Dynamics between Population Growth and Construction Land Expansion: Evidence from the Yangtze River Economic Belt of China

Yuzhu Zang, Junjun Zhu, Xu Han and Ligang Lv ()
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Yuzhu Zang: School of Public Administration, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074, China
Junjun Zhu: School of Public Administration, Nanjing University of Finance and Economics, Nanjing 210023, China
Xu Han: School of Public Administration, Nanjing University of Finance and Economics, Nanjing 210023, China
Ligang Lv: School of Public Administration, Nanjing University of Finance and Economics, Nanjing 210023, China

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

Abstract: Population growth and construction land expansion’s link to sustainable development has gained attention. This study investigated the urban–rural divergence in the population–construction land relationship in China’s Yangtze River Economic Belt (YREB) from 2000 to 2020 using census and land-use data. This study utilized an integrated urban–rural framework to discuss reasons for the disparity. The findings suggested the following: (1) A spatial mismatch formed between population distribution and construction land allocation in the YREB from 2000 to 2020. The mismatch gap in rural areas was larger than in urban areas. (2) The urban areas maintained double growth rates in the population and construction land, while rural areas experienced constant population loss accompanied by construction land expansion. (3) An expansive negative decoupling relationship dominated the urban population–land system, while a strong negative decoupling relationship dominated the rural population–land system. (4) Institutional factors, such as land financialization and urban–rural dualism, were major triggers for the mismatch between population and construction land. Policy responses such as a new type of urbanization and rural revitalization strategies can shape the population–land relationship’s evolution. Our comparative analysis of urban and rural areas highlights the population–land relationship’s complexity, promoting sustainable land-use planning in urban–rural spaces.

Keywords: population growth; construction land expansion; coupling relationship; urban–rural divergence; land-use planning (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jlands:v:12:y:2023:i:7:p:1288-:d:1179406

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