Spatial Definition of Urban-Rural Fringe Based on the Physical Urban Area: A Case Study of Guangzhou City

Abstract

The urban-rural fringe is located between the central urban built-up area and the rural hinterland, which is a transition zone for land use, economic development, and population structure. It is the most dynamic area between urban and rural areas and has become the focus of academic research in terms of geography, sociology, and urban planning. Boundary definition is the most fundamental and primary task for urban research and is particularly important for the spatial definition of the urban-rural fringe. However, a literature review reveals that an unclear spatial definition hinders in-depth scientific research on the urban-rural fringe. The absence of a spatial scope also results in a lack of targeted spatial governance policies attuned to the unique characteristics of urban, non-urban, rural, and both urban and rural areas. Existing policy instruments that exclusively focus on urban or rural areas face significant challenges in fringe regions. Recently, the establishment of a national land spatial planning system has created favorable conditions for studying the spatial definition of urban-rural junction areas. The simultaneous implementation of Territorial and Spatial Planning surveys as part of the construction of this planning system also provides technical support for accurately defining these junction areas. High precision "three adjustments" data allows for an accurate representation of the current state of urban and rural land use, enabling the precise identification of the physical geographical extent of cities. In the context of this study, a reasonable and widely accepted method for spatially defining the urban-rural fringe is essential. To address these issues, this study proposes a spatial definition method based on the urban entity regions identified in three land spatial planning surveys. The approach relies on mature territorial planning technology and addresses three key questions: indicators, thresholds, and units for defining the urban-rural fringe. 1) These indicators were derived from the precise identification of physical urban areas by the Ministry of Natural Resources of the People's Republic of China. The research units were administrative villages and neighborhood committees from previous government policies. It can effectively connect with the territorial spatial planning technology system; 2) Adopt the 25% to 75% ideal value and cluster analysis method recognized based on a comprehensive review of relevant literature and practices in spatially defining the urban-rural fringe domestically and internationally. At the end of the paper, Guangzhou is taken as a typical case study to test the effectiveness of the proposed method in defining the spatial boundaries of the urban-rural fringe. It was determined that a threshold of 10%-75% is reasonable for the spatial definition of the urban-rural fringe in Guangzhou. 3) Through the literature review and practice of government on the spatial definition of urban-rural fringe, as well as the urban-rural fringe identification and examination in Guangzhou. This study proposes a definitive approach based on the physical urban areas of territorial and spatial planning. Finally, accurate measurement indicators, clear research units and highly operable definition methods has an effective integration into the process of Territorial and Spatial Planning, which could provide a solid foundation for further spatial research and the implementation of effective governance strategies.

Keywords

• urban-rural fringe
• physical urban area
• spatial definition
• territorial and spatial planning
• guangzhou city