The impact of urban planning on land use and land cover in Pudong of Shanghai, China

Issue title: Landscape change and human activity — Selected papers from the 2nd International Conference on Landscape Ecology of Asia and Pasific Region, Lanzhou, China, Sept. 22–25, 2001

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Zhao, Bin | Nakagoshi, Nobukazu | Chen, Jia-kuan | Kong, Ling-yi

Affiliations: Graduated School for International Development and Cooperation, Hiroshima University, Kagamiyama, Higashi-Hiroshima 739-8529, Japan | Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, Institute of Biodiversity Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China | School of Environmental Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China

Abstract: Functional zones in cities constitute the most conspicuous components of newly developed urban areas, and have been a hot spot for domestic and foreign investors in China, which not only show the expanse of urban space accompanied by the shifts both in landscape (from rural to urban) and land use(from less extensive to extensive), but also display the transformation of regional ecological functions. By using the theories and methods of landscape ecology, the structure of landscapes and landscape ecological planning can be analyzed and evaluated for studying the urban functional zones' layout. In 1990, the Central Government of China declared to develop and open up Pudong New Area so as to promote economic development in Shanghai. Benefited from the advantages of Shanghai's location and economy, the government of Pudong New Area has successively built up 7 different functional zones over the past decade according to their functions and strategic goals. Based on the multi-spectral satellite imageries taken in 1990, 1997 and 2000, a landscape ecology analysis was carried out for Pudong New Area of Shanghai, supported by GIS technology. Green space (including croplands) and built-up areas are the major factors considered in developing urban landscape. This paper was mainly concerned with the different spatial patterns and dynamics of green space, built-up areas and new buildings in different functional zones, as influenced by different functional layouts and development strategies. The rapid urbanization in Pudoag New Area resulted in a more homogeneous landscape. Agricultural landscape and suburban landscape were gradually replaced by urban landscape as the degree of urbanization increased. As a consequence of urbanization in Pudong, not only built-up patches, but also newly-built patches and green patches merged into one large patch, which should be attributed to the construction policy of extensive green space as the urban development process in Pudong New Area. The shape of green area of 7 functional zones became more and more regular because of the horticultural needs in Shanghai urban planning.Some suggestions were finally made for the study of future urban planning and layout.

Keywords: functional zone, landscape ecology, Pudong, urbanization

Journal: Journal of Environmental Sciences, vol. 15, no. 2, pp. 205-214, 2003