Using Construction Expansion Regulation Zones to Manage Urban Growth in Hefei City, China

The management of urban land development, as well as the conservation and optimization of agricultural land and urban green space, is crucial for sustainable urban development. China has experienced rapid urbanization and industrialization since 1978, which brought unintended negative social and environmental consequences. Hefei, the capital of Anhui Province in eastern China, is identified by the Economist Intelligence Unit as one of the top 20 emerging cities in China. Its urbanized area grew from 29 km(2) to 268 km(2), an 824% increase, between 1980 and 2005. This paper reviews Hefei's urban growth management since 1987. It then analyzes in detail the construction expansion regulation zone, an innovative measure proposed by the Ministry of Land and Resources China (MLRC). The regulation zone includes four types of zones: a permitted expansion construction zone, a conditionally permitted expansion construction zone, a restricted expansion construction zone, and a prohibited expansion construction zone. The suitable land-use types for each zone are identified and these measures are compared. Finally, the application of the construction expansion regulation zone to manage Hefei's urban growth is illustrated. The findings would be useful for researchers and local authorities and as a reference for the study of urban planning or to support land resource management. DOI: 10.1061/(ASCE)UP.1943-5444.0000135. (C) 2013 American Society of Civil Engineers.