Identification and evaluation of the renewal of industrial land in master planning: the case of Lijia, China

Abstract

Purpose Industrial land renewal is a significant constituent of urban environment and sustainable development. Most implementation in planning of renewal of industrial land has been mainly conducted at the site level of industrial zones or parks and the larger scale of township planning deserve further attention in China. To fill this gap, this paper aims to investigate the implementation of industrial land renewal for a whole urbanized area under the township master planning. Design/methodology/approach This study introduces a progressive approach to identify and evaluate the renewal of industrial land in township master planning to move toward a more practical understanding of industrial transition. The authors chose a typical industrialized town, Lijia in Changzhou City, under the development model of “Southern Jiangsu” to explain the measurement and assessment framework to identify and evaluate the renewable industrial land. Synthesizing the idea of sustainable development, the authors investigated the renewable industrial land with an econometric model including multiple-indexes of economic, social and ecological aspects, field observations and depth interviews. Findings The analysis demonstrated the spatial heterogeneity and complex generous structure of industrial land renewal in developing countries. It pointed out the major responsibility of enterprises as main industrial land users and indispensable responsibility of government and society. Following the idea of organic concentration and avoiding one-size-fits-all kind of deal, the master planning of Lijia emphasized the connection of industrial land and the combination of market force, social force and government regulation. Originality/value With original data and discussion, the authors provide more scientific renewal strategies for planners in sustainable development.