Measuring coordination of economy-society and resource-environment based on major function oriented zoning: a case study of Pearl River Delta

A reasonable coordination degree assessment of the social-economic development level and the resource-environment quality level are essential to ident the key factory of the development, and vital to determine the appropriate development strategy and achieve sustainable development. The major function oriented zoning plays a role in spatial coordination mainly＇ by spatial guidance and restriction, so. the proposal of major function oriented zoning gives a new train of thought to generate a coordination evaluation of economy-society and the resource-environment system, From the view of major function oriented zoning that considers resource environmental bearing capacity, existing development density and development potential, this paper constructs an index system and model of coordination evahtation with a case study on Pearl River Delta. The results have shown： （I） It can reveal the conflicts of economic-social development and resource-environment quality to ac- curately consider resource environmental bearing capacity, existing development densio~ and development po- tential; （2） The coordination degree between social-economy system and resource-environment system in Pearl River Delta continued to decline in the past 10 years. The spatial extent of coordination evoh,es.from coordina- tion in the whole Pearl River Delta to imbalance in the core areas, and at present, the uncoordinated areas have already diffused from core areas to the outlying regions： （3） Most regions of the Pearl River Delta are in uncoordinated condition When considering the coordination degree of economic-social development and resollrceenvironment quality, not as coordinated as some scholars considered.

Major Function Oriented Zone: New Method of Spatial Regulation for Reshaping Regional Development Pattern in China

Newest planning methods implemented by Chinese government are promoting a coordinated regional development and shaping an orderly spatial structure by applying the regulation of territorial function. This article analyzes the problems of spatial planning and regional strategy caused by the wrongly-set primary goal of economic development; it states that the three-fold objective of competitiveness, sustainability, and welfare fairness shall be the principal for China to implement the spatial regulation in the new era; it discusses about theoretical thoughts and technology framework of conducting the ′Major Function Oriented Zone′ based on their different major functions that each region plays in urbanization and industrialization, ecological constructions, grain productions, and protection of natural and cultural heritages; it introduces the new concept of ′Major Function Oriented Zone′ that include the major functions category, the stereo regional equilibrium mode, the two-level zoning specification, and the territorial development intensity; it offers a zoning scheme that defines development-optimized and development-prioritized zones as regions with massive urbanization and industrialization, development-restricted zones as ecological constructing or grain producing regions, development-prohibited zones as natural and cultural heritage protecting regions; and finally it addresses the main obstacle for implementing ′Major Function Oriented Zone′, which is the institutional arrangement of the supreme goal of high GDP growth rate that is currently being implemented.

Multi-scale analysis of the spatial structure of China’s major function zoning

The spatial structures of China’s Major Function Zoning are important constraining indicators in all types of spatial planning and key parameters for accurately downscaling major functions.Taking the proportion of urbanization zones,agricultural development zones and ecological security zones as the basic parameter,this paper explores the spatial structures of major function zoning at different scales using spatial statistics,spatial modeling and landscape metrics methods.The results show:First,major function zones have spatial gradient structures,which are prominently represented by latitudinal and longitudinal gradients,a coastal distance gradient,and an eastern-central-western gradient.Second,the pole-axis system structure and core-periphery structure exist at provincial scales.The general principle of the pole-axis structure is that as one moves along the distance axis,the proportion of urbanization zones decreases and the proportion of ecological security zones increases.This also means that the proportion of different function zones has a ring-shaped spatial differentiation principle with distance from the core.Third,there is a spatial mosaic structure at the city and county scale.This spatial mosaic structure has features of both spatial heterogeneity,such as agglomeration and dispersion,as well as of mutual,adjacent topological correlation and spatial proximity.The results of this study contribute to scientific knowledge on major function zones and the principles of spatial organization,and it acts as an important reference for China’s integrated geographical zoning.

