The distribution characteristics and driving mechanism of vacant land in Chengdu, China: A perspective of urban shrinkage and expansion

Solving the land vacancy problem and promoting urban transformation is a crucial challenge for the new ur-banization construction in China, especially under the dual pressure of rapid urban expansion and localized shrinkage. This study explores the spatial distribution rules and driving mechanisms of urban vacant land (UVL) in Chengdu, China, using GIS spatial analysis and multi-scale geographically weighted regression (MGWR) model. Our results indicated that there are 3859 UVLs in Chengdu, accounting for 16.19 % of the total con-struction land. There are three typical characteristics for their spatial distribution: typological differentiation, circular structure, and spatial agglomeration. The double-layer classification scheme of UVL from the perspective of urban shrinkage and expansion is a promising option for the future research. Furthermore, location, economic vitality, infrastructure, and natural conditions significantly impact the distribution of UVL, but the driving mechanisms of shrinking and expanding vacant lots are different. The impact intensity of the driving factors has significant spatial non-stationarity characteristics, and their driving directions may even be the opposite among different regions. The formation causes of UVL are complex and multi-dimensional, and future research should fully consider spatial scale dependence.

Automated summary

Solving the land vacancy problem and promoting urban transformation is a crucial challenge in China's new urbanization construction, especially with rapid urban expansion and localized shrinkage. Using GIS spatial analysis and multi-scale geographically weighted regression (MGWR) model, this study explores the spatial distribution rules and driving mechanisms of urban vacant land (UVL) in Chengdu, China. The results show that Chengdu has 3859 UVLs, accounting for 16.19% of the total construction land. These UVLs exhibit typological differentiation, circular structure, and spatial agglomeration. The driving mechanisms for shrinking and expanding vacant lots differ, and the impact intensity of driving factors has significant spatial non-stationarity characteristics.