Characterizing Factors Associated with Built-Up Land Expansion in Urban and Non-Urban Areas from a Morphological Perspective

Zhonghao Zhang, Rui Xiao, Weixuan Yu, Yue Liu, Meng Lin and Meng Wang
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Zhonghao Zhang: School of Remote Sensing and Information Engineering, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430079, China
Rui Xiao: School of Remote Sensing and Information Engineering, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430079, China
Weixuan Yu: School of Remote Sensing and Information Engineering, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430079, China
Yue Liu: School of Remote Sensing and Information Engineering, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430079, China
Meng Lin: School of Remote Sensing and Information Engineering, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430079, China
Meng Wang: Wuhan Planning & Design Institute, Wuhan 430014, China

Sustainability, 2017, vol. 9, issue 8, 1-15

Abstract: In this paper, built-up land expansion patterns and the associated factors were characterized in urban and non-urban areas across the Wen-Tai region of eastern China. Fractal dimension can be used as a reliable indicator of the complexity of built-up land form, and the increasing trend of fractal dimension indicated a more complex, dispersed pattern of built-up land in urban areas. Spatial regression models were quantitatively implemented to identify the indicators influencing the variation of fractal dimensions. Our findings suggested that the fractal dimension of built-up land forms was positively correlated to the patch density and elevation when built-up land expansion was more concentrated. Both landscape shape index and Gross Domestic Product (GDP) were positively correlated with fractal dimension in urban areas, and total edge, edge density, and connective index had impacts on fractal dimension in non-urban areas. Slope and agricultural population also showed an influence on fractal dimension. This study provided a new way for urban studies in interpreting the complex interactions between fractal dimension and related factors. The combined approach of fractal dimension and spatial analysis can provide the government planners with valuable information that can be efficiently used to realize the influences of land use policies in urban and non-urban areas.

Keywords: fractal measures; built-up land expansion; associated factors; urban and non-urban areas (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2017
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:jsusta:v:9:y:2017:i:8:p:1411-:d:107779

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