Page 66 - JCAU-7-1

Journal of Chinese
Architecture and Urbanism Non-equilibrium territorial space use in PRD

1. Introduction et al., 2016). Some scholars have analyzed the efficiency
of territorial space utilization in resource-based cities,
China, with its vast territory and large population, focusing solely on construction land (Chen et al., 2022; Lu
exhibits significant regional variations in natural et al., 2022). Following the release of the National Major
resource endowments, a phenomenon rarely observed Function-Oriented Zoning by the State Council in 2010,
elsewhere in the world. These variations make regional other studies have analyzed land development intensity by
development coordination a critical challenge. Since the calculating the proportion of construction space relative
implementation of the reform and opening-up policies, to total land area (Chen et al., 2012). Recognizing that
China has undergone the largest and fastest urbanization land finance significantly enhances land use efficiency;
process in world history, achieving globally recognized scholars have gradually examined the relationship between
accomplishments. Urbanization has provided a substantial land development intensity and economic benefits from
platform for both urban and rural residents to share the the perspective of land input and output (Huang et al.,
benefits of socio-economic development. However, this 2021). Typically, land, labor, and capital are considered
rapid and often disorderly urbanization process has led to inputs, while various benefits are regarded as outputs (Ma
several issues, including imbalanced regional development, et al., 2022). In recent years, the academic community
resource and environmental constraints due to extensive has emphasized sustainable development, requiring
development, and unequal access to public services (Yao coordinated and orderly synergy between resources, the
et al., 2014). As a result, urbanization has become a central environment, and socio-economic factors, grounded
and complex issue in the socio-economic development of in the harmonious unity of humans and nature (Bryan
contemporary China.
et al., 2018; Rebolledo-Leiva, R et al., 2019). However, a
In response, the 2015 Central Urban Work conference significant conflict exists between the infinite demands
proposed a people-centered urbanization, emphasizing that of human societal development and the finite supply of
city size should adapt to its resource and environmental territorial space resources (Kalabamu, 2019). As a result,
carrying capacity. The conference also highlighted the research has shifted toward evaluating the balance between
need for urban development to coordinate space, scale, land development and environmental carrying capacity by
and industry. With urban agglomerations as the main measuring construction land development intensity and
form of development, the conference advocated for land supply capacity (Wei et al., 2023). Ecosystem services,
the scientific planning of city spatial layouts to achieve which provide essential environmental information for
compact, green, and efficient growth. In this context, accurately identifying natural value and urban-level
the National Development and Reform Commission impacts, are increasingly integrated into spatial planning
proposed key tasks for new urbanization in 2019, focusing tools. These services enhance urban planning and resilience
on deepening the development of urban agglomerations, (Hernández & Camerin, 2023) and help prioritize and
implementing orderly planning, and accelerating the allocate nature-based solutions in urban areas based on
construction of China’s three major urban agglomerations. ecosystem service needs (Longato et al., 2023). Building
In 2022, the commission issued the 14 5-year Plan for on the integration of various research aspects, a few
th
New Urbanization to further advance the people-centered scholars have begun to study the scale of territorial space
urbanization strategy. This plan promotes the categorized development from a more comprehensive perspective (Qu &
development of urban agglomerations, encouraging Long, 2018; Sun et al., 2021), focusing on the coordination
megacities and very large cities to transform their of economic, social, and environmental benefits (Tian et
development approaches by scientifically determining al., 2019). However, research outcomes in this area remain
urban scale and development intensity. In addition, it relatively limited. The primary methodologies include the
seeks to enhance the vitality of small cities, strictly control coupling coordination degree model (Tian et al., 2019; Sun et
incremental growth, and revitalize existing resources. al., 2021), coordination tests, impulse responses (Zhao & Hu,
Efficiency in territorial space utilization is a crucial 2016), and data envelopment analysis (Tone & Tsutsui, 2010).
indicator for assessing a region’s sustainable development Current research on the Pearl River Delta urban
capacity. This concept evaluates the extent to which agglomeration primarily focuses on population-
territorial space resources are effectively used to generate economy and land-ecology aspects. Studies indicate that
economic, social, and ecological benefits under given input economic development has slowed due to the depletion
conditions (Chen et al., 2024). The existing literature on of the demographic dividend and a decline in economic
the benefits of territorial space development covers various globalization (Shang et al., 2022). Research into the
spatial scales, including national, urban agglomeration, industry–population–space interaction mechanism within
watershed, provincial, and municipal levels (Deilmann urban agglomeration development reveals a gradual fading

Volume 7 Issue 1 (2025) 2 https://doi.org/10.36922/jcau.3720