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Spatial Heterogeneity of the Natural, Socio-Economic Characteristics and Vitality Realization of Suburban Areas in China

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  • Tao Lin

    (Key Laboratory of Urban Environment and Health, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen 361021, China
    University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
    Xiamen Key Laboratory of Smart Management on the Urban Environment, Xiamen 361021, China
    Fujian Key Laboratory of Digital Technology for Territorial Space Analysis and Simulation, Fuzhou 350108, China)

  • Zhiwei Zeng

    (Key Laboratory of Urban Environment and Health, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen 361021, China
    University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China)

  • Hongkai Geng

    (Key Laboratory of Urban Environment and Health, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen 361021, China
    University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
    Xiamen Key Laboratory of Smart Management on the Urban Environment, Xiamen 361021, China)

  • Yiyi Huang

    (Key Laboratory of Urban Environment and Health, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen 361021, China
    University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
    Xiamen Key Laboratory of Smart Management on the Urban Environment, Xiamen 361021, China)

  • Jiayu Cai

    (Key Laboratory of Urban Environment and Health, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen 361021, China
    Fujian Key Laboratory of Digital Technology for Territorial Space Analysis and Simulation, Fuzhou 350108, China
    School of Architecture and Urban-Rural Planing, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou 350108, China)

  • Xiaotong Wang

    (Key Laboratory of Urban Environment and Health, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen 361021, China
    University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
    Xiamen Key Laboratory of Smart Management on the Urban Environment, Xiamen 361021, China
    School of Geographical Sciences, Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Nottingham, Ningbo 315100, China)

  • Xin Cao

    (Key Laboratory of Urban Environment and Health, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen 361021, China
    University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
    Xiamen Key Laboratory of Smart Management on the Urban Environment, Xiamen 361021, China)

  • Yicheng Zheng

    (Key Laboratory of Urban Environment and Health, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen 361021, China
    University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
    Xiamen Key Laboratory of Smart Management on the Urban Environment, Xiamen 361021, China
    School of Geographical Sciences, Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Nottingham, Ningbo 315100, China)

Abstract

Suburban areas are the transitional zone between urban and rural areas, serving as key areas for addressing issues related to urban and regional sustainable development. In this study, 294 prefecture-level cities in China were selected as research objects. The spatial heterogeneity of social, economic, and natural characteristics, as well as the vitality realization of suburbs in China, was quantitatively analyzed at a national scale, and the impact of socio-economic and natural factors on the realization of suburban vitality was discussed. The results show that China has large suburban areas, with 431 km 2 of peri-urban, 1816 km 2 of mid-suburban, and 5384 km 2 of outer-suburban areas, respectively. However, the suburban areas in China exhibit significant spatial heterogeneity ( p < 0.001), with larger areas mainly located in the northeast and north. The vitality of the peri-suburban, mid-suburban, and outer-suburban areas exhibits spatial clustering ( p < 0.001), with corresponding global Moran’s I values of 0.292, 0.272, and 0.380, respectively. The suburban areas with high vitality are mainly clusters in the southeast coastal regions, and the farther a suburban area is from the built-up areas, the lower its vitality. Various socio-economic and natural factors have different impacts on suburban vitality. The key negative factors are the proportion of agricultural land and elevation, while the positive factors are the density of points of interest (POIs) and the proportion of built-up areas. Finally, we discuss the causes of spatial heterogeneity of suburban vitality in China and the pathways to enhance it. This study provides a scientific reference for the sustainable development of the urban–rural transition zones in other regions and countries in the world.

Suggested Citation

  • Tao Lin & Zhiwei Zeng & Hongkai Geng & Yiyi Huang & Jiayu Cai & Xiaotong Wang & Xin Cao & Yicheng Zheng, 2025. "Spatial Heterogeneity of the Natural, Socio-Economic Characteristics and Vitality Realization of Suburban Areas in China," Land, MDPI, vol. 14(3), pages 1-15, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jlands:v:14:y:2025:i:3:p:593-:d:1610394
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Huangling Gu & Ruiwu Shen & Qianqian Chen & Mingzhuo Duan & Xianchao Zhao, 2025. "Site Selection for Elderly Care Facilities in the Context of Big Data: A Case Study of Xi’an, China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(4), pages 1-18, February.
    2. Loan Diep & Timon McPhearson, 2022. "Nature-based solutions for global climate adaptation," Nature, Nature, vol. 606(7915), pages 653-653, June.
    3. Xinzhou Luo & Yingcong Ye & Xi Guo & Xiaomin Zhao & Lihua Kuang, 2025. "Multifunctional Evolution Response Mechanisms to Urbanization Processes on Peri-Urban Cultivated Land, Nanchang City, China," Land, MDPI, vol. 14(2), pages 1-21, January.
    4. Kevin Morgan, 2004. "Sustainable regions: Governance, innovation and scale," European Planning Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 12(6), pages 871-889, September.
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