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Comprehending and capturing the dynamics of change within regional ecosystem services (ESs) and elucidating the responses of ES drivers across diverse natural geographic environments stand as the foundational requisites for crafting efficacious ecosystem management strategies. Landform classifications serve as the intrinsic environmental underpinning for distinct ES operations, yet our comprehension of ES responses to drivers in different landform types remains limited. This study focuses on the Sichuan-Yunnan ecological barrier area, characterized by complex topography and a range of landform types. By systematically analyzing changes in six ESs, we employed an optimal parameters-based geographical detector model to examine driving factors from holistic and landform-specific perspectives. Findings reveal a consistent increase in the aggregate level of six ESs—food production (FP), carbon storage (CS), soil retention (SR), water yield (WY), nitrogen export (NE), and habitat quality (HQ)—during 2000–2020. ES supply varied significantly across landform types. From a holistic perspective, natural factor-dominated ESs (CS, SR, WY) were influenced by topographic and climatic conditions, while natural-socio-economic factor-dominated ESs (FP, NE, HQ) were more affected by socio-economic factors, especially population density and nighttime lighting. From a landform type perspective, driving factors had significant differences in the spatial differentiation of ESs across landform types. Although different ESs were more susceptible to the combined effects of temperature factors and GDP, the accessibility factors became increasingly influential as topographic relief index increased from plains to highest relief mountains, and water were the most critical core factor for ES provisioning in ecologically fragile and sensitive highest relief mountains. Our targeted analysis enhances understanding of ES spatial heterogeneity in complex mountain regions and provides insights for tailored restoration and management strategies across diverse landforms. These findings establish a basis for spatial zoning management and control to improve ESs under different landform types. • Understanding factors driving ecosystem service (ES) spatial heterogeneity from holistic and landform types perspective. • Accessibility, notably transportation infrastructure development, significantly influences ESs in complex landforms. • Water assumes a pivotal role in shaping ESs within complex landform types. • We advocate a landform-specific, sustainable ecosystem management strategy as a means to enhance ESs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An analysis of the evolution of urban three-dimensional morphology (EUTM) can comprehensively explore the processes and mechanisms of urban evolution and provide a basis for urban design and land use administration. Based on the three-dimensional model of urban built-up areas in two periods, this paper establishes a quantitative index system for the EUTM and discusses the methods of generating isoline maps for each index. The idea of making integrated partition map of urban three-dimensional morphology is developed according to a multidimensional feature space classification method. A quantitative analysis of the EUTM in Nanjing is carried out by using two types of maps. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the artificial neural network (ANN) model was used to evaluate the degree of intensive urban land use in Nanjing City, China. The construction and application of the ANN model took into account the comprehensive, spatial and complex nature of urban land use. Through a preliminary calculation of the degree of intensive land use of the sample area, representative sample area selection and using the back propagation neural network model to train, the intensive land use level of each evaluation unit is finally determined in the study area. Results show that the method can effectively correct the errors caused by the limitations of the model itself and the determination of the ideal value and weights when the multifactor comprehensive evaluation is used alone. The ANN model can make the evaluation results more objective and practical. The evaluation results show a tendency of decreasing land use intensity from the core urban area to the periphery and the industrial functional area has relatively low land use intensity compared with other functional areas. Based on the evaluation results, some suggestions are put forward, such as transforming the mode of urban spatial expansion, strengthening the integration and potential exploitation of the land in the urban built-up area, and strengthening the control of the construction intensity of protected areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper draws upon smart growth theory to provide an analytical framework of "smart identification" for industrial land to be readjusted. Huai'an city, Jiangsu province, China, is selected as a case example for the developed framework. Unlike the identification method of efficiency orientation for stock industrial land, which emphasizes the core goal of input and output of production factors per unit area, the smart identification framework covers the five dimensions of industrial policy, urban planning, socioeconomic benefits, transportation convenience, and environment protection. The framework pays more attention to the characteristics of high-quality socioeconomic development, including innovation-driven, coordinated, and sustainable development. Industrial land blocks are used as the research unit. A total of 1,552 industrial land blocks are identified for readjustment, covering an area of 4,008.7 hm2 and accounting for 54.3% of the total industrial land area in Huai'an city; this shows that considerable potential exists for adjustment. We argue that the evaluation index selection of intensive industrial land use and the method by which industrial land is identified for readjustment is influenced by the stage of socioeconomic development. The smart identification method is more consistent with the connotation of high-quality development, and more conducive to revealing the current demand and change law of industrial land against the background of industrial transformation and upgrading, which is of great significance with regard to promoting the intensive use and spatial optimization of industrial land. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the past forty years, rural China has undergone dramatic spatial restructuring, and its production functions have gradually become diversified. However, although several studies have examined factors affecting the distribution of rural settlements in recent years, few have focused on rural production functions. To fill this gap, this paper proposes an analytical framework to understand the impact of rural production functions on the spatial distribution of rural settlements and quantitatively analyzes the rural areas of Taizhou municipality by using the bivariate Moran's I method at the township level. In general, the results show that the spatial distribution of rural settlements has different correlations with each type of rural production functions. The distribution has the strongest correlation with agricultural production functions, followed by the industrial manufacturing and service supply functions, while the weakest correlation is with the ecological leisure function. Further, in the high-value areas of the agricultural production function and the ecological leisure function, the distribution of rural settlements is discrete, with low density, a large scale, and a long distance. In contrast, in the high-value areas of the industrial manufacturing function and the service supply function, the distribution of settlements is clustered, with high density, a small scale, and a short distance. Based on the correlations, this paper sketches four types of ideal town-villages construction pattern to guide the optimization of rural settlements layout, including the productivist-oriented evenness pattern, the transit-oriented axis pattern, the idyll-oriented corridor pattern, and the urbanization-oriented integration pattern. This research provides scientific guidance for developing countries in the spatial planning of rural territories and the optimization of rural settlements. • Spatial heterogeneity of rural production functions is explored in the township level. • There are certain correlations between different rural production functions and spatial distribution of rural settlements. • The four ideal town-village construction patterns are presented, applied to the different dominant production function. • The implication for rural spatial planning is conducive to promoting rural vitalization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rural space development and value distribution are the material basis for sustainable rural development. Rural development problems in China's farming areas relate to limited space, unclear ownership, inefficient organization. Rural spatial governance takes material space and the spatial relationship as governance objects, combining the fair distribution of space with the participation of multi-stakeholders in rural development. This paper examines "matter–organization–ownership" governance path for rural areas, analyzing the efficiency of spatial governance, and investigating the "population, land, industry, and urban–rural relationship" transformation mechanism needed for rural development. We selected Xiangbu Village, a typical farming village, for empirical research to verify the internal relationship between spatial governance and rural development. Xiangbu Village has significantly improved its rural collective organization, public service ability, space asset value, and other aspects through multi-scale and multi-means governance paths. In Xiangbu Village, collective power and spatial governance reconstructed the multi-stakeholder structure of the village, transforming the spatial connection from weak to strong and improving the spatial and overall benefit structure. The process of rural spatial governance involving multi-stakeholders has promoted individuals' land rights claims, the participation of multi-stakeholders, and the will to return to start businesses in Xiangbu Village. The space rights reorganization process of public spatial governance in Xiangbu Village provided the economic, organizational, and material space foundation for industrial development. While spatial governance brings opportunities for village development, it also brings risks. The collective power supervision and restraint mechanisms are imperfect, and problems with the participation and coordination of the ternary forces of government, market, and society still need an urgent solution. • A conceptual model of rural spatial governance based on "matter–organization–ownership" path is constructed. • Investigating mechanism of "population, land, industry, urban–rural relationship" transformation drive rural development. • Coordinating the internal relationship between spatial governance and rural development in China's farming areas. • Combining "bottom-up" and "top-down" of rural spatial governance is the current alternative path for rural development. • China's rural development needs to carry out spatial governance based on its own conditions and foundation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]