Spatial Patterns and Driving Forces of Conflicts among the Three Land Management Red Lines in China: A Case Study of the Wuhan Urban Development Area

Abstract

The delimitation of three land management red lines (LMRLs), which refers to urban growth boundaries (UGBs), ecological protection redlines (EPRs), and basic farmland protection zones (BFPZs), has been regarded as a control method for promoting sustainable urban development in China. However, in many Chinese cities, conflicts extensively exist among the three LMRLs in terms of spatial partitioning. This study clarifies the connotation of conflicts among the three LMRLs. Moreover, a red line conflict index (RLCI) is established to characterize the intensity of conflicts among the three LMRLs. The Wuhan Urban Development Area (WUDA) is used for a case study, in which the spatial patterns of the three types of conflicts among the three LMRLs (i.e., conflicts between EPRs and BFPZs, EPRs and UGBs, and UGBs and BFPZs) are analyzed through numerous spatial statistical analysis methods (including spatial autocorrelation, urban-rural gradient, and landscape pattern analyses). In addition, the driving forces of these conflicts are identified from the perspectives of natural physics, socioeconomic development, neighborhood, policy and planning using three binary logistic regression models. Results show that the conflicts between EPRs and BFPZs, EPRs and UGBs, and UGBs and BFPZs are mainly distributed on the edge of the WUDA, inside Wuhan’s third circulation line, and at the urban–rural transition zone, respectively. The patch of conflict between BFPZs and UGBs has the lowest aggregation degree, the highest fragmentation degree, and the most complex shape. Logistic regression results show that the combination and relative importance of driving factors vary in the three types of conflicts among the three LMRLs. In the conflict between EPRs and BFPZs, the distance to city centers is the most important influencing factor, followed by the proportion of ecological land and elevation. In the conflict between UGBs and EPRs, the proportion of construction land, the distance to city centers, and whether the land unit is within the scope of a restricted development zone are the three most important factors. The proportion of construction land, the distances to the Yangtze and Han Rivers, and the proportion of cultivated land significantly influence the conflict between UGBs and BFPZs. This study aids in our understanding of the causes and mechanisms of conflicts among the three LMRLs, and provides important information for the “integration of multi-planning” and land management in Wuhan and similar cities.

Multi-Scenario Simulation of Urban Growth under Integrated Urban Spatial Planning: A Case Study of Wuhan, China

“…From 2002 to 2019, the area of urban construction land increased by 98.7%, from 1338.75 km 2 to 2646.26 km 2 . Therefore, Wuhan has formulated a series of spatial planning policies, which have greatly affected the process of urban growth [11,13,28]. In this study, we will specifically target the Wuhan Urban Development Area (WUDA), which was designated as the centralized area of urban development in the 2010-2020 Wuhan Master Plan.…”

“…In past decades, Chinese local governments have issued a series of spatial planning policies to restrain the decrease in ecological and agricultural land and guide urban compact development, among which Overall Land Use Planning, Urban Master Planning, Primary Farmland Protection Planning and Ecological Protection Planning played extremely important roles [13,28,52]. By integrating these plans of the study area, we classified the study area into three categories of planning zones: the urban development zone (UDZ), ecological and agricultural conservation zone (EAZ) and completely prohibited undevelopable zone (PUZ).…”

“…Currently, Chinese local governments have put forward a series of administrative regulations and spatial planning policies, including major function-oriented zoning, land-use planning, urban spatial regulations, ecological redlines and so on. These policies and regulations have played a vital role in restraining the decrease in ecological and agricultural land and guiding urban compact development [12][13][14], although illegal urban encroachment on protected areas frequently occurs [15,16]. Therefore, simulation of future urban expansion and encroachment incorporating different planning policies is of great significance for authorities and planners to make effective decisions in optimizing urban spatial patterns and achieving urban sustainable development.…”

High-precision Ecological Protection Red Line Boundary Optimization for Fangshan District, Beijing, China

“…(13) Zhang et al studied the conflicts among three land management red lines (urban growth boundary, ecological protection red line, and basic farmland protection area) using various statistical analysis methods, including spatial autocorrelation, imaging gradients, and landscape pattern analysis, and researched the driving forces of these conflicts. (14) Using Xiamen Bay as a research area, Hu et al studied the method of delineating the red line of coastal marine ecological protection and proposed a comprehensive framework to establish an index system (including 26 indexes) for delineating the red line region. (15) Gao et al summarized the theory and practice of delineating the ecological protection red line in China and proposed countermeasures and approaches to address the problems and challenges faced by the ecological protection red line in the processes of delineation, management, and implementation.…”

Relationship between Urban Land Use Efficiency and Economic Development Level in the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei Region

“…The limitation of land resources and the urgent demand for economic development has become a significant contradiction in urban development [6]. Based on this, in 2014, the Chinese government proposed three red lines of land use, namely, the basic farmland red line, the urban expansion boundary line, and the ecological red line [7]. The three proposed red lines objectively require improving the utilization efficiency of urban land resources and optimizing the urban spatial layout.…”