Spatiotemporal Dynamics and Driving Factors of Ecological Environment in Metropolitan Area Under Urban Spatial Structural Transformation

Jingyi Wang, Jinghan Wang, Jia Jia and Guangyong Li ()
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Jingyi Wang: School of Grassland Science, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China
Jinghan Wang: School of Land Science and Technology, China University of Geosciences (Beijing), Beijing 100083, China
Jia Jia: School of Grassland Science, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China
Guangyong Li: School of Grassland Science, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 13, 1-22

Abstract: Urban areas and their surrounding regions play a pivotal role in supporting population concentration, economic activities, and social interaction in modern society. However, the accelerated pace of urbanization and economic expansion has led to increasing ecological and spatial imbalances, posing significant challenges to sustainable urban development and human well-being. Therefore, China has implemented territorial spatial zoning policies aimed at guiding urban spatial structure transformation and improving ecological environmental quality (EEQ). This study employed the improved remote sensing ecological index to analyze the spatiotemporal dynamics and driving mechanisms of EEQ in Beijing from 2000 to 2020. The findings revealed a significant spatial pattern where the EEQ in both summer and winter decreased from the surrounding ecological conservation areas towards the central city. Notably, the overall EEQ was consistently higher in summer than in winter. Regarding the aggregation patterns of EEQ, the ecological conservation areas exhibited more favorable concentration distributions during both seasons, whereas the plain and urban areas displayed poorer aggregation characteristics. Overall, evapotranspiration was the dominant positive factor influencing EEQ across all spatial zones. These results provide a robust scientific basis for promoting sustainable development and informed spatial planning in metropolitan regions.

Keywords: ecological environment quality; territorial and spatial; spatiotemporal dynamics; driving mechanisms; metropolitan areas (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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