Territorial function differentiation and its comprehensive regionalization in China

During the sustainable development of land surface system,different territories undertake different functions.The understanding and representation of territorial differentiation of the land surface system is the main purpose of comprehensive function regionalization research.Focusing on the theoretical gap of comprehensive geographical regionalization,that is,the spatial decoupling of the physical environment and human activities,the non-nested relationship of spatial scale transformation,and the persistence and uncertainty of the dynamic evolution of territorial functions,this research proposed the identification principles and division methods of comprehensive functional regions.Based on the major function zoning in China,the systematic classification method with function orientation was employed to delineate the comprehensive functions of each territory,such as ecological security,food production and urban development.Then,the geographical regionalization method,which follows the principles of interconnection of different regionalization objectives at different levels and a combination of top-down decomposition and bottom-up aggregation,was used to determine the geographic boundaries.To meet the objective requirements of flexible and dynamic boundaries,two sets of land regionalization schemes for 2035 and 2050 were finally formed,each of which had three spatial levels.The first-level regionalization identified four major regions,which comprehensively represented the relatively stable state of China’s land development and protection pattern under the leading role of physical environment differentiation.The second-level regionalization identified 12 regions,which comprehensively represented the spatial layout of a new development pattern of multi-and inter-provinces coordinating the innovation chain,industrial chain and supply chain based on a relatively independent and complete natural carrier.The third-level regionalization identified 80 sub-regions,which comprehensively represented the functional differentiation patterns of sub-provinces during sustainable development.Compared with the current geographical differentiation research,the study of territorial function differentiation has academic values for the development of integrated geography in exploring the territorial system of the humanenvironment relationship,and it can provide a scientific basis for determining the territorial model of sustainable development and optimizing the pattern of spatial development and protection in China.

Measuring the past 20 years of urban-rural land growth in flood-prone areas in the developed Taihu Lake watershed, China

There is growing interest in using the urban landscape for stormwater management studies, where land patterns and processes can be important controls for the sustainability of urban development and planning. This paper proposes an original index of Major Hazard Oriented Level （MHOL） and investigates the structure distribution, driving factors, and controlling suggestions of urban-rural land growth in flood-prone areas in the Taihu Lake watershed, China. The MHOL of incremental urban-rural land increased from M 31.51 during the years 1985-1995 to M 38.37 during the years 1995-2010 （M for medium structure distribution, and the number for high-hazard value）. The index shows that urban-rnraI land was distributed uniformly in flood hazard levels and tended to move rapidly to high-hazard areas, where 72.68% of incremental urban-rural land was aggregated maximally in new urban districts along the Huning traffic line and the Yangtze River. Thus, the current accelerating growth of new urban districts could account for the ampliative exposure to high-hazard areas. New districts are driven by the powerful link between land financial benefits and political achievements for local governments and the past unsustainable process of ＂single objective＂ oriented planning. The correlation categorical analysis of the current development intensity and carrying capacity of hydrological ecosystems for sub-basins was used to determine four types of development areas and provide decision makers with indications on the future watershed- scale subdivision of Major Function Oriented Zoning implemented by the Chinese government.

1Chinese human geography and its contributions

The aim of this paper is to sift through examples of outstanding contributions made by Chinese human geography in terms of social applications and explain the basic concepts and theoretical methods explored by human geography that are behind the applications of results with major social influence, so as to be able to summarize the main school that represents developments in contemporary Chinese human geography. Chinese human geography upholds the subject＇s designation as being integrated and interdisciplinary. Research focuses on interactions between the natural and human spheres of the Earth＇s surface, and it is guided by the understanding and effects of the processes of regional sustainable development at different spatial scales. Chinese human geography has innovatively established the following development paradigm： ＂To be guided by application requirements, refine key issues of the discipline in the course of solving major issues of human geography in national and regional development, and by solving those key issues, to enhance its ability to provide scientific and technological support to serve national and local needs while promoting its own development.＂ Results from early Chinese human geography studies on land use and agricultural zoning, recent research results on point-axis system models and T-shaped national spatial development patterns, and current research results on territorial function theory and major function oriented zones have all continued and strengthened the mainstream school of Chinese human geography and have avoided the global tendency for human geography to become rapidly human-oriented, while results have been applied at the highest level of decision-making management. Chinese human geography can provide lessons for developing countries and may play a leading role in the future development of global human geography.