Dynamics of Urban Land per Capita in China from 2000 to 2016

As a proxy for human activity, per capita urban land has great significance for urban planning. We still lack a comprehensive understanding of per capita urban land from the perspective of urban–rural gradients. Thus, based on the concentric buffering method and the dynamic-time-warp clustering method, this research analyzes the urban–rural gradient of the per capita urban land of 345 cities in China in 2000, 2010, and 2016. We find that the per capita urban land in China grew from 110.2 m2/person in 2000 to 118.9 m2/person, increasing by 7.9%. The urban–rural gradient of the per capita urban land can be classified into six types: (1) large city with a mono peak; (2) large city with a fluctuating increase; (3) medium city with a mono peak; (4) medium city with a declining trend; (5) small city with a mono peak, and (6) small city with a declining trend. In addition, most cities shifted from a mono-peak type to a declining type, which suggested that the low-density, sprawling development was intensifying. The dynamic-time-warp clustering method used in this research can effectively compare trends of the urban–rural gradient of per capita urban land across cities, which can be applied to the analysis of the urban–rural gradient of air pollution, urban green space, and urban heat islands.