Spatial–Temporal Pattern and Influence Factors of Land Used for Transportation at the County Level since the Implementation of the Reform and Opening-Up Policy in China

Abstract

In this paper, we study the characteristics of the spatial–temporal pattern of land used for transportation at the county level since the implementation of the reform and opening-up policy in China and discuss the factors that influence the spatial differences between lands used for transportation in order to provide a reference for the formulation of traffic policies. The authors used ArcGIS spatial analysis, an ordinary least squares (OLS) regression model, and a geographic detector model based on the data of the transportation network at the county level in China from 1978 to 2018. We obtained the following results: (1) The land used for transportation at the county level in China is divided by the Hu Huanyong Line, which is characterized by spatial variation, where the southeastern region is higher than the northwestern region. (2) Counties with a high proportion of land used for transportation show obvious changes, characterized by the transformation from the “corridor” zonal distribution of arteries to the “diamond” group distribution of major city clusters, reducing the gap in land used for transportation at the county level in China. (3) The level of industrialization, per capita gross regional product (PGRP), and ratio of the non-agricultural working population all have an incentivizing impact on the increase in land used for transportation at the county level in China. We conclude that the land used for transportation at the county level in China is jointly decided by the economy, industry, and population. Therefore, we believe that it is necessary to promote fast economic growth, the upgrading of industrial structures, and population density to achieve the balanced development of land used for transportation at the county level in China.