Production–Living–Ecological Conflict Identification Using a Multiscale Integration Model Based on Spatial Suitability Analysis and Sustainable Development Evaluation: A Case Study of Ningbo, China

Abstract

Production–living–ecological space (PLES) basically covers the scope of spatial activities in people’s material production and spiritual life and is the basic carrier of human social development and economic activities. The coordinated development of PLES is an effective method to mitigate land-use conflicts to achieve balanced and coordinated development of the region. However, so far, compared with the single-scale study based on administrative unit, the PLES conflicts between microcosmic grid-scale receives less attention. Considering the important scale problems of the geographical study, this study aims to analyze the synergetic degree of PLES under different scales (administrative-unit, grid, and integrated multiscale) and to scientifically diagnose land use conflicts in Ningbo, China. Results indicated that production land and ecological land in Ningbo were continuously occupied by human activities from 2010 to 2018. The lowest and lower suitability areas of ecological space in Ningbo increased from 2010 to 2018. Land ecological suitability was seriously affected by urban expansion, its ecological value was reduced, and the PLES developed towards the trend of being uncoordinated. Multiscale coupling analysis showed that the PLES in Ningbo was in less conflict on the whole, but with the development of the economy, the coupling coordination degree of PLES was also damaged. This study establishes the different scales of a PLES coupling coordination development degree evaluation index system and enriches the methods of multiscale land use fusion conflict diagnosis and also provides a scientific reference for the optimized and sustainable development of regional territorial space.