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| METROPOLIAN AND NON-METROPOLITAN URBAN LAND GROWTH IN THE YANGTZE DELTA REGION |
| CAO Guang-zhong, GAO Xiao-wen, LIU Tao |
| College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China |
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Abstract China has been experiencing at an unprecedented rate in urbanization and urban growth especially in coastal areas where cities and towns are highly concentrated since 1980s. This paper takes 221 counties in the Yangtze Delta region as typical urban regions in China, makes deep insight into the variance of metropolitan and non-metropolitan growth in urban land use on the basis of category definition, and discusses the distinct development path of urban region in China. Based on category definition, urban land utilization analysis supports that, center-periphery relationship distinguished in different areas, with a balanced diffusion in metropolitan area and centripetal polarization in non-metropolitan areas. Among metropolitans, regional variation also exists. Isolated metropolitans show weaker influences on the periphery than interlocking metropolitans, the outer counties of former ones get more pull from centers than the latter ones. As a transitional category from non-metropolitan to metropolitan area, isolated metropolitans have similarity with its formal stage in the outstanding central city and low developed periphery. Impact from central city, foreign investment and internal force of county economy shaped distinct spatial relationship of urban region in the Yangtze Delta region. This paper also suggests that, region authorities should pay large attention to the discipline of regional development concerning metropolitan characteristics, and promote integrated regional development in the aspects of industry distribution, infrastructure sharing and economic cooperation. Beside, this paper lays emphasis on the phenomenon of growth rate differentiation among region categories; however apparent growth rate cannot tell the whole growth discipline, while initial urban land scale and total land supply amount also play a remarkable role in urban growth.
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Received: 18 July 2010
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2011, Vol. 26 
