Spatiotemporal Dynamics of Urban Growth in Island Region from a Multi-scale Perspective: a Case Study of Zhoushan Island,China

The intensified conflict between island urbanization and lagging supervision deserves special attention worldwide.Zhoushan Island has been an outstanding center of marine economic development in China but also one of the areas most threatened by recent human activities.To cope with this challenge,the development of a retrospective understanding of the spatiotemporal dynamics of island urban growth is a key prerequisite.Detailed,multi-scales,long-term studies on island urban expansion are relatively rare.Remote sensing data,landscape metrics,and spatial statistics were used to characterize the urban landscape changes during the years from 1980 to 2013.Then,the potential determinants of island urban expansion were analyzed by integrating socioeconomic drivers,population factors,topographic variables,and policy guidance.The results indicate that Zhoushan Island has experienced a considerable urban expansion with an evident acceleration during the last period.Landscape changes in response to urban expansion varied with time,region,and scale.A general understanding of landscape metrics failed to reveal accurate dynamics for the urban landscape at a local level.At a block size of1 km,the urban landscape was more compact around the island urban center and the new developing zone,in contrast to the extensive and scattered pattern present across the entire region.Urban land primarily expanded from the urban center to the coastal regions due to topographic constraints and support from policy and economic benefits.The potential impact of the population factor decreased with urban growth,a finding that differs from several previous studies.The island urban dynamics observed in this study involved characteristics and differences that will guide future planning decisions and will provide a scientific case for urban development and sustainability with respect to islands and coastal regions in China.