai, Qingyin Li and Changlong Sun ()
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Rong Wu: School of Architecture and Urban Planning, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou 510062, China
Yongli Zhang: School of Architecture and Urban Planning, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou 510062, China
Meilin Dai: School of Architecture and Urban Planning, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou 510062, China
Qingyin Li: School of Architecture and Urban Planning, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou 510062, China
Changlong Sun: School of Economics and Management, Wenzhou University of Technology, Wenzhou 325000, China

Land, 2023, vol. 12, issue 7, 1-20

Abstract: Although there have been many discussions about the influencing factors of urban expansion, the heterogeneity of the driving mechanisms behind urban form remains poorly understood. Therefore, this paper evaluated the heterogeneous impacts of potential determinants on urban form, considering regional disparities and the stage of development. Based on land use data collected from Landsat ETM and TM scenes, the landscape metrics of urban size, urban centrality, urban shape irregularity, and urban fragmentation were measured to describe the urban form of 265 Chinese cities. We find that the regional disparities and development-stage variations significantly affect urban form. All urban form variables showed a significant stair-stepping difference in cities at various development stages, indicating that as a city upgrades its level of development, the intensity of urban expansion gradually increases, the shape of the urban edge becomes more fragmented and the urban built-up area becomes more compact. Urban form in Chinese cities shows significant geographical heterogeneity in terms of its driving forces. The effect of the socioeconomic factors on urban form also presented changes depending on the development stage. Our results provide helpful references for policymakers within urban spatial structure planning and land resource management.

Keywords: urban form; driving forces; geographical heterogeneity; development stage; China (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jlands:v:12:y:2023:i:7:p:1436-:d:1196861

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