The potential of special zone development as a tool in land-use control - a case study of Yinchuan City, Western China

The designation of special development zones is extensively employed in China to promote urbanization. This study aimed to assess the potential of special zone development as a tool in leading sustainable land use in Yinchuan City, Western China. Through an integrated framework that estimated the resultant land use pattern of zones related to institution, implementation, and planning, critical problems of the zoning system were identified. Three types of special zones – isolated, peripheral, and strategic, were observed. Subsequently, we found that the inconsistent position of zones in the city’s spatial strategy and inconsideration towards the surrounding areas have led to inefficiency in promoting ordered development pattern and intended land use layout in the isolated and peripheral zones. The zones that obtained more substantial development were the strategic zones. Additionally, heavy reliance on land leasing fees led to more consumptive land development. Therefore, the potential of special zones in land-use control, in the context of rapidly-growing inland cities in China, is predominantly dependent on the planning coordination with the city’s development strategy. For the improvement of the efficiency of zones, we suggest re-examination of the positions of zones within the entire urban structure and more flexible planning and fiscal tools