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The Heterogeneity of the Drivers of Urban Form in China: Perspectives from Regional Disparities and Development Stage Variations

Author

Listed:
  • Rong Wu

    (School of Architecture and Urban Planning, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou 510062, China
    These authors contributed equally to this work.)

  • Yongli Zhang

    (School of Architecture and Urban Planning, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou 510062, China
    These authors contributed equally to this work.)

  • Meilin Dai

    (School of Architecture and Urban Planning, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou 510062, China)

  • Qingyin Li

    (School of Architecture and Urban Planning, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou 510062, China)

  • Changlong Sun

    (School of Economics and Management, Wenzhou University of Technology, Wenzhou 325000, China)

Abstract

Although there have been many discussions about the influencing factors of urban expansion, the heterogeneity of the driving mechanisms behind urban form remains poorly understood. Therefore, this paper evaluated the heterogeneous impacts of potential determinants on urban form, considering regional disparities and the stage of development. Based on land use data collected from Landsat ETM and TM scenes, the landscape metrics of urban size, urban centrality, urban shape irregularity, and urban fragmentation were measured to describe the urban form of 265 Chinese cities. We find that the regional disparities and development-stage variations significantly affect urban form. All urban form variables showed a significant stair-stepping difference in cities at various development stages, indicating that as a city upgrades its level of development, the intensity of urban expansion gradually increases, the shape of the urban edge becomes more fragmented and the urban built-up area becomes more compact. Urban form in Chinese cities shows significant geographical heterogeneity in terms of its driving forces. The effect of the socioeconomic factors on urban form also presented changes depending on the development stage. Our results provide helpful references for policymakers within urban spatial structure planning and land resource management.

Suggested Citation

  • Rong Wu & Yongli Zhang & Meilin Dai & Qingyin Li & Changlong Sun, 2023. "The Heterogeneity of the Drivers of Urban Form in China: Perspectives from Regional Disparities and Development Stage Variations," Land, MDPI, vol. 12(7), pages 1-20, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jlands:v:12:y:2023:i:7:p:1436-:d:1196861
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