Urban Land Expansion and Sustainable Land Use Policy in Shenzhen: A Case Study of China’s Rapid Urbanization

Jing Qian, Yunfei Peng, Cheng Luo, Chao Wu and Qingyun Du
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Jing Qian: School of Resource and Environmental Science, Wuhan University, 129 Luoyu Road, Wuhan 430079, China
Yunfei Peng: School of Resource and Environmental Science, Wuhan University, 129 Luoyu Road, Wuhan 430079, China
Cheng Luo: College of Public Administration, Huazhong Agricultural University, 1 Shizishan Street, Wuhan 430070, China
Chao Wu: School of Resource and Environmental Science, Wuhan University, 129 Luoyu Road, Wuhan 430079, China
Qingyun Du: School of Resource and Environmental Science, Wuhan University, 129 Luoyu Road, Wuhan 430079, China

Sustainability, 2015, vol. 8, issue 1, 1-16

Abstract: Shenzhen is a city that is highly representative of China’s rapid urbanization process. As the city rapidly expands, there are enormous challenges to the sustainable use of land resources. This paper introduces the evolution of urban land expansion and the sustainable land use policy of the Shenzhen Government since 2005. The policy covers the reduction in rural-to-urban land conversion, the delineation of urban growth boundaries, arable land reclamation and the establishment of farmland protection areas, urban redevelopment, and the investigation and prosecution of illegal construction. This paper considers the aspects of urbanization and land management systems that are unique to China. The current top-down indicative and mandatory mode of control, which relies on the central government, has very limited effects. Good results were achieved in Shenzhen for the following elements: governmental self-restraint, governmental identity change, and policy innovation. Shenzhen’s sustainable land use practices can provide a reference for other cities in China.

Keywords: urban land expansion; urbanization; land use policy; sustainable development; Shenzhen; China (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2015
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (5)

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