Expansion of Industrial Parks in the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei Urban Agglomeration: A Spatial Analysis

Today, China is witnessing large-scale expansion of industrial parks. Rapid urbanization has resulted in the planning, development, and functional transformation of large industrial parks. Some of the expansions have occurred in core areas, while others involved the establishment of new park spaces in peripheral areas. This study examines industrial parks’ spatial expansion in the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei urban agglomeration and supplements the currently limited spatial expansion analyses of groups of development zones within specific regions. From the perspective of land use change, the study characterizes the spatial expansion of industrial parks in the three periods 1990–2000, 2000–2010, and 2010–2015. Results reveal the following: (1) During the three periods, the footprint of major industrial parks in Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei increased continuously, whereas the average annual growth rates diminished by 11.51%, 8.17%, and 3.38% for 1990–2000, 2000–2010, and 2010–2015, respectively. (2) In terms of spatial layout, the density of industrial parks has always been high in Beijing and Tianjin, and it increased over the three periods in Hebei, with more industrial parks established in the southeastern and fewer in the northern regions. (3) Regarding expansion modes, the period 1990–2000 witnessed several edge-expansions in core areas, such as Beijing and Tianjin, and limited expansions in peripheral cities; in 2000–2010, mainly edge- and infilling expansions occurred in core cities and characteristically outlying expansions in peripheral ones. In 2010–2015, infilling expansions took place in core cities and edge-expansions of established industrial parks occurred in small and medium-sized cities. Identifying the expansion modes is instrumental in differentiating industrial park development paths and optimizing an entire region’s spatial planning for industrial parks.