From process to effects: An approach for integrating dominant and recessive transitions of rural residential land (RRL)

Abstract

A complete course of rural residential land transition (RRLT) must correspond to the complex transition process itself and the multidimensional impacts arising from the transition, and it is essential to portray the complex laws of RRLT at multiple levels from a systemic perspective. In this study, a transition framework based on the "process-effects" perspective is presented to integrate the dominant and recessive transition of rural residential land (RRL) and analyse the transition characteristics from 2009 to 2021 in the Pinggu District of Beijing, a suburb of the metropolis. The results show that during the study period, the RRL in Pinggu District experienced a complex and drastic transition; when the proportion of RRL in construction land decreased, with the spatial layout tending to be decentralized as a whole, and the land use structure tended to be balanced and diversified. However, the comprehensive transition index of RRL is generally low, which indicates an inadequate transition. From the northeastern mountainous areas to the central semimountainous areas and then to the southwestern plains, the RRLT process is characterized by a progressive spatial evolution from single to complex. The overall effect of RRLT increased, with the most significant increase in economic effects, but the transition from rural nonagriculturalization to exogenous expansion also led to a decrease in social and ecological effects in some areas. The process and effects of RRLT are generally in a state of basic coordination, with a low level of synchronized development; process-lagging villages must adapt to the new demands of economic and social development on RRL adjustment at this stage, while effect-lagging villages must give full play to the spatial agglomeration effect of elements of sustainable development of RRL and enhance the effectiveness of land use. The findings provide new perspectives and new ideas for rural land planning practices in the context of rapid transformation.