Dynamic Expansion of Urban Land in China’s Coastal Zone since 2000

Abstract

Although a major region with strong urbanization, there is not yet a systematic and comprehensive understanding of urban expansion during the last 20 years for China’s coastal zone. In this paper, based on remote sensing techniques, and using indicators such as new urban land proportion, annual urban increase, and annual growth rate, as well as a landscape expansion index reflecting the urban expansion type (e.g., edge-expansion, infilling, and outlying), we measured the dynamic expansion of urban land in China’s coastal zone since 2000. The results indicated that: (1) China’s coastal zone experienced rapid urbanization from 2000 to 2020, with the new urban land and annual urban growth rate at 17,979.72 km2 and 4.83%, respectively. The new urban land was mainly concentrated in economically advanced regions, such as Bohai Rim, Shandong Peninsula, the Yangtze River delta, and the Pearl River delta. (2) The urban growth rates of coastal cities in Liaoning, Hebei, Shandong, southeast Fujian, and Taiwan became slower over time, with a sharp decline during 2015–2020. In the mid and south of China’s coastal zone, such as coastal cities in Jiangsu, Guangxi, and Hainan, there was slow urbanization before 2015, and urban land expanded dramatically during 2015–2020. (3) The urban expansion of China’s coastal zone was dominated by edge-expansion after 2000, but it went through a low-speed and intensive development stage during 2010–2015, with an increase in urban land less than 50% of that in the other three five-year periods, and the most significant filling of urban space compared with the other three five-year periods, which was probably caused by the global financial crisis. (4) The spatial-temporal differences in the urbanization process in China’s coastal zone were largely consequent on national economic development strategies and regional development plans implemented in China’s coastal zone.