Land use dynamic monitoring and assessment of core urban districts in Chongqing

With the rapid socio-conomic development and urbanization acceleration, obvious changes of land use have happened every year in Chongqing. The concerns on the land use dynamic monitoring and assessment by policy makers are rising. The overall objectives of this study are to monitor and examine the major determinants of land use changes of core urban districts in Chongqing. Based on the land use survey information derived from airscapes in 2005, as well as that in 1996 and the land use update data from 1997 to 2004, the land use dynamic database of core urban districts in Chongqing is built, then the land use dynamic analysis is carried out. It shows that the built up area has risen 27.6 percent and cultivated land has decreased 27.5 percent from 1996 to 2005. In this study, a system of econometric model on the changes of built up area and cultivated land has been developed, it was empirically estimated based on remote sensing data of land use and a unique set of data collected by authors on economic development and policies that have driven land use pattern changes of core urban districts in Chongqing. The results of this study indicate that economy growth, urbanization acceleration, the regional development and functional zone policy are key factors that have been driving land use changes of core urban districts in Chongqing. The paper concludes with a set of policy recommendations on harmonizing Chongqing's urban development and cultivated land protection.