Land Use Change Dynamics in Metropolitan Areas: A Cross-Regional Comparison Across China, Japan, and the United States

Metropolitan areas are key carriers of economic growth and regional sustainable development. Comparing land use and land cover changes (LUCC) across multiple metropolitan areas can provide pathway references for the sustainable development of emerging metropolitan areas. However, current approaches are limited by two major shortcomings: (1) the lack of methods capable of providing a comprehensive comparison of LUCC processes across multiple metropolitan areas and (2) the difficulty in effectively visualizing the results of comprehensive and complex LUCC analyses. Here, we introduce a novel comparative intensity analysis (CIA) model to comprehensively compare LUCC processes across metropolitan areas. The challenge of visualization is addressed by the newly proposed Intensity Deviation Maps. Three metropolitan areas were selected as research objects: the Chang-Zhu-Tan Metropolitan Area (CZT) in China, the Chukyo Metropolitan Area (CMA) in Japan, and the Dallas–Fort Worth (DFW) Metropolitan Area in the United States. Findings reveal a metropolitan evolution characterizing three stages and mechanisms underlying cross-regional differences: (1) The first stage is rapid, unorganized expansion, which requires enhanced regulation to achieve sustainable land resource utilization; (2) the second stage shifts from external expansion to internal renewal, with a focus on urban resilience and the well-being of residents; and (3) the third stage seeks external breakthroughs to expand its influence. We uncover context-shaped heterogeneous LUCC: policy-driven rapid CZT construction land expansion, population-driven high intensity in the DFW, and low CMA intensity amid stagnation. This study deepens understanding of global metropolitan LUCC and informs sustainable land use planning. The CIA model provides methodological support for cross-regional LUCC research.