Analyzing the Decoupling between Rural-to-Urban Migrants and Urban Land Expansion in Hubei Province, China

Yaolin Liu, Enxiang Cai, Ying Jing, Jie Gong and Zhengyu Wang
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Yaolin Liu: School of Resource and Environmental Science, Wuhan University, 129 Luoyu Road, Wuhan 430079, China
Enxiang Cai: School of Resource and Environmental Science, Wuhan University, 129 Luoyu Road, Wuhan 430079, China
Ying Jing: School of Resource and Environmental Science, Wuhan University, 129 Luoyu Road, Wuhan 430079, China
Jie Gong: School of Resource and Environmental Science, Wuhan University, 129 Luoyu Road, Wuhan 430079, China
Zhengyu Wang: School of Resource and Environmental Science, Wuhan University, 129 Luoyu Road, Wuhan 430079, China

Sustainability, 2018, vol. 10, issue 2, 1-15

Abstract: Rapid urbanization in China has caused a large number of rural-to-urban migrants (RUMs) and rapid urban land expansion (ULE). Understanding the relationship between RUMs and ULE has important implications for urban sustainable development. This study explored the spatial patterns of RUMs and ULE in Hubei Province from 2009 to 2014, and analyzed the relationship between the two using a decoupling model. The results show that: (1) a large proportion of the rural population migrated to urban areas in Hubei Province from 2009 to 2014, and the distribution of RUMs was uneven: developed areas attracted more RUMs than undeveloped regions; (2) the urban land in Hubei Province increased rapidly from 2009 to 2014, and the urban land use in Hubei Province was extensive and inefficient; (3) the decoupling types between RUMs and ULE in Hubei Province were dominated by expansive negative and weak decoupling; (4) according to the changes in per capita urban land area and decoupling types, the coordination relationship between RUMs and ULE in Hubei Province was divided into eight types, and while the relationship between RUMs and ULE in most areas were coordinated and beneficial to urban land intensive use, the rest were uncoordinated. Finally, reasonable implications for urban sustainable development and new land use policy were put forward.

Keywords: rural-to-urban migrants; urban land expansion; decoupling; coordination relationship; Hubei Province (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (14)

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