IN-PERSON Manchester Livable Cities
Abstract
This study explores the heterogeneity and mechanisms of urban spatial development patterns (USDP) on farmland health to support targeted environmental assessment, urban planning and food-ecological protection; USDP has two core dimensions—spatial continuity (USDP-SC) and shape regularity (USDP-SR)—with quantitative indicators, and a farmland health evaluation system was built under the vitality-organization-resilience framework, with the GTWR-Geodetector model analyzing USDP’s heterogeneous impacts in the Yangtze River Delta. Results (2000–2020) show USDP-SC rose (Shanghai: 5.9% growth) while USDP-SR declined (Zhejiang cities: ≈8.5% drop), and farmland health first deteriorated then improved, with southern areas outperforming northern ones and developed regions seeing accelerated improvement. USDP impacts are context-dependent: USDP-SC exerts stronger positive effects in regions with superior endowments and high economy, USDP-SR performs better in flat, contiguous farmland areas, USDP-SC weighs more, and their co-positive effect areas are expanding. USDP-SC mainly acts via the organization dimension, USDP-SR via vitality, and the findings support optimized urban planning and farmland protection in rapid urbanization regions.
Chai Duo, Ph.D., is Associate Professor and Deputy Director of the Urban Management Department at Central University of Finance and Economics. A visiting scholar at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, he holds various society positions and serves as journal editorial board member/reviewer. His research focuses on natural resource management and urban-rural land policies. He has published over 50 papers and 3 monographs, led 2 NSFC projects and 10+ consulting projects, and won 5 awards, including a national natural resource technology prize.
11:00 am - 12:30 pm
Thursday 18th June, 2026