Materializing the “Urban Region” Concept by Integrating Ecological Networks and Central Place Theory

Abstract

This paper attempts to integrate urban development and ecological conservation by applying and syncretizing the "urban region" concept from landscape ecology and the "city-region" concept from socioeconomics. First, various concepts pertaining to regions are discussed and then, the integration of ecological conservation and urban development on a regional scale is introduced. Subsequently, the Greater Pearl River Delta, in China, is used as a case study area and landscape ecology's "urban region" concept is applied to produce a landscape spatial arrangement framework for an urban region. This framework is achieved through the following steps: conceiving the study area as a region that consists of two urban regions, arranging ecological conservation landscapes by establishing a regional ecological network within the urban-region rings; and formulating an urban development strategy using central place theory. The resulting landscape spatial arrangement solution includes natural protection areas that cover half of the study area, several key strategic urbanizing locations, and suggestions for the strict protection of certain agricultural land-use areas. We believe that this framework facilitates a feasible exploration of land-use planning on a regional scale, although more in-depth studies are required to refine this approach.

[Retracted] Protection‐Oriented Landscape Design Based on Ecological Priority under the Concept of Ecological Environment Monitoring

“…Chen et al put forward a discussion on the development of conservation-oriented urban landscaping [ 12 ]. Based on Guo et al's study, through in-depth analysis and research on the problems exposed in our daily professional activities, we compared them from the perspective of demand and investment and discussed the saving methods and measures of greening design, budget estimate, operation implementation, and later maintenance management in terms of laws and regulations, landscape planning and design, new energy utilization, and energy conservation [ 13 ]. Xun et al believe that conservation landscape design is a landscape design that provides efficient ecological security system for human beings, protects and improves the natural environment, and maximizes ecological, environmental, and social benefits with minimum capital and resource investment in all aspects of landscape planning, design, construction, and maintenance [ 14 ].…”