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Sustainable Urban Development and Land Use Change—A Case Study of the Yangtze River Delta in China

Author

Listed:
  • Haiyan Zhang

    (Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka University, 2-1 Yamada-oka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan)

  • Michinori Uwasu

    (Center of Environmental Innovation Design for Sustainability, Osaka University, 2-1 Yamada-oka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan)

  • Keishiro Hara

    (Center of Environmental Innovation Design for Sustainability, Osaka University, 2-1 Yamada-oka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan)

  • Helmut Yabar

    (Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Sustainable Environmental Studies, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8572, Japan)

Abstract

This paper introduces a sustainability assessment method for the rapidly urbanizing Yangtze River Delta in China addressing the role of land use pattern. We first calculated the sustainability component scores of 16 cities in the area in 2000 and 2005. The results showed that socioeconomic and environmental conditions improved while the performance of resource-use degraded from 2000 to 2005. We then made a spatial analysis of land use change (LUC) using geographic information systems during 1990–2000. We found that diverse spatiotemporal transformation occurred among the cities and identified urban development cluster patterns and profiles based on development density. Finally, we examined the impact of LUC on sustainable urban development (SUD). Using regression techniques, we demonstrated that urbanization, infrastructure development, industrial structure and income significantly affected environmental performance and resource-use. These results suggest a moderate pace of LUC with steady economic growth being key to SUD.

Suggested Citation

  • Haiyan Zhang & Michinori Uwasu & Keishiro Hara & Helmut Yabar, 2011. "Sustainable Urban Development and Land Use Change—A Case Study of the Yangtze River Delta in China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 3(7), pages 1-16, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:3:y:2011:i:7:p:1074-1089:d:13264
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Gene M. Grossman & Alan B. Krueger, 1995. "Economic Growth and the Environment," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 110(2), pages 353-377.
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    Cited by:

    1. Qingling Shi & Xiangzheng Deng & Chenchen Shi & Shiyi Chen, 2015. "Exploration of the Intersectoral Relations Based on Input-Output Tables in the Inland River Basin of China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 7(4), pages 1-18, April.
    2. Jia Guo & Shiyan Ma & Xiang Li, 2022. "Exploring the Differences of Sustainable Urban Development Levels from the Perspective of Multivariate Functional Data Analysis: A Case Study of 33 Cities in China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(19), pages 1-19, October.
    3. Won Seok Jang & Jonggun Kim & Bernard A. Engel & Sung Won Kang & Youngkon Park & Heetaek Yoon & Kyoung Jae Lim & Younghun Jung & Yongchul Shin, 2014. "Development of a Prototype Web GIS-Based Disaster Management System for Safe Operation of the Next Generation Bimodal Tram, South Korea—Focused Flooding and Snowfall," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 6(4), pages 1-20, April.
    4. Jinlong Gao & Yehua Dennis Wei & Wen Chen & Komali Yenneti, 2015. "Urban Land Expansion and Structural Change in the Yangtze River Delta, China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 7(8), pages 1-27, July.
    5. Xiuyan Zhao & Changhong Miao, 2022. "Spatial-Temporal Changes and Simulation of Land Use in Metropolitan Areas: A Case of the Zhengzhou Metropolitan Area, China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(21), pages 1-27, October.
    6. Liangen Zeng & Haitao Li & Xiao Wang & Zhao Yu & Haoyu Hu & Xinyue Yuan & Xuhai Zhao & Chengming Li & Dandan Yuan & Yukun Gao & Yang Nie & Liangzhen Huang, 2022. "China’s Transport Land: Spatiotemporal Expansion Characteristics and Driving Mechanism," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(8), pages 1-18, July.
    7. Haixia Zhao & Xiang Gu & Tengjie Yang & Binjie Gu, 2022. "Evolutionary Logic and Development Foresight of Environmental Collaborative Governance Policy in the Yangtze River Delta," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(9), pages 1-21, August.
    8. Leilei Jiao & Fumin Deng & Xuedong Liang, 2017. "Sustainable Urbanization Synergy Degree Measures—A Case Study in Henan Province, China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(1), pages 1-19, December.
    9. Huan Li & Yehua Dennis Wei & Yuemin Ning, 2016. "Spatial and Temporal Evolution of Urban Systems in China during Rapid Urbanization," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 8(7), pages 1-17, July.
    10. Xuedong Liang & Weiwei Zhang & Lei Chen & Fumin Deng, 2016. "Sustainable Urban Development Capacity Measure—A Case Study in Jiangsu Province, China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 8(3), pages 1-13, March.
    11. Yafei Li & Gaohuan Liu, 2017. "Characterizing Spatiotemporal Pattern of Land Use Change and Its Driving Force Based on GIS and Landscape Analysis Techniques in Tianjin during 2000–2015," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(6), pages 1-26, May.
    12. Christian Nolf & Yuting Xie & Florence Vannoorbeeck & Bing Chen, 2021. "Delta management in evolution: a comparative review of the Yangtze River Delta and Rhine-Meuse-Scheldt Delta," Asia-Pacific Journal of Regional Science, Springer, vol. 5(2), pages 597-624, June.
    13. Xuedong Liang & Dongyang Si & Xinli Zhang, 2017. "Regional Sustainable Development Analysis Based on Information Entropy—Sichuan Province as an Example," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 14(10), pages 1-18, October.
    14. Hongyu Du & Fengqi Zhou, 2023. "Study on the Layout of Ecological Space and the Integrated Management Mechanism of the Yangtze River Delta Urban Agglomeration," Land, MDPI, vol. 12(2), pages 1-15, January.

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